Vermilion ➳ [Zayn Malik]

[3] More Than Meets The Eye

More Than Meets The Eye

             EXTRAVAGANT IS THE VERY word that crosses Lenna's mind when she steps into her uncle's bungalow, its polished, mahogany door graciously held open by a beautiful, busty woman in her mid-thirties.  She's clad in an old-fashioned maid's garb (Victorian, Lenna thinks): a black cotton blouse trimmed with a white lace collar, a white pleated skirt reaching her ankles, a pair of black flats, and a white cotton bandanna fastened around her shoulder-length gold hair.

             Her red lips pirouette into an inviting smile. “Hello there,” the woman chimes, her big blue eyes shining with mirth. “Please, come in.”

             Lenna studies her for a moment before softly returning her greeting.

            “Nadia!” Frederick exclaims, removing his hat to expose his glistening bald spot.  His eyes rake over the woman's modestly dressed, hourglass figure in greed, and he clucks in approval. “Oh my, how very lovely you look today.”

             Nadia laughs, the sound similar to a gurgling brook. “Oh, Frederick.  Don't I always?”

             He chuckles, planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek before grabbing her hips and pressing her ample body to his chest. “No argument there,” he says.

             Quietly observing their banter, Lenna notices that Nadia makes no attempt to even subtly wipe off Frederick's saliva, glistening on her cheek, nor does she show any hint of annoyance or displeasure, instead her face flushed with laughter.

             Two possibilities cross Lenna's rigorously active mind.  One, either Nadia and her uncle are involved in an authentic love affair or two, Nadia is an Oscar-worthy actress.

             Without hesitation, Lenna smirks, fully rejecting the latter's null hypothesis.

            “Oh, how silly of me!” Frederick suddenly says, slapping a hand to his forehead.  Stepping away from Nadia, he strides over to Lenna and wraps an arm around her waist, eyes widening when he notices that it's even slimmer than his maid's. “Nadia, this is my niece, Lenna D'Souza.”  He gently squeezes her waist, her blouse riding upward in the process, giving his stubby fingers access to a sliver of milky flesh.  His breath hitches; never has he felt skin so soft and smooth.

             Even Shireen's didn't compare.

             Feeling an ominous spark igniting in his belly and even lower, he swallows thickly. “And Lenna,” he continues, reining in a slight tremor in his voice, "this is Nadia, my housekeeper.”

             And my weekly shag, Lenna silently adds, pulling down her blouse in a haste and debating whether or not it's too soon to remove the beefy arm slung around her middle.

            “Hello, Lenna.  It's so nice to meet you,” Nadia murmurs, engulfing her into a warm hug.

             Before she can even muster a reply, Lenna finds her face buried into a flurry of buttery blond curls, the too-sweet scent of vanilla flooding her nose.  She stiffens in Nadia's hold and then realizes that her uncle's arm is no longer wound around her torso.  Blinking, she tentatively wraps her slender arms around the older woman, not used to such motherly attention.

             Frederick clears his throat once more, causing Nadia to pull back sooner than Lenna would have liked. “Nadia,” he says, his gravelly voice turning aberrantly serious,“you are to treat Lenna with the utmost care and respect.  The poor dear has just lost––”

             "She.”

             Nadia inclines her head to glance at Lenna, the corners of her lips faintly tugging into a knowing smile.

            “Right,” Frederick says, frazzled, “she, has just lost both of her parents, so I expect you to tend to her each and every need and do whatever you can to ensure her comfort.”

             Nadia's smile grows wider. “Of course, Frederick.  I'm sure Lenna and I will become very good friends!”   She gently bumps Lenna's hip.  “Won't we, Lenna?”

             Lenna glances at the young maid, her smoky eyes, unreadable. “It's your choice,” she says, her voice soft as always.  Then slowly, her gaze falling on her uncle's meaty fingers, studded with expensive rings, she adds, “Unless . . . you don't have one.”

***

Author's Note:

Hi lovelies!  I am so, so, so, so, so, sorry for the delay and on top of that I am SO sorry this chapter is so short, but I thought this would be a good way to end it.  Gah, I just love ending all my chapters with suspense!  Sorry, not sorry ;)  As for updates, I really hate being a slow updater, but it takes me a while to think of ideas and takes me a freaking lightyear to type it up (as I'm sure you have all noticed), and I'm just busy with school.  But I hate even more to leave you guys hanging, so I'll try my hardest to update once a week.  This is me trying, loves.  Please don't hate me!  Lol what am I saying, you guys are all too much of sweethearts to hate me.  Right? ;)

I love you all forever and always!  Through the good and the bad and the ugly...okay I'll shut up now, but ugh don't you guys just love Parachute?  Bodily form of perfection, I swear.

~Melina <3

P.S. It'll take a couple more chapters for the ultra sexy Mr. Malik to make his grand entrance, and when I say grand, I mean GRAND, hehehe.  Think you can wait that long? ;) Read, comment, vote, fan, or nothing!  Whatever you like!  But just so you know, favorite commenter will get a dedication for the next chapter!  Oh, and before I forget, this chapter is dedicated to one of my most favorite people in the whole world, 'cause she's just amazingly perfect from her writing to her face, and if I'm half as perfect as her, I can die happy.  I love you Elyse!