Chapter 4: Up to the hill

Lina was sitting in a huge room, which Xellos considered as a cloakroom. She tried not to stare at all the beautiful dresses around her. It was useless. For a moment she regretted she couldn't walk in one of these dresses in front of people. Lina was still unsure if she should accept his offer on not but her curiosity started to win.

At that moment Xellos returned with a beautiful dress. The vine colour was simply perfect with translucent sleeves. Lina's jaw fell wide open when she saw it. The dress was long and she was sure that it would fit perfectly on her slim figure. In her mind started ringing alarm bell when she realized that it will be impossible for her to get into the dress without someone's help.

"Ehmm, Xellos, right now … you know … I was thinking … ehmm … how I'm supposed to get into it?"

Xellos looked at her frowned face and smiled.

"Martina will help you, don't worry about it. So, are you ready to try them? I thought that red will be best for you. What would you say?"

"I will let it on you." She paused when a strange woman came inside.

"Oh, Martina. Lina-san will need help with dressing. Please can you take care of it?" the smile from Xellos face didn't disappear and Martina nodded. Lina thought that she was definitely prettier than her, so she couldn't understand why Xellos want so much an ordinary girl like her for model.

Lina felt nervous when she had to undress in front of stranger. But Martina was a nice person. She was used on spoiled girls with a pretty face and no manners, so her attitude towards Lina was more than only professionally friendly. With her help Lina was able to change into the dress. She was completely nervous when she felt the soft fabric fit close to her slim figure.

Martina helped her to the studio where Xellos welcome her with a huge smile. In his eyes she was the most beautiful thing in the world. He said Martina to leave them alone so Lina wouldn't feel so nervous and gently lift her from the wheelchair. Lina turned bright red when she felt Xellos arms around her shoulders and under her knees. The last time when somebody held her like this was in her early youth.

As gently as if he was holding porcelain he put her down on a high chair before white background. Xellos lift her leg to her chest and Lina wrapped her arms around it, her face resting on the knee. As her hair freely fell from her shoulders to her waist, Xellos gulped. It was more and more hard to see Lina as a model only.

She is beautiful. I've never seen someone like her! With a smile he looked at her through the camera and started to take one photo after another.


Lina was nervous like never before. That whole thing was crazy and she couldn't do anything about it. Silently, she cursed Amelia again and took a deep breath before she entering inside the huge building. It was a week since she was in Xello's studio. He didn't send her the promised photos yet and she wondered if she looked really so pathetic on them.

Now she was in a big building and totally sure that she shouldn't be there. Lina knew that it wasn't actually Amelia's fault, but still she blame her for this whole mess. Everything started the next day her posing for Xellos.

Flashback:

"Miss Inverse, because of your medical problems you will have to repeat this year. Will you be able to handle it financially?" The office of the 'big boss' of this collage was nice, friendly looking and warm. It was end of May and in spite of that Lina felt cold along her spine. She was sure that she needed a new job. The collage wasn't cheap, but there were two little problems. First, she had no idea where to find a new job and second, even if she did, it wouldn't be enough for her studies. Slowly, Lina shook her head. This was how all her dreams ended.

"Well, I've expected something like this. That's why I called you, Miss Inverse. Our collage received an offer for part time job in Sailoon Corporation. The payment looks interesting and it would not collide with your education since it's a job you could easily do at home. Because most of your professors wanted you to continue in your studies on this collage I wanted to ask you if you would be interested."

Lina was speechless. He was actually offering her a job so she would be able to stay at the collage. This was her lucky day. With a happy nod Lina accepted that offer. Little did she know that at that very moment she signed her soul to devil.

End of flashback:

Of course she didn't know that it was a company owned by nobody else than Zelgadis Greywords. And why did she blame Amelia? Because the raven-haired girl didn't tell her about it and Lina knew that she was fully aware of it. The red head didn't want to think about the possibilities. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see Zelgadis again.

With a last deep breath Lina confidently lead her wheelchair towards the reception. Truthfully, Lina felt like breaking any second. Behind the reception desk was sitting a tall woman with a small label on her jacked that read 'Naga'. She was culturing her nails completely unnerved by her surrounding.

"Hello!" started Lina politely. Naga turned her eyes to her continuing with her nails. "I'm Lina Inverse from Sailoon University and I have appointment with Mr. Greywords." Naga's eyes returned to her nails.

"I wasn't informed about anything like that."

Lina's eye twitched at this lack of professionalism.

"Maybe it would help if you actually looked into your computer about that meeting!" growled Lina her patience wearing thin each second. She didn't want to be late for such an important thing just because of some stupid secretary.

"As I said before, I wasn't informed about such meeting. Don't need to look at it."

Lina narrowed her eyes. She wouldn't be herself if she let such a pitiful excuse for employee to bring her down.


Valgaav was watching his friend working like a mad man. A week. It was a week since Xellos was occupying himself with something he didn't show to anybody. Valgaav was as curious as the rest of the studio. The models went ballistic when they found out that the special collection he didn't let them to try was wear by a complete stranger who didn't even work in modelling.

