Page 46 of Mayhem and Minnie

“They’re wet. But they should dry up until the morning,” she mentions, her eyes still on the clothes—particularly on the boxer briefs, which she regards with skepticism.

“I’ve never worn them,” I feel compelled to add.

She purses her lips, and I swear I almost hear her say pity. But who the hell would say that about worn underwear?

Gross.

A shudder goes down my back at the mere thought.

“Thank you. It’s very kind of you.” She smiles, then turns to leave.

“Wait!” I call out.

She raises her brows as she angles her body toward me.

“The laundry room has a washer and a dryer. Grab your jeans and follow me. I’ll show you to it.”

“But they’ll dry eventually,” she says with a frown.

“They might, but they also might not. I’m not sure how well you were able to wash them in the shower. It’s better if you wash them again and then dry them properly—all within a couple hours too.”

What I don’t say is that I would feel better knowing her jeans are properly washed. Who knows how long she’s been wearing them? A quick wash in the shower doesn’t count. They probably need bleach or disinfectant at this point. If it wasn’t her only pair of pants, I would have trashed them immediately.

Alas.

I take a deep breath.

Just a few more minutes. I’ll show her to the laundry room and she can take care of herself. Even better, with it being on the right wing of the house, under her bedroom, that should keep the noise to a minimum and allow me to get back to my sleep.

She grabs her wet clothes, which frankly, still look dirty, and she follows me to the laundry room.

“Here,” I say as I open the door.

There are two washers and two dryers. When I start cleaning, I wash everything I encounter in my path, so one would have never been enough. Alas, one is for my personal clothing while the other is for household things.

I open the cupboards in the back to reveal my prized stash of detergent.

“You can choose which scent you’d like.”

I’m even allowing her to use my stash. That in itself is revolutionary.

“And here are drying sheets,” I continue as I open another cupboard.

Minnie stares at me with wide eyes, slowly nodding.

“You’ll use this one,” I say, pointing toward the machine designated for household things. At least that way, I’ll have some peace of mind. “You know how to use a washing machine, right?” I ask, just to make sure.

She wets her lips.

“O-of course. Piece of cookie!”

“Cake.”

She frowns.

“Piece of cake,” I correct.

Her mouth forms a small O before she nods.

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