Aleksandr was not a messy man by any means but lately he had noticed that he was falling down on the job when it came to household tasks. In fact, most days he cursed himself for buying such a large house with nobody else to live in it with him but where he came from size meant money and money was power. Often times he wondered if five bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms was worth the constant upkeep. Tonight was spent just like every night for the past month with him scrubbing the stove and washing dishes until the neon numbers on the clock read 2:26 A.M. Normally it wouldn't bother him to have to clean his own mess but staying up this late just to ensure his house would be clean and then have to wake up at 6:30 A.M and go to work was driving him mad. "Jesus Christ they're done." Those were his last words before climbing the large staircase and collapsing into bed.
-X- Four hours later -X-
His alarm was blaring the morning news in his ear he lazily stretched out an arm and did his best to hit the snooze though it only knocked the alarm clock to the floor and continued to go off. Deciding that an extra five minutes wasn't worth the hassle he reluctantly left the warmth and comfort of his bed and started his morning routine with a hot shower and a shave followed by brushing his teeth and a thermos of coffee on his way out the door. His drive to work was usually met with heavy traffic though it seemed a bit ridiculous to have such massive traffic jams at 7 in the morning he put up with it for such a large salary.
Parking in his reserved spot he grabbed his briefcase from the passenger seat and shuffled his way inside, coffee in one hand and briefcase in the other. He yawned and politely waved at the receptionist on his way to the elevator.
"Good morning, sir."
"Good morning, Alice."
While he waited for the elevator he felt a firm pat on the back and that meant that the obnoxious accounts manager had something to say or knowing him brag about some overly exaggerated one night stand. He nodded lightly to him and stepped into the elevator and hit the 10th button for Nathan and the 20th for him.
"Mornin' chief! Boy you look beat. Was she good and did you get her name?"
"Good morning Nate...very funny. I was up all night preparing for my presentation and that I can tolerate. What I find insufferable is cleaning house. You wouldn't think a kitchen could get so dirty from one meal but I'll be damned. I'm thinking it's time to eat out of fast food containers and get a smaller place."
"Nahhhhh don't do that, chief. Why don't you just do what I do? Go the lazy route!"
"That would mean...."
"I got this awesome maid and not only does she clean my place like a champ, she's this smokin' hot blonde and she has all the right things in all the right places.""
The bell rang and the elevator doors opened up and Nathan pulled a card from his wallet and gave it to him. He smiled and nodded as a silent thank you and headed up to his office to start work all over again. Sitting down at his desk he stared at the card for a while not really sure if that was the route that he wanted to go. Aleksandr was not a greedy man by any means so money wasn't an issue but the idea of a stranger coming into his home wasn't exactly a dream come true. He weighed the pros and cons for a little while longer and finally gave in and dialed the number and the phone immediately picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hello...is this Mya?"
"The one and only! Well, the only one on the card. How are you?"
"I'm great. I was wondering if maybe you could find time to squeeze me into your schedule? My house is unusually large and cleaning it is...well it's too much of a hassle for me anymore."
"Sure! Whenever you have time I'll stop by and we can do a walkthrough so I can see what I'm up against and go from there. Sound fair?"
"Are you busy this afternoon? Say around two?"
"Two it is. Now, where exactly am I going mister...."
"Baranova. Aleksandr Baranova. 2401 South Lexington. Green house."
-X-X-X-X-X-
When Mya ended the call she was more than relieved. Since she had started her business she only had three clients and one was a sweet old lady with a heart of gold but on the other had she had two perverts one who always asked her to do things just to get her to bend over. As degrading and unsettling as it was this a decent paycheck and helping her save up to get a portfolio together so she could get her modeling career off the ground. She needed every dime that she could get, perverts or not. In fact, that was one thing that she was worried about this new guy and if he would be just as bad as the rest of them but that couldn't worry her so much that she couldn't do her job properly.
Going into her bedroom she looked through her closet and tried to find something presentable that she could wear and decided on a bright red halter dress with a matching bolero jacket. Slipping into a pair of black flats she went into the bathroom to finish her look with her hair. She tried several different styles and each time she tried a new one there was something about it she didn't like. From victory rolls, to a chignon, even a simple bun just wouldn't do. After a quick glance at the clock she realized she didn't have a whole lot of time and went with a side-swept look.
