Page 99 of Hidden Ties

She had made it clear to Ivo, the owner of Foxy’s Maids, that she wouldn’t be cleaning in anything other than the uniform, and she had stuck to it. To Ivo’s credit, he had never pressured her. In fact, he had accepted cleaning assignments just to fill her empty work slots because he knew she desperately needed the money.

After she worked with April for almost a year, Ivo started sending both April and her on lone jobs. Her salary had taken a direct hit, but April shared the tips.

“Sorry, chickadee, Dragon doesn’t want me showing these tits to anyone but him anymore.” Raising her hand, she wiggled her fingers to show off the new flashy diamond on her finger. “Got to admit”—April giggled—“I’m going to miss a few of my clients.”

“Let me guess which ones?” She laughed. “Mr. You Missed A Spot, or Mr. Tidy My Underwear Drawer?”

April snorted in disgust. “Neither of those kinksters. I have clients who just like to watch.” Snapping the locker closed, April gave her a serious look. “I asked Ivo to give you first dibs at them before giving them to anyone else.”

“No, thanks.”

Setting her box on the break table, April gave her a determined look, her hands on her hips. “Keep an opened mind for once. Have you come up with the dough to pay your rent yet?”

“I will,” she stated optimistically.

“How? You going to manufacture money out of thin air? If you lose the apartment, could you even swing enough to pay the deposit on another one?”

Sage didn’t answer her questions, because she didn’t have the answers herself.

“I wish I could help you out more.” April gave her a compassionate smile. “You don’t deserve the crap landing on your plate, but I have my own set of problems, which Dragon is going to take care of for me so I can quit working.”

Sage walked to the table and picked up the clear garment bags. “There is no way I can go into someone’s home wearing the bottom half of a maid’s outfit with a thong on my ass while I clean topless, or wear any of the other outfits they could choose. I can’t.” Setting the garment bag down, she went back to her locker to twist her hair into a top knot.

“You’re the only friend I have here.” Dry-eyed, she stared inside her locker. “My only friend in this whole damn world. I know you have my best interests at heart, but you’re braver and stronger than I am.”

April gave a loud sigh. “You’re stronger than you think you are. You just haven’t reached the point where you’re out of options. The first time I went to clean in one of these getups, I thought I would barf on it and Ivo would make me pay for it. We women do what we have to do to make ends meet. Believe me; having enough money to get away from my ex was worth me flashing my titties to someone who paid for the privilege instead of me having to hand my paycheck over to my abusive husband.”

“I keep hoping I find another solution. If I get past my probation period at Hollingsworth, the pay bump will help.”

April stared at her pityingly. “Unless Glory or one of the girls have an emergency. Then what will you do?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted.

“There is another solution. You just don’t want to consider it.” April gave another sigh when she saw she wasn’t making any headway.

“Listen, these clients Ivo is going to ask you to take care of are my two best clients. Matthias Luciano gives me the biggest tip. Vicky and Stephen Goodwin are my easiest, and they don’t care which fantasy outfit you wear. They’re generous tippers, too.”

Sage bit her lip. April was upfront at how much she made on her jobs.

“I don’t suppose either of them would consider me cleaning their home in my uniform?”

“Afraid not. The Goodwins use it as a way to spice up their marriage without cheating, and, well …” April paused. “Matthias … likes to look, without all the touching.”

Her shoulders slumped. “I don’t even go topless in our apartment walking from the bathroom to my room.”

“I didn’t think I could do it, either, but I did,” April encouraged her again. “You can do it, girl. I have faith in you.”

Sage bit her lip until she could taste blood in her mouth. The time was coming when Glory would no longer be able to continue watching the girls, which was why she was so desperate for the job at Hollingsworth. She was hoping the girls would be in school before that time came, but Glory’s health wasn’t getting better—it was worsening. How could she manage to pay a babysitter when she was barely coming up with the rent?

“Hell, wear a wig,” April suggested. “None of them will be looking at your face, anyway. If you wear a wig, they’ll probably think it’s me.”

“They’ll be able to tell,” she said drolly. “They’ll take one look at me in one of the costumes and ask for their money back.”

She was grasping at straws to keep from taking one of the jobs. She already felt there was an imaginary guillotinein position over her head. Another expenditure like lunch yesterday, and her family would be homeless.

Sensing she was succeeding at getting through to her, April became even more persistent.

“At least take Matthias. We look enough alike he won’t notice the difference. We have the same hair color and length of hair. He’ll just assume you’re me.”