Illicit Touch (English. GxG)

9. Warning

Maybe it was the fear of being fired that caused me to wake up before my six a.m. alarm. Despite feeling a little drowsy, I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom like a drunk man. Good thing, by the time I walked back into the room a few minutes later, I felt more alive, relaxed, and loose.

I opened my luggage and rummaged through my belongings while still wrapped in a huge towel. I brought everything with me; the trouble was that I couldn't select which clothing to wear.

What am I going to wear this time?

My eyes were darting back and forth between formal blouses and casual shirts.

Do I have to dress like Lydia? What if Natalia provides me with a uniform?

I was visualizing a white button-down blouse and white slacks, similar to what nurses wore.

In the end, I dressed where I knew I would be comfortable — a scoop-neck ¾ sleeve top, a sports bra, and black leggings. Then I spent the next ten minutes blow-drying my hair — I brushed it until it shone and left it loose. Finally, I applied mascara, subtle eyeshadow, and a dab of lip gloss.

Even though I would be working as a nanny, I needed to look good, if not as good as Natalia, then at least as good as her employees. However, the effort I went to for my appearance wasn't because my boss owned a cosmetics company, but more for my own sake.

I left the room with a spring to my step. Then I heard a familiar voice as I closed my bedroom door.

"I can't believe she refused me this time!"

My pulse quickened, knowing that the approaching woman was none other than Amanda. I didn't have to take a glance at her just to check if she was really furious — her high-pitched sound accompanied by the arrogant clicking of heels echoing down the corridor were the easy giveaways.

I sighed in dismay. Of all the people in this huge house, Amanda was the first person I would be dealing with. Planning to avoid her, I twisted the doorknob that was still in my hand. However, before I made another move, she was already right behind me.

"Don't you dare…"

Slowly, I spun around. I could have praised her towering height and girl-next-door face. But at the moment, what I felt was trouble. She was looking at me as if she wanted to eat me alive or shred me first into pieces before stuffing me into her wide mouth.

"D-don't I dare what?"

"Don't you dare flirt with my girlfriend!" she huffed, slamming her hand on my door that made me jump and gasp a crispy 'f**k' out of abruptness. "You're here because of the brat. If I found out that you are sleeping with Natalia, I'll pull all of your hair until your head bleeds, you get that?"

I gulped hard. Wow, this is one crazy beautiful violent woman. But seriously, what made her think that way? I had a lot of questions bugging in my mind. But when my mouth opened to ask her, no words came out. I only watched her flip the golden fibers of her hair before spinning on her heels and trudging down the stairs. I finally exhaled.

What was that about?

I descended the stairs after my nerves came back to normal functioning. But then I froze when I witnessed how she pushed Lydia away who was standing in the living room while reading a bunch of papers. In the end, the documents came flying around them before dropping to the floor like withered leaves.

"What is your problem, Amanda?" Lydia cried, dropping to her knees while picking up the papers one by one delicately. With wide eyes, she glared up at the arrogant blonde-headed woman. "Do you know how important these papers are?"

My fingers tightened around the railing. Why the hell did she do that? Although I didn't want to get involved with them, I stumbled down the stairs and ran towards Lydia. Without a word, I helped her collect the papers with the Illicit Touch Cosmetics logo in each of them.

"Here," I whispered and handed the documents to Lydia as we stood up.

"Thank you, Charley." She nodded without smiling. Her face was still painted with distress. "I appreciate your help but remember your priority. So, go to the dining room now and take your breakfast quickly. Because you will not be able to do anything for yourself when Austin awakens."

"Alright, thank you too for the reminder." I plastered a formal smile. Without even taking a glimpse at Amanda, I turned to my back.

They continued to argue as I strode across the swinging door leading to the dining area. Oh, I hope Austin won't hear their noise.

It had only been less than twenty-four hours and crazy things were already happening. Or it was just Amanda that was causing the chaos. I knew I wasn't in the position to decide, but for me, this place was much better without her presence.

