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It’s a tiny fib. I don’t actually have any other clients right now, but I’m used to working around people’s work schedules when I clean.
Dimitri’s amber eyes bore into mine as though he knows I’m lying, and I shiver under his gaze.
“I don’t have any other household staff at the moment, so I would need a . . . full-service experience.”
His eyes flick down to my lips as he says it, and I automatically clench my thighs together. It’s such a quick look that I briefly wonder if I imagined it, but heat pools in my core nonetheless.
“Laundry, meal cleanup, the works.”
I swallow to wet my parched throat, hoping my voice doesn’t come out as a croak. “Of course.”
“There is one other thing,” says Dimitri, scratching absently at his stubble as if trying to decide exactly how to phrase his request. “I require absolute discretion from all those who work for me. You will need to sign a confidentiality agreement stating that anything you see or hear within my home never leaves these walls.”
At those words, all the blood drains from my face. I still have no idea what Dimitri does for a living, but by the sound of it, it’s something illegal.
What am I getting myself into?
“Absolutely,” I say after too long a pause, thinking I can leave if things get too shady. “And you don’t have to worry about a thing. All of our maids are background checked, and all are required to sign confidentiality agreements.”
I make a mental note to find a template for one of those on the internet.
Dimitri narrows his eyes, irritation knitting his brows. “I assumed you’d be my housekeeper.”
I take a quick breath to buy myself some time to respond. I can’t tell him exactly who will be cleaning his house since I haven’t hired anyone yet, but I also don’t want him to think that I’m going to be his long-term housekeeper.
“I would be here to start with,” I say slowly. “Then, once I have a chance to get familiar with your particular needs, you’d be paired with one of our other expertly trained housekeepers.”
All of a sudden, Dimitri’s body language changes. His jaw tightens. His shoulders go stiff, and his eyes narrow into slits. “No.”
No?
Panic thrums in my chest. Clearly, that’s not what he wanted to hear, and he looks as though he’s about ready to march me straight out the door and slam it in my face.
I can’t let that happen. I need this job to get my business off the ground. Dimitri’s house is giant. It would be a huge payday, and he’ll probably never even be here.
It’s all right, I tell myself, taking a deep breath. I can still salvage this.
“I can assure you, Mr. Lazos, all my housekeepers are true professionals. You won’t even know they’re here.”
“That may be true, but the fact that you’re here means my head of security has already run his own background check — one that is much more in-depth than whatever you run on your own employees. He has spoken with all the references you provided and some you did not. He has likely questioned your former co-workers and your landlord.”
My spine stiffens, and my palms go sweaty at the idea of Beckett digging into my past. It’s not as though I have anything to hide, but his attempt to unearth any skeletons in my closet sounds like some CIA shit — not standard due diligence.
“Since you are here, it means that my head of security believes you can be trusted. I will not have some random maid he has not vetted wandering around my home.”
“I-I’m sorry,” I stammer, shaking my head. “But that’s just not how this works.”
If I had any doubts that Dimitri was into something illegal, they’re gone now. But even as I voice my refusal, I wonder if I’m shooting myself in the foot.
This man is clearly accustomed to getting what he wants, and the lack of other staff tells me he’s not going to let just anyone walk in here. But I started this business so I wouldn’t have to spend my whole life scrubbing floors and end up with a bad back and two wrecked knees.
“What’s your rate?” Dimitri asks. “I assure you, money is no object.”
I raise an eyebrow at his cockiness and nervously rifle through the papers on my clipboard.
This isn’t what I want. I’m supposed to be running the business — not doing the actual cleaning.
I’m not a maid anymore. I’m an entrepreneur. It only took me a week to get my first lead. I can find another client . . . one who’s not so damned shady.
