To your cottage.

As you step into your cottage you hear a sound from upstairs. You pause, listening, and hear sounds of movement. Knowing that this cannot be your roommate, and remembering that Valerie was still in the dining hall when you left, you tiptoe up the stairs thinking to surprise the intruder.

The door to your room stands open and the sounds are definitely coming from there. You feel anger blossom in you and you leap forward to the door with a roar, hoping to terrify whoever is inside your room.

Your ploy works wonders. A petite dark skinned woman turns with a shriek, her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide and startled. You're about to demand an explanation for her presence, when you notice some key details. She's wearing what is clearly a housekeeping uniform, a plain blue dress with the Pink Rose logo embroidered on the collar, that buttons up the front. She is young, Latina, and quite pretty. And she is clearly just finishing making the bed.

"Madre! You scared me Senor!" she gasps. "I didn't expect you! I'm jus' about done here."

"Who are you?" you ask, although you've already guessed most of the answer.

"Elena, Senor. Elena Ruiz. I'm a housekeeper here. I come in once a day and light clean, bigger cleaning once a week. If you need something special, you can leave a note for me."

"I'm so sorry for scaring you Elena," you apologise, although the girl seems to have calmed quickly. "That's great, I didn't know the cottage came with a housekeeper."

"Not just this one, Senor. All of them. And the student rooms too."

"There must be a lot of housekeepers," you smile.

"There's a few," she smiles back at you, her white teeth glittering in her olive skinned face. "We gotta work pretty hard to keep up with some of those girls." She smiles again, giving you a sideways glance from under her long eyelashes that has more than a trace of flirting in it.

"I imagine," you chuckle. "Most of them are used to being picked up after, and probably aren't used to doing much for themselves."

"Tha's right Senor. Some of them are pretty careless. They wouldn't do well if they grew up in the barrio. Or had my madre," she shakes her head and laughs softly.

"I bet you've seen a lot of bad behaviour," you laugh.

"Some," she nods with another flirting smile. She seems about to say something else but closes her mouth.

"Where do you stay? Is there housing on campus for you?"

"Si, there is staff housing up behind the Burnside building. Some people have rooms in town, but most stay here. It's easier I think," she looks around the room with a wistful expression. "Not as nice as this, and I gotta share a room, but clean. And Luisa feeds us good, she's almost as good a cook as my madre."

"How long have you worked here?"

"Jus' two years. I lied about my age, but don' tell no one, okay Senor?"

"Why? How old are you Elena?"

"I'm eighteen, but I was jus' turned sixteen when I got hired. It's good money, and my family needed the help. So don' tell. I shouldn' have tol' you." She gives you a simpering smile which somehow makes her look even prettier.

"Well now you have, Elena. You shouldn't tell strange men your secrets," you say with an easy smile. "You never know what that might lead to."