Link walked back to the kitchen. Malon was sitting on the couch with her cell phone, and Megan (who'd apparently come down whilst he was elsewhere in the house), was standing precariously on a chair by some tall cupboards. She did appear in danger of toppling off onto the ground, so Link quickly intervened.
"Whoa there, kiddo," he said. Megan turned around with a look of surprise, as if she wasn't accustomed to a man speaking to her. But the look soon vanished, and was replaced by a wide grin. "Hi, Link!"
"Morning, Megan. You'd better get off that chair, you don't wanna fall."
"I'm not gonna fall!" Megan said indignantly. "I just—can't—reach!" She waved her arm about in desperation.
Link smiled and said, "Why don't you let me help you, kid?"
Sighing, Megan said, "Okay, thanks."
With ease, Link reached up and opened the small cabinet door. "What is it you want from in here?"
"The bread," Megan responded, doing her best to point him in the right direction.
"Righto, gov'ner," he said in his best Cockney accent (sounding even worse than Dick van Dyke, I might add). He grabbed the desired object and brought it down. "You ain't just gonna eat it like that, are you?" he joked.
"Of course not," Megan replied, and whether or not she got it was unapparent. "Why should I eat it plain when I can use a toaster? We've got the technology to help us! This is the 14th century?"
Link raised an eyebrow. "Is it really?"
Megan, however, did not seem to have heard him—she was bustling about the kitchen using various forms of technology to toast bread, thaw butter, and get water. Just as he was wondering if he should eat something else (doughnuts had been so long ago and were never enough anyway), Link spotted a note addressed to him:
Mr. Vaughn Link,
I don't know what it is you like for breakfast, but there's bread in the cupboard third from the left, cereal in the Lazy Susan by the fridge, and fruit just about everywhere. There's a supermarket four blocks down.
P.S. If you want to use the toaster, hit it to get it started.
Indeed a second after he read this, he heard Megan hit the toaster loudly.
"No wonder your mother asked me to buy a new toaster!" Malon said, off the phone. "If you hit it like that, something's bound to—"
"It's not broken because I hit it," Megan interrupted her, explaining. "I hit it because it's broken."
Link could see Malon trying to work that out in her head. "Oh…kay, then."
"Do either of you know when my mom is getting home?" Megan asked.
Malon and Link exchanged glances. "No, not exactly," the former said.
"Well, it's just that she promised to take me to the zoo, and I was just wondering when I should be ready by."
"What time does the zoo close?" Link asked slowly.
"Um…five-thirty, I think."
Malon winced. "Um…honey, I—"
"Do I know you?" Megan asked, narrowing her eyes. She didn't say it so she sounded rude, but rather curious.
The red-head appeared lost for a moment, then said, "My name's Malon. I'm an old friend of your mother's—haven't seen you since a couple days after you were born."
"Oh, yeah," Megan said. "I've seen pictures of you and stuff. What's your full name, Malon?"
"Erm…Malon Rancher."
"What's your middle name?"
Malon blushed a little. "Nayru."
"Nayru?" Megan and Link asked in unison.
"Yeah…don't ask."
"Okay. Sorry, what were you gonna say?"
Apparently, Malon had forgotten. "Uh…"
"She wanted to tell you a bit of bad news," Link said. "Your mom's got a lot of work to do today…" He glanced up at Malon, who nodded.
"A huge case at the firm came up, almost out of no where," Malon added, putting her hand on Megan's shoulder. "She's really, really very sorry, but…she just can't make it home early enough today."
"Oh," Megan said in a hollow voice. "Again. Okay."
Link didn't know if it would be in character for the girl to burst into tears or not, but at the same time he felt he should say something comforting. "But you know what? I would love to take you to the zoo."
"Yeah, me too," Malon said, starting to feel superfluous.
"Really?" Megan asked, lifting her green-gray eyes to meet Link's.
He nodded. "Really."
"Can we go right now?" Megan asked.
