“Did you need something?” I ask.
“Oh,” she squeaks before turning back to the counter and scrubbing it down with a towel. “No.”
“I’m sure you think it’s weird. The situation I’m in. With my room,” I add after her questioning look. “But Ann, the last housekeeper, just did her job. My brother paid her well. If you just do your job, we won’t have any issues.”
“Of course. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Thank you.” She sounds sincere enough. But her eyes are too questioning for my liking. Ann just did her job. But Alice… I feel like she’s going to be a problem deep down, though I don’t fully know why.
A week goes by and in that time, Alice comes to deliver some of my meals. She’s polite. Says hello and asks how I’m doing. Maybe she’s not so bad. Ann had a sternness about her but Alice seems sweet. I can get used to this. Change doesn’t have to be a terrifying thing.
Until Monday rolls around and Alice comes to deliver my breakfast to me. She seems extra fidgety today. Her hands are shaking as she sets the tray with my food down on it. And she won’t look me in the eye.
“Are you ok?” I ask.
“Yes. But, um, your brother asked me to ask you if you wouldn’t mind leaving your room today.”
“He did?”
“Yes. He’s spending all day at work today. And Sofiya has gone out for brunch with some of her high school friends.”
I flinch. I never had high school friends. I haven’t had a friend since before I was eight.
“So, Mr. Ivanov wants you to leave your room today. Spend some time in the other parts of the house.”
Maybe it won’t be so bad, especially since I’ll be by myself. “All right,” I say slowly. “I guess I can do that.”
“Great.” She points to the food. “Eat up.” She shuts the door behind her as she leaves.
Once I’m finished eating, I exercise and take a shower and change into a simple pair of loungewear pants and a cotton t-shirt. With no one else around to please, I just want to be comfortable.
I find myself going into the large library that Dimitri has stacked with all kinds of books. He always brings me books so I’m never without any. But do I want to spend the day reading when I could do other things with no one else around?
I head into the kitchen where Alice is sweeping the floor. She pauses, her eyes wide, like she was caught doing something she shouldn’t. But what I have no idea.
“Katya, you’re out of your room.”
“Yes.”
She gives me a timid smile. “That’s good to see. Um… I made some banana bread. If you want some.” She points to it on the counter.
“Thank you.” I take a piece. It’s soft and warm on my mouth. Recently baked. “It’s delicious.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“You’re a much better baker than Ann was.”
Instead of giving me a happy smile, she gives me a pained one instead.
“Are you ok?” I ask her.
“Oh, yes. Fine.”
“What did you do before working here?”
“I was a teacher. But I was laid off.”
“How did you go from being a teacher to being a housekeeper?”
