- Yes, I eat breakfast Viki - I laughed into the phone and waved a fork in front of the camera, on which I had a piece of tomato stuffed. - See, you even have proof.
- Don't say you made that delicious omelette of yours - she moaned and grabbed her belly.
- I told you four times how to make it.
- But I still don't get as tasty as yours, it's just like Grandma's broth -She laughed and set the phone on the shelf. I saw him rummage in some drawer and a moment later he starts brushing his long hair with a thick brush.
- How are you, what's up with your sister? - I asked, stirring my fork with my plate.
- Sometimes I get the feeling that she changed places with our mother. At the entrance, I got a list from her with assigned tasks and descriptions of when to do them, I also have to call her every time I want to leave the house and tell her exactly what I did when she was gone.
- Wait, are you really talking about that crazy Joann who came to us for a week in June - I frowned and recalled the day when she got so drunk that the two of us couldn't get her out of the club and put her in a taxi.
- I don't know, Mel - she sighed, pinning her hair in a high ponytail. - The worst part is that she doesn't look like she is joking, and you know well that I am also not a quiet person who follows all the rules. I'm afraid we'll bite.
- When the studies start, you will not have time for parties anyway, so somehow you will survive her moods - I disappeared from her sight for a moment, because I had to put the plate in the sink.
- Well, probably just the opposite. When the studies start, the weekend parties will start, and I'm not going to let go of them just because my older sister is trying to replace my mother by force - she brought her face closer to the screen of her phone so I could see her displeased face.
- What does Tom say?
- He tries to defend me somehow, but he takes it even more than me. If it goes on like this, I will also have to find a job and start renting my apartment, but this bothers with my plans because I wanted to devote myself 100% to science, and not to barely make money from my job. By the way, are you stressed before your first day of work? she asked.
I grabbed the phone in my hand and walked over to my room, sighing softly along the way. I opened the wardrobe to choose the right outfit in the meantime. In a supermarket, I would have been wearing comfortable pants and a company blouse a long time ago, but considering the appearance of the Dąbrowski house, I would not be surprised if all Ada was forced to clean up in a white dress and heels.
- A bit like that, because now I have to do everything to make me stay there longer than a week. I did some preliminary calculations yesterday and if I can find a third, literally several hours' job between the two, the next year will be the turning point I have waited so long for.
- Are you crazy? Do you want to work yourself to death? - Victoria shook her head in disbelief.
- What else do I have to do? I'll be sitting alone all day anyway, so I'd rather have my hands full and be aware that I'm getting closer to my goal with each hour, than reflect on how badly I did not take two jobs while studying in high school - I sat on the bed, still staring at the open wardrobe.
- You don't even know how I admire you. You should be the authority on the thousands of teenagers who sit with your finger in their noses and don't worry about anything.
- Maybe it's better for them, at least they won't get any sickness from too much stress - I laughed softly and finally pulled my light-coloured pants out of the closet.
- I'm coming! Okay, Mel, I'll call you back later, because Joann is calling me for breakfast, and I don't want to get under her skin in the morning, because I'm going to be forced to do something senseless today - she rolled her eyes.
- Sure, go and keep your fingers crossed for me! -I kissed the webcam a few times and hung up, throwing my phone on the bed.
***
I stared at the second hand on my phone and deliberately pressed the intercom button as it struck eight o'clock.
It couldn't be more punctual.
Hearing the sound of the gate opening, I pushed it open and entered the property. The same stress I felt when I entered DDesign automatically returned to me. After all, the same person is supposed to be my boss, and the fact that yesterday made me understand that he did not need me in his home as an employee only added to my anxiety.
I slipped silently towards the door and knocked on it gently, then looked nervously from side to side. There was only one matt black car in the driveway today. They must have an underground garage to accommodate them all.
- Good morning - I straightened when my eyes appeared dark-haired.
Surprisingly, he wore neither a white shirt nor suit pants, and in their place were plain black tracksuits and a stretched grey Nike T-shirt. Were it not for the fact that I have seen him before, I would be sure that this is their young son, and due to the fact that it is vacation time, he just sits at home.
I closed the door behind me and this time took off my shoes, deciding that I should have done it yesterday. I quickly followed the man who did not even glance over his shoulder or I was following his great steps. I hesitated when he started going upstairs because I wasn't sure if I should follow him or if he had just forgotten to show me all the things Mrs Eliza had said yesterday and he was going back to his bedroom.
- Please follow me - he muttered, looking down at me.
Shit, how official. He just had to get up because his voice is very hoarse.
I grabbed the railing and started to follow him, discovering new nooks and crannies in the house. We walked down the long corridor to the last door, which finally turned out to be his target.
- In this room, you have everything you need. Mops, buckets, liquids, cloths, generally anything your heart desires - he looked at me sidelong and smirked.
- Great.
- Any problem? - He slipped his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants and looked at me questioningly.
He could give up that look of his superiority. Maybe I belong to a lower sphere than him, but he should respect me because, in the end, I will be washing his dirty pants because he cannot do it himself.
- What is the scope of my duties?
- What can a cleaning lady do?
I lifted my eyebrows and pressed my lips into a thin line. I stretched my hand towards the mop and pulled it closer to me, not taking my eyes off the brunet.
Maybe he treated Ada the same way and she quit because she couldn't take it mentally anymore.
