3
~ Ian ~
“T-ten?” Teri’s eyes glaze over for a moment, as though the idea is completely and utterly impossible to grasp.
“That’s what I said.” I trace shapes on the table with the tip of a finger, mentally outlining the steps involved in giving her such a figure.
“But I am asking for a lot, Teri. You haven’t seen the house yet, so you might regret asking for five when you visit.
I think it should more than cover anything you need, plus leave you enough to save and pay all those damned licenses and fees for your business. ”
“Ten.” She blinks. I can’t tell if she’s listening or still stunned by the figure I’ve plucked out of the air.
“Yes. Ten. Plus room and board.”
Now Lorna slides an arm around her friend’s waist and pulls her into a tight hug. She says, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Teri almost whispers. She takes a long, deep breath and looks at me with a deep frown of concern. “Are you for real?”
“In what way?”
“Come on, man. Nobody walks into a place like this and offers a total stranger that kind of money. What’s going on here?”
Her sudden suspicion catches me by surprise. My brain misfires and I can’t find the right words to answer. Thankfully, Lorna steps up.
“I promise, Teri - it’s real. I can vouch for Ian.
He’s a one-of-a-kind man. If he says that’s what he’s going to pay, he’ll pay it.
Ian changed my life. Thanks to him, I’m going back to college and getting my life on track.
Imagine what you could do with your life and your career after working with Ian for just a few months. ”
Teri glances at Lorna, before turning those dazed - yet still sharp - eyes in my direction. She says, “And what is it that you want from me?”
Initially, I think that the giant salary has caused Teri to forget our entire previous conversation. I spread my fingers on the table and lay out the job description again. “I need a housekeeper. Full-time. Live-in. Plus chef.”
“Uh-huh. I heard you. And what else are you expecting?”
“What do you mean?”
Teri gives me a look. Not just a look but a look. And suddenly I understand.
“Nothing else, I promise!” Again, I feel heat rising inside me. It doesn’t help that I’m an older man - a fabulously wealthy older man - sitting opposite two beautiful younger women. If anything, that thought makes my blush beam all the brighter.
“It’s not that kind of arrangement.” Lorna pats her old friend, intervening for me. Thank God for this woman. I’m fifty and still flush when trying to explain the ins and outs of my sex life. “Honest. Ian has never asked me for anything like that. It just kind of happened.”
Teri’s features soften. The suspicious look in her eyes fades a fraction. Lorna giggles and says, “Actually, I’ve kind of always had a crush on Ian. You wouldn’t believe how many times he turned down my advances before we hooked up.”
Her openness and direct nature surprise me once again. Every day is a learning experience with Lorna. I’ve never been so forthright in discussing the intimate details of my life, not even when I was a younger man wooing Katie and telling my friends about it.
“Oh.” Teri seems surprised by the revelation. Perhaps she had believed that I used my money and influence to coax Lorna into my bed, like a classic predatory sugar daddy. Her previous hesitation and caution now make sense. “So you guys only just started dating recently?”
“We’re not dating.” Lorna hurries to correct her friend. “There’s nothing official about this. It’s not even a real arrangement, in that kind of sense. We live together and sometimes we sleep together.”
“Sometimes?”
Lorna grins, unable to stop herself. Teri looks at me but I glance away.
“More than sometimes,” she says. “I can live with that.”
“It’s a perk.” Lorna gives me a sly wink. “I’d be fine with what we have even without that little bonus. But, trust me, it’s way more fun like this.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Teri appraises me with fresh eyes now, as if reassessing all her previous instincts and judgments. Maybe now she sees someone different sitting here; not a filthy old pervert who used his money to bed Lorna, but someone lucky enough to have the means to help an old friend.
“Listen,” I raise both hands to get their attention, “I think we’re getting off-topic here. The whole reason I wanted to speak with you is to see if you’d be interested in the position of housekeeper. I do not and will not have any other expectations of you besides that.”
Teri’s body softens into Lorna’s arm, as though letting go of a deeply-held worry. But, at the same time, something flickers across her face. Not just a shadow of relief, but something else. Maybe it’s my imagination, but I glimpse a hint of disappointment there.
