It seemed today just wasn't meant to be my day.
This morning at breakfast, I burned the bacon, and those were the last ones we had in the house. Vivi was furious. She had been talking about those damn bacon strips since last night.
Then, while cleaning, I managed to break one of Mother's vases. I got an earful for that. The worst part was, I actually liked that vase. Adrian had bought it when we first moved into this house, and I'd grown attached to it. I used to dust it every morning just to make it shine.
Like that hadn't already set the tone for the day, I missed my bus, so I had to wait another twenty minutes at the stop. Of course, that was when it started raining. By the time I got on, my clothes were clinging to my skin and my shoes squelched with every step.
I wasn't one to believe in superstition, but I hated this day already. And now I was headed to clean Lena's apartment. If I ruined one of her expensive bags, I would never hear the end of it. I also knew I would never be able to pay her back. Lena wasn't exactly the forgiving type.
Still, I had to suck it up. It was just a bit of cleaning. She wasn't usually messy, and Lena never asked for favors like this.
In the elevator, I watched the floor numbers blink upward and tapped my foot against the tile. I'd already had such a dreadful day that I half expected to get stuck in here next. The icing on top.
When the number finally hit eight, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. Maybe I was reading a bit too much into today.
I punched in the code she'd sent me, and the door clicked open.
Lena, being Lena, had exaggerated. This was not messy at all. A few boxes were stacked in the corner, probably deliveries. Some clothes were scattered about; those could go straight into the wash. The floor could use a vacuum, and the sink had a few dishes, but that was it.
She could pass any inspection the landlord wanted to do.
Maybe the bedroom was what she was worried about. I could already picture heaps of clothes, shoes everywhere, drawers half open. I shuddered just thinking about it. It was best to start here before working up to that disaster.
I dropped my bag on the couch and headed for the supply closet, searching for the vacuum and cleaning supplies. The air in the apartment was still, heavy enough to make my skin prickle. Did she forget to turn off the AC?
Finding the vacuum and some cleaner, I shut the door and froze.
Something shifted in the apartment.
A small sound, faint but sharp enough to make me still completely. I shouldn't be hearing sounds in an empty apartment.
What was that?
I stood there, trying to convince myself I was just being crazy. Then I heard it again.
Was there someone in here? Lena wasn't even in town, and she hadn't told me anyone else would be here.
I grabbed the only thing I could find — a long broom. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. The least I could do was check what the hell was going on.
I walked toward the sound slowly. It was coming from the bedroom, low and muffled, like moans and breathless groans.
That was it. I couldn't do it. It was better to go find the apartment manager and let him deal with it.
Then a louder moan stopped me in my tracks.
Wait.
Was someone having sex in there?
No, no, maybe Lena just left some porn on or something. Jesus, listen to me. I was losing it.
"Yeah, just like that," I heard a woman's voice say.
I froze again. That was Lena's voice.
A flush of confusion ran through me, followed by something that felt too close to anger. If she hadn't gone on the trip, why didn't she tell me? I didn't want to listen to her have sex, no matter how much I loved her.
Her moans got louder. My face burned. I needed to leave.
"You're so good, Lena."
I stopped breathing.
Something in me went still.
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
I knew that voice. I would know it anywhere.
"You like that, baby?" Lena's voice purred again.
"Yeah. You drive me crazy."
My hand tightened around the broom handle. My feet moved before I could stop them. My brain kept saying to walk away, to go back out the front door, to pretend I heard nothing.
If I didn't see it, it wouldn't exist.
But my body kept moving until I was standing in front of the bedroom door, slightly ajar. Through the gap, I saw Lena, naked, straddling Adrian, her head tilted back, his hands gripping her hips as he moved under her.
For a moment, everything in me went silent.
Then the blood drained from my face. My knees gave out, and I hit the floor hard, the door swinging open wider from the fall. The words slipped out of me like a plea.
"What are both of you doing?"
"Shit," Adrian muttered, trying to pull Lena off him.
Lena turned toward me, and when our eyes met, I saw a face I didn't recognize. It wasn't the Lena I knew. There was something in her eyes that made my stomach twist, something I could only bear to look at for a second before it burned too deep.
I got up so fast I almost slipped, my legs numb and shaking. I didn't stop to think. I just moved, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, barely feeling the steps under my feet. The rush of air followed me as I ran down, my heart pounding until I pushed through the doors and out into the cool afternoon.
I stopped on the sidewalk in front of the building and threw up beside the curb, heaving until I could finally breathe again.
I could barely understand what was happening. The street was too quiet, cars moving slowly past me, the sound of their tires distant and hollow.
Then a hand gripped my arm tight, stopping me where I stood.