I was only twenty five and had only been working as a temporary housekeeper for Perfectly Clean for less than two years. I wasn’t respectable. I tended to run my mouth, and I had more tattoos and piercings than was conventional. Most of the people I temped for made me wear long sleeves and wanted my hair kept down to cover up my tattoos. The woman who had called Stan wasn’t going to want me…
Even as I thought those words a middle aged woman with her graying hair in a sever bun came storming out of the house. She was muttering to herself and shaking her head in agitation. She got into the coupe, put it in reverse, and practically burned rubber pulling out of the driveway. I watched in horror as she nearly hit the moving van that was pulling up at the curb. The driver blew his horn at the woman, but she didn’t even stop as she shifted into drive and sped off down the road.
I blinked a few times, my heart racing at the near miss that I had just witnessed. What had made her so upset?
Finally collecting myself, I stepped out of my beat-up old Corolla and started up the driveway to the front door. Behind me the driver and his crew were getting out of the van. They were laughing and cursing. I shot them a frown as I reached the door and pushed the doorbell. Moments later it opened to a woman with a full blown temper flashing in her eyes.
“What?” she snapped.
I took in the fire in her green eyes, the flare of her nostrils making the stud in her nose rise up and down with each breath she sucked in. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a ponytail and the Demon’s Wings shirt she had on stretched over a noticeable baby bump. I knew who she was, of course I did. You didn’t listen to the music I did and not know who Ember Jameson was. And even if you didn’t listen to rock, you would know who she was if you had picked up a tabloid anytime in the last three months. The fact that she was pregnant with Nik Armstrong’s baby had been big news.
This blew my mind.
“I’m Layla Daniels,” I told her. “I work for Perfectly Clean and was scheduled for an interview.”
She raked her gaze over me from head to toe. My long dress pants hid the tattoo on my right leg, but my shirt didn’t cover the Celtic knots at my wrists, and I was sure that my shirt and bra didn’t disguise the fact that both my nipples were pierced. Ember took her time on the return trip up to my face, and her head cocked to the side as if she was seeing something that was particularly curious to her.
“Layla?” she questioned. “Your mother must like Eric Clapton?” I shrugged and a hint of a grin teased her lips. “Well then, let’s make the best of the situation.”
I snorted at the line from the song and nodded. “Yeah, I never heard that one before… What did you do to that woman, by the way? She nearly took out the movers.”
Ember stepped back to let me in. “Judgmental bitch! I told her that if she was hired she would have to be opened minded. I live with four rockers, for the love of Gods. One of them wakes up in a pool of his own vomit more often than not. She said that it was despicable… Oh, and was I sure of which one was my ‘baby daddy’?”
I bit my lip when she actually made quotation marks when she said ‘baby daddy’. I could see myself in this woman and after only just meeting her I felt like I had known her for years. “Wow. I would have slapped the bitch.”
“Right?” She full on grinned now. “I showed real restraint.” She stood holding the door open. When she heard the movers out in the driveway, she sighed. “Excuse me a minute. There was supposed to be four able bodied men assisting me today, but hey...” she shook her head, muttering about ‘fucking Nik’ as she walked down the few steps. “Who’s in charge?” She called to the movers.
A man stepped forward with a clip board in hand. His hair was short and ginger, when he smiled there was a chip in his left tooth, and his beefy hands looked more beef than hand. “Are you Miss Jameson?” He gave her a leering once over, and I felt my heckles rise. Did this fucker think he could look at her like that? I decided then and there that I was going to spend the day whether I got the job or not.
“That is me, yes.” Her tone was cool, her body tense.
“Well, little lady, we got your things for you. How about showing us where you want them.” His tone was fully of suggestions.
I left the doorway and walked up beside of Ember. “How about doing your fucking job, instead of sexually harassing the pregnant lady, douchebag?”
I actually felt some of the tension leave the other woman when she felt me beside of her. “Actually, I have a better idea. How about I call your boss, tell him how you are talking to me, and see how long you keep your job.”
The fucker actually had the gall to grin. “I’m the boss.”
“Wow, and you are still in business?” Ember batted her eyes up at him sweetly.
“Yes ma’am. We’re the best around here.” I wondered why he had a southern accent if he was the best in Los Angeles County. Maybe he was the best in Alabama or Georgia from his deep drawl, although I still couldn’t see him being the best anywhere with the way he was talking and practically eye fucking Ember.
“That’s wonderful.” She pulled her cell out of her back jeans pocket and started dialing. “You know, I heard that you guys were the best. I didn’t know I would get the full pervert treatment though. I really am going to have to thank Rich for recommending you guys to me.” She smiled, but I could see the steam practically coming from her ears. “Hey, Rich. How’s it going you rotten pile of shit?”
“You know, I’m so thrilled with the movers that you recommended. The fact that the owner is helping with moving my things into my house is great personal service. That the guys mysteriously had to go in to the studio a week early just hours before the movers arrive… Well, gee that was just too bad.” I could hear the sarcasm, could feel the rage slowly building in her slight frame. “No, no. Thank you for all of your help… I realize you’re busy, but I just wanted to let you know that Jesse will be stopping by later to beat the fuck out of you… Yes, you mother fucker! And you keep this shit up I’ll have my guys signed with someone else by the end of the fucking month! I hear that bitch Gabriella’s manager is just salivating to get them on board. You know, what with rumors of Axton dropping you for Craig, I doubt you couldn’t survive long without my guys.”
There was a long pause where she had the phone pressed to her ear and seemed to be glaring off into space while she listened to whoever was on the other end. Finally she smiled a real smile this time. “That’s what I thought.” She pulled the phone from her ear and offered it to the mover. “He would like to speak with you.”