Britney the Maid
(Updated in May 2025)
As she was reading the classifieds, Britney was stunned by a job ad:
"Maid needed. Large apartment downtown. Five hours on weekdays. $45 an hour. In addition to cleaning, must be able to lift heavy weights, 100lbs+ in some cases.
Please include two pictures with the application: a headshot and a full-body shot."
$45 an hour was a lot of money! Britney had been looking for work since dropping out of college a couple of months ago, with no luck so far. She had gone to a mid-tier state university, but really hated studying. After finishing her junior year with just two years' worth of credits, Britney decided to call it quits. In her job search, she started by being a bit selective and mostly applying to positions she thought her time in college would help her get, like administrative assistant or medical technician. But after more than a month without responses, Britney began applying for low-paid work--like fast-food cashier or supermarket bagger. She was becoming desperate. The money her folks had last given her was running out, and soon she wouldn't be able to afford the rent for the small room in the dingy shared apartment she was living in. If things didn't turn around soon, Britney would have to leave the city and move back to her parents' place in Idaho with nothing to show for her college "adventure."
Britney had no experience as a maid and should have had no chance to get such a well-paid position. The employer would surely get the pick of the best maids in town... but there was something peculiar in the posting that gave her hope: the lifting requirement. Britney mostly hated college... but she loved one thing about it: being able to use the facilities to stay active, especially weightlifting. She tried several strength-based sports in high school, including shot put and wrestling, but ultimately focused on weightlifting. She was so good at lifting that it got her a college scholarship and helped her get into the university, despite her mediocre grades. In college, she continued to lift competitively and placed highly in a few state competitions. Britney was sad to no longer lift competitively after quitting college. But she kept in good shape--if a bit beefier than before--by working out in a CrossFit gym in her neighborhood. The owner was her friend and gave her a big discount.
Britney found it strange that a maid position would include a requirement to do heavy lifts. Most maids were smallish, middle-aged women. Some may be strong for their size, but one would not expect an average--or even a strong--maid to lift and move heavy furniture around by herself. It was particularly strange that the employer would need someone to lift things so often that they included this requirement in a job for which they'd be paying for so many hours every week. Could the employer be an infirm old lady needing help moving things--and maybe even needing to be carried around sometimes? Come to think of it, unless the apartment was massive and several people were constantly making it messy, why would anyone need five hours of cleaning every day?? Still, odd or not, she had exactly the right "skills" for the lifting requirement and hoped that would be enough to land her the job...
Britney also found the posting's picture request unusual. In her mental image of maids, they generally aren't hired for looks. Britney was no model... her face was squarish and her features plain. But she had a pleasant smile, shoulder-length dark-blonde hair, light brown eyes, tanned white skin, and an athletic figure, and people often said she was pretty despite her rarely wearing makeup. Perhaps the employer is asking for a full-body picture to get a sense whether the maid can do the required lifting?
Britney needed money and fast, so she ignored the puzzling details of the posting and got busy preparing her application. She added a description of her weightlifting experience to her resume and took a head selfie posing with her best smile. Afterward, she put on a short-sleeve top and a knee-length skirt for the full-body picture, which she thought would show off her strong physique while remaining tasteful. Even before dropping out of college, Britney had not competed for a few months, so she hadn't been watching her eating much and her weight had climbed to 178lbs, which gave a meaty "off-season" look to her 5'8 broad frame. Her arms were very strong and solid-looking, but not very defined when unflexed. Her calves were quite bulky and remained very muscular. The thickness of her arms and calves would be obvious in her full-body shot.
After getting dressed, she asked her roommate Karen to take her picture.
"Wow, looking good, Britney! What is the picture for... dating app?"
"Ah no... just need to include it in a job application."
"Nice! You are dressed to kill girl! Hope you get the job!"
"Thanks, Karen!"
With the pictures and her updated resume attached, Britney pressed send. Now she would just have to wait...
... But the wait wasn't long. Ten minutes later, Britney received a reply from the job poster: "Very interested in your resume. Would you be available for an interview tomorrow evening? My address is..." The signature at the end of the message, "CS," and the email address, cs1989@somemail.com, didn't give away whether the employer was a male or female. Could it be a guy? Why would a man need a maid to lift things around the house for him? Some men are so lazy these days... The address was for a very fancy apartment tower close to the city center... whoever this employer is, they must be loaded!
Britney replied quickly, and the interview was set. She took the quick reply as a good sign and got excited--she might finally get a job... and such a well-paying one! To let off some steam, Britney got into gear and headed to the gym for some lifting. Tomorrow may be the day her luck starts to turn around!
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Britney entered the apartment building, walked to the elevator, and hit the button for the 15th floor. "The apartment must have a great lake view," she daydreamed. Wearing a short-sleeved, fitted-but-not-skin-tight, white tank top and form-fitting black pants, she was ready to make a strong first impression. "I need to show I'm up for the job!" she thought. Britney wore open-toed sandals with wide, two-inch heels she had bought a few days ago. She hoped that, by making her a bit taller, the small lift in her heels would make her look more elegant, a bit less stocky, without making her towering.
After a smooth, quiet ride, the elevator reached the 15th floor. She stepped out and knocked on CS's apartment door...
"Hi, great to meet you, Britney! I'm Charlie," said the man who opened the door as he extended his hand to shake Britney's.
"Hi Charlie, great to meet you too!" She replied, giving a firm handshake to Charlie's skinny, delicate hand.
Charlie motioned her to enter... The open-floor plan of his apartment was very spacious, and Britney was immediately amazed by the lake view gracing the living room window.
"Wow," she gasped, unable to contain her wonder.
"Do you like my apartment?"
"Yes, it is amazing, Mr. Charlie! Such an amazing view from your living room!"
"Please, call me Charlie..."
"Sure thing, Charlie. I am so excited about the position!"
As they faced, Britney stood taller--two, maybe three inches in her heels... Charlie must have been 5'8 or 5'7. With his short brown hair, light brown skin, and kind smile, Charlie was cute in a boyish way... still, Britney figured he must be around 35, as betrayed by his first wrinkles and a few grizzled hairs. He wore a stylish, gray button-down shirt that fit him a bit too loosely. She couldn't quite make out his frame, but he seemed on the thin side. "Maybe that's why he needs help lifting things around the house," Britney chuckled, amused by the thought.
"Please sit down," Charlie offered, pulling a chair for her. "Would you like anything to drink?"
