Chapter 1
"Excuse me, Miss." I waited for her reply. "I'm sorry, young man, but I'm in a bit of a hurry." "Can I help?" I asked, as I bent down to help her gather up several folders she had dropped. "Thank you," she smiled, as she took the folder from my hand. She looked at me with her gaze locked on my frail body, then smiled. "I do need some help, but I doubt you're up to the task." That was the day my whole world changed.

I'll tell you a little about me first. My parents were killed in a car wreck when I was just two years old. I was in the car, as well, when the wreck happened, and my body and face showed the damage. A huge scar across my right cheek, as well as one on my arm and yet another across my midsection. I was placed in foster care after the accident, but never adopted so I moved around a lot. I figured nobody wanted me because of how I looked.

My last home had been the best by far, but I was one month from being 18 and out on my own. My foster parents were actually good people, but getting up in their years. And by law when I turned eighteen I was responsible for me from then on. They weren't kicking me out by any means, they just wanted me to grow up and become the man I was supposed to be.

I had changed schools more times than I care to count, even still I was a straight A student. All my teachers had high praise for me when it came to grades, but the kids avoided me. Again I figured it was because of my looks. Had I had the money I could have easily gotten into college or a business school of some kind. As it was, I was working two jobs and saving every cent for the day I had to move out. In fact, I was looking for a place to stay the day this pretty, little blond doctor bumped into me on the sidewalk.

"And what might that task be?" I shot back feeling almost insulted. "I need a butler, a maid, a ground's keeper. I could go on," she smiled. "Well, that is a tall order, but right now I need a place to stay and I'm a little behind, myself." "Behind what?" she asked. "Time," I replied. "I'm supposed to be looking at an apartment for rent."

"Here, downtown." She looked at me rather stunned. "Right now a place to stay, is a place to stay. Where is not the issue." I added. She looked me up and down, again, then smiled the prettiest smile I had ever seen. "How about a cup of coffee?" I sputtered. "I've missed my appointment now so......." "Sure, there's a coffee shop around the corner," she replied.

"You look tired," I spoke, as I poured her cup. "Always," she smiled. "I think it just comes with being a doctor." "You work at the hospital?" I shot back. "Yes, and at the clinic over on the south side." "You mean the fat farm?" I spoke softly. "Be nice," she smiled. "Everybody can use a little help now and then." "From the sounds of it you need about three people just to keep up with you," I smiled. She looked at me dumbfounded. "a maid, a butler." "Oh, I see what you're saying," she smiled at my joke. "But you forgot the ground's keeper," she added. I smiled at her as I filled her cup, again.

"Well, you know I'm a doctor, so what do you do?" she smiled, as she asked. "Anything I can so long as it pays well. And I clerk at the grocery store at night and run the car wash across the street by day. I thought I had seen you before." Her eyes lit up. "You have a silver Jag. I have washed it several times," I added. "Those are not high paying jobs, so I take it that money is an issue." "I do okay. I'm not getting rich mind you, but I pay my bills." "So come to work for me," she stated all in one breath. "I pay a lot better than the car wash and you get a place to stay for free."

"Nothing is free," I smiled, "but I will listen to your offer." "Can you cut hedges and mow the lawn?" she asked. "I have done that before," I smiled. "How about a little light house cleaning?" she added. "Is there such a thing as light house cleaning?" I joked. "Maybe, maybe not, but at least come and see the place before you say no. I assure it's better than some stuffy apartment downtown." "Sure, I smiled, "but I have to be at the grocery store by eleven tonight to run the till." "I'll have you back long before then," she smiled.

Rush hour was over before we ever left the coffee shop. And I wasn't surprised to see her point the Jag toward the high rent district. About thirty minutes later we pulled into her driveway and she announced we were here. The house was very big and modern in style. One look at the yard I knew it might take all of an hour to cut the grass. I held her briefcase as she unlocked the door and turned off the security system. "Nice place," I smiled, as she turned on the lights. "Yes, it is, but I seldom get to really enjoy it. After working two jobs, three nights a week, I spend all my time trying to keep the place up."

She started the tour right off. The ground level seemed neat and organized well enough. And the basement was considered the servants quarters, so it was rather empty. The second floor was mostly guest rooms that had little and no furnishings, and the top floor was hers. "Wow, it looks like a hurricane hit the floor," I spoke softly. "You're right," she smiled. "Hurricane Holly, that's me," she smiled, yet again. "And your name?" she finally asked. "James, James Dolan, but my friends all call me Jimmy."

