The Butler

J O E Y

“So Joey.. you think you can work well as a maid and also a butler?” A woman with red hair asked while fixing her sitting position to make herself comfortable. My eyes glanced, my body shaking from the moment. I need this job, I need this, I can’t be nervous and let them skip me off. I don’t have much, can’t even afford the bills in my own small apartment.

It’s hard to focus when this woman is asking millions of nerve wracking questions. Trying to catch my thoughts away, the room was silent as I shook my head to gather myself back together.

“Mr. Graceffa?”

My body stays still while my eyes go to her, finally getting into myself again.

“I am sorry about that,” I replied while cracking my knuckles trying to be polite, “Guess my mind wandered off. And yes I do think I can work well as a maid and also a butler.” my voice softened as she smiled quickly while writing on the piece of paper while holding the clip-board.

“Great! That makes me so happy! you might be lucky when he accepts you in. He doesn’t let anyone in because some of the people aren’t his Interests.” She says while I bit my lip nervously.

I gulped, what if I am not good enough?

“What does that mean? Sorry I am not getting this straight.”

She peeked her head up to look at me before her smile faded, “Well he wants someone who can do a good job at the job and not fail. But he wants someone special and.. mostly well-done, and he doesn’t like the ones who applied.. But hopefully you’ll get the chance.” Her voice toned up with confidence.

So he’s picky. This is going to be difficult.

“So I will be sending a summary of you and a picture of you. He will get to know you and will receive your answers you gave me and also.. the application you sent.” She reminds me again, everything was cold almost with fear surrounding me. There’s no way I will get this job, I am going to lose everything, I’ll probably end up on the streets starving.

But a try is a try.

“Thank you. This means a lot to me, thanks for giving me a shot. I know there’s better people out there in the world, I am not that great.” I just spoke out while she listened, she frowned before smiling again.

“Oh don’t talk like that,” She says gritting her teeth, “Everyone is special in their own way. Don’t give up on anything, not even your career or hopes, not even dreams.” The timer went off as her smile faded once again.

“Time is up Mr. Graceffa. We’ll give you a call if you get the job, it was nice meeting you.” She says to me while pulling a hand out, as we shook hands. After I got up and left the building with a sigh and doubt.

The outside was cold, the wind blew as cars drove by. The field in front showed some poppy flowers and a nice area to relax, as I walked to my car feeling my thoughts quickly appear more in my mind making me nervous. My feet dragged along as I opened my car door and got in hearing how quiet it is, just like normal, quietness with no more questions against me.

Sitting on my bed feeling the A/C heat hit my skin, I noticed my phone ringing non-stop as I picked it up and waited for someone to talk. I don’t know this number.

“Hello, is this Joey Graceffa?” I heard a woman’s voice behind the phone, my throat clamped up with saliva as I choke out nervously,

“Yes it is. Who are you?” I questioned.

She chuckled,

“We had that interview yesterday morning. We got some results for you.” She tells me. My eyes widened, oh shit. I frowned, knowing the answer, waiting for her to say it already.

“Ok..?”

This is tense, nothing but quietness. I could hear papers in the background.

Why is this so hard? It’s just a job. I told myself bluffing.

“You are hired.” Her voice was with joy. A wide smile appeared on my face, I sobbed out of happiness. How did I end up getting this job?! He chose me? Out of everyone he could’ve picked it went onto me.

“Really? Oh my god, that’s exciting! When is it and what do I need to bring..?” I spoke and asked so many questions. I can hear her laugh a little,

“Well you’ll get some clothes, but mostly you’ll be wearing a tuxedo a black fancy one, as a butler wears. You will be sleeping there, so you’ll have plenty of clothes,” She explains, “that’s why we needed your clothes size. You won’t be going back home anytime soon, are you sure you’re going to do this?” Her questions swarmed my head a bit more.

I am willing to do this. I can do this.

“Yes. But what time? today or tomorrow?” I questioned.

“Come later at 6:30 PM. We need to get this over with to show you around.” She tells me.

I inhaled and let out a deep breath.

“Of course. What’s the address?” I asked.

Then I received a text from an unknown number, probably her, and saw an address. At the right time she sent it to me, funny.

“There you go! It’ll be nice to meet you. For you to fully know me, I am one of his staff members, agent type things but I work as a higher upper guard,” She explains herself, “I am Shelly by the way.” She seemed happy.

