Alice
I stifle a yawn as Kelly, my new boss, shows me around the hotel I have just started working in. My first job! I could hardly believe it when I got the phone call back offering me the position. It’s only as a chamber maid, but still it gives me my own money to spend as I please.
“Well....I think that’s about it! I’ll leave you to carry on the rest of the rooms on this corridor. I’ll be in the office, get me if you need anything. Lunch is 45 minutes but you can take it whenever you want. They put the good food from the lunch rush from the restaurant out about two-thirty so if you can, wait until then.” Kelly winks at me, and I smile back and nod.
As she walks off towards the office, I let out a breath I hadn’t been aware of holding. I push the trolley loaded with clean sheets and cleaning products up to the top of the corridor, looking at the list of rooms that need cleaning, and nervously press my ear against the first one. I don’t hear any noise so gently knock and let myself in.
“Housekeeping?” There is nobody inside, so I prop the door open and get to work. I find the routine of cleaning the rooms soothing and soon loose myself in the monotone of the job. Before I know it my stomach is grumbling, and when I check my phone it’s nearly three o’clock. I wander down the staff canteen hoping there’s some food left.
Under the heating lamps are a couple trays of food. They actually look pretty good! There’s what looks like beef stroganoff and a bowl of rice. As I load up my plate the kitchen doors swing open with a clatter and a laugh. I glance up at the noise.
“Tag! You’re such a dick!” Two guys are stood in the doorway, one with a red stain on the front of his chef whites and a bowl on the floor in between his feet, shaking his head. He looks about thirty, with dark stubble covering his lower face, dark short hair peppered with white hair. The other guy catches my attention more. He is almost doubled over laughing at his friend, and has the cutest dimples. His hair is dark blonde, shaved up the sides but long in a strip down the center of his head. His ears have several piercings, with a large patterned gauge at the bottom lobe of each ear. There are tattoos just showing on his neck and arms from underneath his top. And in his arms is a platter with a huge carrot cake on top.
“My bad Sammy” the blonde manages to get out between chuckles. “I’ll clean it up in a second.”
He saunters over to me and leans past to put down the cake, winking up at me. “Gotta love a man who can bake, huh?”
I feel my cheeks burn as I look into his blue eyes. “Um.....I guess....” I squeak.
He chuckles again, and I turn away to find somewhere to sit. He starts to clean up the spill he’d caused by the door, whistling a tune I feel is familiar but can’t place, and I keep my eyes trained down to my plate but I feel his gaze on me the whole time. I hear the kitchen doors slam and risk a glance. He’s gone. I relax.
* * * * *
The rest of my shift passes quickly. Kelly comes to check my rooms, and says I’ve done a good job on all of them. She walks out with me, talking about her little boy. She is nice, late thirties, with a friendly face and slightly plump body. Her hazel eyes twinkle as she tells me about his new favorite tv show being Adventure Time. I can’t help but smile back at her. Over her shoulder I see the boy from earlier step out and light a cigarette. As he blows out a plume of smoke I see he’s not alone. A girl, little bit shorter than him, with bright blue chin length hair, plucks the cigarette from his lips and brings it to hers. He says something and they both laugh. My stomach drops, of course he’s got a girlfriend. I realise Kelly has stopped talking and is looking at me expectantly.
“Um...sorry?”
“I was just saying I’ll hopefully see you bright and early tomorrow.” she smiles warmly, and I nod.
As I wander over to my car it finally clicks what song the boy had been whistling before, Tiny Dancer by Elton John. I half smile, fantasizing that he was whistling it for me. I feel the familiar tingle in my bottom that I get when I’m excited, and a blush creeps over my cheeks. I unlock my little beat up Fiat 500 and start my engine. Mudvayne blasts through the speakers and I risk a glance over at the cute boy and his blue haired girlfriend. From this angle I can now see that the right side of her hair is completely shaved. They are also both looking over at me. I duck my head and put my foot down.
