A/N: yes, another chapter. i hope this one dusnt suck.
------------------------------
"You know, someone really ought to shut that manicurist up," Daisy muttered to Peach as they walked slowly towards the rest of the women.
"A good piece of scandal like that? Not a chance. Why that girl never stops talking! You know how those creatures are; babble babble babble, babble--never care whose lives they ruin." Peach sighed. "I mean, it wouldn't so bad if only Zelda's friends knew; we could keep our mouths shut."
"Yes," Daisy laughed. "I know plenty I never breathe about my freinds' husbands!"
"So do I!" Peach laughed.
The two of them came to an immediate halt and stared at each other. After an awkward silence, Peach finally rolled her eyes and continued walking.
"You know I adore Zelda," Daisy said distractedly.
"I worship her!" Peach chided in. "I mean, not only are we cousins, but she's my very dearest friend in all the world and I--oh Daisy, I forgot to tell you--"
"Break it up, girls!" came a voice from the next room. It was Zelda.
"Darling!" cried out Peach, spreading out her arms and hugging her. "We were beginning to think you would never get here."
"Sorry, just taking a last-minute shower," Zelda laughed.
"Well, feeling better, Peach?" Marin asked.
"Meaning what?" Peach replied bitterly.
"You and Daisy look so relaxed; it must have been choice."
"It was," said Peach, putting her hands on her hips.
"What're you talking about?" Saria asked innocently, with a confused smile on her face.
"Nothing," Peach answered curtly. "Oh by the way, Zelda...how's Linky?"
"Oh, he's fine, I guess," Zelda answered. "Just been out late recently, due to all his work going on."
"Are you sure it's work dear, and not a beautiful blonde?" Peach asked. She said it in such a way that Zelda smiled and took it as a joke. "Link is a very attractive man, you know," Peach announced, as they all strode into the dining room.
"Isn't he?" Zelda asked, taking a seat. "I can't imagine why he hasn't dumped me for some glamour girl years ago!"
"Would you like some bread, madam?" one of the servants asked Peach.
"No thank you."
"Oh go ahead dear," said Zelda. "Not starch, it's glutton."
Peach smiled wryly and took a piece of the bread. "You'd never know such a house wife." Zelda grinned.
"Peach, what did you mean when you said Zelda was living in fool's paradise?" Saria asked.
"She was trying to make a wisecrack about marriage," Marin
answered quickly.
She turned to Zelda, explaining, "Peach says that a woman's paradise
is always a fool's
paradise."
"Well, Peach, what ever I'm living in, I like it," said Zelda.
"So if Zelda's a woman, what're we?" Peach asked Marin
mockingly, pointing to
herself and Daisy.
Marin glanced at them. "Females."
"Ha! And what're you, pet?" Peach snorted.
"What nature abhors; an old maid of frozen asset," Marin
answered.
Peach laughed sourly, and a servant walked into the room,
addressing Zelda:
"Excuse me, madam, but Mr. Haines (Link) is on the phone."
"Oh," said Zelda, standing up. "Please don't talk about me while
I'm gone," she
added in a sing-song voice.
"He probably can't make it home to dinner," Peach called after
Zelda.
"You're such a cheerful person, Peach," Marin said coldly, as
they started yet
another leering contest.
"Hello?" Zelda said once she'd gotten the telephone.
"Hi, Zel," said Link, from the other end.
"Oh hello, dear," Zelda said warmly. "How're you doing?"
"I'm fine, fine," Link said. But there was something in his
voice that indicated the
opposite.
"Something's wrong; what is it?" Zelda asked.
Link sighed deeply. "I'm up to my eyes in work, Zelda. Having
the flu all last
week really brought me way behind. And I... I don't think I can make
our trip."
"Oh, Link!" Zelda cried, disappointed evident in her voice.
"There's no way you
can get out of it? Nothing you can do to... maybe bring the work with
you?"
"I can't," Link said, sounding equally upset. "You know the boss
always likes to
stay on my back; checking my every move. I couldn't go." There was a
long pause as
neither of them could think of something to say.