The second day when they were irritating Xellos about it he firmly shut them up and locked himself in his office and continued the world there. The mysterious photos safely with him. Valgaav understand how annoying the models could be so he let Xellos work, as he wanted. But it was a whole flipping week and he wanted to know some answers.

"Xellos, open the damned door. I want to speak with you!" Valgaav waited until he heard a soft 'come in'. It was quite surprising that the door wasn't looked. The room Xellos was in couldn't be described as an office. It was more like another studio where Xellos worked on new designs or where he was usually sulking.

"OK, split it! What are you doing? The models bitching at each other because of that new collection and you closed yourself in here. So what's going on?" Valgaav finally look around himself. The whole room was covered with posters and photos of Lina, Filia's friend. Valgaav had to admit that the fiery redhead was incredibly beautiful and Xellos clothes were perfect on her.

"I take it that you have found the 'one'!"

"She is perfect, Val! I need to contact here again and talk to her. I'm sure that I can convince her to work for me. As hell that I care that she can't walk. I was already thinking about collection of photos completely suitable just for her. What do you think?"

"Isn't it Lina to who did you promised to send the photos?"

"…?"

"Did you?"

A long moment of silence.

"Xellos, … you forgot, didn't you?"


Zelgadis was disappointed. And not just a little. Thought he would never admit it he was quite eager to see Lina again. It was surprising when the university confirm that she will be the one taking his offered work. It would be nice to see her again. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't forget the short meeting with here after she woke up from coma.

He never met anybody like here. But she didn't turned up. He waited for twenty minutes but then admitted that he couldn't afford hired somebody who wasn't on time. After he closed the office door after him Zelgadis slowly walked towards the elevator. As usual he ignored the creepy smile from his secretary. He was sure that she was more smiling for his money than him.

While the elevator started moving Zelgadis tried to focus on his work for some reason it didn't work. Last few weeks he couldn't sleep and it was a problem for him to concentrate. He didn't find a reason why. After every nightmare he woke up without remembering anything. It started to be troublesome and his mood was very bad each day.

The door of the elevator opened again and before Zelgadis appeared an incredible scene. Naga who he was considering to fire was yelling at nobody else than Lina Inverse who was red in her face. He didn't know what shocked him more the fact that his employee was yelling in the middle of the main hall or the fact how beautiful the redhead looked.

When he got past the state of utter shock Zelgadis slowly walked towards them. Neither of them noticed him … not before he coughed politely and interrupted their row.

"Miss Inverse, I must admit I was awaiting you twenty minutes earlier…"

"Which is exactly the time I'm trying to get to you!" snapped Lina angrily not really care to who she was talking to. She took few deep breaths and managed to calm dawn a little. Zelgadis chuckled.

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault. Naga isn't exactly best in dealing with people." He shot her a nasty look under which the woman behind reception desk paled.

"I tell you what! Let me treat you to a diner and we can discus our working plans over it. What would you say?"

Lina just shrugged still angered and not so fast forgiving. That earned her another chuckle from the tall man beside her. Gallantly, he opened the door for her, which made her smile at him a little, and lead her to a restaurant that was next to the building. It was nice with warm atmosphere just perfect for a business lunch. Unknown to him her smile made him feel better and before he notice on his lips appeared a small smile while he was walking next to the redhead girl.

It was strange for him but somehow he felt uneasy. The girl made him feel worried. He wanted to make sure that she would be happy working with him. It never happened before that he would care what the other think about him. But something about Lina made her so different and he couldn't resist to her charms. When they were seated at a small table Zelgadis suddenly realized that he didn't want to resist.


"It's all your fault, Xellos!" Valgaav wasn't a bitch too often but sometimes it was too tempting not to teas his boss and friend.

"Would you shut up and help me to find it, damn it?"

It simply was too much of fun. Due to Xellos usual messiness he lost Lina's phone number and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't find it. The cherry on the top was fact that in his almost hysterical state he forgot that Valgaav could find it out at his girlfriend Filia since she and Lina were friends. Actually, he already did but now Xellos hysteria was too much of fun. That was what made Valgaav day. Happily enjoying himself he watched Xellos fretting around and making even bigger mess. Valgaav was simply waiting when the idea of asking Filia will struck into Xellos brain. He didn't need to wait long… just another twenty minutes.

When that finally happened Xellos turned quickly with a victorious expression on his face.

"You could ask Fil…"

With an evil smirk Valgaav wiggled in the air with a piece of paper. Xellos face was priceless. Even if he was about to fire him for that it was still worth of it. Xellos took a very deep breath before snatching the number from his friend's hand. He really didn't want to kill him.

"Son of a …" murmured Xellos while he was dialling Lina's number. He couldn't explain it but it didn't happened before that he would feel so full of adrenalin. Lina was supposed to be just another girl with pretty face and body. Somehow, she was much more. She was the secret of life he was anxious to unlock.


I'm so sorry for abandoning this story for soooooo long. I have no excuse for it. I know that this chapter suck but please bear with me. The next one will be a) longer, b) better. Hopefully it will meet your expectations.

Please read and review

Murail