Clumsy

[LadyHarpy]

Marie sat in the hall for the longest time, looking as if she was waiting for a doctor to tell her she had cancer. She didn't want to be there at all but she had no choice. After all, You don't want to piss off the mafia...but apparently she somehow pulled that off too.

She didn't remember much of the incident that the man called her here about but then again she was also trying to forget about it. It was the reason she was jobless and on the verge of getting kicked out of her apartment. She had been working as a waitress at once of the most famous cafe's in the city, she was clumsy on occasion but most days she did fine. However, it seemed that the day she was one a clumsy streak was also the day the manager was having a very important guest coming in for lunch. She had been working the drink area for the day and when the guest came in she had been asked to bring out the french brew coffee...

And the owner didn't even sell french brew on the menu.

This guest must have been important, and after figuring out how to even make the damned coffee, she made her way out onto the dinning room floor. The next moments were a terrible blur but she knew the basics. As she approached the table another waitress smacked her on her way past the table. The last coffee cup on her try flew, the one meant for the owner, and splattered all over the guests suit coat and pants. The other four men who seemed to have also been in the group, and all in less fancy suits, seemed to freeze with concern, though for who she did not know.

From there the owner quickly started to apologize for her clumsiness, seeing her a glare so deadly that she was certain she'd be beaten if that was still allowed. Marie eventually got her voice back after having been sent to gather any cloth possible to clean him up and offered to pick up the dry cleaning tab personally.

Luckily, or sadly in her eyes, the owner had her nearly dragged away before she could get an answer out of him. That was the last time she saw him, only to lose her job that night and get kicked out quite literally on her behind, she was only given the name of the man whom she wronged somehow in a small prayer from a coworker who mumbled something along the lines that she die peacefully. With only a loud warning to return her uniform after it was washed, she had no choice but to walk all the way home. That was two weeks ago.

Now here she was, in that man's damned house after being picked up on the street by some of his lackeys. They had not forced her to go, but basically said that if she didn't go now, he'd come find her personally...And she didn't need to have that ruining her job search. So she went, not knowing what would come of her in the end...accept that whatever happened, she would probably being owing him somehow.

 

[Layne]

A squat man, a few inches shy of six feet tall, sat in a chair. It wasn't really as much sitting as it was quaking in his pants, but the one observing him was inclined to be generous today. The man was disgustingly overweight, losing his hair, and wore thick glasses. It was no wonder that his blonde bombshell wife had broken his business down and run off with the doctor next door. That was what had brought the miserable waste of flesh running here two years ago, and now the pile of shit was back - this time pleading for his life. It was all a very sad story, of course. Lost the money - a tidy little lie if one didn't know he had spent it all on off-track betting.

Damon Ricardo was on the opposite side of a massive black desk from the quivering man, leaning back in an elegant, gothic-style chair that suited him like a glove. His piercing blue eyes never once left the pleading brown ones of poor Phil, even as he withrew a small box from his drawer and pulled out a cigar. Cutting the end with a practiced ease, he drew out a match and paused for a moment to look down at the cigar with the beginnings of a smirk.

"Let me see if I understand the situation in its entirety, Phil. You lost my money, are unable to pay any of it back, have not even a piece of candy to show for what happened to it after it left this office.. And you would like.. a refund?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous while amusement glinted deep in his eyes.

Phil wilted under the question. His sweating became more pronounced and he started to stutter, flushing to a deep red and evidently holding back tears. Bored, Damon gestured to him and a bodyguard materialized out of the shadows at the back of the room to 'escort' Phil out of the office and dump him unceremoniously on the floor beside the waiting girl. The guard paused long enough to gesture the girl inside, then stepped back and vanished again.

The office was massive, holding several bookshelves along the walls and a large window that was currently covered behind the desk. All of the furnishings were dark and hand carved, but not in a particularly evil way. It was actually fairly light in the room, from a few well-placed lamps. Everything was precisely where Damon wanted it.

What Damon wanted, he got - and what he wanted now was walking in through the doorway of his office.