“Thank you,” Teri says. She brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. “But for ten grand a month, I’d do the job in my underwear if you insisted.”
Now we let out a combined burst of raucous laughter that causes several heads to turn in our direction, including Ted the manager, who frowns and checks his watch. As our giggles subside, I turn my attention back to Teri.
“I won’t lie to you, the job isn’t going to be easy. I still haven’t seen every corner of every room myself yet. You might look around the house and decide that ten thousand isn’t enough, in which case, we’ll discuss the job and your expectations and make sure everything is fair.”
“In what freaking world is ten grand not enough?” Both Teri and Lorna giggle together for a moment. “But, yeah, okay, I guess it would make sense to see the house first.”
“Fantastic. How’s tomorrow for you?”
“Well, I’m supposed to have a shift here, but…” Teri glances over her shoulder. She sees Ted tapping his wrist, the universal symbol of a jackass reminding someone about the time. “Fuck it. I don’t care how big the house is. Even if you live in a castle, I’m taking the job. This is my last shift.”
Lorna beams and hugs her friend tighter. I feel a strange uplifting surge in my heart. I've just changed someone’s life - hopefully for the better. Lorna says, “Great! I’ll be in class, so it’ll just be the two of you.”
Teri and I gaze at one another over the table. A curious ripple runs through me. As silly as it sounds, I hadn’t really thought about what it would be like to be alone with this stunning young woman. A smile tugs at the corner of her soft mouth.
“Great. You and I can get to know each other… boss.”
At first, I’m so surprised by her use of the word boss that I’m unable to ponder what she means in the rest of that sentence.
I grimace and say, “Let’s get one thing clear right away, I have no intention of being your boss, Teri.
I’ve been one before and I don’t care to do it again.
I might be paying for your time, but we’ll be living together as roommates. We’re equals, okay?”
Teri nods. She says, “Roommates?”
Lorna gives me a wink. I truly don’t know what to say in reply. If either of these women expects anything beyond what I’ve laid out here tonight, I don’t know how to talk about it. But Teri herself spares me from further blushes by sighing and sliding out of the booth.
“I gotta get back to the trenches. I’ll be over tomorrow at ten, if that’s okay, Ian?”
“Perfect.”
“Great. And I’ll bring some homemade pie along. See you tomorrow. And - thanks. Really, thank you.”
Teri turns and heads back to the kitchen. This time, there’s a notable spring in her step. All that previous weight, worry, and stress has dissipated from her shoulders. Lorna takes my hand.
“I told you she’s amazing, didn’t I?”
“You did. I’m excited to see her again.”
“I’ll bet you are.” She offers me a suggestive grin. Before I can say anything, she adds, “Shall we head back home?”
“We haven’t had dessert yet.”
Her suggestive smile deepens. Now we’re both thinking the same thing. “We can have dessert at home, Ian. Whipped cream included.”
We almost stumble in our hurry to leave. I throw some cash on the table to cover the check and follow Lorna’s swaying hips out of the restaurant and back to the car. I almost break the speed limit in my haste to get this beautiful, sensual young woman back home.
~ Teri ~
My Uber drops me in front of the house that matches the address I gave the driver but just before it drives away, I’m tempted to whirl around and climb back into the back seat.
The house is too big, the situation is too weird, and my heart will not stop pounding in my chest. I’ve worn my best skirt and one of my white tops that emphasizes my girls a little too much and which strikes me in the clear light of day as somewhat presumptuous and borderline inappropriate for a first meeting of employee and employer.
The case could be made that last night’s meeting qualified as the first but I hadn’t been offered so I clearly hadn’t accepted the job when the meeting began and I’m rambling again.
I can’t quiet the voice in the back of my head long enough to tell the Uber driver to wait so she drives away as I’m dithering, a fresh apple pie in hand and my purse slung over my shoulder.
I didn’t bring any cleaning supplies because this is just a get-to-know-you meeting as I understood it so I can’t be expected to actually start working when we haven’t really determined all the details of my employment other than my monthly salary, which is beyond extraordinary, but nothing about benefits or expectations, really, and how can you be expected to begin a job with so many lose ends still hanging out there and, fucking hell, I’m rambling.
Again.