spoke. I’d gotten so lost in my exploration of the room that I’d forgotten he was there.
“Mr. Weatherton had it decorated based on the preferences you indicated on the questionnaire you completed for Carrington Acquisitions. If something is not of your liking, you can report it to me, and I will check into having it changed.”
“It’s wonderful!” I exclaimed. I couldn’t believe Mr. Weatherton had gone to the trouble of decorating the room to my tastes. Well, he’d hired someone to do the work, but at least he put enough thought into it to make it happen.
“You will find all the linens you require in the closet in the bathroom. The maids will take care of cleaning your room and washing your linens, but you are expected to make your own bed. They will also launder your clothing.
“They pick up laundry on Monday and Thursday, so if you need clothing washed, be sure it is in the proper receptacle on those days. If anything requires special care, you will need to inform Mary. She’s the head maid.”
Holy cow! The maids were going to clean my room and do my laundry? This place just kept getting better and better.
“Great! Thanks.”
“Mr. Weatherton will expect you to dine with him when he’s on the premises and you’re not in class. Breakfast is at 7, lunch at 12, and dinner at 5. Do not be late.”
A flash of heat rolled through me at his words. Even though it had been weeks, I still vividly remembered the consequences of being late to my interview with Mr. Weatherton. What I hadn’t yet decided was if I wanted a repeat of the punishment.
I hadn’t been able to get the memory of that day out of my head, and it ran on an endless loop in my brain most of the times that I played with myself when I got so aroused I couldn’t stand it any longer.
“If he’s not in residence, you may eat in the kitchen with the staff or in your room. However, if you choose to eat in your room, you are responsible for cleaning up your dishes.”
I nodded to show my understanding.
“I will have Stephen, the chauffeur, bring up the rest of your belongings. Feel free to make the room your own. After all, it will be your home for the foreseeable future. If you have any further questions, you can find me, or you can ask any of the staff.”
“Thank you, Harold.”
“Mr. Weatherton expects you to begin attendance of meals starting with dinner tonight. Meals are always casual unless you are instructed otherwise. The dining room is the large room right beside the kitchen. You may use the time between now and then to get settled and become more familiar with the house. The only places off limits are Mr. Weatherton’s private quarters, office, and rec room, and the staffs’ quarters.”
With the last of the instructions conveyed, Harold turned on his heel and marched stiffly out of the room. While he had never been anything but polite in my dealings with him, Harold always remained distant and formal. He was a bit of a stuffed shirt. I wondered if he ever smiled.
I bounded through the door to check out my own personal bathroom. No more sharing with a roommate and two other students whose room connected with our own. No more having to deal with other peoples’ clothing or wet towels left in the floor or clogged toilets because someone didn’t know how to flush. And no more cold showers! Our suite mates had not been the most courteous and tended to spend forever in the shower, using up all the hot water.
When I entered the room, my jaw dropped. The bathroom was bigger than my dorm room had been! In fact, the bathroom was bigger than my old bedroom at my parents’ house. I felt tears well up in my eyes at the thought of my parents and furiously blinked them away. For days, I’d be okay, and then the weirdest thing would bring the loss rushing back.
I took a deep breath and gazed around the room. I couldn’t stop the squeal of delight when my eyes landed on the tub. It was sunk into the floor and had jets built
Katlin Stack, Russell Barber