6. Hailey
6
HAILEY
Because I was a little apprehensive at knocking on doors and going in the guys’ rooms, I started with the study Bennett had mentioned. I lugged the vacuum and a bucket full of dust rags and cleaning sprays in there and had a look around.
There were rows of bookcases filled with textbooks on all sorts of subjects. Law. History. Science. Most looked old, and that wasn’t too surprising, because a lot of texts were online these days.
And all looked dusty, so I started there.
Then I cleaned two tables that looked pretty much like the one I’d used at the library today. There was also a leather couch, and I spotted a bowl of hard candy on the console table behind it. My stomach rumbled. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. But when I reached for one of the individually wrapped candies, I froze.
It wasn’t a bowl of hard candy. It was a bowl of condoms.
All individually wrapped, and at least fifty of them. What the hell kind of studying did those guys do in here? Then again, there were those wild parties they were known for.
I quickly dusted the console table, vacuumed, and then left the room, dragging everything with me. I walked the length of the hall until I spotted a door with Theo’s name on it. That seemed like a safe place to start. I knocked, and when there was no answer, I tentatively opened the door. And walked into a calm and peaceful sanctuary.
His room was clean, stylish, and somehow masculine-looking, which didn’t detract from the sense that it was a safe space in a house full of craziness. There was a big bed with a heavy wood headboard. Then there was a built-in wardrobe along one wall. It was painted an olive green and his clothes hung neatly on the two rods.
The woven rug had notes of green and brown in it, and it complemented the plants that hung from overhead hooks and sat in the windowsill. And it wasn’t just the colors that worked together. Somehow the textures did, too. The chunky crocheted blanket strewn across the corner of the bed went well with the rug.
Who knew that a college guy could create such an oasis?
I moved further inside, glancing at the framed drawings on the wall. They were of famous places—one was the Colosseum in Rome and the other one was some kind of cathedral.
The desk in front of the window was slanted, and as I moved closer, I saw a blueprint on it. Then it hit me—it was a drafting table. Oh yeah, Theo was studying architecture.
It surprised me how nice it felt to be in his room. I wanted to curl up on his bed and take a nap, but I knew I couldn’t.
I vacuumed and dusted, but there wasn’t much else to do besides empty the trashcan into the bag in the hall. Before I left, I couldn’t help returning to the drafting table. There was a pile of oversized papers on it. The top one had a sketch of some kind of large building.
Carefully lifting the corner, I looked at the next sketch. It appeared to show the inside of the building, with rows of seats. It was some kind of concert hall. Had Theo designed that?
Other sketches showed the outside of the building. It was located along a small river, the walls of the structure seeming to curve to match the banks. It was hard to imagine that someone his age could have that kind of talent and vision.
Reluctantly, I gathered up my supplies and left the beautiful little room. Matt’s was next. He was the guy I’d seen with Ian last night. His room was kind of about what I was expecting. Not too clean, not too dirty. It didn’t take all that long.
Who did that leave on this level? Ian and one guy I hadn’t met yet. As I walked down the hallway, I heard noises—it sounded like more video games—coming from a room on my left. The name on the door was Nelson. I decided I’d clean Ian’s room next and then circle back to him. Maybe by that time he’d be headed to class.
After knocking, I tentatively opened the door to Ian’s room. And then stopped and rechecked the name on the door. Was it really his?
Because it didn’t actually look like anyone lived there. The quilt on the bed was plain and white. There was nothing on top of the tall wooden dresser or the desk by the window. The bookcase had some books in it, all neatly lined up in a row, but otherwise, there was nothing to indicate the personality of the man who lived here.
No picture frames of family. No clutter on the nightstand. No shoes kicked off in the corner of the room. It didn’t take long to clean—there wasn’t even any trash in the trashcan.
I left the room knowing that I should be grateful that it didn’t take very long, but it also left me feeling uneasy. It had looked more like a hotel room than someone’s personal space.
After getting a new garbage bag, I approached the last room on the floor, Nelson’s. The noises from the room got louder as I got closer, and there was also a strange smell coming from that direction. Kind of a musky smell, but it was difficult to describe. Maybe a little like something burning?
I knocked on the door, but there was no answer, and no lessening of the video game noises behind the door. The smell was even stronger, however. I knocked again louder, and then put my ear to the door, trying to hear what was happening in there.
“I’d skip that one.”
I jumped and whirled around, spotting Ian. He was standing in front of his door. With all the noise from Nelson’s room, I hadn’t heard him walking down the hallway. “I knocked and there was no answer.”
He nodded. “I’m not surprised. While we were just playing a game to blow off a little steam, Nelson seems to be majoring in them.”
I laughed a little. A guy like that seemed different from someone studying architecture, like Theo, or wanting to be a doctor, like Ian. “Bennett told me to clean all the rooms of the guys staying here this summer. I already did yours.”
“Thank you.” If he was curious about my reaction to his surprisingly sterile room, he didn’t show it. “But I’m pretty sure Nelson doesn’t want you in there unless you’re good at first-person shooter games or selling weed.”
My jaw dropped. “That’s what that smell is?”
“Yep. And if you don’t want your clothes smelling like that, I’d stay out of there.”
“Okay. Thanks. Can you tell me where Grant and Bennett’s rooms are?”
“Upstairs,” he said, jerking his chin to the left. “Use that stairwell and you’ll come to Grant’s first. Bennett’s suite is in the middle.”
That sounded like Bennett… and it sounded big. I hoped it wouldn’t take too long because I really needed to get to the grocery store. Somehow, I didn’t think that the fraternity president would be understanding of me getting dinner on the table late, even though he was the one who’d assigned me all these tasks.
