Over the fence ch. 8
by
Mastermindhunter
"Don't worry Private that guy is nothing but alot of talk. You know that we can take him any day of the week. He won't be in any proximity near you." Skipper turned to Rico "You go ahead, and ask for a date. We'll take care of Kyle, if he interferes." The boys jumped into the taxi, and left him alone, facing the large mansion. It must have costed twice as much as the mansions around it. He looked at the address on the paper. It read the same numbers as the ones on the mailbox. He walked up the pebblestone steps, to the door. The doorknob was golden, with a design of a lion on it. The inside looked illuminated, even in the bright sunlight. He looked for a doorbell, but there was no normal doorbell to be found. On the side of the wall, there was an ornate cast bronze victorian doorbell. It wasn't a button, but actually a tiny lever. It was as small as a light switch. The little traces of fading on the outer rim, said it was authentic. He took the tiny switch, and gently tugged down. A booming ring sound was inside.
The man who answered was very old looking, but had few wrinkles. He was old, but in a way, a rather handsome debonare looking man. His thick pure grey hair was clean and slicked black. He looked at Rico with a raised eyebrow. Rico smiled at him nervously, and looked past his shoulder, hopeful to see Gwyneth. The older gentleman casted his long skinny arm across the doorframe, noticing Rico's attempt to get a glance inside. Rico laughed nervously up to the older rich man. The man was not laghing, but seemed rather stiff.
"What may I help you with, youngster." The aristocrat literally stuck his nose up, as if waiting for answer. Rico was suddenly struck nervous. "Judging by your appearance, I expect you came here for a job, well, If you're expecting a job as a butler, no thank you. I already have a maid and she's twice the cleaner anyone could ever be." He said in a sharp degrading tone, that could frighten away a monster.
"Wuh-" And, with that, he slammed the door in his face. Was the universe working against his chance to be with Gwyneth? He looked around the mansion to find a door. Underneath a very tall trellis, a window was open, revealing Gwyneth. She was watering a vase of expensive looking flowers. Rico smiled at the sight. How does he get to her? He could call to her. "Hey! Heyyyy!" Blast! She couldn't hear him. He thought of what to do. He knew it wasn't a good idea, but he grabbed the trellis wood, and slowly scaled the wall. It was a lot less scary, from being a penguin. Half way there, she turned around, and walked to other side of the room. Rico grunted trying to pull his big human body up to the window. He gasped, when he almost fell. On the opposite side of the wall, there was a window from the mansion next door, that held a bunch of children looking at Rico with a stare that said what are you doing climbing a trellis? He stared at them blankly, and didn't move. They stared for a little while, then resumed playing with their expensive toys. Rico let out a breath of relief as the children didn't turn him in.
When he reached the top, the room was pure white, granted the flower in the soil. "Gwyneth are you working?!" The man's voice seemed hevier than the moment in the doorway. It was as if he was angry, but it seemed like shouting without anger. She ran over to the piano, to clean the white enough piano of the dust. "Yes Mr. Wiltshire." She panted, trying to please her apparent boss. "Well I don't hear any symphonies in there! You know the rules! Mozart stimulates your brain. I won't have my worker being a slackjaw." She ran over to the record player, and put the needle on the record. Suddenly the sound of piano, and violins seeped through the horn of the antique record player. As soon as the music started, she had taken her prosthesis, and left shoe off, and sat on an old styled sofa. The leg had a real leg look to it. It was a pole, with a foot shape at the end.
She had laid down, looking totally exhausted. "Just for a little while. That's all." She laid down, almost plopping on the couch. Rico tapped on the glass window, not wanting to enter the unwelcoming house. She was still asleep. To his left was a large white piano. He gently tapped a piano key a few times to get her attention. She looked over her shoulder at the unexpected noise. Her eyes shot open at the site. "Rico?!" She looked confused, but at the same time excited. She hopped over to him, her joy overflowing. She plopped on the window sill smiling. She gave him a hug, which almost made Rico fall over the edge of the windowframe. He grasped the rather large curtains for support. "How did you get up her?" She looked over the edge, and saw only the trellis. "You climbed up here? Let me guess dad told you where I was." Rico turned rosey around the cheeks. Gwyneth smiled. "Don't worry. I'm very glad he did." Rico smiled, his cheeks stretching from ear to ear.