“Nice to meet you, Shelly.” I replied with a soft tone, I felt better. I Know I am getting this job but I don’t know what it’s like. Hopefully this job won’t be that bad.

My hands held the phone with an exciting movement, my eyes were wide and not tired. My own self couldn’t sit still.

She hung up and I sat here checking the time, 6:00. I better get going, I don’t wanna show up late and for them to be mad at me. So I got up and paced down and out the front door.

This won’t be too bad, Maybe this job will be simple. Nothing bad will happen.

Driving far, it’s been almost two hours. I am late for sure, how long is this? I am full of shit, now they are definitely going to fire me. Then, I see a two story mansion house, rich much? I parked in the drive-way and saw two guards standing still looking around. Does he even have guards? I got out and looked, shutting the car door behind me, the cheapest car.. beside the richest car, how embarrassing.

I walked myself to the guards who blocked the front door, their eyes landed on me. I couldn’t help but be nervous while having to face my social anxiety.

“Hello you must be Joey Graceffa I believe?” He questioned, his voice was higher than expected, his hands long but short, as he was only 6″3 tall but taller than me. His hair was covered by an awful ugly hat that looked cowboyish.

“Yes I am. Hired as the new butler?” I questioned. He looked at me before laughing a little bit as if I was joking around. I sighed to myself.

Then he says strongly, “Butler? No hon, you mean you’re the maid. We already have a butler.”

Confusion hit me, they said butler, not maid. I have to clean shit now?

I look in embarrassment.

“Oh, the application stated it was a but-” I spoke before he rudely interrupts me,

“I have no time to hear it. Go to the front door and head in, Shelly should greet you.” He mocks.

So far this is going shitty. I stepped onto the little steps and made my way towards the front door and opened it. As I opened it, I saw Shelly there fixing her outfit as she lifted her head seeing me with a wide smile.

“Oh Joey! you made it, you were late but that’s alright,” She says as I nod slowly kind of upset, “Hey is everything okay?” Her hand touched my shoulder.

“Not really. That guard was a real asshole towards me..” I mumbled but she sighed.

She rolls her eyes, “Davion? He’s always an asshole. He called me a pig.. and threatened to tell my boss that I stole something if I told anything.” So this guy is mean to everybody? That’s just mean. Shelly is so nice and helped me out during this, she’s the nicest person.

“I can tell.”

The mansion was beautiful though, huge and wonderful. Something I could never afford.

“Anyways, this is your outfit. And I will be showing you to your new room” She says as she hands me an outfit seeing it black, a tuxedo she talked about earlier. Then she went upstairs as I followed. She took me down the large hallway to see a room creaked open, her eyes looked away. But I can hear typing coming from the room, “that’s the boss’s room, he doesn’t want to be bothered right now.”

That’s why.

As she led me down, she brought me into this room, a master bedroom, a beautiful one. The sheets were white and the pillows were light pink, with a little blanket on the bottom as chairs sat nearby. Then a stand in the corner to sit down beside a dresser, and a small mirror on the wall that’s rounded, then at the end there’s a door and a balcony where I can walk off and look outside, I can even see a pool down there as well. Wait, they have a pool.

I doubt I can go swimming since I am a maid now.

“Am I a maid...?” I questioned, her head turned as she sighed.

She began speaking, “Yes. We found out our butler lists ran out, we have 4 butlers running in here. But he found out we only have 3 maids, and needed one more. You were the last one to be chosen as a maid,” She says, “At least he wanted to keep you.”

Moving forward, she showed me around the house, the designs were beautiful and reminded me of the old times. Reminds me of the 1920′s vibe.

“I’ll let you get used to your new room, if you need me I am always here.” She told me with a small smile and walked out the room. I went and sat on my bed holding the outfit that I have to wear, this?

After a few minutes went by, she walked in.

“Sorry to interrupt but I need that outfit. You’ll be getting a new outfit what the boss wants you to wear.” She explains as I hand her the outfit sighing, what outfit?

I liked that one, but sadly I won’t be having it, I guess.

After a lot of minutes, she walks in with a new outfit in her hands and walks over putting them on the bed, seeing nylons beside them. My eyes widened.

“What are these...?” I questioned.

She chuckled with a smile,

“Maid’s outfit is silly. Men usually wear black top and black pants, but we have no more, the other maids have them. So you’re the only maid as a man who will wear a woman’s maid outfit.” She explains to me

I groaned out of embarrassment.

How can I wear that?!?! I am gonna be embarrassed as hell.