George, Part 1

Let me tell you about George. I first met him in 2002 when I was working my night job as a waitress in this seedy little diner on the edge of town. It wasn't the best job in the world...hell, it wasn't even a good job, but it paid the bills. Anyway, at three a.m. on the dot, in strolls this grungy looking man. He took a seat at a booth near the back wall and I immediately went to get his order.

“Welcome to Joe's. What can I get you?”

“Coffee, please. Black. And a hamburger patty cooked rare.”

Normally, this would be a strange request, but I'd seen enough shit in my time here that it didn't phase me. What did unsettle me was the way his eyes seemed to glow red when he looked at me. But it was three in the morning, and I was probably on the verge of hallucinating from exhaustion, so I just ignored it and nodded.

“Sure thing. Back in a sec.”

I set his order down and went to help the next customer while he ate. When he was through, he just sat at his table and stared out the window until the sun began to rise over the hilltops, then he silently paid his tab and left.

After that first night, he came in pretty regularly. It was always the same routine: Black coffee and a rare hamburger patty, staring into the beginnings of the sunrise, then quietly leaving. Once or twice I felt his eyes on me as I worked, but he always looked away before I caught him.

One particularity hateful morning, I felt him watching me as I stacked the plates of a nearby table, and I cracked.

“What is it with you?”

He seemed surprised. “Excuse me?”

“I can feel you watching me. And it's not the first time, either. Are you interested or something?”

He smiled, and perfect teeth shone out from his three-day stubble.

“Actually, yes. I was wondering if you'd be interested in a... well...let's say a unique opportunity.”

Since there was no one else in the diner at the time, I sat down across from him.

“An opportunity? What kind of opportunity?”

“First thing's first.” He held out his hand, “I'm George. Nice to finally meet you.”

I snorted but took his hand, noticing how unusually cold it was.

“You could have said something weeks ago. But yeah, nice to officially meet you. I'm Lana.”

“Lana, how do you feel about your situation here? Is it fulfilling in any way?”

This wasn't the kind of question I thought he'd ask, and it took me a moment to respond.

“Honestly...no. I hate this job, I hate this diner, I hate my boss with his groping hands, and I hate this town. I've been trying to save up enough money to leave, but things keep piling up on me...” I realized that I was beginning to tear up, and I stopped. “Sorry. Short answer is no, I'm not in any way fulfilled.”

He nodded. “I could see as much. What you don't realize is that you have so much potential bottled up inside of you. I want to help you realize that potential.”

I sat back and studied him for the first time since he started coming to the diner. His face was lean and bore the scraggly beard of someone who's lost their razor. He wore sweatpants and a t-shirt that was somehow always clean, and a ball cap shaded his face from the lights. It was strange to me because, despite his appearance, he gave the impression of someone sophisticated and wise. I leaned on the table.

“At this point, I'll consider just about anything. What is it you have in mind?”

He smiled again. “I want you to come live with me.”

I knew it! He was a pervert like all the rest. I gave a sarcastic chuckle as I rose from the table.

“I knew it was too good to be true. Look, you seem like a nice guy, but I'm not about to start whoring myself out for money. Despite my crappy life, I still have my dignity.”

George just shrugged. “I wasn't talking about that. I need a housekeeper, and I wanted to find someone who would live with me and keep my things in order.” He handed me his card as he paid the tab. “Please think about it. I'll be back later for your answer.”

I took his card and crumpled it up as he left, intending to throw it away, but something stopped me. I slid it into my pocket as Joe, the boss and owner, came around the counter.

“You’re here late. When’s your shift over?”

I finished stacking the plates and turned to the kitchen.

“It was over ten minutes ago, but Janie hasn’t shown up yet. I’m going to put these away and clock out.”

“If Janie’s not here, you can’t leave. Who’s going to cover the dining room?”

“Not my problem. I’ve been here since eleven. I’m going home.”

I tried to take the dishes to the kitchen, but Joe blocked my way.

“Why don’t you come to my office after you’re done with the dishes. We need to review the schedule for next week.”

I rolled my eyes and shoved past him. “Reviewing the schedule” was Joe’s way of getting us alone, and I wasn’t about to fall for that again.