Striking the match in his fingers, he lit his cigar nonchalantly to give her time to look around as any normal person undoubtedly would. The chair across from his desk had already been switched out - from an uncomfortable straight thing to a cushy one that would be more pleasing for her to sit on. Damon was actually quite the gentleman, or so he liked to think. Nodding to her, he gestured to the seat without rising up himself. Handshaking was unnecessary and his bodyguards tended to get antsy.

"Please, have a seat," he invited, a faint tone of an underlying meaning coating his words as always. One of his lovers had complained about it once to him, saying that she never knew what he meant and he always seemed sarcastic. He had responded appropriately, of course, and thrown her out on the street naked.

"I must thank you for taking the time to come see me today. I know it must be terribly inconvenient to get time off from work just for a trip uptown," he added, knowing full well that she hadn't really had a choice in coming here.

Few did.

 

[LadyHarpy]

Marie jumped in her seat as the door opened, a stout man being tossed out of the door right next to her and making harsh contact with the floor. She would have helped him up if it weren't for the large body guard that was motioning to her to step inside, he had also been the one to throw him out and she wasn't about to upset his work at risk of her own life. Stepping over the still sprawled out man, she entered the office and slowly looked around. It was impressive to say the least, certainly fit the situation perfectly. It was like a seen from any classic mob movie...

Sadly this was real and she was no actress.

When he spoke, she finally looked to him and then to the mentioned chair, moving to it quickly and having a seat. She set her small jacket and purse on the floor as she seemed to get nervous, her hands folded in her lap and twisting over each other as she looked up at him. She wasn't up to learning what this man had planned for her, after all. She was polite though nonetheless, maybe if she was lucky that would put things in her favor.

"It was no trouble at all...I wasn't working so I was completely available." She said softly at first before she looked down at her lap a second.

If only that was the case. She was still jobless and now was on the verge of losing her apartment. Things had hardly been bright at the moment and she didn't need any interruptions in her search...But she wasn't about to say that out loud to someone such as him...

 

[Layne]

Taking in how obviously nervous the girl was, Damon allowed himself a small smile. It was refreshing to know that there were still people in this city who could be intimidated by an old-fashioned show of power even before they knew who he was and what he could do. Most of the fear he got now was earned, not assumed. A cold respect that he thoroughly enjoyed. With this woman, however, he had a sneaking suspicion that she didn't even know his name. If she did, she was doing a rather good job at not begging forgiveness for the silly coffee accident.


"Oh, I know you weren't working. The man who fired you from your job for spilling coffee is actually an employee of mine. He no longer holds his position and has left the city. I do not tolerate my employees not doing my bidding, you understand," he said, leaning back in his chair and taking a slow draw off of the cigar before speaking again.


"Almost everybody in this city works for me. I will guess that you already knew that, to some degree. I know that there are rumors going around that I'm affiliated with some big group of scary people that go around killing people and getting rich, but I can assure you that is not true. Such a group doesn't exist - just watch the History channel and they will tell you so." He paused here and flashed her a dimpled grin.


"In short, I called you here not to demand payment for anything or to scold you for somebody else running into you. Your boss is gone and you are free to go request your job back. However.. I would also like to offer you a job directly. The pay is considerably more than you would make in the diner and the benefits are exquisite."


He paused here to gaze at her, gauge her reaction and judge if she was too nervous to comprehend what he told her.

 

[LadyHarpy]

Marie blinked a bit as he spoke, listening intently just in case he decided to start demanding that she recite things. However, instead he told her about how her old boss had been fired and that he had some something wrong. She also learned that he had worked for the man currently sitting in front of her. Confused and uncertain, she continued to listen, only in hopes that he might start making sense. How could the whole city be working for him? He stopped though and continued on about how he wasn't going to demand payment or yell at her about the incident, he even said she could return to her old place of work to get her job back.

It was enough to make her scream for joy, but before she could even smile he mentioned that he had a job offer for her. Blinking and rather confused, she looked at him at the eye. She wasn't nervous anymore, mostly because his intentions were not to hurt her in anyway, though she still was cautious about him. What kind of job would he have for her? She certainly couldn't do anything that could significantly effect his life, could she? Still, if he did have something in mind for her, then maybe it would be worth a shot. After all, if he said the pay was better than her old job she wasn't about to just turn her nose up at it.

