Isaiah was quiet for the first part of my tour before he opens a door and says, "this is Kane's room."
I stepped in a looked around. It was surprisingly cleaner then expected. Kane is 19, a year older then me. And seeing how he's used to having a maid, I expected teenage boy explosion. But the room was actually pretty clean. Kane was sitting at his desk, screwing the wheels back on his newly painted skateboard. He looked at his brother in irritation since he didn't knock. However when his gaze turned to me he quickly change his expression to a sly smile, then he says, "I see you've meet Violet."
I nodded and said, "he's showing me around and then I'm leaving."
He nods and studies me before he asks, "what are you going to call me? My last maid was an older woman who called me sir and Mister Harrison. But you've what? A year young then me? So what are you going to call me?"
"What? Does you name not suffice?"
He chuckled and said, "I like her. It'll be fun having a young maid."
Then Isaiah, lightly grabbed the back of my shirt pulling me out of Kane's room before he says, "Remember she's your maid Kane. Not one of your wh-"
"Vocab, Isaiah." Kane says, glancing at me as if I haven't heard cuss words before
Then Isaiah says, 'fine- one of your lap pets. Better?"
Kane chuckled and said, "goodbye..."
Then Isaiah shut the door and sighs saying, "you're going to have to fight hard for his respect. Most of the women he knows only like him for one thing."
Then he opened another door and this time I was met by a new face. This must be Carlyle.
He sent us a dismissive curious look, he seemed to be cleaning something, but by the bullet cartridges on the desk and how quickly he tucked his hand behind his back when he saw me, I had a pretty good idea of what it was.
Then Isaiah says, "Violet this is Carlyle, Carlyle this is Violet. Kane and I's new maid."
Carlyle didn't nod. Didn't speak. Nothing. His eyes were glued on me. At first I feared the worst of what he could be staring at. However, I found instead he was looking at my hair. So I pulled it over my shoulder and said, "you like it? I just got it dyed recently."
"I've heard dying your hair isn't good for it. What color is your naturally hair?"
I gestured to my eyebrows and said, "Strawberry blonde."
Again, no nod, no words. Just staring.
This time, as Isaiah got a little more brazen, he put his hand on my waist and got a moment I could tell he was trying to judge how far it pinched in before I stepped away from him and turned walking out. I wanted to be rude. I wanted to snap at him, tell him I could walk by myself. Tell him not to touch me, that I'm not his pet. But alas, he's the son of my soon to be bosses. So I have to keep my mouth shut. Then I heard Carlyle say, "why do you like her?"
But Isaiah just says, "I don't."
Then he shut his brother's door and sighed saying, "Carlyle's a little weird. He's not big on words."
I nodded and looked at the photos on the wall. They were fascinating. There wasn't a single picture with four sons in it. There were a couple of a young version of the three I just met and a pregnant Juliana. Those looked like baby shower or pregnancy photos. But it was almost like the fourth son had been photoshopped out of the others. Isaiah noticed me studying the photos and says, "are you looking for something?"
"No. No. I was just interested in the photos."
I stopped and decided to push my luck a little by saying, "You and your brothers were cute kids."
Isaiah took that well and said, "I suppose."
Then he looks at me and says, "you're rather tall for a woman."
I looked at him and smirked saying, "threatened?'
He laughed and said, "hardly."
Then he walked past a room that I assumed was the fourth sons. Isaiah sent it a longing look but he didn't say anything, just kept walking. I felt a little bad for him. They may not be good people but they are still people. I guess it's possible he misses his little brother.
He went down to the last room and opened it and I let out an audible gasp, Kane and Carlyle had good rooms but Isaiah's was by far the best, he had an entire wall of nothing but windows. I lost self control and I walked over to it, looking out, the land they owned behind the mansion held a small lake and miles of forest. It was stunning.
He chuckled and walked over and I say, "it's stunning."
He nods and looks at me, judging my reaction and my expression. He then says, "I grew up in this room. Literally, I was brought home from the hospital and there was a crib in here, waiting. Dad likes to remind me of that. He says the day he brought me home there was a hawk sitting on the handrails outside of this window."
"Handrails?" I say softly
Then he walked over to the edge of the wall of mirror and push open a glass door I hadn't noticed. I walked over and out onto a glass balcony that made me a little queasy when I looked down. I think Isaiah could tell because he, cautiously this time, put his hands on my waist as if he could stable me and despite hating this man more every second his hand was on my waist, it did make me feel safer, so I allowed it.
I looked up and said, "You grew up here... I just, I couldn't imagine."
He nods and says, "I guess I got dull to view. You're reaction makes me realize how stunning it really is."
I nodded and put my hands on the handrail so he let me go and stood next to me before he says, "I thought you had afternoon plans."
I looked at me watch and realized somehow, our tour had taken almost an hour and I said, "shoot! I need to go. Do you know what time I'm expect to be here?"
"Five in the morning." He says,
I nodded and rushed down the hall only for Kane to be waiting at his door where he grabbed me and pulled me into his room. Neither of us realized that Isaiah had seen us though before Kane shit his door and said, "Listen Violet. I get you;re setting boundaries, and trying to make yourself seem all big and bad. But you work for me. And you listen to me. So if I want you to have a nickname for me. You will. So decide, what are you going to call me?"
My heart was racing and I could feel my hands getting cold as my body prepared for a fight or flight response. He's pressed me to the wall with his hands on either side of my head. He really isn't used to an independent woman.
So I choked out, "Fine. I'll call you Mr. Harrison."
His lip line tightened as he didn't like that response. He'd already told me he thought I was to young to call him that. But Isaiah threw open his brother's door. Obviously nervous his brother would try something. Then he snaps, "let her go Kane."
So Kane backed off and I clutched my clipboard. I didn't care that my hands were trembling, and they could see that. I wanted out of there.
Isaiah culd tell I was scared, and by the way I'd locked up I was clearly in fight or flight mode so Isaiah gently grabbed my arm and said softly, "Violet come on, I'll walk you out..."
I nodded and he lead me out of Kane's room before turning back his brother and hissing, "when I get back, I'll deal with you."
Then he lead me downstairs and outside where he looks around in confusions and asks, "didn't you drive?"
I took a breath now that I was outside and sort've shook off my nerves before I say, "I did but I wanted to walk here. Walking helps me work off any nervousness I have. So I parked a little ways down."
"Do you want me it walk you? These streets aren;t exactly safe."
I looked at him with fake surprise and say, "really? I assumed with all the mansions this street would be incredibly safe."
He realized he'd given a little to much away just with the not safe comment so he says, "well- I just don't like the idea of a woman walking alone."
I sighed and said, "it's alright. I know self defense. I've never shut down like that before. Kane just caught me off guard. But he's the son of my boss so I can't exactly give him a black eyes"
Isaiah chuckled and said, "he probably needs one. It'll put him back in his place."
I chuckled and nodded before I started it walk away and when I turned around I saw he'd gone back inside.
I have never shut down like that around anyone before. At least, not since I ran away.