“Sorry, but I can’t stay any longer. I need some sleep. We can go over it later.”

I left him in the dining room as I finished my chores, but he blocked my path again when I went to clock out.

“Lana, I really need to go over the schedule with you.”

I sighed heavily. “Fine. You have five minutes.”

I followed him to his office and Joe closed the door behind us. He handed me a slip of paper.

“Please review the schedule and let me know if anything is missing or wrong.”

I glanced it over. “Looks fine. See you tomorrow.”

I handed it back to him and attempted to leave, but Joe blocked the door.

“What’s the rush? We have some time.”

He grabbed my arm and attempted to grope me, but I put a stop to it with a quick slap to his face. He stepped back, startled.

“What the fuck was that for?”

“Touch me again and I’ll break your nose. Now move out of my way.”

‘You can’t do that to me! I’m your boss!”

“Not anymore. I quit, and I’m reporting you for sexual harassment.”

I threw my nametag at him and shoved him out of the way. He tried to stop me, but I deftly avoided his hands and walked out of the diner with my head held high.

Once I got back to my apartment, I pulled the crumpled card from my pocket and dialed the number. Goerge answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Hi. It’s Lana from the diner. I accept your offer.”

I could practically hear the smile in his voice, and I briefly wondered if I had made the right decision as he replied.

“Good. Pack your things- I’ll be there in five minutes.”

He hung up before I could give him my address, but, deep down, I knew he didn’t need it. Sighing, I packed the essentials of my meager apartment and waited for George, who rang the buzzer exactly five minutes later.

He was waiting for me beside a classic Ferrari that looked brand new, and I tried to make myself more presentable as he opened the car door and helped me put my belongings in the trunk. Before I knew it, we were driving off into the night.

George smiled at me.

“I’m glad you accepted my offer. When I first saw you at the diner, I knew you were the perfect person for the job.”

“Speaking of, we never discussed the terms and conditions. What, exactly, will I be taking care of?”

“I told you- I need a housekeeper. Someone to keep my affairs in order and make sure my secrets remain, well, secret. In return, I’ll provide you with an apartment, food, and a stipend of one thousand dollars a week to use as you please.”

I went silent as I considered his proposal.

“It sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?”

“No catch,” George chuckled as he veered his car off the highway and onto an exit ramp. “I do like to have guests over on occasion, and I may need you to take care of them after the party, but the rest is standard.”

I nodded. “And, I’ll have a copy of this in writing, yes?”

“Of course. Everything waiting for you at the manor.”

I went silent and gazed out the window, and it wasn’t long before a house came into view. It was larger than anything I had ever seen, with at least a dozen windows and a large, wrap-around porch with marble stairs. George took the car around the back and parked it in a garage full of antique cars in pristine condition, and he helped me unload my things as I took it all in.

A figure appeared from the shadows, startling me. It was an older man, and he bowed at me before turning to George.

“Welcome back, sir. There’s a guest waiting for you in the foyer.”

“Thank you, James.” George handed him my bags before pointing at me. “This is Lana, the new housekeeper. Please show her to her apartment.”

James bowed and waited as George turned to me.

“I'm sorry to abandon you so soon, but James will show you around and help you get settled in. Take tomorrow to adjust, and I’ll find you tomorrow night to sign those papers.”

I could only nod as George seemed to vanish from the garage. Turning to James, I smiled, but it was not returned.

“This way, mam. I’ll show you to your rooms.”

I followed James through the maze of a house, and, for the first time this evening, It dawned on me that I had no idea what I was getting into.

Who was George? I knew nothing about him, but, somehow, I trusted him.

James, on the other hand, was a different story, and he didn’t speak to me until we reached the apartment.

“Here you go, miss Lana. Ring the bell if you need anything, and I’ll attend you.”

“Thank you, James. Good night.”

James bowed before disappearing down the hallway, and I felt my first shudder of uncertainty as the door locked behind me.

Still, the rooms were nicer than anything I could have imagined, and the bathtub could fit an entire baseball team with ease, so I decided that, for tonight, I would relax and enjoy myself.

Tomorrow, I would get my answers.

Part 2 coming soon!