On the Way to Heaven (BWWM Romance) (2 page)

CHAPTER
THREE

      
“This is Neil Styles.” Daniela pointed to
the hunk. “He’s a thirty-seven-year-old freelance carpenter, and single father
of three little girls.”

      
“Three little girls?” Trina stepped back.
“Okay, that’s enough of Neil. I don’t do dudes with kids. I don’t do children
at all.” She fidgeted. “I don’t mix with kids. They make me nervous. You got
somebody else?”

      
“This isn’t Burger King,” Daniela said.
“You can’t have it your way. We’ve chosen Neil for you, and that’s the way it’s
gonna be.”

      
“Well, you should’ve mentioned he had
kids at first. You got me all excited to meet him, and then throw out that he
has kids.”

      
Daniela glared at Trina. “If you don’t
want to do this, we can send you downstairs today and be done with it.”

      
“No, no!” Trina gripped the table. “I
belong in Heaven. You said it yourself. Isn’t that what good people work for
their entire lives?” She looked at the others. “I can’t go to Hell.” She
sobbed. “I just can’t.”

     
“Do you agree to take this task?” Daniela
asked.

      
Trina nodded.

     
“Okay, you’ll be sent back to Earth
immediately.” Daniela grabbed the gavel. “You’ll still be ‘you’, but not the
old ‘you’. You must forget who you were when you were alive. Put it behind
you.”

   
 
 
“I don’t understand.”

   
 
“Your
degrees, your job…your life as you lived it, is gone. Act like it never
existed.”

  
  
 
Trina sucked in tears. “Okay.”

 
 
 
 
 
“Your name is Trina Mosley, and you’re a maid
who’ll work with the Styles family and get things in order.”

    
 
“Wait
a minute, now.” Trina lifted her finger. “A maid? I don’t know the first thing
about being a maid.”

    
 
Lorraine
rubbed her hands together, grinning. “Boy, this is gonna be fun.”

    
 
“I
can’t be a maid.” Trina scoffed. “Look at me. Who would believe I’d be a maid?”

    
 
“You’d
better figure it out,” Daniela said. “The foundation is already laid. Neil
asked for a maid over the Internet, and you’re gonna be it.”

    
 
“I
don’t believe this.” Trina moved back from the table. “So, I’ll be like an
angel?”

    
 
Everyone
laughed.

    
“An angel?” Lorraine hit Trina’s arm. “You
think you can just become an angel, huh? Once again, that’s not how things work
around here. It takes years to become an angel.”

    
“And she ain’t lying, girl.” A scrawny,
tall white dude who appeared to be in his twenties, twisted out of a puff of
clouds. “I died two years ago and been trying to get my wings ever since.” One
hand remained in the air while the other stayed on his slender hip. “Child, I
found out I had to go to Guardian school to get my wings.”

    
“Guardian school?” Trina looked him over.

    
“
Mmm
hmm.” He
poked out his lip-glossed lips. “Shoot, I thought I could flounce my little
cute self in here and become an angel like that.” He snapped his fingers.
“Uh-uh. They make you work for everything up here. You gotta go to Guardian
school for five years to become an angel. You don’t pass, then you don’t get
your wings.” He rolled his eyes. “And those classes are hard, girl. Milton
Berle
flunked twice. He’s been dead
I-can’t-remember-how-long, and
still doesn’t
have his wings.”

    
Trina looked at Daniela. “I wanna go to
Guardian school.”

    
“Good luck with that,” the skinny guy said.
“You gotta take all these exams and be accepted, first. Heck, it took me a year
just to get through all of that.” He patted his very short, black hair. “I tell
you, they’re no joke in here.”

    
“This is Roxy.” Lorraine pointed to him.
“He’s the janitor.”

    
“I ain’t no damn janitor.” He smacked his
lips. “I’m a cleaning technician, and I do a darn good job, if I say so
myself.” He turned in a circle. “It’s not easy cleaning these rooms with all
these clouds in the way.”

    
Trina held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet
you, Roxy. I’m Trina.”

    
He shook her hand. “Nice to meet you too,
girl. I was creaming when I first saw you because your style is
fierce
.” He pinched her blazer. “I love this. I hope you get your score up
and get into Heaven.”

    
“Oh, I’m gonna do this,” Trina said. “When
do I start?”

