"Deal, what's first?"
Jeremiah grinned.
"Rooms, they're upstairs, and there are about twenty of 'em."
He showed her up the stairs, and showed her where to find the cleaning supplies. They consisted of a scrub brush, a bucket, a large bottle of liquid soap and a pump out back. She sighed at them, it was different, but it was just another thing to deal with. Finally, he took out an atomizer with perfume in it, telling her to spray it in every room when she was done. He showed her the laundry room out back, and introduced her to the women working as washers. He told her that they came in the early morning to wash, and set them to dry. They had two sets of sheets for every room, and only washed them every two weeks. She nodded, it didn't surprise her much, she was sure that fresh water was hard to come by, though she was glad she wasn't sleeping here. Jerry, as she was now supposed to call him, pushed a pair of sheets into her hands, along with the cleaning supplies and told her to clean a room. When she asked how he wanted it to be done, he told her to do it her way once, and then he'd check it. So, she let herself into a room, and started. Turning around, she dropped everything and thought on how to do this. The first thing she did was strip the bed and change the sheets. A pillow-like thing covered the soft grass inside the bed, so she didn't have to worry about restuffing it. That was a weight off her mind. Next, she went in search of the privy. She was delighted to find that there was only one for every four rooms, that much less to clean. Thankfully it was just pits dug deep into the ground, so all she had to do was wipe it down and put the perfume on. She went next to the wash basin, then picked the wax off of the candlesticks. She wiped the dust from the windows and chests then took the rugs outside to shake out. Then, she scrubbed the floor. It was all done within an hour, she had worked like this for her parents and knew how to get it all done in a small amount of time. When she was done, she looked around, inspecting herself. Not too shabby, she thought to herself, I could get used to this. She spritzed the perfume twice, then turned to find Jeremiah. When she did, he nodded, and followed her to the room. He opened the door, and raised his eyebrows. The last maid hadn't done nearly as good as a job, in such a small time.
"Have ye done this before?"
She blushed.
"Yes, I clean for people at home."
She wasn't quite ready to admit that home was who knew where at the moment. He nodded.
"Did your mother ever work as a cleaner?"
She thought of an answer to give him, her mother was a secretary, but she didn't think that that was a good thing to tell him. Finally, she thought of a good excuse.
"No, but my aunt that I stayed with a lot was, I helped her sometimes."
It was sort of true, though the person she was talking about wasn't a relation. It was actually their cleaning lady. She had been very nice, and Xlelon had watched her whenever she was there and sometimes helped. He nodded.
"Ye don't have to scrub the floor," She sighed, that would cut off fifteen minutes right there. "just shake out the rugs well and sweep." She frowned, I knew I forgot something, she thought. She shrugged, her fifteen minutes had been added on again. "Otherwise, I think ye'll do very well. Come downstairs and I'll let ye meet the girls."
She nodded, gulping, this was the part she wasn't quite sure about. She told herself to calm down, reassuring herself that it was a look but don't touch situation. That did help a bit. When she met 'the girls' she found a two blondes and a brunette. They were chesty, and older than her, but very nice. She had learned at her school never to judge on looks, there were too many people that looked mean, but weren't. They welcomed her joyusly, happy at the prospect of having a bit less work to do. The oldest, Linda, was about thirtyfive, but didn't look it in the least. The other blonde was closer to Xlelon, at nineteen, she introduced herself as Quatrine. The brunette was twenty-six, and her name was Julie. They told her that she shouldn't be nervous, it was really fun to flirt and not have to worry. She laughed at this and asked them what their husbands thought. Linda and Julie shook their heads, saying that their husband knew of their jobs, and didn't care, so long as they knew that they loved them best. Quatrine replied that she wasn't married. As dusk fell, the room got more and more crowded, as people started to file in to get a room, or to have a drink before they went to bed. Xlelon filled drinks with Jerry as she watched carefully. The girls walked around, serving drinks, flirting, sitting with, and on, the loners. By the time the tenth watch had been called, Xlelon knew exactly what she was getting into and couldn't wait. When business slowed a bit, she went to Jerry and shook his hand.
"I'll be here in two days."
He grinned.
"Glad to hear it, I'll see ye then."
Smiling, she waved to Quatrine, and walked out. The streetlights were burning, and it was a half moon, so she had no trouble finding her way home. Humming, she found her key and opened her door. She stepped in and found her fire burning. Sighing, she lit her candles, though it was hot, she supposed that she needed the fire to be burning. She found an overlarge shirt, shook it out and put it on. Before she lay down, she noticed that it was Neal's and shrugged. It was a good nightshirt, and he most likely didn't care. She was only awake for a few minutes, running over the day, before she fell asleep.
=======================================================
Well. I like it. = ) O.o @.@ *.* ^.^ ^-^ #.# !! ~.~ smileys!! Well, ta ta…Mary-sue explination is in chapter 14!
