My Life As A Maid
A.N. Here we are at Chapter 7! I hope that you like it lots, etc, etc. I'm sorry my updates on this story are so slow ^^" I hope it's worth the wait! I do my best! XD
"Flaky! Hurry up! I gave you the orders for two tables and you haven't delivered one!" Madame Talbot bellowed. I sighed and picked up the bowls of soup waiting on the kitchen counter. Madame Talbot was exaggerating, but there wasn't much I could do about it. I had been running around from the kitchen to the dining room for the last fifteen minutes. The first guests had arrived about two minutes ago, and Madame Talbot was keen to have the food served quickly.
I placed them on the table, and nearly jumped at a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see a tall girl about a year or two older than me. She had sky blue, friendly eyes. Unlike me, she wore her fair pink hair down, it brushed her shoulder. Most of it was pinned back with a rather large red ribbon. She wore a glittering pink gown that brushed her ankle. I saw that the reason for her height was because of the strappy pink high heels she was wearing.
"Hello," she said, offering her hand. I took it shakily. I'd never had any higher-class people besides Flippy shake my hand.
"I'm Giggles," she continued. "Are you the new maid here?"
"Yes," I said.
"So you took my place, then," Giggles said with a soft smile.
"Your place?" I asked. "You worked here?"
"Yes. I think I stayed for almost a week. Now that I think of it, I probably did well."
"How did you..?"
"Get a position as a maid?" Giggles finished for me.
"Yes."
"I was actually sent to work here as a punishment. My father is that guy over there. See him?"
She pointed to a man in a pinstripe suit with ginger hair and grey-blue eyes.
"He owns a fish company. It's pretty boring. Anyway, I threw a tantrum, something about never getting my own way. So my father said he'd show me what a lower-class person lived like. He found the advert and sent me to work there as a punishment.
"Anyway," Giggles lowered her voice and her eyes took on a worried look. "When I first rang my father and told him about the 'games,' he didn't believe me. But when I kept ringing and ringing, he came to see what it was about. I was taken home the next morning.
"There was a maid sent in after me, too," said Giggles. "I'd seen her around before, and I was watching her leave her home."
"She was a schizophrenic, wasn't she?" I asked. I remembered Flippy had said something to me about her as well.
"Yes, she carried around a pickle. She'd whisper to it as if it understood her."
"And... Flippy. He crushed it."
"So he told you too?"
"Yes."
"Does he play games with you?" Giggles looked around to make sure no one had heard her, and turned back to me.
"Yes," I replied. "He does."
"Flaky! Get moving!"
Giggles and I jumped at the sound of Madame Talbot's voice. I nodded politely to Giggles and ran to collect the soup.
Afterwards, when I was done running around with my arms full of plates and bowls, the party had settled down moderately. I hadn't gotten a chance to speak more with Giggles, and Flippy hadn't approached me, thankfully. Giggles was sitting with her father and her mother, a kind-looking woman with pink hair like Giggles, only longer. I stood at the wall, watching to see if anyone spilled something, or needed help. Flippy was sitting at the main table, eating with his father.
He looked up when a tall, thin man in an extremely tight suit got up onto the makeshift stage near the front of the room. He produced a violin from behind him, and a bow. He played a few notes, and then gradually started playing a melody. His companion, a short, broad man in a similar suit, jumped up beside him and, as if by magic, produced a guitar and began strumming along. Yet another man, of average build and a puffy red face, joined them on stage. He moved to the back, and I saw there was a piano near the wall. The man sat down and joined in with the other two, counting the time with his foot.
The guests applauded them, and I saw the butler enter, dressed in his white suit. He called for attention, and blushed a little when everyone turned in their seats to look at him.
"May I ask you all to kindly move to the living room for… two minutes minimum?" he asked.
The crowd stood, some taking their glasses of wine with them, and moved out of the kitchen. The butler waved me over, and I moved swiftly through the crowd to him.
"Yes, sir?"
"I'd like you to help move the tables, if you're able."
"Of course sir."
I did my best not to catch Madame Talbot's eye as she joined us, pushing the tables around. We moved them further back, to the side, moved some back again. Four corners were marked; the tables were to be a foot away. We came to the main table and I saw that Flippy hadn't left. He was slouched in his chair, legs crossed. He looked up when he saw us coming, and stood up, moving out of our way.
I kept my head down, and helped the butler push the table back. I saw his face turn red with the effort, and so did Flippy.
"Do you need some help?" he asked, placing a hand on the table. "I'll push with you."
"Thank you, sir," the butler replied gratefully.
Flippy smiled at me as we pushed the table back. I blushed and continued to look down. Flippy's additional strength helped greatly. We had the table at the back of the room in no time. I noticed that while we'd been pushing, the band had continued playing. That made me smile.
"You look lovely."
Flippy's voice startled me. I turned around and managed a smile. My eyes widened and I reddened further when Flippy moved a loose piece of hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear with a smile.
"You should really wear your hair down more," he said.
"I-I… Well, I don't know."
"That's just my opinion, of course."
"O-Oh well, if you want me to," I replied, pulling out the pin keeping my hair together. I had tied it up quickly before giving out the food for fear my hair would land in it. It felt good to wear it loose again. I shook it out, and it fell over my shoulders, while some of it stuck up into the air. Flippy laughed, and I smoothed it out, blushing furiously.
The guests were returning now, seemingly impressed with the makeshift dance floor. I gasped when I realized Flippy and I were standing in the centre.
"O-Oh," I said, starting to move away. "Sorry."
"Nonsense," said Flippy. I froze in my tracks when he took my hand in his. "May I have this dance?"
"I-I can't dance, Flippy," I protested. He smiled.
"I'm sure you can."
He took my hand and placed it on his shoulder, lacing our fingers together. I tensed up when he put his hand at my waist, but didn't flinch. The band began a fairly slow song, and Flippy and I swayed awkwardly back and forth with each other. Around the middle of the song, when we still hadn't moved more than a foot, Flippy stopped.
"I have an idea," he said. "Stand on my feet."
"Wh-What?" I was baffled.
"Everyone does it. It's sort of like cheating. Go ahead."
"I... I'm way too heavy."
"I'm strong enough. Go on."
I thanked God I was wearing flat shoes, plain red, and not high-heels. I stepped onto Flippy's black shoes and he pretty much did the dancing for me. We moved around, back, forward, in circles. I just held onto his shoulder the whole time and did nothing. We were attracting stares from those around us, and a couple of whispers. I could imagine what gthey were thinking: Flippy, dancing with the maid?
"Ignore them," he said, watching my eyes roam the crowd nervously.
I nodded and looked away from them. I stole a glance at Giggles, who was dancing with a tall blond in an off-putting yellow suit. He had blue eyes like Giggles, and he was staring at Giggles with a day-dreamy expression on his face. I left them to it.
Everyone jumped suddenly when one member of the band, the short and broad one, dropped his guitar. The microphone nearby enhanced the sound, and the man grinned sheepishly. He picked it up again and the band slowly started up again.
I breathed out shakily, and turned back to Flippy. I choked on my gasp. Flippy wore a wild grin. It widened further when he looked at me. He looked around at the crowd dancing and laughed, low and dangerous. I let go of his shoulder and stumbled back a little. The song ended on a sharp, high note from the violin. Flippy loosened his tie and undid the top button, shrugging off his jacket.
"That's better. Now, sweetheart," he said, turning back to me with a large grin. "Here's where the fun really starts."
A.N. Mini cliffhanger! Hope you liked it as usual! I'm tired now... Good bye!