    
“No need to wait.” Daniela lifted her hand.
“The moment I snap my fingers, you’ll be in Allocco, Nebraska.”

    
“Hold up,” Trina said. “Allocco who?”

    
“It’s a small town outside of Omaha.”
Daniela smiled. “The community’s full of hardworking, blue-collar workers and
families.”

    
“Wait a minute.” Trina grimaced. “Now, I
agreed to help this guy out and his three little girls, but you didn’t say I’d
be in the pit of nowhere. Nebraska? I’m from New York City. That’s about as
different as one can get.” She turned in a circle. “What the heck am I supposed
to do in Allocco, Nebraska?”

    
Daniela sat back. “Maybe you’d rather be
with our friends downstairs, fighting over box fans.”

    
“Yeah, the only thing they pray for in Hell
is air conditioning.” Roxy smirked.

    
Trina raised her arms. “Allocco, Nebraska
here I come!”

    
Daniela snapped her fingers.

    
Trina found herself in a grassless yard
full of junk, with a suitcase. She wore a plain, cotton dress that if she
hadn’t been dead, she wouldn’t have touched with a ten foot pole.

    
Her hair sat in a tight ball, and she wore
penny loafers with socks.

    
Penny loafers with socks?

    
“Now wait a minute.” She lifted her foot
and looked at the sky. “Is this supposed to be funny? No way in the world would
I wear something that looks like this.” She pulled at the fitted dress. “I look
like the black Mary Poppins.”

    
A grotesque odor swarmed through her
nostrils.

    
“Oh.” She covered her nose. “It smells like
a dead rhino’s butt out here.” She stared upon the raggedy, brown two story.

    
It might’ve been a nice house once, but its
best days were long behind it. It looked like it had been through every World
War, and then some. Trash covered the inside of the windows. The front door sat
open, revealing the dirtiest screen Trina had ever seen. The four porch steps
were lopsided, and packed with dirt that seemed to have been there for decades.

    
One of the handles had fallen off the porch
railing. Someone had propped a dilapidated old couch against the garage, which
looked like no one had parked in it since Trina was born. Flies swarmed in and
out of the house.

    
She walked around. “Lord, have mercy,
Jesus.”

    
Shredded tires and an old, rundown pickup
truck sat at the side of the house. Four broken bikes and a torn up plastic
pool sat under a tree.

    
“I can’t do this.” Trina looked at the sky.
“Hello!” she hollered. “Daniela? Lorraine? Get me
outta
here! I’d rather be in Hell!”

    
“Hello.” A tiny, brown haired girl with a long,
tangled ponytail waved from the roof. “Are you the maid?”

    
“Whoa, honey!” Trina dropped her suitcase
and ran toward the girl. “What on earth are you doing up there?”

    
“I’m a bat.” She held her arms out and
swerved as if she were flying. “Wanna see me fly?” She stood on the edge of the
roof.

    
“No, no, no!” Trina waved her arms. “I want
you to be careful and come down the way you got up.”

    
The girl giggled with her pants gathered
between her thighs.

    
“Listen to me.” Trina stood directly under
her. “I don’t want you to get hurt. Please come down.” Trina held her arms out.
“I’ll catch you.”

    
“I’m a bat.” The girl snickered again.

    
“Okay.” Trina faked a smile. “Yes, you’re a
bat. Now I want you to show me how you can be a little girl. Please come down,
honey. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

    
“You’re gonna catch me?” She clasped her
hands.

    
“Yes, I’m gonna catch you.” Trina moved
closer. “Please come down.”

    
“
Whee
!” She
jumped into Trina’s arms and laughed. “You’re pretty.”

    
“You’re pretty, too.” Trina examined her.
“Are you okay?”

    
“Yes, I’m okay.” She wiggled. “I do this
all the time. Are you the maid?” She touched Trina’s hair.

    
“Yes, I’m the maid.”

    
Unfortunately
.

    
“Yay!” The girl kicked. “You’re gonna be
living with us. My daddy told us you were coming.”

    
“Where is your daddy, anyway?”

    
“He’s working.” She groaned. “Like always.”

    
“I take it you don’t like it when your
daddy works?” Trina bounced the girl.

    
“It’s okay, but he works
all
the time.” She pulled on Trina’s ear and giggled. “I like you. My
name’s Violet Styles. What’s your name?”

