Don't Be Afraid by Rebecca Drake Page A

list she’d made of other realtors. She was tied to Braxton for two more weeks, but if things didn’t start moving that was definitely the end of that relationship. How much crap was she expected to put up with?
    “Gloria, the flowers in the foyer need to be replaced,” she said to her housekeeper, who slowly polished the granite countertops with a dishcloth.
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    “And check the flowers in the bedrooms before you order the new ones. They might need to be replaced, too.”
    Gloria nodded, moving with a slowness that Meredith found irritating. It was a mystery how the little Puerto Rican ever managed to get anything done, but she did, so Meredith didn’t complain. Out loud.
    “I’ll be at the gym for a few hours and then I’m getting my hair done, so I won’t be back for lunch. Oh, and could you call Phyllis Simon and tell her I won’t be able to make it to her party. The invitation’s on the board.”
    Gloria continued down the long row of granite, her eyes focused on the honey-colored stone. Meredith wished she’d pause and make eye contact, but the last time she’d mentioned that, the look in Gloria’s eyes had scared her.
    “Did you get my clothes from the dry cleaner yesterday?”
    Gloria shook her head. “No, ma’am.”
    “I told you I needed that dress today, Gloria.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    “Maybe you need to keep a list of things that need to get done, Gloria.”
    There was no response.
    “Don’t you think that would be a good idea, Gloria?”
    “I didn’t forget, ma’am.”
    “But you didn’t pick up the dry cleaning.”
    “The dry cleaner was closed yesterday, ma’am.”
    Was it Meredith’s imagination or did she see a hint of amusement in Gloria’s eyes? The housekeeper seemed to relish these exchanges. The problem was that Henry had hired Gloria and she’d worked for him for a year before Meredith accepted his proposal of marriage. It didn’t help that he was still visiting at least once a week, ostensibly to pick up things he’d left behind, but Meredith knew it was mainly to piss her off. Gloria seemed to enjoy that almost as much as he did. She’d fire her, but then she’d have to find and train another reliable housekeeper. Better to put up with the crap you know, especially if it was just for a while.
    As soon as the house sold, she could rid herself of Gloria, of Henry, of Steerforth and its boring residents, and start a new life where people understood the meaning of the word “fun.”
    She took a last sip of mocha latte and carried the open Starbucks cup over to the counter, deliberately slopping it so the liquid spilled over the edges and spread onto the freshly cleaned granite. “Oops,” she said with a little laugh. Two could play at this game. Gloria showed no reaction, but moved slowly over to mop up the spill.
    Meredith took the front stairs to the second floor, her bare feet sinking into the plush carpeting, trying to survey the house with fresh eyes. Why was it taking so long to sell? It wasn’t priced too high; the people in Steerforth were just Yankee cheapskates. She’d done everything she could to make sure the place was spotless whenever there was a showing, even hiring an extra cleaning service to keep up with the demand. It was exhausting and it was taking a toll on her physically.
    The lights surrounding the vanity in the master bath were shockingly bright. Meredith traced the lines at the corners of her eyes and turned sideways to survey the cellulite on her outer thighs. She hadn’t had time for a full spa treatment in months, and with the divorce she’d had to cut down on facials. The biggest asset she’d gotten was this house, which had seemed like a great thing at the time. But if it didn’t sell soon she wouldn’t be able to keep the gym membership, much less have the money to quit this town.
    She’d met Sheila at a spin class and she’d been confident that the bubbly, effervescent, and hardworking real estate agent