CLEANER: Chapter Seven - Part Seven

DAHLIA

My body was buzzing like a fly desperate to get through the impenetrable glass of a window.

I waited for Melissa, unable to settle on anything; only briefly questioning the sense of all this now. It was like each time we did this the stakes went up to a higher notch; almost like we were daring one another to push further and further.

And I loved it. This entire situation was engaging my soul in such a startling new way and chasing on like this with Melissa was enthralling and fun. I hadn’t realised how open minded she was; how much of a friend she could be.

Friend...

Was she my friend now, rather than my employee?

I was still paying her. It looked like I’d be paying her more. But our relationship had shifted to a new plane. There was such a benign intimacy between us now; a willingness to share in the enjoyment of this. We’d stumbled into it but... No. There wasn’t anyone else I trusted right now like I trusted her. She was the only one I could possibly share this adventure with.

I was sitting on the bottom of the stairs when she emerged from the wet room wearing a silk robe I’d bought her. I jumped up, smiling. “Shall we do it in the study?”

“Alright.” She followed me through, picking up her Melissa-handbag on the way.

“Here,” she said, taking up paper and a pen and quickly writing out three names. “You can use this phone.” She paused. “It’s your phone after all. I... I don’t want you using my phone bill for personal calls.” She winked and I smiled.

“Thank you Dahlia,” I said, trying to get my head round how her phone worked. It wasn’t too difficult.

“Do you want me to stay here with you?”

I shrugged. “Will I have a problem?”

“No. These two are families. I... you work for them but don’t really know them. The third is the school. The office won’t be open because it’s Saturday so I’ll... I’ll still need to go in this afternoon.”

“Okay. Thank you.” I swallowed then moistened my lips. Smiled.

Melissa nodded, understanding. “I’d better get changed to go,” she said, then she withdrew, leaving me alone.

I brought up the first number. Theresa Kensington. My throat felt tight. But I dialled anyway.

Four rings in, a woman picked up with a clear highbrow accent. “Hello Melissa.”

A jolt ran down through my body, all but severing the connection that tethered my soul inside it.

“Uh, hi,” I said, appallingly nervous.

She waited for me to go on then said finally, “How can I help you?”

She really thought I was Melissa. I was Melissa to her. I really was Melissa.

I ached so dearly to be able to go round there, face to face and for her to react the same way; to recognise me as her for real instead of just as a female voice on a name-identified phone call.  I ached to do there what I was doing here – to be this woman’s cleaner as well.

But none of that was possible.

“I’m just calling to give say I can’t work for you anymore,” I said, my voice weak and faltering. “I’m sorry to pull out so abruptly but another opportunity had come up that I can’t say no to.”

“Oh,” said the lady. “Well never mind. I’ll call the agency on Monday morning. Thank you for letting me know.”

She rang off without even waiting for a response. No particular love lost there.

I closed my eyes and savoured the experience, grinning.

The second name was another woman. I couldn’t quite make out Melissa’s messy handwriting. San... something... Stanwick? It didn’t look like a real name.

I scrolled down through the names in Melissa’s contacts list until I found the only one it could be. Sangeeta. Sangeeta Stanwick.

When she picked up she actually sounded pleased to take the call, unlike the ice princess from the last one. “Hi Melissa. What’s up?” Her voice was warm and very friendly, tilted by an accent I couldn’t identify.

“Hello,” I replied, still buzzing from the adrenaline. “I just rang up to say I’m sorry but I’m not going to be able to clean for you anymore.”

“Oh no. Are you alright?”

The question took me off guard. “Uh, yes.”

“You don’t sound yourself. Do you have a cold or something?”

“No. No, I’m fine,” I replied, trying hard to copy Melissa’s regional accent but knowing how bad it was, starting to panic a little, my throat tightening around the words that were trying to get out. "Well I do have a cold. My voice is a bit off.”

“Why do you want to stop cleaning for us?” asked Sangeeta.

My mind went as blank as a fresh torn sheet of letter paper.

"Melissa?"

"Uh, yes. Sorry. I'm really not feeling too well. It's nothing against you. I've just had a... different offer that... makes more sense financially. I'm sorry to let you down."

"You aren't letting me down sweetie," replied Sangeeta. "I just want to be sure you're okay. If you're ill, do you want me to drop anything round? Groceries? Throat sweets? Anything?"

"No. Thank you," I replied. "That's really nice of you but I'll be okay. Really."

We said goodbye and she thanked me for all the good work that I'd done. I set the phone down feeling shaken and oddly guilty. Unlike the first woman, that lady had been so nice, it felt wrong to be lying to her.

My breathing was up, along with the warming colour in my cheeks. I lifted the phone back up to call the school but decided against it. I'd had enough excitement for one day already. I could leave that to the real Melissa.

It was too much for me.