That Ex-Convict Cleaner

"Floor 8, come through, floor 8"

Blaire was interrupted from reminiscing when she heard the call from her walkie talkie. The call was from the main desk probably.

Someone assigned on 8th floor responded and they exchanged details on a room to be cleaned. As they finished having their conversation, Blaire stood up and stretched her body and arms and walked toward the lounging area.

The lounging area resembles the main desk at the ground floor except that, the desk in the lounging area is composed of seats for the assigned staffs on the floor, a coffee vending machine, and some unused linens available upon requests of clients. She sat on a nearby bench provided by the management for the workers beside the coffee vending machine. No other staffs are at the lounging area, maybe they're at the other end of the emergency exit stairs.

Blaire was informed that at least five personnel are assigned each floor and that there are at least 5 rooms per floor. Standard rooms are located at the second up to the fifth floor having 10 rooms each floor, wherein rooms on second and third floors are designated for those who wish to spend an overnight with a maximum of 4 persons accommodated per room. Fourth and fifth floors are then assigned for those who wish to spend short amount of time, 3 hours at least, with a capacity of 2 persons per room.

Sixth up to eighth floor are all for deluxe and much prettier type of rooms that costs hundreds of dollars per night. She wanted to try to look what each room looks like but Margaret did not allow her to even sneak a peek. The ninth floor, on the other hand, belongs to the owner of the establishment, which is Kendra and her family, but never have they used the front of the establishment to go in and out of the building. In fact, none of the staffs have ever seen nor entered the ninth floor, except for Margaret, for she was once their helper before Kendra decided to use the building for her business.

"Why would Miss Kendra hire someone like you, who is an ex-convict?"

Blaire looked at the lady behind her back who spoke. The same lady who intentionally bumped her awhile back. The lady is holding her hips using her right hand while her left hand holds the cleaning cart. Instead of explaining that she's been wrongly accused, Blaire chose to be quiet and stared again at the vending machine. She hopes that the lady would stop insisting to let her talk.

"Hey. Can't you understand that I'm talking to you?"

Still, Blaire didn't respond. She tried to get a styro cup to avail the coffee but the lady smacked her hand, causing for the cup to be thrown.

"I said I'm talking to you! Why don't you answer me, you fucking ex-convict?!"

Instead of answering her, Blaire stood up to pick the cup that was thrown and disposed properly the cup in the trash bin beside the machine.

"It's bad to throw things that are yet to be used, you know"

Right after she said those words, she received a slap on her face, causing her to be stiff and unable to move.

"Hey, you do realize that I'm asking you something, right? I don't care about your waste disposal lecture, just answer my fucking question. You aren't deaf, for sure. Because you wouldn't be here in the first place. So answer me, bitch. Why would the hotel hire an ex-convict?"

Blaire just bowed herself upon hearing that. She has no intentions of answering that kind of question because many would misinterpret that she had connections.

"Is there something going on here?"

Both of them automatically looked to their backs upon recognizing the voice. It's Margaret.

"Marge!" the woman beside Blaire exclaimed and immediately went to her and greeted her, asking how's her day. Blaire, on the other hand, looked at Margaret and slightly bowed her head as her way of greeting.

"Ginny, are bullying someone, again?" Margaret asked to the woman beside her. She was looking at the lady with one of her brows raised.

The lady, Ginny, immediately shook her head and smiled widely. She went back to Blaire and then clung onto her arm.

"We're actually discussing about her. I'm curious how she was able to enter here when we're not hiring for additional housekeeper, so I was just asking her, that's all," Ginny said with all smiles.

Margaret looked at Ginny with hesitance evident on her face, then she looked at Blaire with questioning eyes.

"She, actually, was, asking me how I was able to work here, Margaret," Blaire answered, avoiding to look directly into Margaret's eyes so she looked at her eyebrows, instead. She wasn't lying though, it's true that Ginny asked about that, but she intently dropped the part where she stressed out as to why an ex-convict got to work as a housekeeper.

Visibly enough, Margaret sighed and sternly looked at Ginny. "Who would want to waste an opportunity to hire such an excellent cleaner that could transform the messy room under 30 minutes for the first time? Kendra saw potential in her, and I witnessed her love for cleaning. So Kendra hired her immediately after gaining an approval from me. Are you now satisfied with that answer, Ginny?"

Both Ginny and Blaire were astounded from what they've heard, but for different reasons. Ginny was shocked that Blaire got to finished cleaning the room under 30 minutes in her first try. For them first-time housekeepers, 30 minutes is not enough for cleaning such messy rooms. While it's undeniable that there are also other cleaners that could clean the room under the given time limit for the first time, only a few of them were able to achieve that. And those were former housekeepers from other establishments. For a first-timer like Blaire, it seems like she was in luck for finishing minutes before the time limit. She looked at Blaire with widening eyes.

The latter, on the other hand, was shocked upon hearing the reason that Margaret gave to Ginny. Whether she knew that she was an ex-convict or not, she didn't know, and doesn't want to know at all. For the first time, another person acknowledged her love for cleaning aside from her family. It touched her heart to be seen as a promising worker in the future.

"Now girls, if you may, I must now go to see Kendra. I should not hear any future bullying complaints that includes you, Ginny. You know how I hate bullies. Understood?"

"Yes, Marge. Understood"

Margaret started walking towards the elevator but stopped midway.

"Oh, by the way, Ginny, just remember that anyone deserves another chance to reclaim their lost purpose even after they were heavily accused for something they didn't do" and with that, Margaret stepped inside the elevator as the elevator doors opened.

Again, both of the women were astounded.

Did Margaret just admit that Blaire is an ex-convict? And that Blaire was put into jail because she was accused?!