Effervescent Evasion

Chapter 3: 'Golden Treasure Trail'

Author's Note: Author's Note: This chapter has not yet been beta'd. If you'd like to beta this chapter, e-mail me at .

(Sorry for the delay in posting this. Also, reviews do provoke faster updates. Thank you to my loyal reviewers!)

Several weeks had passed. Meryl was now used to seeing Knives gracing her breakfast table with his presence. The little insurance girl was also beginning to learn more about the mysterious Plant. For one thing, he was a lot like a child. He pouted. He grumped. He threw tantrums. But most of all, he gave her the'silent treatment'.

It pissed Meryl off.

It was like her very existence as a human being was a personal offense. She hadn't done anything to the guy except, well, exist, and he acted like she'd killed his lover in cold blood! Meryl growled and brushed her teeth with a vengeance. It's childish and unfair, she thought. And why the hell does that ruin my mood? That dick shouldn't have any effect on me.

They had argued again that day. Whenever they argued, Meryl's mood deteriorated. Her day passed at work with Meryl flinging sarcastic quips at her coworkers at the slightest provocation, and eventually being asked to go home early by her understanding, if exasperated, boss.

This was how Meryl ended up cleaning the house.

Yes, cleaning the house. It was another thing Meryl had picked up from her mother. When you were angry, do something productive that won't harm anyone. So she took up a mop, duster, and sanitizing spray and rushed around the house like a furious hurricane. Nothing was safe - nothing.

Not even Knives' room.

By the time she got to the Plant's lair she was covered in dust, sweating, and red-faced with exertion. Adrenaline coursing through her veins, she figured the best way to handle invading his personal space was to just barge right in - hopefully he would be so surprised he wouldn't think to kill her on the spot.

"Offense is the best defense!" Meryl murmured, and then went for it.

BAM!

Meryl opened the door so quickly that it flew open on its hinges and slammed into the wall, bouncing. Charging into the room, bucket of soapy water sloshing, the little insurance woman only got a few steps in before stopping dead in her tracks. Her mouth dropped open, the bucket fell.

Knives was naked.

The Plant was standing with his back to her, staring out at the baking desert as usual. The sunlight gleamed off of his pallid form, creating a white-hot halo'd silhouette around him. The not-so-subtle ripples and bunches of his natural and beautiful musculature were sensual hills and valleys, just begging to be explored with tongue. His broad shoulders led to a tiny wasp waist and surprisingly full, firm butt. The Plant, upon hearing the door open so suddenly, turned around to face her. And he was staring at her with an expression so furious Meryl figured she might as well be dead already.

'Ohjesuschristhe'ssofuckin'gorgous,' thought Meryl incoherently, before instinct won over and the 'flight' aspect of fight or flight kicked in. Speechless, and trying hard not to follow the golden treasure trail that ran down the muscular plane of his belly to his groin, Meryl backed out of the room.

She closed the door as quietly as she could, trying not to provoke the killing machine further. After about two minutes of silent pause, and no hellish blonde tornado came erupting out of the room, Meryl exhaled and leaned against the closed door. Her heart pounded.

Meryl felt something wet in her nose, and reached up curiously to touch it. Her fingers came away with blood. Oh, damnit! She was such a perverted woman!

Meanwhile, back inside his room, Knives turned around to look out the window once more. Meryl wouldn't know it, but the barest hint of a smirk graced his lips.

TBC