15
I woke up in Jayden’s bed, alone. The sheets next to me were cold, and I couldn’t hear him in the apartment, which meant he had already left for work. Slowly, I sat up in bed and pushed my tangled hair away from my face as the night events rushed into my mind.
It still felt unreal like something taken out of a fantastic dream. Waking up in his bed wasn’t enough to kill that feeling, and the red rose on the pillow next to me made it even harder.
I picked up the rose and inhaled its perfume, remembering the blissful world he had shown me the night before, again and again, with each caress and every single kiss.
The doorbell pulled me out of my daydreams, and I grabbed his bathrobe to cover my naked body before I went to see who was at the door.
I wasn’t expecting anyone today, so it was probably someone looking for Jayden, but he hadn't told me anything.
I pressed the button on the small screen installed near the door to see who was visiting.
Seeing Jayden’s mother standing by the elevator was quite a shock. What was she doing here? Didn’t she know her son was at the office?
Taking a deep breath, I pressed the button to talk to her. “Good morning, Ms. Wells, what can I do for you?” I asked.
“Open the door. I won’t be kept waiting at my son’s door,” she demanded lividly.
“Jayden isn’t here,” I said, trying to dissuade her from visiting the apartment.
Nothing good could come from that, considering I was naked underneath Jayden’s robe, and I was a mess.
“I’m well aware of that,” she said, firm on her decision, making it impossible for me to keep her waiting.
I gave her access to the elevator as I went looking for my cell phone, in desperate need to send him a message and warn him of his mother’s visit.
But she reached the penthouse long before I was able to find it.
“Ms. Wells… would you like me to call your son?” I offered, with my best smile on.
“You spent the night here… in his bed, judging by the robe you have on,” the woman pointed out, with more astonishment in her tone than scorn, and that by itself intrigued me.
“Well… yes…” I admitted, dragging the words, not sure it was safe to make such confession.
“He has never brought his… flings… here,” she pointed out, walking towards the living room and looking around as if looking for evidence of last night’s events.
“How do you know that?” I asked, finding it hard to believe it.
“Susan told me. She keeps me updated on my son’s life,” Madeleine said, taking a seat on the couch. “Where is she, anyway?”
“She’s on vacation… I’m replacing her,” I informed her, seeing no point in hiding the truth from her.
She would find out eventually.
“You’re his housekeeper?” now the surprise was quite obvious and even a bit insulting.
“Yes, I am, for the time being,” I confirmed it. “Would you like some tea or coffee?” I offered, not sure what to do in this situation.
“Have you had breakfast?” she asked me instead.
“No… I overslept…” the words came out of my lips before I could stop them.
“Well, it’s lunchtime now, so why don’t I order us something to eat from Jean Pierre’s restaurant while you take a shower and change into something more comfortable?” she suggested. I was so mesmerized over her strange behavior, I nodded.
“I mean… it’s not necessary… I can cook…” I mumbled, trying to fix things, but she didn’t give me a chance.
Madeleine jumped from the couch and gently pushed me towards Jayden’s room. “Nonsense! Go on, I’ll take care of everything.”
