radicalducati The cleaner
The cleaner
Desmond remained on the couch, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone while waiting for the cleaning service agent to arrive.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, pulling him out of his thoughts. He stood up and walked over to the door to answer it.
"Who is that?" He asked while holding the door handle.
"Grace. I'm here for house cleaning." A feminine voice answered. When he opened the door, he was met with the sight of a young lady, who was probably in her mid-twenties. Her long, dark hair was tied back into a neat ponytail. She looked like a university student who was working part-time for the agency.
For a moment, Desmond noticed her stare. Her gaze was flicking between his face and his athletic build. She hadn’t expected the client to look like that. Most of the houses she cleaned belonged to older people.
"Good morning, sir," she greeted. "I’m from Sparkling Solutions Cleaning Agency. My name is Grace."
"Alright. You can come in." Desmond replied, stepping aside to let her in.
As Grace stepped into the house, her professional demeanor briefly gave way to quiet amazement. It was clear from the moment she crossed the threshold that Desmond’s home was no ordinary house.
The high ceilings, the sleek modern furniture, the large windows that let in streams of sunlight. All of it spoke of wealth and class. Even in its messy state, the house exuded a luxurious charm. She couldn’t help but admire the intricate décor and the carefully curated artwork on the walls.
"Your sitting room looks so wonderful," she commented as she set down her cleaning supplies near the entrance.
"Thank you," Desmond said and gestured vaguely toward the living room. "As you can see, it’s... overdue for a good cleaning."
Grace nodded and took another glance at him. His chiseled frame and the way his hair fell just slightly out of place gave him an effortlessly handsome appeal. She began to imagine if he's single. The messed-up house was a big sign that he may be single.
Desmond showed her his room, bathroom, and kitchen. She inspected all and charged him 800 dollars. He went on and paid the money to the agency account before she began her work.
As she got to work, starting with the living room, she couldn’t help but notice how quiet Desmond was. She could tell he wasn’t just unhappy. He looked frustrated, maybe even heartbroken.
While dusting the shelves, she stole a glance at him. "Is everything okay?" she tentatively asked.
Desmond looked up, startled out of his thoughts. He forced a small smile and replied. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just... a lot on my mind."
Grace didn’t push further, sensing he wasn’t ready to talk. Instead, she focused on her task, moving from one room to the next. She scrubbed, dusted, vacuumed, and polished, transforming the disheveled house back into its pristine state. All the while, she kept catching glimpses of Desmond. His expression hadn't changed a bit, and his shoulders looked heavy with an invisible burden.
An hour later, when she was done cleaning, she returned to the living room to find Desmond sitting on the couch again, staring at the floor.
"Sir, I'm done." She said with a smile. "You can inspect."
Desmond went round the house and confirmed she did a very clean job. "I'm satisfied with your work."
"Thank you, sir." She smiled and moved to leave but stopped. "But sir, is there anything else you would like me to do for you?"
Desmond stared down at her before asking. "Can you cook?" And she raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. "I do, actually. What do you have in mind?"
"Anything." Desmond replied with a shrug. "I haven’t had a proper meal in days. I will pay you 500 dollars if you can prepare a delicious meal for me."
"That's huge!" She exclaimed out of happiness.
"Yeah, but make sure it doesn't taste bad." Desmond warned,.
"It's alright, I will see what you have in the kitchen."