that it was TRIPLE the pay. That meant she could quit at least half of her clients and actually have some free time for a change. Or she could keep everyone and put some money aside, also for a change. Either one sounded very, very good to Marie.
Another pro was that she could show off her body. Since she had no life, there was no one around to appreciate her youth and beauty. Marie knew she would only be young once and it might feel nice to be appreciated like that.
And, though she didn’t want to admit it, she liked the idea of Mr. Roberts watching her work naked and was getting turned on by the thought of it. While sitting there in front of him, she felt embarrassed and turned on at the same time.
“Naked, huh?” she asked rhetorically. Mr. Roberts was leaning on the granite bar across from her. He had not come around to touch her nor was he shooting leery looks her way. In fact, he looked as if he had just asked her to add another day or something.
Marie scrambled through her brain to try to find something to put on the con side of her mental list. It’s just wrong. Feminism. You’ll be a prostitute. All of these reasons eventually made themselves clear. The only one that had any traction with her was the prostitution thing.
“I would do everything I normally do, just naked? This wouldn’t be about sex. And you wouldn’t try to have your way with me or anything?”
“Of course not. You are a gorgeous sight and I merely want to see more of you. Have you not noticed all the art around my home? I love and appreciate beauty. I want to be surrounded by it whenever I can. Your being naked here in my home would simply add to that.”
“Well, okay, I guess. I’ll clean your house naked if you pay me triple. I guess I’ll start on Friday?”
“Yes, Friday.”
Marie popped the last piece of her sandwich in her mouth, grabbed her backpack and headed towards the door. “Bye,” she said as she hurried out of the house.
Once she was outside, she started questioning herself. What was she thinking? Naked. That was just ploy. Why had she agreed to that? As if her body was answering her, she felt a slight wetness between her legs as she slid into her beat up Honda.
The reality was that she couldn’t quit even if she wanted to. Even if the proposition had offended her. It hadn’t. But still, she thought. Marie kept mulling over the situation in her mind as she sped to school.
She had always respected Mr. Roberts and felt the same from him. He was her dream client in many ways. She honestly felt in her gut that she could trust him. And Marie did not like going against her gut.
Chapter 2
Friday came along more quickly than Marie would have liked. She had been nervous about the arrangement all week. Not out of fear for her safety, though. She was nervous mainly from being self-conscious and confused.
She pulled into the driveway of the ornate mansion as usual and took her time walking to the door. You can do this, Marie. Triple the pay. This is no big deal. She continued talking herself into it up until she got to kitchen door where she always entered. She took a couple of deep breaths and then walked purposefully inside.
She stood there for a minute not knowing exactly how to proceed. Should she take off her clothes and then get the cleaning supplies or the other way around? Where should she put her clothes—on the bar, by the sink?
Mr. Roberts walked in at that moment and greeted her warmly as usual.
“Hello Marie. How are you today?”
“Nervous,” she said with a crooked smile.
“Don’t be. You will simply do everything you normally do except you will be doing it without any clothing. Completely natural. That is what I want to see. If you like, you can hang your clothes up in the guest bedroom. And don’t worry about me. I won’t be following you from room to room. Simply perform your duties normally. And when you