Tales From Sechs City
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welcome to Sechs City, a wealthy, middle-class costal area of Western America in the state of California. A gorgeous, quiet largely uneventful place, people move to the city to follow their dreams, to live their day-to-day lives. It's almost too perfect to be true...
The next morning Elizabeth woke early to find her curtains already drawn and a fresh pot of coffee on a tray resting on the bedside table. Wanda had obviously crept in beforehand. From the looks of it she hadn't been able to resist tidying up a bit too. The bulky history book was neatly placed by the tray at a perfect right angle, and Elizabeth's old clothes, underwear and all, were now neatly folded on the large comfy chair resting by the wide window, from where glorious sunshine flooded into the room. Even her suitcase had been shut and placed neatly upon the large dressing table opposite the bed.
Elizabeth grinned. At least there had been no way Wanda could have changed the sheets while she was tangled up asleep in them. She reached under the pillow and pulled out the large exercise book and pen. Opening it at the last page she had written on, Elizabeth studies her neat joined up writing carefully, hoping to memorise as many of the bullet point step by step plan as possible so that she wouldn't need to carry the book around with her all the time and compromise her work. Still, she knew what she had to do today would be easy to remember.
As she reached out for the tray of tea the light duvet resting on top of her grazed the nipples of her small 36B breasts. She felt a familiar exciting jolt of pleasure run through her body, the goose pimples popping up onto her skin, the warm feeling beginning to quietly grow below. It caught her off guard slightly, and she laughed once out loud in surprise before covering her mouth with her left hand whilst shifting the duvet with her right. It felt a little embarrassing that something like a light brush of a sheet could turn her on, though she was well aware of the benefits a little softness could bring.
Pouring herself a cup of the hot, strong tea, Elizabeth scolded herself. Now was not the time to become excited. Now was the time to work.
After drinking two cups of tea and doing a few push ups to wake herself up, Elizabeth took a simple t-shirt and pyjama bottoms combination from her suitcase, along with a thin pink night robe and stylish looking house shoes. It was almost eight thirty, and she wanted to start her work as soon as possible.
Leaving her bedroom and making her way down the grand stairs, she briefly glanced into the living area, where the sight of a few sheets and a couple of crumpled pillows awaited her. Someone had obviously been made to spend the night on the sofa.
Lewis was in the kitchen, finishing hi cup of coffee and half a piece of buttered toast, while Wanda, with marigold rubber gloves, carefully scrubbed out the oven. She glanced over to the doorway as Elizabeth entered before rolling her eyes and continuing, unimpressed, with her cleaning.
"Good morning," said Elizabeth, clearing her throat which felt a little dry. Why was she always so nervous when she started a job like this? She was sure none of the other employees felt this way when starting the therapy, though she'd never asked. In a way it was useful; it was a rush of adrenaline. Here she was, helping another family, destined to see good results. That warm feeling briefly returned; she let it linger for a moment, like an old friend.
"Good morning, Elizabeth," greeted Lewis, starting to get off his chair.
"Lewis, please sit back down," Elizabeth said a little sternly. "You don't have to get up every time I walk into the room. Unless you do this for everybody else in your house? Do you?"
Lewis slowly sat back down. "No, I don't. Though I used to for Lianne, back when we were courting."
Elizabeth smiled. "Now there's a word I haven't heard in a very long time: courting."
Lewis laughed shortly. "Showing my age, am I?"
"No," replied Elizabeth seriously, "not in the slightest. It's a sweet word; it's a very romantic word. Unfortunately it seems to stop being so when a couple get married – I'm speaking generally here, you understand? It's a shame."
"Yes, it is," said Lewis thoughtfully, then looked up as a strange sound, almost like a "tut", came from inside the oven. "Did you say something, Wanda?"
"No, Mr Smith," replied the maid, who seemed to be scrubbing a little more vigorously than usual. "There's just a lot of mess in here, is all."
"Of course," said Lewis, an eyebrow raised. He looked at his watch and said, "Well, I guess I'd best be heading off. I'm sorry I can't stick around today, Elizabeth. Will this affect your work at all, me being at my…er…work?"
"It's not exactly helpful , I'm afraid, but I've dealt with this kind of situation before a few times. You're a busy man, you've got a beautiful house; you need to work. I can't stop you going. It has to be up to you. Just like every other normal day."