"You gonna go in your pajamas?" Link asked, raising his eyebrows.
Megan smiled, then ran upstairs without another word.
"Thanks for volunteering to come along," Link sighed, straightening.
Malon shrugged. "Haven't been to a zoo in a long time. Should be fun."
Then the two of them realized that they still weren't properly dressed either, and consequently went to their separate rooms to chance. Megan was done before either of them—this was proved by the sound of the xylophone that resonated so loudly it could be heard from upstairs. Looking around his frighteningly pink room, Link decided he was definitely going to take Zelda up on her offer of being allowed to repaint it. He left the deep green hoodie on, but changed his flannel bottoms for khaki colored cargos.
Link headed back down the spiral staircase to the room where he knew Megan was. As he had expected, the young girl was standing at the instrument, banging away. He could recognize the tune as a broken version of "Green sleeves."
"Not bad," Link commented when Megan came to a pause.
She looked up. "Oh, thanks," she said. "It's actually supposed to be for piano, but I think it's fun playing it on this. It's probably my worst song, though… my mom wants me to learn it…" A wide grin suddenly broke onto her previously glum face. "Do you wanna hear my favorite??"
"Yeah, sure," Link said, looking amused.
Megan took her "Classic Carols" book off the stand and rushed over to the music shelf. She then took out one sheet wedged between two of her books. "Saria wrote this one," Megan said, putting it into the stand.
"Saria?" Link repeated, wondering if that was some famous composer he should know, but soon found out that that wasn't the case.
"She's my piano teacher," Megan said. "Well, my xylophone teacher, too, actually. From school."
"Oh."
"Saria's really cool," Megan told him, picking up her sticks. "Her hair is like the same color as your shirt."
Link raised his eyebrows and glanced down at his sweater. Hm. And then, Megan started playing Saria's Song. It was very cheery, almost jumpy. Link suddenly felt the urge to break into interpretive dance, but settled instead on letting out a loud laugh. The song seemed almost too happy to be allowed in the solemn abode.
"That reminds me," Megan said, once she'd finished playing. "Saria's coming over at five-thirty tomorrow for my lesson, so we need to be home then."
"Yes, ma'am," Link obliged.
"When can we go?" she asked, walking out from behind the xylophone.
"As soon as Malon's ready, I guess," Link answered. "C'mon, let's go to the, uh… foyer and wait for her."
"What's a foyer?" Megan asked, following Link outside the room.
"Uh…it's kind of a fancy word for…an entrance hall," Link fumbled.
"Entrance hall?" Megan reiterated.
"Where we are now," Link elaborated (they had just stopped by the front door).
"Okay guys, let's ROCK!"
Link and Malon turned and looked up at the stairs. Malon was coming down them, wearing (short) shorts of denim and a white T-shirt that boasted "I (heart) NY."
"Nice shirt," Link said with a wolfish grin. " I came from New York, you know."
"Did you really?" Malon asked, setting her sunglasses atop her regal head. "I got this tee on a trip there a couple years ago. Cool place."
"Yeah," Link agreed. "Pretty cool."
"But the zoo's an even cooler place," Megan said, pulling on Link's hand. "Let's go, you guys!"
"Okay, okay, kiddo," Link said. He opened the front door. "After you."
Megan skipped merrily out into the driveway. "Do you know how to get to the zoo?" Link asked Malon through his teeth.
"Yes, if you can get me to Monroe Square. Do you think you could?"
"Sure."
The two of them walked out to Link's pick-up, where Megan was excitedly jumping up and down. As Malon stepped into the front seat, Link raised his eyebrows at the little Cleverly.
"Can I ride in the big back part?" she asked enthusiastically.
"Eh, not this time, kid," Link answered.
"Aww, why not?" Megan pouted.
"Well, there are no seatbelts in the back," Link explained, "and it's against the law for you to…not be wearing a seat belt." Under his breath, he added, "at least it is in New York."
Roughly Ten Minutes Later…
"Do you guys know how to play 'Picnic'?" Megan asked from the back seat.
