His Glorified Maid

Fourteen

Michaela slid her eyes at his teasing. She could not bring herself to say the words while images of what they'd been doing flooded her mind. She had to get a grip on herself. Maintain some control. It was like the uniform all over again. He was treating her like a 'date' and not as the help again. He was the problem. What was she even doing here?

"Of course, it's a problem?"

"Because of Dan?"

"Because it's you. You're my boss. And I'm not dating my boss," she hissed through gritted teeth. She willed him with her eyes to understand that this wasn't supposed to happen.

"If it helps, we aren't dating."

"No that doesn't help," she said enunciating every word perfectly in her annoyance.

"Why are you so stuck on this rule, Michaela?"

"Because when you find someone better, I'll lose everything again." She hadn't meant to answer him honestly. He had that effect on her. She didn't look up at him, didn't want to see his face. He was probably confused, after all, she didn't have him to lose him.

As much as she didn't want to face the group again, she knew she didn't want to be alone with Carlos. He could charm her, seduce her, and she would bend to his will eagerly.

"Michaela," he cautioned when she shook her head, showing an unwillingness to continue the conversation. She was grateful when he didn't push it. He stepped aside so she could exit his bathroom without touching him.

And then she saw it as she passed by his bed. A floor to ceiling window that took up an entire wall on the other side of the bed that she had deliberately ignored when she first entered the room.

She looked out over the land, the vines, all in their perfect rows. Oblivious now to the fact she was alone with Carlos in his bedroom of all places and unaware he was watching her. She stood in front of the window, never taking her eyes off. She rocked forwards and then back, before walking the length of the window and back again. As one vine row disappeared, another reappeared. It gave her that same giddy feeling she felt when she drove past vine rows.

"How wonderful."

"Come on," she heard Carlos say as he grabbed for her hand again and this time, she let herself be tugged along.

They were silent as they walked back. He set a quick pace and she found herself trotting every few steps to keep up. It didn't help that she kept trying to slow down so she could soak in as much as she could. She didn't expect there to be another opportunity in the future to see his home and she was curious.

The first thing she noticed once they were outside was the pool. It was a lane pool that had to be a standard 25m in length. Not a pointless, decorative pool to 'hang out' around, but a practical, useful lane pool. She could only dream about the convenience of having a personal one at home where she wouldn't have to share a lane or match her pace with strangers.

She could literally crawl out of bed and into the water to begin her day coasting and floating along in suspended bliss. She didn't often feel jealous of what other people had as it was a waste of emotion, but that pool was going on a list of unattainable desires. She might as well put it directly under Carlos' name.

"It's salt water," he said. "I don't like chlorine."

Even better, she thought. She hated the way the stench of chlorine clung to her pores.

"What's in there?" she asked pointing to a building to the side to distract herself from the pool. She didn't think he would need another car garage, especially one so far away from the main driveway.