"A Job?...What kind of job?" She asked simply as she looked him in the eye, though it seemed she was getting a little nervous again as she did that. He did have a pretty strong gaze after all.

 

[Layne]

She was cautious. Good. She had every right to be. It displayed the fact that she wasn't another mindless idiot, though he had suspected such already.


"It's very simple, really. I've had a string of bad luck in keeping my records straight. Account numbers, phone numbers, files, things like that. My secretary is a complete idiot and can't manage them, but she's excellent at answering the phone and appearing cheerful so I don't want to fire her yet. I would like you to be sort of a.. bookkeeper, if you will. All that I would require is you coming in here twice a week to sort out whatever has accumulated from your last visit. I can't imagine it would take more than an hour each time, once the initial sorting is done. The rest of your time is paid time off," he explained, the last sentence dismissive as though he didn't care what she did.


He watched her, taking in details as he absently flicked ashes from his cigar into a waiting silver tray. Right now he was too focused on her to really pay attention to smoking it, but the scent of it was relaxing so he didn't bother putting it out. Sitting up a little in his chair, he adjusted his silk tie and cocked an eyebrow at her.


"Well?"

 

[LadyHarpy]

The job offer was hard to turn away from, it was basically a dream come true. Only having to come in twice a week to organize papers and then get paid to hang out with her friends or just sit around. It was a pretty sweet deal, there must have been some kind of catch that was involved with it. Sitting up a bit straighter she nodded her head a bit. She'd be an idiot to turn down an offer like that, especially when all she had to turn to was a job as an underpaid drink server.

"I'll accept...It's better than working at a cafe. I do have one question though...Why me?" She asked softly.

Could she be blamed for her curiosity? She had spilled coffee on him in public, easily ruined a five hundred dollar silk suit and had no noticeable hand eye coordination. How could that possibly make him want her to hand private and important documents? Still though, she was not going to question him, if he wanted to give her money then she would do her best...hopefully.

 

[Layne]

Damon pulled open the second drawer down on the right side of his desk after carefully setting the ash-end of his cigar in the tray. Rummaging around for a few moments and rustling papers, he withdrew a few forms and a pen. He signed the bottoms of all of them, then spun them around so that she could sign as well on the lines below his.


"Hm?" he asked, looking up curiously as Marie said she had a question. When she did ask, his lips twitched with the beginnings of a smile. A valid question, and one that he had zero intentions of answering. His eyes darkened and he shook his head just slightly.


"Lukas," he said simply, making a bodyguard appear at the end of the desk out of nowhere. The guard held out his hand and Damon took a set of keys, setting them on top of the closest paper.


"The largest one is for your company vehicle. Feel free to use it for personal time as well. There is a gas card with no limit in the glove compartment. The smaller key is for your new apartment. I like my employees close by in the city. Movers have been arranged and will assist you when you wish to call them. Lukas will lead you to your car and you may follow him to your apartment if you wish to see it today. Otherwise, there is an address in the car, along with the phone number for the movers," he said, his tone brooking absolutely no space for argument.


He wanted control, and he got it. Always.


"Have a good day, Marie."

 

[LadyHarpy]

Marie could only watch as he pulled some papers out of his desk and set them in front of her. She looked down at his signature for a moment curiously, string to read the find print until he suddenly called out another name. Jumping at the sight of a guard appearing form the shadows of the room, she watched as he handed a set of keys to Damon. She looked down at them as he placed them on the papers and listened to what they were.

Wait...she was getting a car? An apartment? What in the...She really did make a good choice! Free movers two, it was like a move where she traded her soul for everything in the world!...okay, that was a bad analogy, no mater how possibly good it worked at the moment. She tried to find words to say, but found that she could only just open her mouth in silence. Giving a small 'hmmp' of defeat, she just took the keys in one hand and the pen in the other, hesitating only a second before filling her signature in every required space.

With that done, she looked up at him, his simple and quick goodbye more or less hinting that it was probably time she got on her way. reaching for her coat and purse before standing.

"Um...Thanks...A lot, um...Is there a certain time you want me in...for the first day?" She asked, figuring it wouldn't hurt to know when she was suppose to show up. After all, she figured maybe it would be best to make a good impression.

