He chuckled on the other end. “I didn’t think you’d be interested in alternate forms of payment. Although I do have some chickens. Doubt I could get more than one good egg out of ’em, though. Five thousand? Good night, they’d probably explode. Ah, but then again, chickens need love, too. I believe mine simply enjoy the act of lovemaking more than the production of eggs. That’s all there is to it.”
Jane stared at the phone then put it back near her ear. Was he talking about chicken sex?
“At any rate…” he sighed. “I’d like to hire you, if you don’t mind. We can go over specifics tomorrow when I send a car for you.”
“I haven’t said yes yet.”
“You will.”
“Why?” She drew out the word slowly.
“Because you need an adventure,” he said so quietly she almost didn’t hear him.
“Who the hell is this?” Her skin prickled with awareness as she nervously glanced out the window. Was he watching her? How creepy!
“Eh, think of me as your fairy godfather.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.”
“Fifteen thousand dollars a week.”
“Good-bye.”
She hung up the phone with shaking hands.
Within a minute, it started ringing again.
She let it go to voice mail.
This was crazy. Right?
He could be a homicidal maniac. Luring maids or house cleaners into his home with the promise of money.
But still.
She couldn’t deny she was tempted by the idea of an adventure. Or that she could use a break from the hamster wheel that was life with her sisters.
Especially after this morning.
Her phone beeped alerting her to his message.
She should just delete the message, but coffee first. Coffee always first. With a sigh, she got out of the large cleaning van and made her way into Starbucks, walking purposefully toward the counter, only to be cut in front of the minute she got close enough to order.
And like an idiot she allowed it.
Just like she allowed her sisters to walk all over her.
With a grimace she stared down at her phone and nearly threw it against the wall when a text from Essence popped up on her screen.
We’re going to be home late! Drinks after work! Save food for us?
Irritated, she didn’t answer.
They didn’t have money for drinks after work—every night of the week! It was bad enough that her sisters were probably going to stay until happy hour was over—but they always bought drinks for their friends, too.
With a groan, she tossed her phone back into her purse.
Jane ordered a large black coffee and headed back to the van. But the minute she turned the key in the ignition she knew something was terribly, horribly wrong.
The van shuddered, made a crazy choking sound and puffed out enough black smoke to kill a person.
“No, no, no,” She said aloud. She’d just taken it into the shop and the mechanic had warned her if she didn’t fix a few things the engine would die. But the few things had turned into close to five thousand dollars’ worth of work. She didn’t have that kind of money.
Tears stung her eyes.
Her van wasn’t a want—it was a necessity for her to actually run the business.
She jerked the keys out of the ignition and picked up her phone, chewing her lower lip before pressing play on her voicemail and putting the phone on speaker.
“We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, Miss Cinderella Cleaning.” The man had another coughing fit. “If you do this job for me, I will pay you thirty grand, final offer. I won’t be at the estate while you are in residence. In fact, you’ll probably be bored out of your mind. We have state-of-the-art security, and I believe the only concern you’ll have is when the ass gets loose, which I’m sorry to report happens quite often, if my ranch hand is to be believed. Then again, he’s old, so maybe he’s imagining it.” Another long sputter. “Call me back, we’ll make arrangements. You’ll open the house, keep it clean, and prepare it for its new tenants, all the while taking breaks out by the pool. How hard could it be?”
Jane chewed her lower lip.
How hard indeed?
Chapter Ten
Jane!” Esmeralda shrieked so loudly that Jane winced beneath the warmth of her old blanket. “Jane!” Another loud yell was followed by stomping up the creaky wood stairs.
The wool blanket was jerked away and tossed onto the floor.
Esmeralda towered over the bed, arms crossed. “It’s seven.”
“I know,” Jane said in a small voice. “It’s also Tuesday. You go into work at nine on Tuesdays.”
Esmeralda’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “But I still need to eat, and Essence wants to get in early, so hurry the hell up. God, I don’t know why we put up with you.”
They’d been fighting with Jane ever since Monday night, when she had gotten into it again with them about staying out late and spending money that they didn’t have. It didn’t help that Esmeralda didn’t get the promotion she’d thought she was up for, which meant no pay raise. Essence had said as much when she got home last night. Her face was pale when she’d mentioned that Esmeralda had been counting on the money.
Jane didn’t want to know.
Didn’t ask.
Because she had a sinking feeling her sister had done something stupid. And they couldn’t afford to bail her out again.
Jane waited until the door slammed after her sister then allowed the tears to fall freely. She’d been having the best dream.