The billionaire's maid

Chapter Two

Isabella looked at him incredulously “Maid!!”?? She sputtered. Trying to get out words but failing miserably.

“Why are you opening and closing your mouth like a fish? If you’re not the maid then what the heck are you doing here? Who are you?” He fired off questions rapidly now looking at her suspiciously.

She realized this man only looked like an angel but had the character of a sewer rat and a tongue that would put even a sailor to shame.

She didn’t even have time to be offended that he thought her a maid simply by her name. How incredibly myopic of him!

Isabella was still trying to come up with an explanation when a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

He was going to throw her out she reasoned looking across at him to see his furrowed brows and that suspicious look on his face before looking down on the floor again.

His eyes and the way he was staring her down was intimidating. She had to think fast.

She could use it as a way to get to know everyone in the family without putting herself in a vulnerable position, She rationalized with herself.

She didn’t know the first thing about being a maid but it can't be that hard right? She loved cleaning. A love she and her mother had shared.

“Yes, I'm the maid, Isabella Ruiz at your service, sir!” She said with an unsure smile and a salute. She groaned inwardly. He must think her weird she knows.

He looked at her through narrowed eyes. She was a weirdo and seemed slow; see how long it took her to reply to a simple question.

She couldn't seem to meet his gaze, But he was in a clutch, he had managed to run off 8 maids in the past two months his last maid quit on him just that morning.

And Dad wasn't exactly pleased. Whoever this Isabella lady is she would just have to do for now because he has run out of time and good maids. She agonised inwardly

With a slight grimace on his face, he said “Alright Isabella, I'm Jacob McCarthy but I'm sure you already know that from your briefing with the agency,” he walked briskly from the foyer to another part of the house and made a gesture for her to follow behind him.

She scurried quickly behind so she wouldn't incite his anger further.

“ Leave your suitcase there, I don't have time now let me just show you the kitchen and the room you'll be staying in. I have a meeting in the city in less than an hour and I'm already behind.” He all but sneered stopping in the centre of the kitchen.

Did he say ‘McCarthy’? Could they be related? She couldn't help feeling a bit sad… Why? She couldn't fathom.

She just met him and he hasn't been nice or welcoming to her so far.

She quickly looked away before he would catch her checking him out and rule her a psycho. She couldn't say what got into her.

‘What is wrong with me I do not sexualise men! What is it about this one’ she berated herself.

He had stopped walking and turned to look at her with that impatient look in his eyes again.

He asked a question and she was only half paying attention she would admit she was distracted by him… And other things. The kitchen was huge like every part of the house she had seen so far.

“Yes, I can cook sir. I'm a very good cook. Is cooking part of my job description?” she asked looking everywhere in the kitchen but him.

He didn't look convinced. He had a mind to send her back but “. . No cooking isn't part of it but my cook isn't around and none of my staff are here. I give them a week during the holidays to go visit family and friends”.

Oh, a man who cares for his workers, so not a total monster after all.

“The thing is I have a dinner gathering today, it's impromptu Do you think you can handle it?” He asked looking at her expectedly.

“How many guests”? Isabella asked seeing a look of relief cross his face before he went back to his blank emotionless stare.

“3 guests plus myself. Set the table for 4” he said bringing out his wallet, he took out a wad of cash and dropped it on the counter. “Please I need a full course meal, all the work. These are investors I have to impress” he said passively not seeming too pleased with impressing anyone.

“I can do that, but I have no idea where anything is; the store, utensils, and so on. It's going to make the job difficult and time-consuming” Isabella said, accepting her fate and getting into the role of ‘maid’.

This time around he couldn't hide his relief. Maybe he misjudged her she seemed to be catching on fast.

“You are right, I have a friend of mine that's around I'm going to call her and ask her to come help you out how about that?” He asked looking into her eyes with those icy blue fathomless orbs.

She held his gaze for a few seconds before answering ‘Hmm hmm,’ distractedly. “ I mean yes it's fine, that would be awesome. Thank you” she added looking around the kitchen, the stove, the pans, the lightening, everywhere but at him.

“ No need to thank me. If you can pull this off I'll reward you. Trust me.” He promised, looking at the time. He started moving gesturing for her to follow.

She had a mind not to move. Couldn't he talk to her, say ‘Come with me’ or better still ‘Please come with me’ instead of gesturing to her like a mutt?

Shooting daggers at him with her eyes she followed demurely.

He walked upstairs and opened a door that revealed a very pretty lilac room. He turned around ‘Why does she look like she wants to bite my head off’? he thought.

He had a hard time understanding women and certainly didn't have the time to start now so he chose to ignore it.

“ This is the lilac room. It will be yours while you remain in my employ. The east wing is off limits to you unless I specifically ask for it to be cleaned” he told her firmly.

“ I'm off now. I'll be back by 8 p.m. with my guests. Please don't burn down my house!” He shouted, running down the stairs and out the door. His footsteps echoed on the stairs till she heard the door shut.

She walked back to the kitchen and counted the money. ‘ A thousand bucks wow. I'm going to make him the best meal of his life’ she affirmed confidently. She quickly took note of what they had in the pantry and then made a list of all she needed to make her meal.

She took her bags upstairs and tried to arrange her belongings before she had to go to the store. Then she remembered she told her best friend she was going to call her as soon as she landed.

Well, Rachel was going to bite her head off because she landed a good 2 hours ago. She dialed the number she knew by heart and smiled when she heard it ringing.

“Hi, best friend!!!! Are you in Cali?” Rachel her best friend shouted excitedly from the other end. She had to move the phone a few inches from her ear to protect her eardrum.

“Yes bestie, I'm in California,” Isabella answered quietly but equally excited that she was going to see her friend after so long.

That was certainly an upside to pretending to be a maid. Rachel would flip if she told her.

“ Rachel, I got to the house but you're not going to believe what happened when I got here.”

“ What happened?” “i…” She was about to go into the details of her exchange with Jacob McCarthy just a few minutes ago when she heard the doorbell ring.

Who was that at the door…