 

[Layne]

Damon took the papers after she had signed them and looked them over, making sure that she didn't miss any before he tucked them away back in the drawer and slid it closed. Picking up his cigar, he took a short draw and blew out a small smoke circle off to the side. He had already noted her surprise and gratitude, there was nothing else to say. That is, until she managed to stutter out another question. He looked back at her with an indulgent smile.


"Hm.. Let's see," he mused, glancing at the small calendar on his desk. "Today is Thursday. Weekends are for partying, not moving or getting real work done. I shall expect you here on Tuesday, around 10am?" he suggested, looking back up at her with a bit of a grin.


Lukas stepped forward then and ushered Marie out of the office, then led her down the hallway to an elevator. Pressing a button without looking at her, he completely ignored everything that she said - if she said anything to him. Once the doors opened, he stepped in and waited for her, then pressed the button for the basement. As they arrived and stepped out, he led her over to a shining black 2013 BMW M5.


"Will you be following me to your apartment or are you going back to your old place instead?" he asked, his tone bored.

 

[LadyHarpy]

"Alright..." She said, returning his smile shyly and nodding her head a bit.

Marie let him lead her out of the office, expecting him to say goodbye there only to to have him lead her down the hall instead. Blinking a bit, she stayed silent as she watched him pause in front of an elevator that she didn't even know existed, it blended so well. It was awkward, standing next to someone who could probably have someone kill her and never even blink an eye about it. Thankfully the doors opened soon and they stepped inside.

The trip down was also quite, though she was more focused on the curiosity that she was feeling. Why were they heading to the basement? Stepping out of the elevator and into a car garage was more than enough to calm her worries but the fact that he paused in front of a beautiful BMW M5 made her mouth drop open. Unintentionally ignoring his question, she approached the car and reached out to touch it gently, almost as if she didn't believe that it was real.

Only then did she remember that he did actually talk to her and turned to him with a small blush on her cheeks, embarrassed as she had gotten so distracted by the car.

"Ah...um, I'll follow you...to the apartment." She said, wondering what the apartment would be like if the car was like this.

 

[Layne]

Lukas cocked an eyebrow as she said that she would follow him, giving her a slight nod before leaving her there and strolling over to his own car. His was a custom Escalade, pure black of course. Tinted windows, bulletproof glass, shining chrome accents. The works. If she thought this was impressive, she was going to faint when she saw Damon's personal ride.


"Damon. Yes. Apartment. Yes," he said into his cell, then flicked it off and tossed it into his pocket. "Come on," he called over to her, climbing in his car and starting it up. When she looked ready, he started driving out of the building and down the street.


He parked along the side of the street and got out once she had pulled up behind him, then strolled to her car and tapped on the window to get her to roll it down.


"There is a parking garage beneath the building. There's a guard who will let you into the garage when you provide your name. Take the elevator to the top floor. Yours is the only suite up there. The key will allow the elevator to take you there - the doors open up right into your apartment," he informed her, pointing to the garage entrance. Giving her a nod, he turned and left.

Apartment

 

[LadyHarpy]

Marie barely caught the nod as she looked back to her brand new BMW, her hands touching it lightly as she peaked inside of it through a window. It didn't feel like her's yet, it was almost as if it was still on the lot. Be she had the key clutched in her fist. She only came out of her awe when he called to her, making her move over to the diver side of the car and unlock it slowly. Slipping inside, it felt like heaven blessed her in that moment. However, as he started to move in his own car, a rather lovely car on it's own, she started to move after him.

Pulling up the to apartment was another awe filled moment, she was very certain this was one of the most expensive apartments in the city. And she was going to be living there? She started as she was pulled from her staring by his tapping on her window. Rolling down the window she listened to him and looked in the direction his pointed, taking in his instruction. As he nodded and turned away, she was still a little stunned before she stuck her head out the window and yelled at him.

"Thank you!" She called, rather unclassy but very much full of meaning.

With that done she drove her new car towards the garage, making her way slowly towards her new home.

 

[Layne]

Damon looked up as Lukas strolled back into his office and gave a nod. So, Marie was delivered safe and sound to her new apartment. Good. The building that he had selected for her was one that he owned, of course, and he knew that security was top of the line. There had never been a successful break-in, and discreet guards around the outside made stalking any of the residents nearly impossible. Several of his high-ranking employees had lived there at one time or another. Of course, he owned several such buildings all over the city. He hoped Marie enjoyed the view.


