Cleaner: Chapter One - Part Ten

MELISSA

This was the life; it really bloody was: stretched out on my boss’s bed, wearing her clothes, enjoying day time television when I should have been working. The only thing missing was something to drink, but Dahlia had been adamant that I should stay up here, which was a shame. How much better would it have been to be down there, really playing the part; watching her do my work for me, the silly bint?

I started a little when I heard movement on the landing – I didn’t know what I'd say if someone else came in and found me languishing here – but I relaxed when I saw my boss’s face appear in the doorway. She looked harried, and she wasn’t wearing my dress anymore. Instead she had it under her arm in a loose bundle. She was wearing a towel wrapped round her instead and tucked in at the chest, but underneath it she still had on the bra which looked wet. Had she been swimming again? Her hair was definitely wetter than it had been. She must have.

“Katherine let herself in with her key,” she said hurriedly. “I had to think fast and dived into the pool.” She grinned, excited by it and, infectious, it spread to my face. To think of that grumpy cow catching her playing dress up! But I didn’t like the idea of her catching me either. She could be a terror if she wanted to be.

“She didn’t suspect anything but I’m wet through now.” Dahlia gave a mirthful sigh. “We’d better call it a day though, do you mind?”

“No. Fine.” I squidged off the bed.

She took out a dry set of underwear and disappeared into the closet-come-dressing room, leaving my dress on the bed. I looked at it for a moment, feeling disappointed that this oddly fun adventure was over and seeing it as almost symbolic of stepping back into my real life with a thud. I still had an hour left of my shift so I guessed it was back to the grindstone. Reluctantly, I removed my boss’s wrap and put on my proper dress instead, resenting this whole escapade slightly for rubbing my face in the fact that I was a have-not rather than a have.

By the time she came back out I was back in my own shoes, just straightening the dress round the folds of flesh about my belly. Dahlia had brushed out her hair and got dressed in a beautiful skirt and ruffled blouse that showed off her lovely slender arms. She seemed rather more reserved now. The game of dress-up was over. This was the slightly embarrassing aftermath.

“Thank you for doing that Melissa,” she said, and yes, there was something in her tone now that she probably didn’t even know that she was doing. It established and framed our differing statuses with an aloof formality.

“It was fun,” I managed.

“Yes. It was, wasn’t it?” Just a flicker of that exuberance again.

The minute ticked in uncomfortable silence.

“Don’t bother finishing off this morning,” she said.

“Oh. You want me to go?”

“As a thank you, yes. Go home and relax.”

Fat chance of that. I had my other job in the afternoon.  “Er, okay. Thanks.”

“I’ll still pay you for your full time obviously.”

“You don’t want me to make your lunch up before I go?” I did that for her on days I was in.

“No. Thank you. That’s fine. I can do it. And...” She went to the handbag beside her bed and took out a purse; unclasped it and folded it back; took out and handed me a twenty pound note. “For the extra trouble you’ve gone to today.”

I smiled, unsure of the etiquette, but taking it. “Thank you.”

That was clearly the end of the conversation.

I nodded and left and collected my things from the cleaning cupboard beneath the stairs. I didn’t see her again on my way to the door. I loitered in the doorway for a moment, thinking, then walked out and made my way down toward the bus stop.

I didn’t think I'd ever found myself in a more bizarre situation... but it had been fun while it lasted. It was just a shame that my boss’s PA turned up and ruined it.

I ruminated on what it might have been like if she hadn’t; or if Dahlia had let me come down from the bedroom and witness the role reversal in full. I grinned at that. It really would have been hilarious.

But it was over now and all I had to look forward to was the trudge to the bus stop, the bumpy ride into town and more work this afternoon.

I sighed, wishing I could just stay back there in Dahlia’s mansion and live like a queen.