PART 2 OF DOUBLE UPDATE
“You’re up early,” the familiar voice greeted me washing off the sense of my pathetic reaction of disappointment I had felt moments before. I spun around and found the kind brown eyes shining down at me. Liam was in a less formal clothing, but it was still clearly a servants uniform with the white blazer and black dress pants.
“Well, I’m used to getting up early,” I gave him a crooked smile. Actually it was absolutely freeing not having to start making breakfast or doing laundry, as Judy usually had me doing at this time in the morning while herself and her two daughters spend hours getting ready for their day.
“Well, that’s impressive, but you do know you’re on vacation, right?” He chuckled as he grabbed two silver ewers from a table nearby; one with steamy coffee and the other with milk, which he was about to serve to one of the tables, I guessed. The dining area wasn’t filled up at all - there were maybe five tables occupied out of the twenty five available. I was impressed with how quickly they could get the place ready; the breakfast buffet looked colorful, spectacularly exotic, and absolutely mouthwatering.
I laughed softly at his question; honestly I hadn’t realized it just yet - the entire thing with this actually being a vacation, where you were supposed to relax. It felt weird not working, or cleaning, or servicing, “well I signed up for a yoga class after all. That should be relaxing right?”
I copied Liam’s action and grabbed the last silver ewer, which he couldn’t carry. I was pretty sure this one was filled with tea. He looked back at me confused but with the widest smile, “you really don’t have to Fran; go sit at the table near the window and I’ll bring you the hot drink menu! You're on vacation, remember?”
I followed him stubbornly while chuckles escaped my lips, “I really don’t mind. It’s better than eating breakfast alone, you know.”
He rolled his eyes with a up giving grin as he couldn't argue with my insisting wish. We made our way over to the big round table, which needed the two steaming cans - one with coffee, one with tea.
I stayed in the back with a gentle smile, letting Liam do his job. My eyes flickered over the four guests sitting around the table. Two girls who looked very young and snobbish; that was my immediate impression. And then there were two young guys - that was when I finally recognized one of them; the perfectly combed black hair, breathtakingly beautiful blue eyes, and the ever so confident smile that promised you he could outmatch anyone.
Right now Richard Woodruff seemed terribly bored though; barely even looking at Liam as he poured coffee into Richard's fine white cup and politely asked if there was anything else he could help with. To my surprise Richard just waved him off saying 'we'll call'. His every word was dripping with the sense of Liam simply being a servant who had no right to be treated as an equal - or at least a human being.
I listened with dislike as Richard leaned in while watching how Liam now poured coffee into the other guy's mug, “clearly, they must have some sort of entertainment schedule here only aimed to bore us and amuse the old ones.” Woodruff's voice was so nonchalant, which made the two girls giggle loudly and the blonde guy, who I remembered Richard had proposed me to dance with; he smirked widely.
I on the other hand felt chills of disgust run down my spine, as I recalled Rose's excitement over the activity program they had worked so very hard to create and how they had even prepared a party in a few weeks' time with a surprise theme, that she eagerly had told me about.
Richard and the three others at the table completely ignored Liam like had he been air and it wasn’t till I was pouring tea into the girls' two cups, that Richard’s eyes finally brushed over me and his voice was full of recognition as he suddenly stated, “you’re … her sister right? The one who doesn’t dance?”
My eyes flickered up to meet his; I had innerly hoped he wouldn’t take notice of me. I sent him a faint smile that wasn't genuine, as I felt every pair of eyes - even Liam’s - fall on me.
I had no idea how to reply to that, so I simply stated a fact instead since that always seemed to work on Judy when I had no idea what to reply to her constant yelling at me, “Richard Woodruff.”
He nodded with the confident smile growing into place, as he leaned forth in his chair with newly gained interest; his eyes sparkling filled with million dollars worthy trouble that included driving way past the legal speed limit in a little shiny red Italian sports car.
“Absolutely right honey, Frances, wasn’t it?” I was completely surprised that he remembered my name and not Cynthia’s, whom he had been dancing with for most of the evening after all. Actually, I felt the shock physically show as my cheeks started heating up; everyone looking at me and Richard both being enthrallingly beautiful and charming, but also terribly rude and fairly disrespectful to Liam at least. The blonde guy with the blue eyes, whom I had seen before as well had already looked me over with a gaze that made me want to button up my cardigan or hide behind the silver tea pot.
“Just Fran,” I said biting my lip, as my eyes flickered desperately to Liam’s who stood on the other side of the table somewhat behind Richard. I begged him for help, but he just widened his eyes at me not sure what to do exactly.
“Of course; I guess you haven’t eaten? You should join us, Fran! Instead of playing a servant,” Richard’s smile was annoyingly confident, as he was the only one besides Liam and I who did not laugh over his own statement.
“Niall,” Richard moved his focus to the blonde guy sitting next to him who had looked me over, “I got a fantastic idea for today’s entertainment; we’re going to take these three young ladies for a drive through the mountains”
Richard gestured to me and the two girls who were seated; I almost felt my jaw drop and felt fairly annoyed over not even having been asked.
“Sorry, but no thank you,” the frank words had left my lips before I could think them through.
Richard, who had been interrupt, snapped his unfairly gorgeous dark blue eyes up at me. But it was the blonde one called ‘Niall’, who said something as his eyes locked with mine, “you’re really missing out Fran. The mountains around here are absolutely stunning; I think my good friend Richard here knows his fair share of stunning mountain lakes in this area, where no one will notice a few young people taking a swim.”
Richard nodded approving and lifted his coffee cup to take a slurp, while Niall didn’t break his eye contact with me as his playful smile graced his full lips. My heart was thundering, while the giggles and excited whispers between the two seated girls washed in with Niall’s words.
