Free Love Is a Breeze by Sarah Purcell Page B

leave now but I’ll be home around six. Mrs. Miller will check on you at noon.”
    “Oh. Doesn’t she work today?”
    “No, she cleans and fixes meals for the week on Mondays. She works for others in the building the rest of the week. She’s married to the night security guard. Write down her cell number in case you need anything.”
    Brianna scribbled the number on her napkin with a pen from the black wire desk caddy under the phone on the wall.
    “There is a notepad there.” He pointed to the same caddy.
    She shrugged her shoulders. “This’ll do. No need to waste paper.”
    John shook his head and smiled. “See you later. Behave yourself.”
    Brianna sat until she heard the front door close before she folded the newspaper and laid it on the countertop. The prospect of finding a place she could afford on her own did not look good. She glanced at the sleek, modern cabinetry with the long stainless handles that mirrored the gleaming appliances. A set of brushed stainless canisters sat next to the ceramic top stove, otherwise the granite was bare. She imagined what a few colorful accessories could do for the room. Brianna sighed. It seemed warmer when John was here.
    After making her bed, she took her laundry to the utility room. She started a load and returned to her room, intending to take a shower but as she stood in front of the enclosure a picture of the large black tub floated across her mind.  She secured her hair on top of her head and headed for John’s bathroom.
    Sunlight flooded the room and a quick glance at the bed revealed it to be neatly made. A door beside the dresser stood slightly ajar. Curiosity got the better of her and she pulled it open. Her jaw dropped as her eyes traveled around the room masquerading as a closet. It was huge, outfitted in teak and meticulous. Suits hung together in one section, shirts organized by color in another one, casual clothes in other sections. Built in shoe shelves, again, were organized by color and style. Tie carousels and drawers for socks and things completed the room. She backed out the door, careful not to disturb anything, and thought of her own chaotic closets in the past. She didn’t have enough to have a chaotic closet now. She closed the door and crossed in front of the dresser to the bathroom on the other side.
    Brianna turned on the water, adjusted the temperature control and the jets as John had shown her. Dropping her robe onto the fluffy white rug, she carefully mounted the step up to the tub. She noticed a bottle of strawberry bubble bath that she hadn’t seen the night before. She uncapped it and added a generous amount to the rising water. Bubbles instantly grew out of the churning water, filling the tub to its brim. Brianna sank into the foamy depths and turned off the water. She placed a rolled towel behind her head and closed her eyes.
    Waving a hand in front of her face as if chasing a fly from her nose, she opened her eyes. Bubbles nearly covered her head. She cleared her line of vision and saw bubbles cascading over the edge of the tub and down the steps to the floor. Oops. Turning off the jets and opening the drain, she struggled to stand up on the slippery surface. She looked around for something to give her some traction. Her cane was out of reach. She’d left her cell phone in her room. She would have been too embarrassed to call Mrs. Miller to help her out of the tub anyway. She waited for the tub to empty, which took awhile given the amount of foam the drain had to swallow. Finally, the water was gone. Bubbles – not so much. She shivered as she grabbed a towel and spread it on the bottom of the tub. Turning onto her knees, she used another towel to dry the rim of the tub and slowly hoisted herself up and over it. She stood there gaining her balance before attempting to reach the soggy bathrobe lying on the once fluffy white rug. It took remainder of the day to mop, launder towels and coax bubbles down a reluctant