I thanked Ian and headed up the stairs, lifting the vacuum cleaner one step at a time. After a whole summer of carting beer and appliances up the stairs, I was going to have more muscles.
I did the math as I reached the third-floor landing. If Nelson truly didn’t want me to clean his room, then it would save me time. Hopefully the rooms up here wouldn’t take too long.
Grant’s room was first, and I knocked three times, just to be sure he wasn’t there, before entering.
It was a nice suite with a bedroom, a small sitting area, and a private bathroom. Though the furniture and art on the wall looked expensive, it didn’t feel like an oasis as Theo’s room had. But on the other hand, it didn’t feel empty and impersonal like Ian’s room.
I dusted, straightening up as I went. Grant had shed his tie and his shirt on the chair by the bed, no doubt after his outing last night. Was he one of the drunken guys I’d heard tromping up the stairs? Most likely.
Then I swept, which took a little longer. The floors were hardwood, and there weren’t many area rugs to move, but it still took some time to go over them. I dreaded the day when I’d have to mop in here.
I shut off the vacuum and breathed a sigh of relief at the silence that filled the room.
And then it was broken.
“Hey.” For the second time today, I jumped.
Grant leaned against the wall next to the open door. How long had he been watching me?
“Hi.”
He pushed away from the wall and strode into the room. “This is a nice surprise, finding a pretty girl in my room. And I didn’t even have to be charming to get her here.”
The flirtatious grin he shot me made my face flush, and I stammered out the first thing that sprang to mind. “You can be charming?” That really wasn’t the kind of thing one said to their employer, even in an informal situation like this, but it was too late.
But Grant just laughed. “You have no idea.”
That was true… but, as he walked toward me, I could see why women must come to his room pretty frequently. He really was ridiculously handsome. Tall, of course. At least six-five. And he wore it well, not like those poor guys who were bone thin who looked like they’d been stretched out on a rack.
Grant moved easily, his arms swinging, which drew my attention to the biceps that barely fit in the sleeves of his white t-shirt. His hair was lighter than his cousin’s—he had the classic blond hair, blue eyes thing going for him. But it wasn’t just his body that caught women’s attention. It was his whole manner. His cocky, arrogant, devil-may-care attitude was appealing on some level.
If only the rest of his personality weren’t so bossy and dismissive. He seemed like Bennett in that regard, only not quite as bad. He reached me and looked around. “Nice job, Cinderella.”
It was too disconcerting to look into his vivid blue eyes when he was this close. “I’ll get the trash. Is there anything else you want me to do?”
Again, the words came without much forethought, but once my brain kicked in, I knew it was the wrong thing to say to a guy like him.
“You could make the bed.”
I glanced over at the massive king-size bed that dominated one wall. “It’s already made.”
He walked over and patted a dark blue comforter. “It won’t be for long if you join me over here.”
The arrogance of this guy. I wondered where I’d be in life if I had a fraction of the confidence he had. His words should have been creepy, but somehow, with his easy-going grin, I knew he wasn’t a real threat. At least not while he was in a playful mood like this. I definitely wouldn’t want to run into a guy his size in a dark alley.
“Didn’t anyone tell you that it’s bad form to harass the help?”
His grin widened. “It might have been mentioned in one of my classes.”
“Are you pre-law?” He seemed like the type.
“Political science, at the moment. But I’m taking a few classes because law school is next.”
Hmm, pre-law and poli-sci. “Do you want to practice law or run for office?”
His eyebrows raised. “Smart girl. Both.”
Suddenly, his arrogance made sense. “Are you a politician’s son or something?”
His gaze narrowed. “My uncle’s a US senator.”
“Bennett’s father?”
Grant nodded. “It’s kind of the family business.” I had a bit of trouble imagining him being serious enough to be a politician, but it wasn’t likely that this frat boy persona was the only side of him. “Speaking of that, you’d probably better head to the presidential suite.”
It took me a moment to realize that he meant Bennett’s room.
“Guess so,” I said. I felt his eyes on me as I gathered up my things and headed out.
The suite for the fraternity president was impressive. The entryway was a short hallway lined with mirrors and console tables. Then it opened up into a huge living room plus a dining room table. The view of the mountains was spectacular, and there was a large balcony running the length of the suite from which to enjoy it.
I took it all in as I vacuumed the plush carpet. The sofas and armchairs were made of a cream-colored leather. There was a baby grand piano in the corner and a chandelier overhead. Did all the fraternity presidents live like this, or did Bennett just like luxury? Probably the latter. And, since he was the son of a senator, he was probably used to it.
I cleaned quickly, both because I didn’t want to be here when Bennett returned and also because I still had to get to the grocery store and make dinner. The bathroom had double sinks and a huge walk-in shower. I couldn’t help but peek in. There was a bench but no showerhead across from it. Then I noticed the nozzles built into the top and sides of the shower room. It would be like surround sound, only with water.
Bennett’s bedroom was equally luxurious, with a bed as large as Grant’s—but the dark grey sheets were twisted and rumpled near the foot of the bed, and part of the comforter was on the floor.
Was Bennett a slob? He seemed too… uptight for that. Like he always needed to be in control.
I felt uneasy as I made the bed. Had he purposefully left it undone? Maybe he liked the thought of me touching his sheets. Or he just liked making me do menial tasks. It was part of the job, yes, but none of the other guys had left their beds unmade.
Then again, young men weren’t known for their housekeeping skills. Maybe it was surprising that more of them hadn’t had unmade beds.
Still, I was glad to be done. I gathered up my stuff and headed toward the entryway. But when I rounded the corner from the dining area, I stopped dead.
There was something hanging on the back of the door—something I hadn’t noticed when I’d come in. I moved closer, but I already knew what it was. Bennett had obviously left it here for me to find.
It was the skimpy little French maid costume.