"Well..." Zelda finally said, clearing her throat. "I've got the
girls over, so I think
I'd better be getting back..."
"Right, of course," Link said distractedly.
"Bye," Zelda sighed.
"Zel," Link said.
"What is it?"
"I love you."
Zelda smiled a little. "I love you, too, Link. Good-bye."
"Bye."
Frowning, Zelda hung up the phone and returned to the dining room. Her bad mood was quite clear as she sat back down.
"You look as low as a swamp dear; what's up?" Peach asked.
"It's really too disgusting," snorted Zelda. "Link can't get away to Canada tomorrow."
"He can't?" Peach asked in a voice that said she wasn't surprised. She and Daisy exchanged glances, and Marin glared at them.
"You ought to do something to take your mind off it," Saria suggested.
"Yes, perhaps I should," Zelda said.
"Say, how do you like that, Zel?" Peach asked, holding out her newly done nails and showing them to her cousin. "Jungle Red."
"It looks as though you've been tearing at somebody's throat," Marin said softly, with a supressed smile.
Peach slapped her hand down on the table. "I'll be darned, Marin, if I let you ride me any more!"
"Oh Peach, Marin's only trying to be clever to," Zelda said, waving her hand dismissively.
"Well she takes a crack at everything about me; even my nails," Peach huffed.
"Well, I like them, I really do," Zelda said, taking Peach's hands and looking at the nails again. "You got them done at Sydney's, right?"
"Yes, you should go, Zelda," Peach said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "The manicurist Arga."
"Sydney's, Arga, Jungle Red," Zelda repeated. "I've got it."
Peach placed her fingertips together and smiled wickedly; as Daisy bit her lip and shook her head.
-----------------------------------
"So I decided to take Peach's advice and come here," Zelda said to Saria, as the two of them strolled into Sydney's salon.
"But why are you getting yourself hauled over for Link when he already thinks you're beautiful?" Saria asked.
Zelda smiled coyly, saying, "And what makes you think I'm getting hauled over for Link?"
"Well you are, aren't you?" Saria asked, grinning.
"Of course." Zelda walked up to the desk. "Hello, I'm Mrs. Haines; a friend of Mrs. Fowler's." (A/N: remember, peach's last name is fowler).
"Oh yes, you had an appointment with Arga, correct?" the woman behind the desk asked, and Zelda nodded. "Right this way, madam."
Zelda followed the woman into a room, where a skinny, platinum blonde awaited them--Arga.
"Hello, Miss," said Arga, as Zelda sat down. "Who sent you in?"
"Oh, I'm a friend of Mrs. Fowler's," Zelda responded.
"Oh, Peach!" Arga laughed. "Isn't she a lamb?" She giggled again as Zelda smiled; then continued. "We've been exchanging the most interesting stories, lately. For instance, she told me that her friend Jack's always been able to explain anything, but when his wife found him coming home late with lipstick on his collar, that was something he wasn't even gonna TRY to explain! Do you know Mrs. Link Haines?"
Zelda looked up. "Why yes, I--"
"Oh, Peach feels awful sorry for her," Arga said wistfully.
Zelda chuckled with confusion. "Well I don't, I..."
"You would if you knew this girl," said Arga matter-of-factly, beginning to file Zelda's nails.
"What girl?" Zelda asked, with smooth and gentle curiousity.
"Malon Allen," Arga answered.
"Malon Allen?" Zelda repeated, the name meaning nothing to her.
"Yes, the girl that's hooked Mr. Haines," Arga said. At this, Zelda tensed and her hand jerked a little. "What's the matter, don't you like the file?" Arga laughed. "Well anyway, Malon works at Black's. I did too, before I got fire--left. That's how I found out about all this."
"All of what?" Zelda asked, keeping her voice quiet.
"About Malon and Mr. Haines!" Arga said impatiently. "I can still recall when they first met! It was an awfully rainy day, I remember. This handsome man walks up to the counter, and Malon nabs him. 'I'd like to buy some perfume,' he says. So Malon shows him our season special, Summer Rain."
'That's the perfume Link got me for my birthday,' Zelda thought to herself, her brow furrowing.
