Page 25 of Valentine's Daddy To Go
“Hello. Are you Nellie?” she asks.
I nod. It looks like Nash told her about me, which is good. But importantly, did he tell hereverythingabout me? The woman smiles knowingly, and I have a feeling that she knows more than I’m comfortable with.
“Hi, Nellie. I’m Brenda, Nash’s housekeeper. He asked me to help you get settled. Why don’t you follow me?”
“Um, sure,” I nod. She starts walking, so I follow her, the door shutting behind me. Brenda isn’t talking much, but she seems pretty friendly, so I take heart. Things are going to be okay.
We reach the stairs, and I realize I’m going to have lug this thing upstairs. Brenda stops and turns around.
“Do you need any help with that?” She points to my suitcase, and I immediately start shaking my head. I’m not going to make this old lady I just met help me with my heavy suitcase. She must be at least sixty. I’d feel like a total ass if she had to struggle with me.
“I can manage, thanks. It might just take a few extra minutes to get up there. But I can do it,” I reassure her. She looks at me like she doesn’t believe me and shakes her head.
“Nonsense. Between the two of us, we’ll have it up the stairs in no time.”
The gray-haired woman grabs the other side of my suitcase and together, we lug it up, one step at a time.
“What’d you pack in here?” she jokes. “Bricks?”
“Not exactly,” I huff. “But it sure feels like it!”
After a few minutes, we’re at the top of the stairs. I probably just scratched the wood floor, but at this point, there’s nothing I can do about it. Brenda grins at me.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I gasp, my breath heavy. “I’m fine.”
“Great, follow me.” She’s off again, sprightly and pert. I pull my luggage until Brenda stops in front of a door. She pushes it and holds it open for me to step in. I enter, but she stays outside.
“This is your room,” she announces. “Nash wants you to get comfortable and settle in.” Then, she lets the door close and departs. I’m a little taken aback by the brusqueness, but it makes sense. She’s Nash’s housekeeper. Ofcoursethey share a personality type.
I leave my suitcase by the door and explore a little bit. This one room is nicer than any house or apartment I’ve ever stayed in. I mean, every part of Nash’s house that I’ve seen so far has been lavish beyond compare, so it makes sense that this suite is gorgeous too.
I let myself take in the beauty that is my living space for the next three months. There’s a king-sized bed in here! I could spread out completely and still have room for two more of me, it’s that huge.
I keep looking. There’s a huge vanity, a beautiful couch, and art hanging on the walls. Everything is perfectly decorated. I open a set of double doors, and it’s an en suite bathroom. And it’s not one of those regular, everyday bathrooms that you might find in an apartment. No, this is like something you’d see in the fanciest hotel. It’s big enough to be its own bedroom, and completely clad in white marble.
“Oh my goodness,” is my gasp. I check out the counter, and it’s already stocked with all kinds of soaps and shampoos and beauty products. The drawers have toothpaste, a toothbrush, cotton swabs and all sorts of products that I might need for the next three months.
That means Nash has really prepared for me to be here. This whole thing is really happening.
I can barely believe it.
The bath and shower are separate, meaning two people could be washing themselves with zero interference from the other. The porcelain of the tub is a sparkling white, almost like it’s never been used. And the shower has a vintage vibe, but it’s in tip top condition.
I finish up in the bathroom and another thought pops into my head.
I wonder if the closet or dresser has anything in it? I’m sure Nash wouldn’t buy me clothes. He doesn’t even know my size.
Which reminds me, I need to unpack. I go back into the bedroom and lay my suitcase on the floor. Unzipping it, I take out a blouse and go to the dresser to open one of the drawers. But when I look inside, it’s full of lacy lingerie.
What?
I pull a few items out, doing a quick once-over. A lot of the garments are see-through or really tiny, so they’ll barely cover anything. It’s definitely a far cry from the one hundred percent cotton granny panties I wear.
I go to the closet, and first off, it’s a walk-in which is amazing. Sure enough, there are a few filmy dressing gowns hanging inside. I check the sizes, and they’re correct. So, I was wrong about both things. Seems like Nash knows my size, and he did buy me clothes.
Then again, these things barely pass for clothing. I couldn’t wear any of this in mixed company. Then again, I guess the only company I’m really expecting is Nash, so it doesn’t really matter.
