Maid for Love (A Romantic Comedy) (2 page)

“Mess,” Michael clarified. “Clutter. You know, all the piles of stuff strewn about. It’s all a bit much.”

The two teens shared a knowing look.

“What?”

Josh spoke first. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

Michael’s eyebrows rose. “Did we just change the subject?”

Kathryn grabbed a cushion and hugged it to her chest. “No. Not really. There’s just something we want to know.”

“Go ahead.”

“Are you gay?”

Michael struggled to come up with a response. “Gay?” he finally managed to choke out. “Is that what you just said?”

“Because it wouldn’t matter to us, Uncle M,” Kathryn’s words tumbled out in a rush. “We love you just the way you are.”

A slow smile spread across Michael’s face and warmth filled his heart. As messy as the kids were, and as far off the mark as they were, they were good kids. “No, I’m not gay. But I appreciate the offer of unconditional support and love. But I have to call you two out on perpetuating stereotypes. Not all men who live alone and appreciate neatness are gay. I just haven’t met the right woman yet.” His smile slipped as he realized he’d just lied to the kids. He had met the right woman. He’d also let her get away. He couldn’t imagine any other woman in the world would ever compare to Zoe. But he didn’t want to go there now.

“What about the lady you were dating last year?”

How had they gotten so far away from the topic of picking up after themselves? “What are you talking about, Kathryn?”

“Mom said that you were dating someone last year who made you really happy. She said you were totally in love.”

Josh’s expression could only be classified as a smirk. “Yeah, Mom says you really blew it by letting her get away.”

“I didn’t let her get away. She…wait, why am I explaining this to you guys?”

“Because we love you and we care about your happiness, Uncle M.”

Josh nodded. “Yeah, Kathryn’s right. We don’t want you to grow old alone. Living here in this house, with no one around to care about you, that’s not cool. It seems to me that you’re concerned about your house being in order but you really might want to get this straightened out.” He tapped his chest.

Michael looked between them without saying anything for a long moment. What had happened to the two children who used to tear through his house like it was on fire and they were the ones shooting flaming arrows? “You know, Josh buddy, it’s a little hard for me to take romantic advice from someone who, not so long ago, wanted to put a frog in my freezer.” He stood. “Look, I know you two mean well and I appreciate it, but I’m still not ready to talk about what happened with-” but he stopped himself just in time. Even now, almost a year after she’d dumped him, it was still hard to think about Zoe, let alone say her name. “Let’s get back on topic.”

His niece and nephew stared up expectantly at him.

“We were talking about the mess,” he reminded them. “I get that it’s a teenage thing but we’re going to have to compromise if we’re going to be living together for a couple of months. I’m prepared to offer you a deal. You want to hear the terms?”

They nodded in perfect unison.

“It’s a take-it or leave-it deal. Well, actually it’s a take-it or take-it deal so I urge you to accept my offer. I get that you’re teenagers and that’s cool. But I can’t deal with the clutter. So, if you are willing to pick up after yourselves, I’m willing to pay for a housekeeper so you don’t have to do any actual housework. Agreed?”

He watched as Kathryn and Josh bumped their fists together. “I take it that’s a yes?”

They agreed at the speed of light.

“Great. Now I’ve got to get to the office, but there’s a woman coming in a little while from the housekeeping agency just to have a look around and see what needs to be done before we schedule the first visit. Can you two handle that?”

“Got it.”

“And we’ll start picking up our stuff, too,” Kathryn assured him.

Michael felt rather pleased with himself. He’d not only secured an agreement from the kids that they’d pick up, he’d gotten them off the topic of his love life. Not bad for a morning’s work. “I’m off then. Call if you need me.”

The front door bell rang just as Michael was about to open the door, which he took as a sign that this arrangement was going to work out just fine. His summer was starting to look stress-free, just the way he wanted it. He opened the door and his gaze settled on the woman who stood on his doorstep. She was young, brunette, and beautiful. He felt the air leave his lungs as if he’d been sucker punched.  The woman was Zoe.         