"As you can see, six day a week at the hospital and three nights a week at the clinic leave me very little and no time to take care of the place. You can stay here, if you will. You can have the basement and I'll match whatever you're making at the car wash as starting pay. No room and board, but I seldom eat at home. So if you like a home cooked meal, you'll have to buy some things and do that yourself."

She didn't give me that chance to answer. Rather, she started the tour, again. She took me down and out to the patio where there was a large pool with a high fence. "The weather will be fit by next month and I'll have the pool cleaned if you'll help me take care of it and you can use it as you see fit. The back yard is smaller than the front so there's very little to do out back. You can park your car in the garage and I have a spare door opener you can use. I'll set up a code for you to use to turn off the alarm so you can come and go as you like. What do you think?" she finally took a breath.

"The car wash pays me 26k a year and I get all my groceries at cost, since I work at the store. I do like a home cooked meal, and, yes, I can cook. It does sound to me as if you're expecting me to do more than just keep the grass cut and do a little house cleaning though." "Well.......in a way, yes. Let's go inside and sit down," she took my hand.

She poured us both a glass of tea, then offered me a seat at the table with a rather sad look on her face. "I have some girlfriends," she started to speak. "A bunch of snobs to be more correct about it, but they are married to very influential people. "People you don't want pissed off at you, if you value your career," I added. "Exactly," she smiled. "So I get together with them from time to time." "And .........?" I asked. "Well, they all have servants at their homes, so I never have them come here." "I see.....," I smiled. "So from time to time I might ask you to wear a uniform and serve me and the girls for a few hours." "So it would at least look like you have servants," I added. "In a word, yes." "I could probably do that," I smiled. "When can you start?" she asked in an excited tone. "Give me two weeks to get moved and get the outside in shape and then you can invite your guests over." "Great," she replied.

She took me back downtown and asked where I had parked my car. Now, I was a bit embarrassed. "I don't have one," I had to say. "I take the bus." "That will never do," she smiled. "And the bus doesn't come by my house so we'll get you a car tomorrow. Where can I find you around lunch?" "The car wash, most likely, but I'll give my notice tomorrow, so who knows how that will go over." "If they tell you to go right away, don't worry about it. You have a place to stay and I'll cover whatever you miss in pay. See you tomorrow.....?" "I'll be here," I shot back, as I stepped on the bus for home.

I told my foster parents that night I had found a place to stay and started packing what little I owned right then. I didn't tell them where, they wouldn't have believed me to start with and they weren't coming looking for me anyway. It took all of three hours for me to pack and I slept well that night.

My job as a clerk at the grocery store always left me dead tired so sleeping was never a problem. I gave the car wash owner my walking papers the next morning, as soon as he arrived, and by lunch he was really upset. He offered me a raise, less hours, whatever I wanted if I would stay. "Two weeks and I'm gone," I told him. "After two years, and god knows how many people, I get somebody I can trust and now you're quitting," he blustered. "It's been three years and without any vacation or even a weekend off," I shot back. "So take some time off," he shot back, "but don't quit, not now," he added. "Look Bobby, I have another job and it's a damn sight better than this dirty old car wash, plus I get room and board. Can you match that?" I asked. "Well...... no, not right now." "Then in two weeks I'm gone, that's final."

Holly came by right at lunch time and my soon to be ex-boss almost blew a gasket when I got in the car with her. "So how did he take the news?" she asked. "Not well," I replied, "but he'll find somebody to do my job." "Okay.......so let's find you a car," she smiled. We looked at several lots before I found a car I really liked. It was Toyota GT with a hatch back. Teal blue with gold stripes and low mileage to boot. Good on gas was the main thing, as I would have to drive to work at night, and very dependable, as well. The lot owner almost lost it when Holly paid cash for the car and I signed the title. A kept man, he sighed under his breath, I should be so lucky.

We went straight to the courthouse and got the tag and insurance all taken care of and that day, between jobs, I moved in. Bob and Carol made no fuss about me leaving, but they did wonder about the car I was driving. I let on that I had saved some money and paid for it myself, as well as getting myself a place to live. Carol did tear up a little as I was about to leave, but I was sure they weren't going to miss me.

Holly was home when I got there and I was a bit surprised when she actually helped me get settled in. Her basement, now my home, was bigger than Bob and Carol's whole house. To say I had plenty of room would be an understatement, at the very least. "You don't seem to be a snob like you say your friends are," I said.