"And Malon's got those eyes that go up and down a man like a searchlight, you know what I mean? So anyway, she puts some of the perfume in the crook of her arm for him to smell, and since then they've been inseperable." Arga put down the file and picked up the nail polish. "Jungle Red, I suppose. Will it be one coat or two?"
Zelda smiled blankly and fumbled to stand up. "That's all right, I won't be needing anything..." She rummaged in her purse for a second, then set a dime down on the table.
Arga looked at her in confusion. "But...that's what all of Mrs. Fowler's friends came for, don't you..."
"I think I got what all of Mrs. Fowler's friends come for," Zelda said, laughing to hide her current anguish.
"Well, all right," Arga said slowly. As Zelda prepared to leave, she said, "I tell her you were in, Mrs...uh..."
"Haines," Zelda said with another forced smile. "Mrs. Link Haines."
"Oh, oka--" Arga halted and her eyes widened. "Oh, no...oh geez, Mrs. Haines, I'm awful sorry..."
Zelda took a deep breath and rested her elbow on a nearby desk, willing not to cry.
"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Haines," Arga said desperately. "If--if there's anything I can do, I'll--"
"Just stop spreading that story," Zelda breathed.
"Oh, sure I will, of course," Arga said, nodding fervently. "Just-- I'd do somethin' about it, Mrs. Haines." Zelda stared at her, and Arga looked scared again. "I--I mean, Malon's an awful woman--she's terribly clever and she's terribly pretty, and..." Zelda's expression turned incomprehensible, and Arga worriedly said, "Well, now you know, Mrs. Haines...do something about it."
Without another word, Zelda walked out of the room. She hoped Saria would be in the lobby, but she'd already gone to her own appointment. Zelda held up her head and was careful not to show any emotion as she strode nonchalantly out Sydney's doors.
She couldn't get Arga's words out of her head.....
"Well now you know, Mrs Haines...."
------------------
A/N: ohhhhhhhhhhhh! harsh, eh? dont worry about lz, tho. everything will turn out FINE in the end. plz review, and plz dont stop reading!!
------------------------------
"You know, someone really ought to shut that manicurist up," Daisy muttered to Peach as they walked slowly towards the rest of the women.
"A good piece of scandal like that? Not a chance. Why that girl never stops talking! You know how those creatures are; babble babble babble, babble--never care whose lives they ruin." Peach sighed. "I mean, it wouldn't so bad if only Zelda's friends knew; we could keep our mouths shut."
"Yes," Daisy laughed. "I know plenty I never breathe about my freinds' husbands!"
"So do I!" Peach laughed.
The two of them came to an immediate halt and stared at each other. After an awkward silence, Peach finally rolled her eyes and continued walking.
"You know I adore Zelda," Daisy said distractedly.
"I worship her!" Peach chided in. "I mean, not only are we cousins, but she's my very dearest friend in all the world and I--oh Daisy, I forgot to tell you--"
"Break it up, girls!" came a voice from the next room. It was Zelda.
"Darling!" cried out Peach, spreading out her arms and hugging her. "We were beginning to think you would never get here."
"Sorry, just taking a last-minute shower," Zelda laughed.
"Well, feeling better, Peach?" Marin asked.
"Meaning what?" Peach replied bitterly.
"You and Daisy look so relaxed; it must have been choice."
"It was," said Peach, putting her hands on her hips.
"What're you talking about?" Saria asked innocently, with a confused smile on her face.
"Nothing," Peach answered curtly. "Oh by the way, Zelda...how's Linky?"
"Oh, he's fine, I guess," Zelda answered. "Just been out late recently, due to all his work going on."
"Are you sure it's work dear, and not a beautiful blonde?" Peach asked. She said it in such a way that Zelda smiled and took it as a joke. "Link is a very attractive man, you know," Peach announced, as they all strode into the dining room.
"Isn't he?" Zelda asked, taking a seat. "I can't imagine why he hasn't dumped me for some glamour girl years ago!"
"Would you like some bread, madam?" one of the servants asked Peach.
"No thank you."