CHAPTER TWO

Zoe stared at the man in front of her. It was Michael Archer. Her Michael Archer. The man who not only stole her heart, but had the audacity to suggest they had a future together. She’d put an end to that by erasing his memory of meeting her. And now here they were again. Except that Michael didn’t remember her even if she remembered every moment they’d shared together. She struggled to maintain her composure as she managed a weak smile. “Hello, I’m here from Maid for Love.”

An uncomfortably long moment passed before Michael stepped back. “Come in.”

Half a dozen thoughts tumbled around in Zoe’s mind as she stepped into the hallway. Chief among them was that she was going to kill her mother for setting her up like this. Parent or not, she was so fired. Zoe’s eyes quickly took in the modern décor. The chrome fixtures, silver and gray color scheme, and sleek lines were classic Michael. The mess was not. She took her time staring anywhere but into her ex-boyfriend’s eyes. She needed to remember that he didn’t remember her. To him, she was a stranger. When he turned around, she held out her hand. “I’m Zoe Watson.”

With only a moment’s hesitation, he took her hand in his. “Hello, Zoe.”

She swallowed hard and looked away. His warm brown eyes had lost none of their appeal. How it was possible she didn’t know, but he was even more handsome than she remembered. And he’d been plenty handsome to start with. “If you’ll just excuse me for a second, I’ve got to run out to my car. I’ve forgotten something.” Not waiting for a response, she turned and virtually fled out the front door. Once she reached the safety of her front seat, she grabbed her cell phone and punched in her mother’s number. After four rings her mother finally picked up.

“Hello, darling.”

“Mother,” Zoe practically hissed, “I think you know why I’m calling.”

“To thank me? There’s no need. It’s all in a day’s work.”

Zoe closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath. “I’m glad you’re enjoying this so much but I don’t appreciate being set-up.” She opened her eyes and glanced back up at Michael’s front door. “Do you have nothing better to do with your time than play games with my life?”

Her mother laughed. “Zoe, darling, do you know how many widowers there are in the state of Florida? Trust me, I have plenty to do. FYI, I am not playing games, I simply booked a client.”

“Who happens to be my ex-boyfriend.”

“Ah, the one you let get away.”

Zoe was getting nowhere. Why had she even bothered to call? The professional thing to do would be to get back to the house but she was feeling anything but professional. She hadn’t seen Michael in a year. Plenty had changed. He’d moved to a new house, she’d started Maid for Love. He’d forgotten her, and she’d not forgotten a single moment they’d spent together. Suddenly, and for the first time ever, she wished she had the power to erase her memories of him.

Her mother’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Zoe, are you still there?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Sweetheart, I swear I didn’t initiate contact with your Michael. He called in to inquire about our services without a clue that you owned Maid for Love. He just needs his house cleaned.”

And Zoe just needed her heart to be safe and protected, not broken all over again. “I don’t think I can do it.”

“Zoe, love, he doesn’t know who you are anymore. You erased all of his memories of you and your time together.” Her mother’s voice was full of sympathy. “That’s how powerful your gift is.”

"Gift? It feels more like a curse."

“Think of it this was way, you're now free to be around Michael without worrying about all the things you used to worry about. Remember? You felt as if your life was spinning out of control when you were dating? I tried to tell you that what you were feeling was a normal part of being in love.”

“Mother, please. I don’t want to go there.”

“Good, because you’ve erased any chance of that ever happening.”

As much as it pained her to hear it, she knew her mother was right. It’s what she’d wanted and it’s what she’d got. It was time to deal with it. Like it or not.

“Where are you now?” her mother asked.

“I’m sitting in my car. Outside of Michael’s house.”

“Oh, honestly, Zoe. Do you realize how crazy you must seem to him? Get back in there and act like the professional you are.”

Zoe glanced back up at the house. Her mother was right. Michael Archer was no longer a man who was in love with her. He was a man who needed his house cleaned. “I will.” She got out of the car and made her way back up the pathway to the front door. “I’m sorry I accused you of setting this up.”

“It’s okay, darling. You know, in all truth, if I thought it would have worked, I would have tried to get you two back together. You were so good together. I think Michael was the one.”

