FORWARD: This was an idea of mine that I came across when I was cleaning. I thought of what it would be like if a maid were to be in Otherton during the time of Oceanic 815's crash, as Otherton's maid, the young fidgety Evey Bolet, finds her way to Ben's past life, and also figures out the dark secrets of the Dharma Initiative. This fic is not romance, just to let you know- so don't get your hopes up for a Ben/OC fic- because this isn't one of them. It's a bit of a mystery-suspense thing. I'm still trying it out so please read and review!

thanks!

lola

"How are you with spiders?"

"Pardon me?"

"How do you deal with spiders? Kill them or let them out?" Harper Stanhope asked. Evey Bolet only stared, blue eyes wide open like a deer in the headlights as she crossed her Mary Jane shoes and sucked in a breath.

"Uh….that's debatable." She said, holding in her breath. "I suppose it depends on….how big the spider…is."

Harper scribbled something on her notepad. She glanced up at Evey, who stared at her nails nervously. Harper had been recruited by Ben to find a maid for Otherton, since many of the more sedentary members of the community had insisted upon it.

"Whatever Mr. Friendly wants, Mr. Friendly gets, eh?" Harper asked, after looking over the request. Ben rolled his eyes. "Yes."

Now, the girl sitting in front of Harper crossed and uncrossed her legs. She fiddled with her long jet black hair, and pulled a loose string from her skirt. She had been working in a diplomat's estate on the South tip of Fiji, and Harper had enticed her with a handsome salary, hoping she could find someone quickly. After all, she was the therapist. Not some coffee-fetching secretary.

"I sp-speak 3 languages." Evey went on, pressing her file forward on Harper's coffee table. "I worked in Sir Arthur Keith's home, and I'm an excellent scone perforator." She grinned at the last part. "I specialize in waffles."

"Do you like the island?" Harper asked, raising her already sky high eyebrows. Evey fidgeted, caught off guard, and grinned her pearly whites like a charming schoolgirl.

"It's beautiful." She said, not hiding her slight British accent. "Absolutely phenomenal."

"Good." Harper said. "Have you met Ben yet?"

Evey's eyes widened. "No." She said. "And- I must insist upon knowing if I have the job or not- Sir Keith is wanting to know."

"Call him and tell him you've got the job." Harper said carelessly, throwing her maid evaluation sheet into the wastebasket. "You start tomorrow." She handed Evey a stack of papers. "Among these are the book club schedule- you absolutely will not interrupt anyone for any purpose during the book club meetings- you'll serve refreshments." She handed her a clear bag with black fabric in it. "Here's your uniform- one of the Dharma stations has dry-clean, so get down there as often as possible. Oh, and here's your schedule of house-cleaning days. You'll notice Ben's house isn't on the schedule. You will not go in his house for any reason, unless you see gunmen over the horizon and one has shot and killed at least three. Understand?"

Evey nodded, frightened, and shuffled outside.

"So, how's the maid settling in?" Ben asked, as he watched Evey folding her clothes over the dry-clean area in the Dharma station. Harper shrugged. "She's like a bird- she's so fidgety." She faced him. "You still haven't met her yet."

"I don't need to meet her. She's a maid." Ben watched her carefully. She was almost ghostly looking; she bore skin the color of roasted porcelain, and her eyes were an alarming shade of blue. Her jet black hair appeared almost in a purple hue, and her stuttering could be heard miles away. She was klutzy, and she fidgeted like a child on caffeine. But she would do.

"For now." Ben said. "We'll take her."