Cleaner: Chapter One - Part Nine

DAHLIA

It had been one thing playing out this absurd fantasy inside my head; something else involving my cleaner; my employee; in it. The idea of being exposed in this gaudy charade in front of Katherine, my loyal assistant of what; nine years? was impossible.

But apart from the shrubbery and the couple of small trees inside the pool room, there were only a couple of sun loungers and some low tables. There was nothing really to hide behind.

“Dahlia? Are you out the back?” She was getting closer!

If I'd been at the other side of the room nearest the door I could have flattened myself against the wall and called for her not to come in, but in only a few more steps her view from the corridor would widen sufficiently to see me.

How could I possibly explain this? What did I look like, dressed in this gigantic tent of a dress? I couldn’t bear the idea that she would look down on me when she realised what I was doing. And surely she would. I was ashamed enough myself.

But how could I avoid it now?

Then I looked down and as fast as a thought flies, I came up with the answer and whipped the dress up over my head. It threatened to swallow me again but I flipped it inside out, hurling it clear, into the corner behind a huge plant pot and kicked off Melissa’s shoes. Then just as I caught a flash of colour from Katherine’s clothes I dived in an arc, straight into the pool.

The silence instantly closed round me and the shock of sensation, but I could hear my pulse hammering. I did a slow breast stroke along the bottom of the pool, shaking my head; condemning my foolishness; relieved at my gambit to avoid the exposure.

I came up on the wall at the door end of the pool and Katherine was standing over me. “There you are,” she said. “Didn’t you hear me calling?”

“Uh no,” I replied. “Sorry.”

She smiled, raising her eyebrow. “Sometimes I despair of you, lounging around all day with nothing better to do.”

I grinned. It was always a pleasure to see Katherine. She had always been extremely loyal and supportive – had even moved to Nockton when I did. With no kids and only the memories of her late husband, she had kind of adopted me as a surrogate. I didn’t mind her funny ways or her mode of talking down to me. She was an angel.

I started to climb out.

“You aren’t swimming in your underwear are you?” she asked.

I remembered the limitations of my attire and smiled bashfully. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“You’re lucky it’s the gardener’s day off. One look at you in your undies and he’d drop dead of fright. I have my suspicions about him already. I could swear I saw him carrying a pair of binoculars up the garden last week.”

I got out, picked up my towel where I had left it and started drying my hair.

“I just called in to see if you needed anything. I’m going shopping this afternoon.”

“No thank you Katherine. I’m fine.”

“Your agent phoned me after he left here. He’s hoping I’ll encourage you to work harder on this comeback he’s planning. I told him I was sure you’d work exactly as hard as you felt like doing at any one moment – probably not very.”

“What did Tommy say to that?” I asked, eying Melissa’s dress where it lay crumpled and quietly shivering from how close I'd come to exposure.

“Some expletives. I told him I was a middle aged woman and didn’t wish to hear such language unless it was me saying it and he said he’d chat some other time.”

I sighed, feeling a pinch of guilt; knowing I owed it to Tommy to try to move things forward.

“Where’s that good for nothing cleaner of yours anyway?” asked Katherine.

“Uh, what?”

“Your cleaner. I haven’t see her. Did she come in today? I have my eye on her.”

“Yes. She’s... upstairs, cleaning the bedrooms,” I said.

“Good. I think I’ll go up and have a chat with her. I want to make sure she’s pulling her weight. And there’s a lot of weight to pull.” She started making for the door.

“Wait.”

She looked back at me. “Hmmm?”

“Er, she’s... working with some pungent chemicals. It’s probably better if you talk to her another time.”

“I’m not shy of a little stink,” said Katherine. “My husband’s feet could melt steel, the reek on them; God rest his soul.”

I imagined Melissa stretched out on my four poster bed watching TV wearing that brightly coloured wrap, her arms and shoulders bare, when Katherine walked in.

“Er, I’d rather you went straight to the shop actually,” I said, moving closer to her and taking her arm to guide her. “I’ve got a bit of a headache and I could really use some Aspirin. Do you mind?”

“Not at all. That’s what I’m here for; to be your general dogsbody.”

I chuckled, relieved, and went on guiding her down the long corridor toward the front door. “You know I'd be lost without you.”

“My dear Dahlia,” she replied. “Without me, I doubt you’d have the foresight to remember to breathe.”

I looked to the heavens, pretending I found these kind of remarks insulting rather than endearing. I was going to get her out. And then I was going to get back into my own clothes as fast as I could and pretend this ridiculous series of events had never happened.

“One thing I would bear in mind though,” said Katherine as we reached the front door. “Keep hanging round the house in your underwear and you’ll get thrown in the loony bin.”

“At the very least,” I replied.