Maid for Love (A Romantic Comedy) Read Free

“I take it that’s a yes?”
    They agreed at the speed of light.
    “Great. Now I’ve got to get to the office, but there’s a woman coming in a little while from the housekeeping agency just to have a look around and see what needs to be done before we schedule the first visit. Can you two handle that?”
    “Got it.”
    “And we’ll start picking up our stuff, too,” Kathryn assured him.
    Michael felt rather pleased with himself. He’d not only secured an agreement from the kids that they’d pick up, he’d gotten them off the topic of his love life. Not bad for a morning’s work. “I’m off then. Call if you need me.”
    The front door bell rang just as Michael was about to open the door, which he took as a sign that this arrangement was going to work out just fine. His summer was starting to look stress-free, just the way he wanted it. He opened the door and his gaze settled on the woman who stood on his doorstep. She was young, brunette, and beautiful. He felt the air leave his lungs as if he’d been sucker punched.  The woman was Zoe.         

CHAPTER TWO
               
    Zoe stared at the man in front of her. It was Michael Archer. Her Michael Archer. The man who not only stole her heart, but had the audacity to suggest they had a future together. She’d put an end to that by erasing his memory of meeting her. And now here they were again. Except that Michael didn’t remember her even if she remembered every moment they’d shared together. She struggled to maintain her composure as she managed a weak smile. “Hello, I’m here from Maid for Love.”
    An uncomfortably long moment passed before Michael stepped back. “Come in.”
    Half a dozen thoughts tumbled around in Zoe’s mind as she stepped into the hallway. Chief among them was that she was going to kill her mother for setting her up like this. Parent or not, she was so fired. Zoe’s eyes quickly took in the modern décor. The chrome fixtures, silver and gray color scheme, and sleek lines were classic Michael. The mess was not. She took her time staring anywhere but into her ex-boyfriend’s eyes. She needed to remember that he didn’t remember her. To him, she was a stranger. When he turned around, she held out her hand. “I’m Zoe Watson.”
    With only a moment’s hesitation, he took her hand in his. “Hello, Zoe.”
    She swallowed hard and looked away. His warm brown eyes had lost none of their appeal. How it was possible she didn’t know, but he was even more handsome than she remembered. And he’d been plenty handsome to start with. “If you’ll just excuse me for a second, I’ve got to run out to my car. I’ve forgotten something.” Not waiting for a response, she turned and virtually fled out the front door. Once she reached the safety of her front seat, she grabbed her cell phone and punched in her mother’s number. After four rings her mother finally picked up.
    “Hello, darling.”
    “Mother,” Zoe practically hissed, “I think you know why I’m calling.”
    “To thank me? There’s no need. It’s all in a day’s work.”
    Zoe closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath. “I’m glad you’re enjoying this so much but I don’t appreciate being set-up.” She opened her eyes and glanced back up at Michael’s front door. “Do you have nothing better to do with your time than play games with my life?”
    Her mother laughed. “Zoe, darling, do you know how many widowers there are in the state of Florida? Trust me, I have plenty to do. FYI, I am not playing games, I simply booked a client.”
    “Who happens to be my ex-boyfriend.”
    “Ah, the one you let get away.”
    Zoe was getting nowhere. Why had she even bothered to call? The professional thing to do would be to get back to the house but she was feeling anything but professional. She hadn’t seen Michael in a year. Plenty had changed. He’d moved to a new house, she’d started Maid for Love. He’d forgotten her, and