Jeremiah grinned.
"Rooms, they're upstairs, and there are about twenty of 'em."
He showed her up the stairs, and showed her where to find the cleaning supplies. They consisted of a scrub brush, a bucket, a large bottle of liquid soap and a pump out back. She sighed at them, it was different, but it was just another thing to deal with. Finally, he took out an atomizer with perfume in it, telling her to spray it in every room when she was done. He showed her the laundry room out back, and introduced her to the women working as washers. He told her that they came in the early morning to wash, and set them to dry. They had two sets of sheets for every room, and only washed them every two weeks. She nodded, it didn't surprise her much, she was sure that fresh water was hard to come by, though she was glad she wasn't sleeping here. Jerry, as she was now supposed to call him, pushed a pair of sheets into her hands, along with the cleaning supplies and told her to clean a room. When she asked how he wanted it to be done, he told her to do it her way once, and then he'd check it. So, she let herself into a room, and started. Turning around, she dropped everything and thought on how to do this. The first thing she did was strip the bed and change the sheets. A pillow-like thing covered the soft grass inside the bed, so she didn't have to worry about restuffing it. That was a weight off her mind. Next, she went in search of the privy. She was delighted to find that there was only one for every four rooms, that much less to clean. Thankfully it was just pits dug deep into the ground, so all she had to do was wipe it down and put the perfume on. She went next to the wash basin, then picked the wax off of the candlesticks. She wiped the dust from the windows and chests then took the rugs outside to shake out. Then, she scrubbed the floor. It was all done within an hour, she had worked like this for her parents and knew how to get it all done in a small amount of time. When she was done, she looked around, inspecting herself. Not too shabby, she thought to herself, I could get used to this. She spritzed the perfume twice, then turned to find Jeremiah. When she did, he nodded, and followed her to the room. He opened the door, and raised his eyebrows. The last maid hadn't done nearly as good as a job, in such a small time.
"Have ye done this before?"
She blushed.
"Yes, I clean for people at home."
She wasn't quite ready to admit that home was who knew where at the moment. He nodded.
"Did your mother ever work as a cleaner?"
She thought of an answer to give him, her mother was a secretary, but she didn't think that that was a good thing to tell him. Finally, she thought of a good excuse.
"No, but my aunt that I stayed with a lot was, I helped her sometimes."
It was sort of true, though the person she was talking about wasn't a relation. It was actually their cleaning lady. She had been very nice, and Xlelon had watched her whenever she was there and sometimes helped. He nodded.
"Ye don't have to scrub the floor," She sighed, that would cut off fifteen minutes right there. "just shake out the rugs well and sweep." She frowned, I knew I forgot something, she thought. She shrugged, her fifteen minutes had been added on again. "Otherwise, I think ye'll do very well. Come downstairs and I'll let ye meet the girls."
She nodded, gulping, this was the part she wasn't quite sure about. She told herself to calm down, reassuring herself that it was a look but don't touch situation. That did help a bit. When she met 'the girls' she found a two blondes and a brunette. They were chesty, and older than her, but very nice. She had learned at her school never to judge on looks, there were too many people that looked mean, but weren't. They welcomed her joyusly, happy at the prospect of having a bit less work to do. The oldest, Linda, was about thirtyfive, but didn't look it in the least. The other blonde was closer to Xlelon, at nineteen, she introduced herself as Quatrine. The brunette was twenty-six, and her name was Julie. They told her that she shouldn't be nervous, it was really fun to flirt and not have to worry. She laughed at this and asked them what their husbands thought. Linda and Julie shook their heads, saying that their husband knew of their jobs, and didn't care, so long as they knew that they loved them best. Quatrine replied that she wasn't married. As dusk fell, the room got more and more crowded, as people started to file in to get a room, or to have a drink before they went to bed. Xlelon filled drinks with Jerry as she watched carefully. The girls walked around, serving drinks, flirting, sitting with, and on, the loners. By the time the tenth watch had been called, Xlelon knew exactly what she was getting into and couldn't wait. When business slowed a bit, she went to Jerry and shook his hand.
"I'll be here in two days."
He grinned.
"Glad to hear it, I'll see ye then."
Smiling, she waved to Quatrine, and walked out. The streetlights were burning, and it was a half moon, so she had no trouble finding her way home. Humming, she found her key and opened her door. She stepped in and found her fire burning. Sighing, she lit her candles, though it was hot, she supposed that she needed the fire to be burning. She found an overlarge shirt, shook it out and put it on. Before she lay down, she noticed that it was Neal's and shrugged. It was a good nightshirt, and he most likely didn't care. She was only awake for a few minutes, running over the day, before she fell asleep.
=======================================================
Well. I like it. = ) O.o @.@ *.* ^.^ ^-^ #.# !! ~.~ smileys!! Well, ta ta…Mary-sue explination is in chapter 14!