Bellboy and the maid

Chapter 1

It's just like any other Saturday afternoon for them to be doing something nice together, they'd been doing it since they started working for the same company. It's not as if they were doing something illegal, though sometimes, the thought of being caught would make her feel nervous.

The war hadn't ended yet, after all, no one knew what was really going on anymore... The maid, Kassandra, looks up from dusting the furniture and notices that he's staring at her again. She doesn't know why she does this, but she smiles slightly before moving away towards the window.

He could see her perfectly fine, it wasn't dark outside, so no one could even tell that she was hiding. Still, she feels a little self-conscious about how much time she spends here. She's only supposed to work part of the day but remembers that she can leave anytime. She's never had much of a reason to go home or anywhere else, after all, her parents are dead, she's got nothing to live for anymore.

Spirou, the hotel bellboy has always liked the maids. They're neat, tidy and pretty. And they're beautiful too, with their long black uniforms with a white collar, apron and puffed sleeves, and their delicate features.

But most importantly of all, they always smile. There's an underlying quality of happiness that comes from smiling, a feeling of contentment that comes from living your life in blissful ignorance of the world around you. Even when they're cleaning up the messes that people leave behind, they still manage to remain cheerful.

She thinks that's admirable. She takes another peek over her shoulder to see that he hasn't stopped looking at her, and he's smiling now, too. He looks as if he might say something, though, so she stays quiet and waits for him to speak first. He suddenly clears his throat before speaking, "You're beautiful, you know." he says.

Her heart skips a beat. She's not exactly sure what to do with this comment, so she just sits back down in the chair across from him. Kassandra has gone back to dusting the bookcases, giving them some semblance of privacy. As she goes back to her task, Spirou leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. When she sees him like this, she wonders how many women have given him a compliment, and how many will end up falling madly in love with him despite his seemingly cold and uncaring exterior.

She wouldn't put it past some girls to try to seduce him, knowing full well that any hotel bellboy tends to be

attracted to pretty, young women, especially the more feminine ones. "Thanks" she says quietly, her cheeks blush lightly. "You're not half bad yourself, either. You're handsome."

Spirou laughs. She doesn't think he's ever heard someone compliment him before, let alone a woman. "You don't need to flatter me, ma'am. I'm not worth that much effort, I guess." he shrugs nonchalantly.

Kassandra is busy dusting the bookshelves again, but she still hears her employer' conversation. She hopes nobody hears her, because she doesn't want anyone to tease her about getting attached to a bell boy. Spirou probably wouldn't mind, but she's never felt comfortable around men. She's never felt comfortable around anyone, in fact.

Maybe he thinks she's shy? That makes sense... He is a very attractive boy, after all. Maybe he just likes to make women blush.

He must notice her hesitation, however, because he adds, "It's alright if you call me by my first name, ma'am. I'll answer to any of that."

When she looks up to meet his eyes, she finds he's watching her, a small, soft smile playing on his lips. She wants to smile right back, but she knows that she shouldn't show too much emotion in public. She knows the dangers of showing emotions too quickly, of letting her guard down. She doesn't know where she'll be tomorrow. The best thing to do is keep calm, stay polite and act as if everything is completely normal.

And pretend that he isn't interested in her.

That way, no one gets hurt. Besides, there's nothing wrong with liking men. She just wishes there were something she could do for him, like get him flowers or buy him dinner. Anything to make him feel better, but maybe that isn't her place. She's just his co-worker.

He needs comfort, he needs a friend who cares about him, who can take care of him properly. She just wishes there was something she could do. Something more than being a hotel maid. There's a knock on the door then. A couple minutes later, it opens, and Kassandra enters the room. She glances up at Spirou, then smiles politely. "Sorry for interrupting you two, but our next guest is waiting outside." she says. "Should I send him in?"

Spirou nods. He stands up and walks towards the door, holding it open for her.

He offers her a hand, which she accepts. After she passes through the doorway, she turns to look back at him. He waves her goodbye softly, and she gives a small wave back, her fingers curling into fists. Kassandra watches the interaction with amusement on her face, then disappears behind the door. Spirou closes the door behind her. He returns to sit beside her once again and starts talking about something else. At the sound of Spirou's voice, she forgets all about the house cleaner that she is and focuses completely on listening to him talk.

She listens intently to whatever he's saying. It sounds good. It sounds really good. It makes her chest ache pleasantly. She tries to ignore it, but it won't stop.

Instead, it grows stronger, and eventually, it overwhelms her, and she's left breathless and dizzy. As if realizing she's done talking, Spirou stops mid-sentence and tilts his head in question. She shakes her head to clear it, clearing away all those thoughts clouding her mind. She forces herself to concentrate on his words, and when he says that the sun is

setting and it's almost dinner time, she realizes that he must be asking her if she wants to eat dinner together.

She nods quickly, unable to formulate the proper response. He smiles in appreciation at her and gets up to get their food. She stays seated on the couch, staring at the fire burning brightly. She doesn't think she's ever been so grateful for a fireplace in a hotel. It reminds her that she's in Monteux and nothing's happening to her right now.

Nothing at all. For the first time since the war started, she's able to think. She can't help thinking of him through and wondering what he's up to. Is he eating? Does he sleep? What are his plans for the night? Who's he going out with? Are they having fun? Is he safe? Is he happy?

She wants to ask, but she knows he won't talk about it. Not while he's working, but it bothers her anyway. She's worried about him after all.