"Dismissed, Lukas," Damon said shortly, waving the guard away as he stood and looked at his watch. Just before noon. Perfect. He had time to meet his lunch partner.


He strolled out of the office, tailed by two other bodyguards and met by another at the front door of the building. They went to a black Escalade - not Lukas', of course. There was a whole fleet of them. Leaning back with the newspaper of the day, Damon scanned the headlines boredly until they got to his destination. It was a quaint little cafe, with the one perk of being so out of the way that most people were unaware that it even existed.


"Two hours," he said to the driver as he got out, straightening his tie as he went to meet yet another employee.

 

[LadyHarpy]

Marie found herself bouncing with excitement in the elevator, it all private at the moment as when she shuffled around with the house keep at the front desk the clerk made sure to save an elevator just for her use. It was very flattering, if she was being treated so well she could only imagine how someone like her new boss was treated. The elevator gave the classic 'ding' and the doors opened, her eyes going wide as she was greeted by the apartment. For a moment she was stunned and the doors almost closed on her, thankfully she was able to hop out before that happened.

Gripping onto the keys in her fist tightly she wandered around the furnished apartment. She wondered if she was going to be able to keep the furniture with the apartment, she barely had enough furniture to fill the main room! The whole place was lush and golden, dark expensive leather and wood. The paintings were also original and she was very certain that some of the furniture was even custom.

She started to wandered, checking out the kitchen and bathroom before pausing in her bedroom...It was all just to much. Why would he give her all of this just to organize papers? She wasn't about to turn it all away but it did raise a lot of questions. She wouldn't bother him about now though, he had better things to do and she was still pretty bad off in the money apartment...She'd ask after she got her first paycheck, maybe this wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She bet that she'd get a small check and he'd say it was because he was covering a lot of living expenses already. Yeah...that sounded right.

Looking back over her shoulder towards the actual room, she reached into her purse only to pull out her cell phone. She knew that she had movers available but she had other plans to make before she called them. Holding the phone to her ear she was silent as she waited for an answer, only to smile as she got it.

"Linda...Yeah, it's me...Look...Think you can spend the weekend with me? I know it's last minute but...You really just need to see this for yourself."

 

[Layne]

"Scarlette. Always a pleasure," Damon said as he approached the table. A tall woman with curves in all the right places stood, her smile brilliant and her eyes a sparkling green. She had deep brown curls to her waist and a tight red dress that went to the floor but had a slit to the hip and plunged deep up top to show off her perfect breasts. In short, she was a fantasy, and one that Damon had already explored thoroughly. Unfortunately, she was also a spoiled rotten brat and prone to whining, along with a bore in bed.


"Hello, Damon. I've missed you," she purred, slinking over to him to wrap him in a hug. He stopped her by holding up his hand and shaking his head, then taking his seat. She pouted and took the seat next to him, her smile gone and replaced by a scowl. "What's this? All work and no play?" she demanded.


"Scarlette, my dear, there has long been no play between us. I assume you're here on behalf of your father," he said coldly, waving the waiter away. He had no plans of eating with this woman - she'd likely poison the food at this point with the way she was glaring at him.


"Is it another woman?" she demanded, utterly ignoring his question.


"Most definitely," he assured her, though he was not currently sleeping with anybody. "Now, why are you here?"


"I don't have to tell you anything!" she exclaimed, moving to stand up. In an instant, he had pushed her back into her chair and gripped the armrests tightly to prevent her escaping, his body looming over hers as his eyes pierced into hers.


"I am not a patient man, Scarlette," he murmured lowly, not budging a single inch until she handed him an envelope. Just like that, he straightened up and adjusted his tie, then strolled out to leave her gasping in her chair, too stunned to move.

 

[LadyHarpy]

Marie found herself laying on the floor on her new apartment, yes, laying on it. The carpet was so comfortable, though she had a feeling her new bed was probably a cloud of wonderful. Still, she didn't move, just laying there and staring up at the ceiling in thought. Her friend made plans to visit her that weekend and she did give the movers a call to arrange packing and moving to be done the next day. She wasn't sure where she was going to put all of her own furniture but figured that the manager of the apartments had some type of solution for her...She'd have to make sure to ask before she left.