Lewis shifted a little uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but there's just not that much I can do about it. I've got a busy day just full of meetings – it's not even anything really very practical."
Elizabeth sat herself down next to him. He looked good in a clean cut suit and tie, smelling of a light aftershave and shampoo. She expected that nobody he met that day would suspect he'd spent the night on the sofa.
"Still, your job must be very interesting. You spend so much of your time at it you must enjoy it a lot."
Lewis wondered if there had been any hint of sarcasm in what she had just said, but she looked as serious as ever. "I used to," he admitted. "But…I don't know…not any more. Not like a few years ago, before all this shit started."
He got up and stretched a little, rubbing his back with a quick grimace as he did so.
"Should have bought a more comfortable couch," said Elizabeth lightly.
Lewis coughed, embarrassed. "This…well, it's not going the way I'd hoped, the way I thought it would when I called your company in that bar. I'm wondering if I've given you a major set-back."
"No, don't worry. I enjoy a challenge. What time will you be back today?"
Lewis chuckled, removing his jacket from the back of his chair. "If I'm lucky, half four. If I'm unlucky, you won't see me until seven at the earliest."
"You should get yourself an assistant, you know. Someone to lighten the work load for you. Otherwise you could end up having way too much pressure on your own shoulders."
Lewis shook his head. "Thanks for the advice, but it's not going to happen. No way can I find someone who'd be willing to share my job. See you later, then. I hope you have a good day, and…er…look, obviously Lianne…"
"…obviously Lianne is going to have to get used to the fact that I'm here for her own good," Elizabeth finished for him, "for her family's good. Don't worry, I'll handle it."
Lewis nodded and left the room, a little struck by how those green eyes of hers looked so awake when his own felt so tired.
Elizabeth continued to sit in the kitchen, staring out of the large windows onto the beautiful lush lawn of the Smith's back garden, casually running through the to do list that was now successfully transferred into her head. Jack would no doubt have left earlier for college or wherever it was he went to. So that just left Lianne, Wanda and her in the house. Lianne would have to be the first person to start observing, there was no other choice.
"Excuse me, Wanda," she said to the maid who was pulling off the rubber gloves with gusto, "but what time does Mrs Smith usually come down for breakfast?"
Wanda smiled shortly, not looking at her as she replied, "Mrs Smith was feeling a little under the weather this morning and asked if she could have her breakfast in bed. She then asked me that she did not wish to be disturbed for the rest of the morning, as she has a headache."
Wanda expected this to dampen Elizabeth's enthusiasm and looked very surprised when Elizabeth replied, "Yes, I thought she would have said that."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. You know, nine times out of ten I meet this type of reaction on my first day of working with a family. Not just with the women either but sometimes even the men have tried it too." She leaned forward a little, her green eyes staring at Wanda hard and purposeful. "Wanda, you must believe me when I tell you that I am not a threat to this family or to you or your work. I'm simply here to help them through this rough patch."
She flinched slightly as Wanda brought a hand down onto the table with sudden violence. "I've worked for this family for so many years, so many! I've washed their bibs and their dresses and their suits with baby sick on them; I've cleaned their toilets with my own hands that have been covered in the most disgusting filth; I've cooked for them, I've tidied for them, I've looked after them for so long. You think I don't know this family? You think I can't see they're in trouble?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "I didn't say that at all, Wanda," she said quietly.
Wanda looked at her with eyes that were beginning to fill with tears. "They're falling apart," she said brokenly. "I love them all so much, like they were my own, but I can't do anything to help them."
Elizabeth, filled with pity, took Wanda's hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. "Yes you can," she said strongly. "You can help them if you help me. I won't ask you to do much, I promise."
Wanda looked doubtful. "Mrs Smith wont like it one bit. It'll be like I had betrayed her."
"No, she won't see it that way. I'll take the fall, that's if there even is one. I'm not going to force her into anything she doesn't want to say or do. She has to choose. But you know that sooner or later she will have to cooperate or else the family will never start to heal, and I'll have failed."
Wanda took a deep breath. "Okay," she said quickly. "For the Smiths I'll do it. Now what do you want me to do?"
*****
"We're out of what?"