“No thank you - I really have to … to,” I mumbled feeling both annoyed and yet completely astonished that a millionair young guy and his equally snobbish rich looking friends had just asked me to join them for the day. Richard looked amazingly handsome; very like his friend Niall, but their attitudes completely ruined their beauty for me.
“I think you had a yoga class, Ms. Hamilton?” Liam saved me before he continued, “thank you so much for stepping in and helping me by the way. It’s too much as I have already mentioned.”
His smirk was warm and playful, as a sigh of relief washed through me at the way out which he gave me, “no worries; sorry for forcing you to let me help you,” I looked back at Richard with a confident gaze, which Liam’s helping hand had given me, “excuse me, Richard Woodruff. I have a yoga class to attend, as my friend Liam Payne perfectly pointed out.” With those words I turned on my heel and marched off with Liam right behind me.
I tried holding in the laughter over their face expressions, as I let Liam take the lead I followed him back to the table with the silver ewers. He grabbed all the empty ones; I copied him again and grabbed the last few. It wasn’t till I had followed him all the way into the kitchen hallway that I couldn’t keep it in any longer; neither could Liam.
“Did you see his face?” He managed to say in between the fits of laughter as he leaned against the kitchen door pushing it open with his shoulder. I nodded and tried hard not to laugh as Liam continued; “I don’t think he’s ever been told no before.”
The kitchen was huge and buzzing with people and servants; some taking a light breakfast before starting the day’s work. Chefs were cooking large portions of scrambled eggs, bacon, making more colorful arrangements of fruit or bread. There was even just one person standing and cutting a box full of grapefruit in half for all the young daughters and mothers who had read in their magazines just how healthy eating a half a grapefruit for breakfast was.
Liam was still chuckling, as he placed the silver tea pots in the sink, while my eyes wandered over the steamy buzzing kitchen. Occasionally someone would yell out ‘special order for table 3 ready!’ or ‘I need more milk!’. It was somewhat fascinating seeing how the machine of the Kellerman’s Resort functioned in behind the surface of white servants and beautiful buffet arrangements.
I placed the coffee pots next to Liam’s and leaned against the kitchen counter as he started emptying them for the last couple of drops, “won’t anybody mind that I'm here…?”
Liam looked sideways over at me with a gentle grin, “no it’s fine. Everyone’s busy with their own stuff anyway.”
“So do you think that -” I never got to finish my question, as someone came in through the door with a black jacket swung carelessly over the shoulder and loudly stating, “good morning my fine people!”
“Morning Tomlinson,” Liam responded with a more stiff voice as he finished cleaning the tea pot putting it forth to be refilled with hot water. Louis' eyes wandered over me and finally he noticed me; he smiled widely, “hey… Ms. Hamilton right?” He settled himself on the kitchen counter and watched me with slight interest, “just Fran.”
“Well good morning 'just Fran',” his smile was extremely wide and cheeky; I noticed from the corner of my eye that Liam was staring horrified at Louis for talking that way to a guest, but Louis Tomlinson didn’t seem to care at all, “so Yale question of the day for you brainy kid; has Harry been around yet?”
Liam glared at him and I recalled how Liam had told us he studied classics at Yale university. I tried hard not to grin over the annoyance, which was so evident in Liam’s features as he mumbled something like 'fucking annoying'.
A servant walked by with what looked like a decoration of croissants arranged on a big oval silver plate on his way out to the dining area and I watched as Louis snatched one of the freshly baked bakeries before Liam with an even more annoyed expression shrugged, “I haven’t seen him yet, no.” He eyed Louis' croissant carefully; it was so noticeable how he thought the cheeky wilder guy's behaviour was way out of line.
I watched Louis who frowned as he took a huge bite of the stolen goods; his hair was perfectly greased, sparkling sea green eyes, and his white t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I noticed it had a hole in the short sleeve, which was probably why he had rolled it up. His black converse were fairly worn too I noted.
“Well, that’s unusual,” the somewhat smaller yet bold guy stated taking another bite of the delicately crusty croissant, which made me realize just how hungry I actually was.
“How come?” I asked trying to sound casual as I hungrily watched Louis eat his croissant; he picked at it while chatting on, “well he’s always up early. Don’t ask me why. Back in Illinois he did the same - always up before the fucking sun to do God knows what!”
I felt how the gradually growing frustration over myself and my lack of knowledge yet extreme curiosity drove me to ask, “Illinois?
“Yeah, Harry is Louis’ cousin,” Liam told me casually, as Louis had gotten a new interest in one of the new staff girls who had just walked in and therefore hadn’t heard my questioning tone. She was absolutely stunning and looked like him with her raw style and attitude. A wide smirking Louis only told us a half hearted ‘laters, Fran and Yale’ before stalking off after the girl who seemed semi playful yet semi annoyed to have Louis Tomlinson swoon so cheekily after her.
I gazed after them completely surprised over the new information, even forgetting about my hunger right till Liam told me I could eat my breakfast out here in the kitchen with him as he would take a short break. And besides I could avoid Richard Woodruff, as he noted.
I gratefully accepted eager to learn more about a certain member of the entertainment staff who seemed more and more interesting to me. As irrational as it was, Harry Styles with the troubled green eyes seemed so endlessly fascinating to me - very like the way he had led the girl over the dancefloor like had she been a delicate flower he wanted to show the world, but yet keep secretly to himself as well.
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a/n: hope you guys liked it ^^ !! Do you have any specific person/actor/celeb you imagine Richard Woodruff as btw :D ?