Yep, this is what’s up next.
Jeni thought back to a conversation she had with her mentor during her training.
“Oh, yeah, it happens all the time,” Cheryl said. “Spouses fall in love with clients, clients fall in love with spouses. That’s why RAS are such tight asses about the first ninety days of the contract. People think twice when there’s money involved.”
“Has that ever happened to you? I mean, has a client ever fallen for you?”
“It does happen to the wives way more often than the husbands. The female clients, usually they’re ferociously independent women who really do only want a hand moving furniture or cleaning out the garage. But the men…” Her voice lowered and she looked over Jeni’s shoulder toward the door. “The men who call us tend to be more… vulnerable.”
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When you arrive at a client’s home, do not identify yourself as a Rent-A-Spouse employee. Your “spouse” will be expecting you, so identify yourself by name to make the interaction more personal. Please be aware that you are still required to execute the security verification sequence using your RAS security wedding band.
Jeni pushed the buzzer for apartment 209. A man’s voice said, “hello.”
“Hi, it’s Jeni.” There was a long silence. “Ed? Are you there?”
“Yes, I’m here.”
“Ok, just listen to your ring for security verification, and then buzz me in.” Jeni rested her grocery bag on the floor, and slipped her RAS wedding band into the transmitter. After a few seconds she could hear the tinny, electronic tones of the wedding march emitting from Ed’s ring through the intercom. The door buzzed, and Jeni went up to the second floor. The door of apartment 209 creaked open a few inches as she approached.“Hello?” she called again, and slowly opened the door. Jeni had seen countless variations of this space. There was a main living and dining area with an open kitchen, furnished with a mix of Ikea shelves and some more expensive pieces from Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel. Through one of those doors to the right was probably a bedroom with a full bath, one door was probably a powder room, and the third was likely a coat closet. Ed was standing in the middle of the apartment with his hands in his pockets.
“Hi,” Ed said, and kicked his heel into the carpet. Jeni knew he was thirty-four, but he looked much younger.
Make your spouse feel at ease. If you act as if it is natural for you to be in his/her home, your spouse will follow suit and relax.
“I brought ingredients for dinner.” Jeni held up the grocery bag and moved toward the kitchen. “Pasta with a fresh tomato and artichoke sauce, some garlic bread. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good.” Ed followed her to the kitchen area, stopping where the carpet ended and linoleum began. Jeni unloaded the contents of the bag onto the counter: box of spaghetti, tomatoes, jar of artichoke hearts, baguette, spices and fresh herbs. “So, what should I do?” Ed asked. “While you do your thing. While you cook?”
“Whatever you like, my dear. We can talk, or you can do whatever else you want.” She found the cutting board (first drawer, under the coffee maker) a knife (knife block on the counter next to the sink), and a pot to boil water (lower cabinet next to the stove).
“How did you know where everything is?”
Jeni smiled.
Extensive research in order to make the client feel more comfortable is one of our value-added services.
Ed pulled the metal “wedding ring” out of his pocket and poked the top of his thumb through it. He watched Jeni move through the kitchen, putting a pot of water on the stove, chopping vegetables, and slicing bread.