Climbing into her Jeep she turned the key and just like always, it started right up. She found comfort in her Jeep knowing that it was reliable, safe, and compared to a lot of gas guzzling SUV's it didn't hurt her gas budget too bad. Adjusting her rear view mirror just a tad she pulled away and cursed out loud when she found herself in a traffic jam. Each moment was precious and now her chances of getting there early were shot and the only thing she could do now was hope that she could make it to her appointment on time. Mya was always punctual and that alone was admirable in today's job market especially with her job. After taking several deep breaths she happened to glance down at her phone and saw that he had sent a text message asking if she would mind meeting a little earlier than that. Sliding out her keyboard she quickly sent a message back and said she would. After hitting send she stared at the traffic jam that moved maybe a few feet and just when all hope seemed lost it picked back up and cars seemed to rocket forward. It turned out to be just an accident and police and the fire department were clearing the road of all debris to avoid any further accidents.
Slowing way down when she turned onto Lexington she followed it for a while until she saw 2399 in bright red letters by the mailbox. Right next to that was a magnificent green house that fit the description and the address. Parking on the street her jaw dropped and heart pounded when a Rolls Royce Phantom slowed down and turned into the driveway right at 2401 and although she wasn't submerged in the world of cars she knew enough to know Rolls Royce vehicles came with a hefty price tag which meant he was professional and she needed to be on her "A game" even though it was just a cleaning job, a job was a job and that was good enough for her. Climbing out of her jeep she made her way up the walk and stood at the bottom step and waited for him to get out. When he did get out, she had to fight to keep her jaw from dropping at the sheer sight of this man. One thing was certain, his deep voice and thick accent matched his size.
"Are you Mya?" He said as he closed his door and activated the alarm on the car that signaled it was active by two light beeps of the horn.
"That would be me, sir. You have a lovely home and this is only the outside."
"You may end up rethinking this when you see the inside. By the way you look very lovely, Mya. Do you always dress like this when you come to work?"
"Well, not exactly, sir. I've always believed in dressing well when it comes to an interview- that's what this is, isn't it?"
"You are a very smart girl, Mya. I've always believed the same thing in fact, that is what got me my internship that eventually led to a six figure salary and a Phantom."
Unlocking the door he pushed it open and waved an arm for her to enter first with a smile on his face. "Ladies first, after all." Mya tried to hide her blush but a faint shade of pink tinted her cheeks as she stepped inside the massive home and he was right, it was much larger on the inside than it looked. Her jaw finally dropped as she made her way through the foyer and a strong hand touched her shoulder and pointed to the kitchen with a light nod.
"This is the room that gives me the most fits."
"Well I have no idea why." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice but it was all in good fun and the gentle smile and chuckle that she drew from him assured her that he understood that she was in fact, making a joke out of it.
"What I need most is the basic things when it comes to a maid. Someone to clean the kitchen once in the morning and again in the evening. The shower needs daily attention to keep soap scum from building, and of course the carpets vacuumed, hardwood swept and mopped, and once a month I like to steam clean. Does any of this sound too much?"
"No sir. I'm glad to have the opportunity. Is that all you need? I don't mean to interrupt I was just-"
"You weren't interrupting. This, miss Mya, would be interrupting. You are asking questions and since you are asking I will answer with no, there is more than that but first could I ask you a question of my own?"
"Of course you can! Fire when ready."
"Would you relax and stop being so nervous? Think of this as a....casual interview. You have the job I can assure you of that I just want you to be the one to make sure that you aren't getting in over your head. Now as for what else I need I always need to look my best and I have a suit press and I need to make sure my suits are neatly pressed and hanged in my closet and I keep them color coded and I'll show you what I use for business, leisure, and of course important events. Other than what I've said that is all I need. Any more questions?"
"Only two, sir. My first question is do you have a family or anybody else that lives here? My second is when do I start.
Aleksandr chuckled and looked at the beautiful girl. There was something special about her though he couldn't quite identify it. She looked like a delicate red flower in a patch of grass. Her beauty was vibrant that could stick out in a sea of people. Extending a hand he offered yet another warm smile.
"Everything is kept up but I'll be having dinner tonight around six so about 7:30 would be appropriate. To answer your other question I live here alone so no worries of anybody else and in fact should you see someone else I'm sure you know to call the police and leave the house."