My nose was welcomed by the inviting meaty and rich scent of food. Sitting on the dining chair, I even closed my eyes as I inhaled.

"Good morning, Charlene…"

A young woman in a white button-down long sleeve shirt entered and cautiously placed a steaming large bowl of soup on the table. Her hair was tied-up and wrapped with a hairnet. She was the cook in this house, I supposed.

"Good morning too," I greeted back. "But please, just call me Charley." I was amused that she knew me, however, I wasn't used to being called by my full name — it was graceful and elegant which didn't define me. My mother must be expecting me to be like one so she gave me that name.

"If that's what you prefer, then I will call you Charley," she said and smiled as sweet as the maple syrup she was pouring on my pancake. Then she put the bottle beside my plate, stood straight, putting her hands flat on her apron. "If you need anything, just approach me. I'm Apple, by the way."

My brows raised in amazement. "Oh, your name suits you. Thanks, Apple."

That was the moment a tall figure entered the dining room. The glass of water that I was about to drink was suspended mid-air when I watched Natalia walk towards the table and take the seat across from me.

"Good morning everyone," she greeted palely and automatically forked the bacon on her plate. She was wearing a silky red robe and her hair was a bit scattered. Her face was so fresh without any makeup. I wasn't used to seeing her like that but honestly, she still looked gorgeous and natural.

"Good morning, Miss Natalia," I said and got back to my plate. Apple, on the other hand, walked around the table with alertness and poured fruit juice on her glass.

"Thank you, Apple. You can go ahead now," Natalia said to the cook without looking at her and after a few more seconds, the table fell silent. Only the sound of the silverware filled the room.

It made me feel a bit awkward. However, Natalia seemed not in the mood to be engaged in a chat. I couldn't blame her, though. I bet her morning was already ruined because of Amanda.

As we continued to eat, Lydia entered and approached Natalia. Her corporate suit was tidy but her face looked like she had been in trouble. "Miss Natalia, Amanda's manager has just called. He said, his model will no longer endorse the latest products."

"Oh, really!" Natalia made a laugh but it sounded empty. Though, the way she clapped her hands, it was like she heard the best news so far. "I'm actually planning on calling Amanda Hill's manager right after breakfast. But I'm glad they initiated. I want to thank him for making my work easier." She rolled her eyes. The moment she returned the attention to the food, she was more alive as she proceeded to eat.

"I agreed," Lydia said, beaming. "Alright, I'm excusing myself now since I'm in the middle of reviewing the report sent by Lulu. will be presented to you later this day."

"Go on. And thank you, Lydia."

Lydia nodded and exited the dining hall politely. It was the same instance that I finished my food. I must eat quickly, right? Problem was… I didn't know if I should stand from my chair now, or wait for Natalia before I made myself disappear in front of her. I might have seen her smile now. But it didn't imply that her mood had brightened up. I could sense it the way she sighed soundly.

"Um, Charley?"

My shoulders stiffened when she approached me. Now, she was looking at me in low brows.

"Y-yes?"

"I'm a bit pleased that you appeared not affected by Amanda's attitude."

I bowed over my plate. "She's kind of… proud and difficult. But I've met a lot of people similar to her so dealing with Amanda isn't a new thing to me at all," I informed her, and my mind made a quick tour back to Beaufort. My aunt was a perfect example of a difficult person along with some of our rude customers.

"One more thing…"

I laid all of my attention on what she was about to say next. "What is it?"

She took a deep breath and released her fork and table kn!fe. "You have learned and witnessed a lot of things about me and about inside this house. I expect you will keep every bit of the information to yourself. I may be a public figure but no one outside my house deserves any detail about my personal life. Are we clear, Charley?"

I wished she didn't notice the cold sweat that suddenly made a path from my temple down my face. "Of course. You can… trust me," I said, even though our agreement meant that my reporting career was doomed.