    
“Trina Fla…Mosley.” Trina smiled.

    
“That’s a pretty name.”

    
“Are you here by yourself?”

    
“My sisters are in the house.” She pointed.
“You can go in if you want.”

    
“Okay.” Trina put Violet down, got her
suitcase, and walked up the decrepit porch. “Uh, I thought your dad was a
carpenter.”

    
“He is.” Violet twirled in a circle, making
noise like a helicopter.

    
“Why doesn’t he fix the porch, then?”

    
“I don’t know.” Violet kept turning.

    
Trina knocked on the open door.

         
A chubby, brown haired girl, with a
ponytail and glasses, walked up. “Who are you?”

    
“I’m Trina Mosley.” Trina pointed to
herself. “I’m the—”

    
“She’s the new maid.” Violet jumped up and
down. “She’s gonna live with us.”

    
“Oh.” Winter’s gaze trailed to Trina’s feet.
“I’m Winter.”

    
“Winter? That’s an unusual name, but it’s
nice. I…”

    
Another little girl, who appeared a bit
older than the other two, walked out. She wore her dark brown hair flicked over
one shoulder. “Hello.”

    
“Hello.” Trina dipped her head.

    
“She’s the new maid!” Violet grabbed the
bigger girl’s hand. “Her name’s Trina, and I think she’s pretty.”

    
Violet hopped off the porch, grabbed a
stick from the yard, and zoomed to the side of the house.

CHAPTER
FOUR

    
“Well.” Trina exhaled. “She’s a ball of
fire, isn’t she? I get winded just watching her.”

    
“I keep telling Dad she has ADD,” Winter
said. “This is my big sister, Paige.”

    
“Hi.” Paige held out her smudgy hand.

    
“Hello.” Trina took it. “I’m Trina Mosley.
It’s nice to meet you both. How old are you two?”

    
“I’m ten,” Paige said. “Winter’s eight and
Violet’s six. She’s a handful, but you already know that.”

    
“I hope I can keep up with her.” Trina got
another whiff of that horrid smell. “Something smells out here.”

    
“Yeah, something died in the backyard.”
Winter pointed to the right. “Daddy keeps saying he’s gonna look for it, but he
hasn’t yet.”

    
“It’s probably just a rat,” Paige said. “We
have a lot of them.”

    
“A lot of them?” Trina gaped. “How many is
a lot?”

    
Paige opened the screen door. “Come on in.”

    
Do I have to?

    
Trina fought the urge
to vomit, but crept in behind the girls. “Oh my God.” She froze in place. “It’s
worse than the outside.”

    
“Huh?” Winter pushed up her glasses.

    
Trina checked out the tragedy they called a
room. “I said, it’s charming.”

    
Clothes, trash, and containers of food were
everywhere. Plates of food lay on the couch. Fast food wrappers covered the top
of the television. Empty cups and soda cans sat around the computer and on the
keyboard. The curtains hung off the
rod
. The matted,
stained rug beside the front door looked like
Cujo
had been chewing on it, as well as doing his business.

    
“
Oh
.” Trina clenched up
to subdue the nausea, but it wasn’t helping. A rank smell came from down the
hall. “What’s
that
smell?”

    
“The kitchen sink is backed up,” Paige
said. “The plumber’s supposed to come today.”

    
“Food’s in the sink from a few days ago,”
Winter said. “It makes the water stink.”

    
“I can’t take it.” Trina ran out of the
house, hopped off the porch, and threw up in the yard.

    
“You okay?” Paige stood on the porch.

    
“Jesus.” Trina huffed and puffed.

    
“Here.” Winter passed her a paper towel.
“Sorry you got sick.”

    
Trina exhaled into the towel. “I just don’t
understand how anyone can live like this.” She patted her stomach. “When’s the
last time anyone cleaned?”

    
“Duh.” Winter stuck out her neck. “That’s
why
you’re
here.”

    
“Your dad ordered a maid?” Trina huffed.
“Hell, he needs a
miracle
to get this place
together.”

    
“We try to clean.” Paige shrugged. “But
things
kinda
got
outta
hand.”

    
“I don’t blame
you
.” Trina wiped her mouth. “I can’t see what your dad’s thinking,
having you live like this.”

    
Paige stood beside her. “Dad hasn’t done
much of anything around here since our momma died.”

    
Trina moved the tissue from her mouth.
“Your mom died?”

