Housekeeping Novels & Stories

He just walked out of the kitchen, and we literally hadn't spoken to each other since. Our house, which anal-retentive Josh usually keeps spotlessly clean, is filthy. Dishes are no longer being washed and nothing is being put away. Everything is coming apart, and I am heartbroken. I need to move out now, even though it's still a few months till college, it is just too fucked up here.

“Call me if you need backup, yeah? Real backup. Not just cleaning.” I gave him a tight smile. “Will do.” The elevator swallowed him, and the penthouse fell silent except for the wind whistling through the open doors. I pulled out my phone and scrolled to the contact labeled simply “Housekeeping.” She answered on the second ring, her voice warm with that faint Puerto Rican accent. “Mr. Noah?” “Yeah, listen, I need you up here tomorrow morning—early, like eight. The place got… disorganized. I’ve handled the important stuff, but the rest needs a deep clean.”

“But that doesn’t mean they don’t have to look perfect.” The room inside is bigger than my entire apartment. King-sized bed. Velvet curtains. Marble bathroom. For guests. People who probably stay here for a weekend and then forget the place exists. I set my bag down carefully. Marta hands me a small notebook. “What’s this?” “Inventory log,” she says. “Rich people love lists.” I flip through it. Everything is cataloged. Sheets changed. Towels replaced. Dusting schedule. “Are they really that particular?” I asked.

He piles the bedding by the washing machine along with everything else. Ash was gathering everything she could have touched and washing it. Binning a few items that would be easier to replace. Kai grabs a multi surface cleanser and several cloths and starts making his way around their home. The sooner this is done, the better. A few minutes later Charlie and Serena come up, Ash lets them in and backs away from the door without a word to continue cleaning.

Jesse was breathless, mostly from climbing the steep steps up six floors, but another probable reason might be from wild anticipation. "It's kind of messy," K uttered apologetically, switching the lights on. "My roommate's really not into cleaning most of her shit up. She's gone for the weekend, by the way." She explained, kicking some unpacked U-haul boxes that were blocking the entryway. "Okay," Jesse breathed, closing and locking the deadbolts on the door behind him.

Instead, I asked, "Why is there a men's disposable underwear in the guest bathroom?" Hazel was stunned. Panic rose in her eyes. "About that… I-I don't know either. Let me… Let me ask Kelly tomorrow if she was the one who accidentally threw it there." Kelly Hill was our housekeeper. "Kelly's already 60 years old. Why would she have men's disposable underwear on her?" I countered. "I…" Hazel got up from my lap in a fluster, wanting to explain herself, but she just couldn't think of a suitable excuse for it.

She allowed him to carry it downstairs. Mercy waited in the entrance hall beside the butler. The housekeeper had supervised departures for business trips, holidays, funerals, and family events for more than a decade. Today her hands were clasped too tightly at her waist. “Your room will be kept ready, Mrs Kensington,” she said. “If you require anything from the manor, you need only call.” Romy looked toward the staircase. The suite above still held clothes she had not packed and the faint peony scent left from the bath Mercy had prepared on Friday. It also held three years of waiting that could not be made useful by keeping the bed made.

"Nope, across different countries." "You really do have money." I gave a shoulder shrug as a response as I go to open the entrance door. "You've got housekeepers here as well judging from how clean this place looks." "Yeah, Mrs Potts. She comes every week to keep the house in good shape. This is my third time here." "We've got food?" "The kitchen is stocked, babe. Sent her funds to get enough food stuffs for the rest of our stay here." "That's fine. Can't remember the last time I did some real cooking. Hope you're ready to know what great cooking tastes like."

It was all perfe‌c‍t, and i‍t m⁠ade her⁠ skin cra‍wl. "Your belongi⁠ngs have been placed‌ in the closet and th‍e sitting room," Kaelan s‌aid fr⁠o‍m t⁠he doorway, not enter‌ing her space. "The k‍itchen is stocked. My‌ housekeeper, Mrs. Higgins, comes on Tuesdays and Fridays. Y‍ou'll find the Wi-Fi password‍ and other rele‍v‌ant d‌etails on the tab‌let on the desk." He was reciting a ma‍nual.

“Thank you so much.” “No problem, I hope you can find your way around easily. The apartment has a good electricity supply, thanks to back-up generators so you don’t need to worry about a power outage. Also, a housekeeper comes twice in month to tidy up so the apartment isn’t abandoned or gathers dust. You should be able to sleep here this night without having to do any cleaning.” “All I need is a roof over my head and this is already more than enough.” His phone rang and he informed me it was the boss.