Sitting up, her stomach growled a bit. She was hungry in the worst way. Getting off the floor finally, it now dark as night outside, she peaked into the kitchen and checked the fridge. As she thought, empty. Well, it seemed that not everything was provided but that was alright, meant she could stalk up on her favorites then...Whenever she had the time to shop for food seriously. Heading back over to the elevator door she pushed the only button there with the intent to leave for her old apartment.

She had so much on her mind now, and she also had to find a safe place to park her new car for the night as well. Jingling the keys in her hand for a moment she stepped into the elevator and smiled a little to herself, things were definitely going to be better, she could just feel it. With that done she made her way down to the main floor, only pausing in the lobby to see about any storage options.

 

[Layne]

Damon leaned back against the smooth leather seat of the Escalade and flipped open the envelope. A wad of cash fell out, along with a key. Smirking to himself, he tucked both into the inside pocket of his jacket, not bothering to count it. It would be five grand on the dot and he knew it. Pocket change, really. Watching the buildings go by, he pulled out his cell and dialed the security office of the building that Marie was in to confirm she had arrived safely. Satisfied, he hung up and relaxed.


The man standing behind the desk in the lobby was in fact another bodyguard, but he was dressed in a plain suit that made him look like a businessman. In addition, he was smiling - something that Damon's personal guards never did. As Marie approached, he gave her a pleasant smile and nodded.


"Good evening, miss. Is the suite to your liking?" he asked politely, his tone kind.


Meanwhile, an elderly woman walked in to the lobby and got the attention of the woman standing behind the desk next to the man. She had a grandmotherly appearance and didn't hesitate to smile, the wrinkles on her cheeks betraying that she did so often.


"Hello, I'm the new housekeeper for your penthouse resident. I've got my key right here but I was wondering if she had arrived yet so that I could set up a schedule with her."

 

[LadyHarpy]

Marie smiled up at the man behind the desk, nodding her own head quickly.

"Yes, It's lovely. I was just wondering...Since the suite is already furnished and all, I noticed that none of my own personal furniture is gonna fit. I mean, I like the furniture that is there but I don't want to get rid of what I already own. So, by chance is there a place that I can store furniture and the like while I'm here? Like maybe you have the number of a storage company?" She asked as she leaned into the desk, keys still jingling in her hand as she waited for his reply.

However, as she was waiting for the man behind the desk, she couldn't help but hear the old woman speaking to the lady next to him. It was her she was speaking of, making her feel a little uncertain. She now had a maid? Wow, never thought she'd see the day where that happened. She found herself hesitant to interrupt but she was also certain that the woman was just going to point to her anyway.

"Um excuse me..." She started to say to the older woman, waiting until she was acknowledged. "I don't mean to be rude but I happened to over hear your question and well I suppose I want to save you the trouble of going up to my apartment when I'm right here..." She said kindly.

 

[Layne]

The man behind the desk listened closely to the issue at hand and nodded. Of course, it was an issue that had been anticipated. He rummaged around the papers on his desk, then wrote down the name of a storage company and their phone number in his precise handwriting. Beneath the number he wrote Rory Daniels, the name of the man who already had dealt with a number of residents. He'd set her up with a fair deal and probably help her move everything too as long as he wasn't busy.


"Here you go," he said, setting the paper atop the desk as the woman turned to Marie in surprise. Realizing this was her new client, she smiled and nodded.


"Why, hello dear! A pleasure to meet you. I'm Mrs. Swanson. Mr. Ricardo called me and hired me to be your housekeeper. I'm not a daily maid, mind, but I do offer a number of services," she said, pulling a paper from her bag and handing it to Marie. "Now, I'm being paid to come once a week. What day would be best for you, dear?" she asked kindly.


The paper that she had handed Marie was a list of services that would be provided under the hire. It included dry cleaning, full laundry services including folding and hanging, grocery shopping, bank errands, clothing shopping, dusting, washing floors, washing windows, vacuuming, and 'other'.