Flawless // z.m

Seven.

I woke up bright and early the next morning with my face planted deep into the plush pillows. My duvet was bunched around my waist and my arms were hanging off the side of the bed. I groaned into the pillow before lifting myself up so my back was against the headboard. It took me a few moments to remember I was in Springfield and Mr. Malik was sleeping in the room next door.

I jolted from the bed and glanced at the clock which read 5:30 AM. The sight of those numbers alone made me want to snuggle back into bed and sleep for a few years but I had to be up and out of Mr. Malik's way. I pulled a sheer white blouse from my suitcase along with a pair of dark, high waisted skinny jeans. I held the clothes close to my chest and tiptoed around the room, collecting my socks and shoes that slipped off in the middle of the night.

The bathroom, as I remembered, was just next door so I shut the door quietly behind me and continued tiptoeing towards the door. I waited a few seconds before lightly knocking on the door. When I received no response, I turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Mr. Malik was bent over the large counter, his face just inches from the mirror. In his hand was a razor that was being dragged smoothly down his face, creating a path in the shaving cream. His movements stopped when the door opened and he quickly stood up straight when his hard eyes landed on me. I stumbled backwards, my back hitting the wall when I took in the rest of his appearance. A towel hung loosely on his hips, threatening to fall with a simple tug and his toned chest was dotted with beads of water. My greedy eyes fought to stay put, but I lost the battle when I took in his inked chest.

The wings that I had seen before through his shirt were much more prominent now. A pair of red lips were kissed onto the center of his chest, just between the wings. A large, filled in heart was place awkwardly near his hip bone. Tattoos lined his shoulders and down his arms. Only a few more and his whole front side would be covered in dark ink.

"S-sorry, I kn-nocked," I stuttered, trying to press myself farther into the wall. Mr. Malik rose an eyebrow at me. "I'll g-go" I ripped my eyes from him and swiftly turned on my heel, reaching to push the door open.

"Wait!" he grunted. I grunted and shakily looked over my shoulder. "There's a dark blue suit on my bed, bring it to me." I nodded hastily and pushed out of bathroom. I scurried into his room, not taking the time to look around before I found the suit lying across his bed in a black zip bag with the words "HUGO BOSS" written in white. I quickly grabbed the hanger and held it high above my head so it wouldn't drag on the floor and knocked on the bathroom door, louder this time.

"Come in," he snapped. I kept my eyes to floor when I entered, hoping they won't betray me this time, and hung the suit on the door.

"Can I get you anything else, Sir?" I said whilst my back was still to him. I heard him grunt and I took that as a "no".

I found a small coffee maker in the cabinets in the kitchen, and thankfully, I knew how to use it. I brewed two cups of coffee, adding milk and sugar to mine, and decided to make breakfast. I wasn't sure what Mr. Malik ate or didn't eat, so I settled on French toast. I placed two pieces on each plate just as Mr. Malik entered the main area.

"I didn't know what you liked or disliked, so I just made French toast. I hope that's alright." I looked up wearily, gauging his expression. He pressed his lips into a hard line and gave me a curt nod as he took a seat at the kitchen table. He stared at the plate of food in front of him as I stared at him.

"Get dressed. We leave in soon. I have things to take care of," he broke the silence and placed the coffee mug to his lips. I nodded and left him to his breakfast.

Mr. Malik pulled up to a large house that was glowing due to lights strung all around it. People filed in and out of the front door and back yard, filling the entire estate. There were balloons, and tents set up everywhere. Little kids ran across the grass, shooting each other with water guns. The adults all huddled into small circles and shielded themselves from the children.