- Yes, stupid question, I'm sorry - I muttered sarcastically and shot him a fake smile.
- I don't remember letting ourselves speak by name, Miss Rosi - he pointed out.
- Of course, I'm sorry, sir - I corrected myself, straightening my back.
You need that money, Mel, so keep your mouth shut while you have the chance to earn more than you hoped.
I put my purse on the windowsill and looked around the room again. It looks like I will have to wait until Mrs Eliza returns to find out more about my job. Mr Davis will eat me sooner with his seriousness than he will sit down and talk about how Ada's work looked like before. I don't want to get rushed for entering a room I shouldn't be in, so best I can get on with something that has been waiting for me since yesterday.
Dirty dishes in the sink, that's it.
- I'm getting to work - I said and grabbed my rubber gloves.
I passed the quietly standing brunet on the threshold and started to follow the corridor towards the stairs. I looked over my shoulder when I heard his footsteps right behind me. He followed me, only turning when we were downstairs. I walked into the kitchen and looked at the dishes that begged to be taken care of.
If they thought about a dishwasher, they would get rid of it automatically. Unless the same would be a problem with taking the dishes to the cupboards.
I dipped my hands in warm water and began to thoroughly wash every plate that came into my hands. I rinsed them in cool water and put them on the dryer to let them drip off a little before wiping them off.
I had just finished wiping the countertop when a loud intercom was ringing in the house. Literally, a moment later I could observe the posture of the man walking down the stairs. He glanced at me, then headed straight for the door. He pressed a button next to them, then turned the key in the lock.
- Hi mom - he muttered softly and let her pass through the door.
A middle-aged woman greeted him, kissing his cheek. She slipped her grey cloak off her shoulders and gave it to her son to hang on a hanger. She began to tread slowly deeper into the apartment, banging loudly on the panels with her heels. She gasped and looked at the man with horrified eyes.
- Nathaniel, why is there so much mud here? Does Ada know her responsibilities? It's ridiculous - She shook her head, avoiding a wide arc of dirt on the floor.
- Didn't Eliza tell you she doesn't work with us anymore? - he started after her, slipping his hands back into the pockets of his pants.
- How is that? Who's gonna take care of all this now if not her?
Brunet automatically looked at me, and I pressed the cloth tighter to the tabletop.
- Mom, meet Amelia Rosi, our new cleaner - he nodded toward the kitchen.
Why do I feel worse every time I hear the word cleaner? After all, I know very well that no job is a disgrace, the more so that I will not clean public toilets at the railway station, and an apartment where only the best brands in the world tread the floor. And now mine too.
- Good morning, I am very pleased to meet you - I quickly left behind the kitchen island and headed to the woman to shake her hand.
The blonde looked at me carefully, lingering it longer on my face. She squeezed my hand gently, staring at me with such stern eyesight that involuntarily shivers ran down my spine.
I already know who the brunette has such a cold look for.
- Miss Rosi, take care of the dirty floor now - the man clearly noticed my confusion and tried to save me.
I nodded my head, and with a soft smile on my lips, headed upstairs for the mop. I paused a moment behind the wall and let the air out of my mouth softly.
What the hell was that suspicious look that she had measured my body with several times? Is it normal in their family that they treat everyone they meet in advance?
- Son, how do you look! What is this ugly tracksuit and a stretched T-shirt? You'd be ashamed even in front of that new cleaner! After all, I bought you nice, original pajamas - the woman's voice echoed throughout the house.
I grabbed the mop and the bucket and quickly headed downstairs to clean the muddy floor. I tried to go unnoticed when I found myself in the kitchen again to fill a pail with water and a special floor cleaner.
- Normal clothes, mom, I don't know what you mean - the brunet shrugged, sitting down on the couch.
- Just because you're not with the company right now doesn't mean you can act like a teenager. You're twenty-two, which is the right age to get used to your elegant outfits, which you will now wear more and more - Eliza also complains about it.
I knew he was up to three years older than me. Only now the question arises why his woman is several years older than him, if she is a businessman and I will cut my hand off that all the girls at the reception sigh at him as soon as he crosses the hall.
- Yes, I'm twenty-two, so don't treat me like a child. I am in my own home so I can wear whatever is appropriate for me. When I go to the company, I always wear a suit and I take care of it, Mom.
I moved the bucket down the hall, pretending not to focus on their conversation. I dipped my mop in the water and set about wiping the mud off the floor a moment later as eagerly as if it were one of my favorite activities.
- And this girl, just look at her, don't you think she would be the perfect candidate?
I tensed when I noticed them both looking at me out of the corner of my eye. Brunet leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. A candidate for what?
- No, I don't think so.
- Do you even take it all seriously? Nathaniel is not a game, and your father really cares about it. You know there is not much time left and the clock is constantly chiming, she said, staring at me.
Do they really think their conversation is not reaching me, or are they just pretending to put me to the test?
- We think about it very seriously, but it's not as easy as it seems. Eliza already has her candidates.
- I've seen them, and none are fit for it like she - she nodded at me.
- You see her with your eyes for ten minutes - brunet mocked and got up from the couch.
- It is enough for me to notice that she is nice, gentle, cultured, and, above all, healthy.
- As for the latter, you have no idea what condition her body may be in.
- She's the youngest of them all. Natt, consider this respectfully because I repeat once again, she is the best candidate you can find for this - she said and cast her curious eyes on me again.