"Oh go ahead dear," said Zelda. "Not starch, it's glutton."
Peach smiled wryly and took a piece of the bread. "You'd never know such a house wife." Zelda grinned.
"Peach, what did you mean when you said Zelda was living in fool's paradise?" Saria asked.
"She was trying to make a wisecrack about marriage," Marin
answered quickly.
She turned to Zelda, explaining, "Peach says that a woman's paradise
is always a fool's
paradise."
"Well, Peach, what ever I'm living in, I like it," said Zelda.
"So if Zelda's a woman, what're we?" Peach asked Marin
mockingly, pointing to
herself and Daisy.
Marin glanced at them. "Females."
"Ha! And what're you, pet?" Peach snorted.
"What nature abhors; an old maid of frozen asset," Marin
answered.
Peach laughed sourly, and a servant walked into the room,
addressing Zelda:
"Excuse me, madam, but Mr. Haines (Link) is on the phone."
"Oh," said Zelda, standing up. "Please don't talk about me while
I'm gone," she
added in a sing-song voice.
"He probably can't make it home to dinner," Peach called after
Zelda.
"You're such a cheerful person, Peach," Marin said coldly, as
they started yet
another leering contest.
"Hello?" Zelda said once she'd gotten the telephone.
"Hi, Zel," said Link, from the other end.
"Oh hello, dear," Zelda said warmly. "How're you doing?"
"I'm fine, fine," Link said. But there was something in his
voice that indicated the
opposite.
"Something's wrong; what is it?" Zelda asked.
Link sighed deeply. "I'm up to my eyes in work, Zelda. Having
the flu all last
week really brought me way behind. And I... I don't think I can make
our trip."
"Oh, Link!" Zelda cried, disappointed evident in her voice.
"There's no way you
can get out of it? Nothing you can do to... maybe bring the work with
you?"
"I can't," Link said, sounding equally upset. "You know the boss
always likes to
stay on my back; checking my every move. I couldn't go." There was a
long pause as
neither of them could think of something to say.
"Well..." Zelda finally said, clearing her throat. "I've got the
girls over, so I think
I'd better be getting back..."
"Right, of course," Link said distractedly.
"Bye," Zelda sighed.
"Zel," Link said.
"What is it?"
"I love you."
Zelda smiled a little. "I love you, too, Link. Good-bye."
"Bye."
Frowning, Zelda hung up the phone and returned to the dining room. Her bad mood was quite clear as she sat back down.
"You look as low as a swamp dear; what's up?" Peach asked.
"It's really too disgusting," snorted Zelda. "Link can't get away to Canada tomorrow."
"He can't?" Peach asked in a voice that said she wasn't surprised. She and Daisy exchanged glances, and Marin glared at them.
"You ought to do something to take your mind off it," Saria suggested.
"Yes, perhaps I should," Zelda said.
"Say, how do you like that, Zel?" Peach asked, holding out her newly done nails and showing them to her cousin. "Jungle Red."
"It looks as though you've been tearing at somebody's throat," Marin said softly, with a supressed smile.
Peach slapped her hand down on the table. "I'll be darned, Marin, if I let you ride me any more!"
"Oh Peach, Marin's only trying to be clever to," Zelda said, waving her hand dismissively.
"Well she takes a crack at everything about me; even my nails," Peach huffed.
"Well, I like them, I really do," Zelda said, taking Peach's hands and looking at the nails again. "You got them done at Sydney's, right?"
"Yes, you should go, Zelda," Peach said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "The manicurist Arga."
"Sydney's, Arga, Jungle Red," Zelda repeated. "I've got it."
Peach placed her fingertips together and smiled wickedly; as Daisy bit her lip and shook her head.
-----------------------------------
"So I decided to take Peach's advice and come here," Zelda said to Saria, as the two of them strolled into Sydney's salon.
"But why are you getting yourself hauled over for Link when he already thinks you're beautiful?" Saria asked.
Zelda smiled coyly, saying, "And what makes you think I'm getting hauled over for Link?"
"Well you are, aren't you?" Saria asked, grinning.
