The silence of the foyer echoed loudly. I stood looking at the sun streaming in through the skylight, beaming shafts of light in the floating dust. I paused and reflected on my first year at university. I had survived, in fact done well but now was a different challenge. To survive a summer, ten weeks to fend for myself. With that thought I walked out the ornate oak doors and down the steps to the quadrangle. I sat down on a bench and unfolded the local paper.
I scoured the jobs section, pessimistically thinking all the best jobs would be taken and I would have have to go home to my parents. As I looked fretfully at the advertisements I saw a position leap out me. Housemaid. It was at some club some the Xerxes Club and required a maid to live there over the summer and carry out light duties, serve guests and some cleaning and domestic work. I thought I could do that. It would be perfect, I would get a roof over my head and a wage. I then convinced myself it would be gone and slumped back into my usual lack of self belief.
I took my phone from bag and looked through the advertisement for a phone number. As I did so I saw the phrase "very special person" I paused momentarily, pondering what it meant before, dialing the number with my heart pounding in my chest.
A gentleman answered the phone.
"Hello; The Xerxes Club," came a distinguished older voice. I immediately thought of man in a tweed suit and a moustache.
"Um hello, I am phoning about the advertisement in the Echo, er.. about the position of maid," I garbled.
Immediately his tone changed and brightened, "Oh how splendid, well it is still available, if you would like to attend an interview so we can tell you about the position as see if it is right for you."
"Oh that would be fantastic, where and when?"
"Well if you can come along to the club at three on White Horse Lane then we can take it from there."
"Oh thank you, yes, I can make that," I replied excitedly.
"Marvellous, see you then..."
"Er...Clare."
"We will look forward to meeting you Clare," he replied brightly.
I held the phone to my chest. I can't believe my luck I thought to myself. I Googled the club and found it's location. I then went home to dress in preparation for my interview.
Arriving at halls I ran to my room and went straight to the wardrobe. Most of my possessions were in boxes ready to store away over the summer as the room would have to be vacated in ten days. I shuffled through my clothing and stopped at my black dress, a little too formal maybe but it was a maid position so I had to show I could be smart and well presented. I showered, washed my hair, dried it and put the dress on. I looked in the mirror and adjusted myself. I looked younger than my years, maybe that would be good, or bad? My chest was rather flat and my skinny pale limbs dangled out of the dress, I wished I was more curvaceous and less like a little girl I thought to myself.
I looked at my watch and suddenly realised I must phone a taxi, I didn't want to be late.
The taxi pulled up at a gravel drive in front of large iron gate. I got out and paid the driver, who gave a knowing look and weird smile as I did so. I shrugged it off and walked up to the gate. It was surrounded by thick manicured yew hedges and supported by two red brick gate posts, adorned with decorative stone pineapples. I saw an intercom and pressed it.
A crackly male voice came through air,"Hello."
"Oh, Clare here, I have come about the housemaid job."
The gates immediately started to open. I walked through, my heeled shoes wobbling on the gravel drive as I tried to walk elegantly to the large church style front door. It opened and I was greeted by a smartly dressed middle aged gentleman, well pressed khaki wool trousers, tattersall shirt, tie and tweed jacket. He had no moustache but other than exactly how I had pictured the man I spoke to over the phone.
"Hello, I am Charles Rivers and I am the secretary of the club, pleased to meet you."
He led me through a grand old hallway, oak paneled and marbled floor, cold against the warmth of day outside to an office.
He gestured to a chair and I sat down. He walked around a large mahogany desk and sat facing me. He looked serious, or maybe slightly concerned.
"I think before we begin, I should explain a little about the club," he said nervously. "I don't know if you have heard anything about it?"
I shook my head.
"Well, we are very different from most other clubs maybe a little strange some would say, not politically correct, old fashioned, archaic even."
I listened even more.
"Well, our founder appreciated female beauty and the womanly form and, to be accurate, so do all of it's members to this day. We believe in a certain 'treasuring' of women and a appreciate those women who accept our guidance and rules."
I began to wonder where this conversation was going.
"To cut to the chaise Clare, women are not allowed to wear clothing in the company of club members."
I stared transfixed, too tongue tied to respond.
"To be more precise, female clothing is not permitted past this hallway and office. Now I should make it clear that nothing untoward is expected, the girl can simple be naked and go about her business in complete safety and security. All are members are perfect gentleman and would never even so much consider doing anything against a woman's will."
I sat transfixed, like a rabbit in the car headlights.
"In return to your service here you will get food, a room and the sum of eight hundred pounds a week," he explained.
My focus was momentarily broken by the sum of money dangled in front of me. Thoughts raced, rape, sex slavery, prostitution, dirty old me letching after me but then the money, a room and all that money, I could fund my course.
I opened my mouth, but the words would not form, my tongue was dry.
Charles handed me a glass of water.
"Err.. what.. oh ... so.. my role.. duties.. what ..," I stuttered.
"Oh yes, well, you can start as maid, light duties, some cleaning, serving drinks in the smoking room, waitressing in the canteen. It is not too heavy a workload. The day would run from eleven in the morning until seven at night or the later shift from two in the afternoon until nine at night."
"And the men... just ..."
"All our member are gentlemen who admire women immensely, they will not touch you uninvited, say anything improper or do anything you don't want."
My head was spinning.
"er.. I am at university so I am really looking for a position over the summer," I explained.
"That would be no problem, we are more than happy for a woman to join us on a temporary basis and were we in fact hoping for a student applicant when we posted the advertisement"