Was. As in past tense. As in never going to happen again. Zoe said goodbye to her mother, tucked her cell phone into her pocket, and knocked on Michael's front door. She could do this. She would just march right back in there and act like the stranger to him that she was.

When the door swung open again, Zoe had her game face on. “I apologize, Mr. Archer. I had an emergency back at the office I had to handle.”

He didn’t answer right away, he simply watched her for a long moment. Zoe forced herself not to look away. She could play it cool. Even if it killed her. “May I come in?”

“Of course,” he stood back and ushered her in. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, thank you, I just had to handle something.” Relief washed over her as she stepped into the entryway. She was going to make this the world’s shortest initial visit ever. “Why don’t we start in the living room?”

Without waiting for an answer, she headed into what she assumed was the living room. There she was greeted by a staggering amount of clutter and the curious stares of two teenagers. “Hello.”

“Hey,” the boy said.

“Hey,” the girl echoed.

“C’mon guys, you can do better than that.” Michael’s voice came from behind Zoe. Not that he needed to have said anything for her to know how close he was. Every nerve in her body was on high alert.

“It’s okay, I recognize teenage speak,” she said without turning around. “Years ago, I used to be fluent.” This earned her a giggle from the girl and a good natured smirk from the boy. Zoe couldn’t have been more grateful for their presence. They made the perfect buffer. “I’m Zoe.”

“This is my niece, Kathryn, and that’s my nephew, Josh.”

Kathryn waved her hand in greeting. “You’re the new housekeeper?”

“Not exactly,” Zoe said. Anxious for an excuse to move away from Michael, she walked over to the sofa where the two teens sat. “I’m the owner and I conduct the initial consultation. After I see how much has to be done, I schedule a crew to come out.” She left out the part about the return visit she always made to determine which painful memory to eliminate. There was no need for that part of the service on this job. It was more than obvious that Michael Archer had no recollection of her. At all.

“Actually, that’s going to be a problem.”

“Why is that, Mr. Archer?” She ran a finger lightly over a bookshelf, not because it looked particularly dusty, but because she needed an excuse to avoid looking at him.

“Call me Michael.”

His voice was deep and warm, she remembered the way it had made her feel safe and secure when she was with him. She waited for him to speak but when he said nothing, Zoe had no choice but to turn around.  “Why will that be a problem?”

“I’m not entirely comfortable with having someone in my home when the kids are here and I’m not. Someone that I don’t know, I mean.”

Zoe’s breath caught in her throat. She forced herself to meet his eyes. “You don’t know me.”

To Zoe, it felt like a lifetime passed in the minute he took to answer.

“I have a sense about people,” he finally said. “And I want you. I mean, I want you to be the one here in our home.”

To her absolute shock, Zoe found herself nodding. “I think I can make that work.”

He smiled.

She panicked. What in the name of heaven had she just agreed to? She had to get out of the room. She turned to his niece. “Kathryn, do you think you could show me around?”

During the tour of the house, Zoe figured out two things in short order. One, she could think far more clearly when Michael wasn’t in the same room with her. Two, she could easily take on this job. The house, underneath the clutter and mess that only two teens could make, was actually very clean. So she’d be able to get in and out in record time and collect the generous fee that her mother had charged Michael. All she had to do was schedule a time to come and tidy up when he was at work.

She found Michael sitting in the living room with his nephew. She paused in the doorway, her eyes greedily drinking in his profile. She’d missed him. No question about that. But she hadn’t realized just how much.

He turned and looked directly at her.

Zoe felt her face flush.

“So what do you think?”

What could she say? I think I’m an idiot for letting you go. But wait, maybe I’m a genius for saving myself from a lifetime of feeling out of control, head over heels in love with you. Instead she sighed.

“That bad, huh?”

She shook her head. “No. I can do this.”

He smiled. “Good.”

“I’ll start tomorrow,” she said. “What time do you leave for work?”

“Eight.”

Great. She’d show up after nine when he would be safely gone. “That works.” She waved goodbye to Kathryn and Josh. “It was nice to meet you both.”