She looked at the door, and turned back to him. Her boss, Whom she called Mr. Wiltshire, was in the other room, and didnt seem to hear her. "Listen if Mr. Wiltshire sees me without my leg, he'll know I was napping. if he finds you in here, he make things ten times worse. What is it you need?" She swung her legs over the window sill, and sat with her fingers laced. "Take your time. I won't rush you." He thought of what to do. He sat sweating in his best suit. This was the moment.
"Uhh" He scrathed his head, and let out a heavy breath, his skin constricting. He could only sit there staring at her. She sat there, smiling. He suddenly locked eyes with her, her green eyes seemed to suck his mind out it's skull. He pointed at her in the chest, telling her it had to do with her.
"Okay it has to do with me. You want to tell me something."
"What did you say?!" The voice behind her screamed. She suddenly jumped, leaning into Rico. He tried to grab something, but fell straight out the window. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. A large trimmed square hedge had broken his fall from the third story window. He looked up to try to listen to her boss, whom she referred to as Mr. Wiltshire. He heard the door opening above his head. Mr Wiltshire was a lot less loud, as if he was tired or had to calm down. "I thought I heard a voice up here. Is everthing alright?" He asked, looking around. Gwyneth closed the window, and tried to look innocent. "Why are you sitting over there when your leg is over near the couch? You know your dad doesn't like you hopping around without it! Stop buying these things, if you won't use them!" He shoved the foot in her arms forcefully. She let out a grunt, glaring at the older man who was always such a jerk.
"Yes sir." She put on her first two socks, then put on the cushioning, and another sock, and then the full leg. She walked over to the windex, and glanced at her watch. "It's seven o clock. May I leave, and go home?" He looked at her with his eyes as slits.
"Did you clean the bathroom tubs?" She nodded with a small smile. He waved his hand towards the door. As soon as she left the room, she ran down to the floor level, and ran out around the house. Rico was laying there. She knelt down near him, biting her lower lip.
"Oh my gosh! I didn't mean to push you out the window I'm so sorry." She reached down, and pulled his head up slightly. He was breathing, and was concious. "Is anything broken?" Rico had taken many falls. THis one didn't bother him that much. He held his thumb up, saying nothing had been hurt. She let out a heavy breath of relief. When he sat up, she brushed the twigs, and leaves off his tux. "I'm so sorry. If there's any way I can make it up to you. Oh, what were you going to ask me?" He sat there, rubbing his brusied shoulder.
"Date?" He smiled. She was totally caught off gaurd. She had never been on a date before. She was totally nervous, and knew Rico seemed nervous when he was in the window. It was the least she could do, considering her knocking him out the window. He looked at her, with a few scuffs on his jacket.
"You want to . . . go on a date with me?" Rico bit his lower lip. Had he just made a bad move to her? Jeez. He knew this would end badly! He cleared his throat, and nodded a single time. "Of course I'll go out with you!" Her arms wrapped around Rico's neck. He could barely breath. It wasn't because her arms were crushing his neck, but because he had finally asked her out. She offered to help him up, but he refused, showing he had no pain. They laughed together, and Gwyneth hailed a cab. It was her dad, Bill and they hopped in.
"Hey, honey. I see you found Rico." Bill smiled in the mirror. He took his scally cap off, and fluffed it out, showing his black hair underneath. When he whipped it back on, he took off on street. The mansions around them were amazing. Rico couldn't help but stare. He would also stare at Gwyneth, when he assumed she wasn't looking. She occasionally caught his in the act, and he quickly blushed, and turned back towards the mansions. He had to admit they were breathtaking
"They're beautiful, aren't they? Actually he found me. He and I are gunna go around town tonight, if that's alright, dad." She raised her eyebrows, and glanced in the mirror.
"Sure. That's fine."
"Oh and there's one thing. I don't want you spying on us tonight. Steve told me you have tonight off, so no driving tonight." She glared in the mirror. Bill sort of looked to his side, and tried to seem like he didn't know what she was talking about, but he did. "Hey that's fine. I wouldn't watch you all. What kind of person do you think I am?" He looked at Rico in the mirror, and smiled. "Actually, if you ask me, Rico's a rather sweet one of the four. He seems very nice. The one they call Private is nice, but didn't you say that Rico is the one that offered his milkshake?" Gwyneth rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Rico's nice. Well here's the hotel. She'll be here at nine." Rico hopped out, giving Gwyneth one last smile.
"Dad, Don't tell him!" She whined, turning red.