Million Dollar Maid ✔

Chapter 14

With one arm full of freshly-washed bedsheets and the other on the railing she carefully balanced herself on the stairs. Her foot had slipped once already and she was sure that a second time would certainly make her tumble all the way down.

Ava eventually reached the top and breathed a sigh of relief before carrying on. Why the bedsheets had to be washed when no one slept in them she didn't know, and it wasn't really her place to question such things.

If Lauren asked her to do something, she would.

She entered the first guestroom and started working on getting the bed sheets back on the bed before working on making the bed again. After finishing she stepped back to inspect the bed.

Perfect, she thought. It always was; she'd been making beds for years and it had become the one thing she was good at. Content with her work she grabbed the basket and made her way towards the next room.

Downstairs, she could hear the door open and close but she paid it no mind. Mr. Chastain had gone into the nearby city earlier that morning and he probably came back just now. She continued on with her work before heading over to the next room, and then the next. Soon her basket was empty again and she had to go downstairs to get the next load of laundry.

She made it all the way to the end of the hallway when she ran into Lauren, all red and huffing from walking up the long stairs. "Ava," she greeted. "Mr. Chastain will be leaving for his new york home tomorrow, I need you to make sure he's packed everything."

The message hit her like a pound of bricks. He was leaving?

When he'd just arrived she'd silently hoped that he would leave soon but now...

Now she wanted him to stay. She didn't know why, though. The house just wouldn't feel the same without him. Maybe she'd even miss him.

"Oh, right," she squeaked. "I'll help him pack, then."

She didn't really know what else she could say but Lauren didn't seem too bothered by it and nodded. "Very well, dear," she said before taking the empty basket from Ava. "Go on then, his plane is leaving in a few hours and he still needs to go to the airport."

"Right," Ava replied while stepping back. "I'm already gone."

She quickly walked into the other hallway towards Mr. Chastain's room before stopping in front of it. There was shuffling on the other side as he'd probably started packing already.

It took him a second to respond after she knocked but a muffled 'come in' could be heard from the other side of the door. Slowly, she opened the door and stepped inside.

His usually casual attire had been traded for a neat suit and tie. It made sense since he'd spent the day at an office but she couldn't help but admire how well it fit him. The only thing out of place was his hair, which was sticking out in all directions as if he'd been pulling on it.

Admittedly, he looked good in anything he wore. Maybe it was just his handsome face that made everything look good.

"What?"

The irritation in his voice threw her off, she hadn't heard him talk like that since that first time he'd spoken to her and it took her a moment to compose herself. 

"Lauren asked me to help you pack," she replied as steadily as she could. If he was in a foul mood she didn't want to do or say anything that could set him off. But it was odd seeing him this way, especially since he'd been so nice to her.

She hadn't seen him mad yet, but that didn't mean he couldn't be.

"Everything I need is already there, I don't have to pack anything."