"Of course." Zelda walked up to the desk. "Hello, I'm Mrs. Haines; a friend of Mrs. Fowler's." (A/N: remember, peach's last name is fowler).
"Oh yes, you had an appointment with Arga, correct?" the woman behind the desk asked, and Zelda nodded. "Right this way, madam."
Zelda followed the woman into a room, where a skinny, platinum blonde awaited them--Arga.
"Hello, Miss," said Arga, as Zelda sat down. "Who sent you in?"
"Oh, I'm a friend of Mrs. Fowler's," Zelda responded.
"Oh, Peach!" Arga laughed. "Isn't she a lamb?" She giggled again as Zelda smiled; then continued. "We've been exchanging the most interesting stories, lately. For instance, she told me that her friend Jack's always been able to explain anything, but when his wife found him coming home late with lipstick on his collar, that was something he wasn't even gonna TRY to explain! Do you know Mrs. Link Haines?"
Zelda looked up. "Why yes, I--"
"Oh, Peach feels awful sorry for her," Arga said wistfully.
Zelda chuckled with confusion. "Well I don't, I..."
"You would if you knew this girl," said Arga matter-of-factly, beginning to file Zelda's nails.
"What girl?" Zelda asked, with smooth and gentle curiousity.
"Malon Allen," Arga answered.
"Malon Allen?" Zelda repeated, the name meaning nothing to her.
"Yes, the girl that's hooked Mr. Haines," Arga said. At this, Zelda tensed and her hand jerked a little. "What's the matter, don't you like the file?" Arga laughed. "Well anyway, Malon works at Black's. I did too, before I got fire--left. That's how I found out about all this."
"All of what?" Zelda asked, keeping her voice quiet.
"About Malon and Mr. Haines!" Arga said impatiently. "I can still recall when they first met! It was an awfully rainy day, I remember. This handsome man walks up to the counter, and Malon nabs him. 'I'd like to buy some perfume,' he says. So Malon shows him our season special, Summer Rain."
'That's the perfume Link got me for my birthday,' Zelda thought to herself, her brow furrowing.
"And Malon's got those eyes that go up and down a man like a searchlight, you know what I mean? So anyway, she puts some of the perfume in the crook of her arm for him to smell, and since then they've been inseperable." Arga put down the file and picked up the nail polish. "Jungle Red, I suppose. Will it be one coat or two?"
Zelda smiled blankly and fumbled to stand up. "That's all right, I won't be needing anything..." She rummaged in her purse for a second, then set a dime down on the table.
Arga looked at her in confusion. "But...that's what all of Mrs. Fowler's friends came for, don't you..."
"I think I got what all of Mrs. Fowler's friends come for," Zelda said, laughing to hide her current anguish.
"Well, all right," Arga said slowly. As Zelda prepared to leave, she said, "I tell her you were in, Mrs...uh..."
"Haines," Zelda said with another forced smile. "Mrs. Link Haines."
"Oh, oka--" Arga halted and her eyes widened. "Oh, no...oh geez, Mrs. Haines, I'm awful sorry..."
Zelda took a deep breath and rested her elbow on a nearby desk, willing not to cry.
"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Haines," Arga said desperately. "If--if there's anything I can do, I'll--"
"Just stop spreading that story," Zelda breathed.
"Oh, sure I will, of course," Arga said, nodding fervently. "Just-- I'd do somethin' about it, Mrs. Haines." Zelda stared at her, and Arga looked scared again. "I--I mean, Malon's an awful woman--she's terribly clever and she's terribly pretty, and..." Zelda's expression turned incomprehensible, and Arga worriedly said, "Well, now you know, Mrs. Haines...do something about it."
Without another word, Zelda walked out of the room. She hoped Saria would be in the lobby, but she'd already gone to her own appointment. Zelda held up her head and was careful not to show any emotion as she strode nonchalantly out Sydney's doors.
She couldn't get Arga's words out of her head.....
"Well now you know, Mrs Haines...."
------------------
A/N: ohhhhhhhhhhhh! harsh, eh? dont worry about lz, tho. everything will turn out FINE in the end. plz review, and plz dont stop reading!!