Chapter 3

"The coffee tastes kind of different today, doesn’t it? Did you switch brands or something?"

Nancy’s eyes widened in panic. "No, sir! It’s the same coffee you gave me," she blurted out, her face all tense. She was terrified he’d say it tasted bad.

"Really?" James squinted at her, clearly not buying it.

"Is something wrong, sir?"

"Well, it’s just... this coffee tastes way better than usual. The smell too—way richer. That’s why I thought maybe it’s a different brand."

Nancy let out a huge silent breath, hand over her chest. Oh, thank goodness. For a second there, she thought he hated it. "Phew, you scared me for a second! I thought it turned out terrible!"

James noticed her relief and let a small smile tug at the corners of his lips. "Nah, I’m the one surprised here. Honestly, this is better than what I usually make."

Nancy beamed. "Thank you, sir."

"Alright, go on. Finish up with the cooking."

"Yes, sir. Excuse me."

James watched her walk away, her figure disappearing into the kitchen. He muttered in his head, Honestly, Elisha never makes coffee this good.

He shook his head with a soft chuckle. "Man... I guess I forgot how good hers used to taste."

*

"Hey, babe."

James looked up from his ever-present laptop, glanced at his watch, then at the woman who just walked in like it wasn’t nearly 11 PM.

"You’re not asleep yet? Were you waiting for me?" Elisha asked, draping her arms over his solid shoulders from behind.

"Mm-hmm. Yeah," he replied casually.

"Oh right! So... has the new maid arrived yet?"

"Yeah, she’s here."

"Did you interview her or anything?"

"Kind of. Just asked her basic info. Didn’t ask too much."

Elisha gave a slight nod. "Where is she now?"

"Probably asleep by now. It’s almost midnight."

Still dressed in her chic office blouse and half-skirt, Elisha pouted. She had planned to give the new maid a little pep talk, but it was too late now. No use fussing about it. "Alright, babe, I’m heading to the shower. It’s way too hot."

"Okay, go ahead—don’t take forever!"

*

It was nearly midnight when James finally shut his laptop. He was done for the day and ready to hit the bed. But when he stepped into the bedroom and saw Elisha lying there in her silky nightgown, looking all peaceful and tempting, something stirred in him.

He crept over, slid his arms around her waist from behind, and kissed her cheek softly.

"Sha…" he whispered, trying to rouse her. "Sha, wake up. I’m kind of in the mood…"

"Tomorrow, babe... I’m really tired," she mumbled, brushing his hand off her shoulder, barely keeping her eyes open.

"Come on, just one round," he whispered playfully, hoping she’d give in.

But instead of moans, all he got was—Zzz…

James let out a dramatic sigh and rubbed his face in frustration.

Seriously? He was left lying there, frustrated and hard, while his wife snored like a baby. They barely got time for intimacy, and now that he was finally up for it—she totally ghosted him in her sleep.

It seemed tonight would be a torturing night.

*

By 5 AM sharp, Elisha stirred. She stretched and blinked at the ceiling, her muscles still a bit sore from yesterday.

Then she glanced at James and suddenly remembered turning him down last night.

Guilt crept over her like a heavy blanket. "Poor guy. I totally left him hanging," she thought.

"Sorry, babe. About last night… I rejected you," she murmured, running her fingers through his thick hair before kissing his forehead gently. "I was just so tired. I hope you understand."

But there was no time to mope around. She had a morning meeting and needed to get ready.

After a shower and getting all dolled up—makeup, crisp outfit, hair pinned back neatly—she stepped out of the bedroom to wake up her daughter.

"Bettt… Time to wak—" she stopped mid-sentence, eyes catching the unfamiliar young woman braiding her daughter’s hair. "Who are you?"

The girl stood up politely, her posture respectful. "Good morning, ma’am I’m Nancy."

"Nancy? Ohhh…" Elisha blinked, realization dawning. Right. The new maid started today.

"Sorry, I forgot. Thought you were someone else."

Nancy gave her a soft smile. "It’s okay, ma’am. It’s our first time meeting after all."

Elisha nodded and turned her attention to her daughter. "Morning, Betty."

"Morning, Mama," the girl mumbled with a cheerful face. "Look, Nancy braided my hair. Isn’t it pretty?"

Elisha smiled, warmth blooming in her chest. "Wow… my little girl’s getting prettier every day."

Betty grinned ear to ear, loving the praise.

"Oh, Mommy needs to talk to Miss Nancy for a bit, okay?" The girl nodded and skipped off.

As soon as Betty left, Nancy approached her quietly.

"Listen, Nancy," Elisha began, "you don’t have too much on your plate here. Just handle the cooking and cleaning. My husband and I will take care of Betty."

Nancy lowered her head respectfully. She was all ears.

"Also, these first three months are kind of like a trial period. I want to see how well you work. If everything goes well, I’ll give you a raise. How’s that sound?"

Nancy smiled gently. "Sounds great, ma’am. It’ll push me to do my best so you’ll want to keep me."

"But you’re still so young. You really wanna do this kind of work?"

"Well, it’s tough out there, ma’am. Jobs aren’t easy to come by. As long as it’s honest work, I’m all in."

Elisha smiled back, genuinely impressed. "That’s a good attitude."

"Alright then, head to the kitchen and make us some breakfast."

"What would you like, ma’am?"

"Just keep it simple. Fried rice. Sunny-side up eggs. Half-cooked for my husband. Well-done for Betty and me," Elisha rattled off her instructions in one breath, then added with a smile, "Let’s hope you feel at home working here."