Lost Girl

Chapter 1

I knocked on the door, calling out to see if anyone was in it. As the hotel maid, if there's no sign on the door I have to make sure no one is actually in it unless they don't mind the racket around them. I called out again and listened for an answer. When I didn't get one, I swiped my key card and strode in, putting my cart against the door to keep it open. I walked into the bedroom whistling a little tune to keep myself from falling into the pit of what-has-my-life-become, and headed for the bed with the new sheets bundled in my arms. I got to the footboard, dropping the clean sheets and reaching for the edge of the old ones, ready to pull them off.

As I did, a groan emerged from the tangle of bed linens and a naked butt appeared in my view (a pretty nice butt, I must say). I let out a very undignified squeak and backed up, tripping over the clean stuff on the floor and falling on my own ass before scrambling to my feet. My horror grew as a head of curly black hair lifted from under the pillow and started to turn. I backed up and pretty much ran out of the room, ignoring the drowsy "wait" that followed me. I shoved the cart out of the way and the door slammed behind me, shutting me out. I left the cart there and scurried down the hallway to the other end, finding the vending machine and the little space between the wall and it. I scuttled into it, curling my knees up and resting my forehead on them.

"You fucking idiot." I muttered to myself, starting to despair.

They would fire me if he said anything. Even if he didn't see me, they would know he was in my area and they'd know and I would be fired. I need this job, I need the cash to get out of this fucking town, to leave the family that can't stand me but won't let me go.

"What if he says something? They'll fire my ass right now, they don't need me." I hissed, feeling the tears start to well up. There was no work here, nothing for the younger generation, and when the parents refused to help, you're stuck. I was so close to being unstuck, and I probably just screwed myself. They told me to be careful up here not to disturb the people in the rooms, to make sure that they were well and truly gone before I went in. They were important guests, they said, don't make them angry.

I rocked a little bit, taking several deep breaths and pushing the tears back. I won't cry, I will stand up and go back to work like nothing happened. I slapped my hand on the wall and with another breath, surged from my fetal position. I wiped my hands on my skirt and stepped from my hiding spot, walking toward the cart. When I was little, I used to hide in dark places, small places, places that would keep me safe from large hands and hands that hurt and hands that grab and hands that don't stop...

"Hey, um..." A raspy, sleep-soft voice called.

I froze, lifting my eyes from the ground and dragging them up the guy in front of me. His sweats clung low to his hips, the grey fabric clinging and falling at the same time, hugging his hips. He wasn't wearing a shirt, the skinny tan chest muscled with a few tattoos. His lips were pursed, chocolate eyes still drowsy.

"Hey, um, did you..."

He gestured toward himself, and I could feel my face turning a brilliant red color, heating and burning.

"I didn't-I...I was going to clean and-and no one answered the door, so I-I just went to clean and then you were...in the...bed and I'm sorry! You have a nice butt." I blurted, slapping a hand over my mouth. I could feel the mortification bubbling in my stomach, the pure unadulterated embarrassment.

His cheeks tinged slightly red and he rubbed a hand over his hair.

"Um, thanks. Look, I'm really sorry you had to see that, I usually take naps nude and I wasn't expecting a maid to come in. If you want to finish cleaning, I'll stay out of your way on the chair or something."