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She had just finished up a “room overhaul.” Three hours of painstakingly ordering her client’s bathroom cabinets into a Pinterestworthy vision of color-coded, labeled, and stackable containers. The result looked spectacular—all of Debbie’s friends said so. The fact that all of Debbie’s friends were present to say so was the reason Jessica was dangerously close to being late for her next client... even with the extra fifteen-minute contingency time she built into her schedule.

Her first instinct was to keep walking. Nothing—nothing!—vexed Jessica more than tardiness. Except perhaps messiness. And people who cut corners, or people who missed RSVP deadlines. Jessica always RSVP’d to invitations the moment they landed in her hand or inbox. Then she diarized the event, made a note in her Organization app to buy a gift, if necessary, and created a block of time in her calendar to ensure she had an appropriate outfit to wear. At least forty-eight hours before the event, she decided on appropriate transport and mapped out the approximate time it would take to get there(with fifteen minutes added for contingencies). 

Jessica had agreed to today’s job only as a personal favor to Tina Valand, a beloved client, who’d purchased the voucher for Debbie as a birthday present and begged Jessica attend personally (rather than sending one of her excellent staff) because “Debbie is such a dear friend.” 

These days, Jessica could afford to be choosy. Since her homeorganization business had taken off a few years back, Jessica left the grunt work to her team of staff while she concentrated on positioning herself as Australia’s leading expert on home organization, appearing on The Morning Show and Better Homes and Gardens with handy tips for a more structured life. 

When Debbie finally got around to booking her session with Jessica, she’d done it on the same day she hosted a post-Pilates coffee morning for her class. It wouldn’t have bothered Jessica had Debbie not seen fit to bring each woman into the bathroom one by one, announcing, “Jessica is my home-organization whiz” before inviting the guest to tell Jessica all about their own organizational struggles.

“You don’t mind, do you, Jessica?” she’d say.

“Of course not, Mrs. Montgomery-Squires,” she replied. 

Jessica did mind, of course. Now, Jessica was running late for her next job.

“Jessica?” Debbie said again, jogging to catch her at the door.

Jessica sighed. Pasted on a smile. Turned around.

“This is awkward,” Debbie said, “but I’ve noticed some items missing from the bathroom. I feel awful even bringing it up...” 

Debbie did not feel awful. Debbie could barely breathe through her delight. Behind her, in the living room, seven women in activewear sipped lattes and pretended not to listen. The eighth leaned forward in her chair and gawked unashamedly.

“I reorganized your bathroom cabinets,” Jessica said, trying for patience, “which means everything will be in a slightly different place. I left a cheat sheet showing you how to find—”

“I understand that,” she interrupted. “But I’ve looked carefully.”

Jessica wondered how carefully she could have looked in the four minutes that had passed since she left the bathroom. She also wondered if there was a way to go back in time to the moment she agreed to the do the job so she could slap herself in the face.

“May I ask what is missing?” 

Debbie glanced back toward her Pilates friends, suddenly less assured. She lowered her voice and leaned a little closer. “A bottle of Valium.” 

Jessica pulled herself up to her full five-foot-nothing height. She felt humiliated, as well as appalled for service people everywhere. “I can assure you, Mrs. Montgomery-Squires, I have not taken anything from your bathroom. But, if you are concerned, I’d be very happy for you to search my bag.” 

She held out the bag, glancing away, over her shoulder as if she couldn’t bear to watch. For a shocking moment, Jessica thought Debbie might actually search it. But the other woman said, “That won’t be necessary.”

After a momentary stalemate, Jessica’s phone began to ring, saving them both from navigating an awkward exit. “Well,” she said, “if there’s nothing else, I do need to get to my next appointment.”

Jessica waited a moment. When Debbie didn’t speak she turned and strode away.