    
“Last year.” Paige looked down. “Dad hasn’t
really been taking it well.”

    
“Yeah, all he does is work, drink, and go
out.” Winter scratched her head. “It’s like he’s pretending it didn’t happen.”

    
“I had no idea your mother died.” Trina
went up the steps. “I didn’t mean to judge, but you can’t live like this.”

    
“I don’t think Daddy cares about living
anymore,” Paige said. “It’s like nothing makes him happy since she died.”

    
“He even told us the only reason he keeps
going is because we need him,” Winter said.

    
“That’s unfortunate that he thinks that
way,” Trina said. “You said he drinks?”

    
Paige nodded. “I think it makes him feel
better.”

    
“I’d love to help you all out.” Trina
stared at the house. “But I don’t think I can handle this.”

    
“You’d better handle it,” Lorraine’s voice
said.

    
“What?” Trina turned around to see no one.

    
“What’s wrong?” Winter held her arms behind
her back.

        
  
Paige tilted her head. “You okay?”

       
   
“I think I’m going crazy.” Trina patted the
side of her head.

          
“You mean ‘crazier’?” Lorraine
cackled. “They can’t hear me, so act normal.”

    
“As if I don’t have enough to deal with.”
Trina rolled her eyes. “I gotta have you in my ear now?”

    
Winter scrunched up her nose. “Who are you
talking to?”

    
Paige pointed to Trina. “I’m starting to think
you’re the one who’s been drinking.”

    
“I’m fine,” Trina said.

    
“Are you gonna take the job?” Winter
pointed toward the house. “You gonna be our maid?”

    
I can’t believe I’m about to say this.

    
“Yes, I’ll be your maid.”

    
“Thank you!” Paige jumped up and down.

    
The girls latched on to Trina.

    
“We’ll help you.” Winter squinted behind
her glasses. “I think Daddy’s really gonna like you, too.”

    
“Me too.” Paige’s cheeks turned red. “He
said you’d probably be a real old, mean lady, but you’re not.”

    
Trina touched her collar. “Why would he
think that?”

    
A horn honked from down the road.

    
“That’s Daddy!” Winter ran to the dusty
driveway.

    
Violet zipped from around the house.
“Daddy!”

    
A rusty, light blue pickup truck, with a
brown door on the driver’s side, pulled up. The sign on the door read, “Styles
Carpentry.” Tools and junk rolled around in the back of the pickup.

    
“Hey!” Neil stuck his head out the window.
“How are my beauties doing?” He got out.

    
Paige and Winter grabbed his arms while
Violet held on to his leg.

    
“Whoa!” He laughed, stumbling. “You trying
to kill me?” He pinched Violet’s nose.

    
“No.” She kept her grip on his leg.

    
“Could’ve fooled me.” He hobbled toward the
house with Violet riding on his leg. “Oh.” He stared at Trina. “Hi.”

    
A spark shot straight down her spine. Did
he feel it, too? The way his eyes widened and his mouth hung open suggested he
had.

    
He pulled Violet off his leg and approached
Trina. “We haven’t met.” He brushed his hands on his dingy jeans. “I’m Neil
Styles.” He held out his dirty hand. “You are?”

    
“I’m Trina Mosley.” She took his hand and
tried to ignore how good it felt to touch him.

    
“Tina?” His blue eyes sparkled.

    
“Trina.” She let go of his hand.

    
He continued staring.

    
“Yeah, she’s the maid, Daddy.” Violet
jumped up and down.

    
“The maid?” He leaned back with his hands
on his waist. “Wow. Uh, I definitely didn’t expect someone who looked like
you.”

    
Trina grinned. “I hope you mean that as a
compliment.”

    
“I definitely do.” He rubbed his chin as he
checked her out. “I expected someone old, fat, and ugly.”

    
She held out her arms. “I like to think I
don’t fit that description.”

    
“No, you
don’t
.” He looked her up
and down. “You’re younger and much prettier than I thought you’d be.”

    
“Thanks.” She tingled. “That’s very sweet.”

    
He gave a fleeting smile.

    
“Daddy?” Violet tugged on his leg.

    
He tore his gaze from Trina. “Yeah, baby?”

    
“Aren’t you gonna take her inside?” Violet
shaded her eyes with her hand.

    
Neil dipped his head to Trina. “After you.”