"No," the two adults replied.
"OOH! It's really, really fun!" she said. "The first person is like, 'I'm going to the picnic, and I'm bringing…' and then they say something that starts with A. And then the next person is like, 'I'm going on the picnic and I'm bringing…' and then they have to say what the first person said, and add on something that starts with B."
"And so on until Z?" Malon asked.
"Yes! Do you wanna play?"
"Sure."
"YAY! Okay, Link, you start."
"All right… does it have to be food?"
"No, you could bring like a computer or something."
"'Kay." Deciding he should probably keep things simple (seeing as how they were playing with a six year old), Link cast his mind about for something that started with an A. He ended up choosing food, anyway: "I'm going on the picnic, and I'm bringing an apple."
Malon was next. Also thinking she shouldn't get complicated, she said, "I'm going to the picnic, and I'm bringing an apple and… a basketball."
"Not bad," Megan said, as they came to a halt at a red light. She thought for a moment, then said, "I'm going on the picnic, and I'm bringing an apple, a basketball, and the cryogenically frozen head of Walt Disney!"
Link and Malon turned around in their seats to stare at her, floored.
"Light's green," she said cheerily.
The three of them played all the way to the zoo, Malon ending it all with them bringing Zsa Zsa Gabor.
"Who's Zsa Zsa Gabor?" Megan asked.
"Oh, she was an actress/famous person," Malon replied. "From Hungary."
"Hungry?"
"Ary."
"…oh…kay!"
Meanwhile…
"Cleverly! You're late!"
Zelda looked up at the clock. "Negative, sir. This meeting is to start at 8:00, and it is now 7:59."
Some of her coworkers chuckled, but her boss did not appear to be amused. "You're still late, Cleverly—on time, like I told you, is to be five minutes early. On time is late, you slacker."
"Try to forgive me, Mr. Ganondorf," Zelda said, taking her seat between Schreiber and Wickham. "I was under the impression that to be on time meant being on time."
Schreiber looked as if she wanted to smile, but didn't dare to under the glare of their (freaky) boss.
"Think you're very smart, don't you, Cleverly?" he growled (Zelda wanted to reply to that, but bit her tongue and didn't). "Well, you may be smart, but don't get smart with me. Don't mess with a bull, missy, you'll get the horns."
She couldn't believe he was quoting The Breakfast Club. He mistook her look of disbelief to mean something else, though, and felt compelled to add:
"Now I know you were attached to your old boss, and he was very fond of you as well, but I don't care. I'm your boss, now. You do things according to how I say, you come here when I say. Do. You. Understand. Ms. Cleverly."
"Quite, sir," Zelda responded through her teeth. "May I make one proposition?"
"What would that be?" he asked, not trying the slightest bit to sound polite.
"While I appreciate your desire to attempt humiliating me in front of everybody else here, may I suggest that in the future you simply pull me aside afterwards? It's just that I hate to see you in a state of hypocrisy and that is exactly where you are—it is now approximately 7:02, sir. Our meeting is beginning seven minutes late."
"If you waste my time once more, Cleverly, you are out of here," Ganondorf said in a dangerous tone, overriding those who had dared to snigger.
A few people subtly rolled their eyes. Zelda was the brainchild of the firm, and anybody who ever fired her would be doomed to go down in history as the world's biggest idiot. But the clever girl said no more, and so with one last contemptuous look, the boss began his lecture on statistics.
Zelda immediately tuned out. She almost never did that, but considering she'd passed a statistics course in college with full marks, she felt her rapt attention was not, at the moment, necessary. Besides, she had much more important things to think about. It was Megan's first days with a new nanny—or perhaps "sitter" would be a better term for him, Zelda thought with a smirk. But before her mind could delve deeper into the matter, she was distracted by Schreiber's pencil.
It was hitting the table in rapid succession. But Zelda knew almost right away that this was not just a mere habit of Schreiber's or something she did out of boredom, but that she was trying to communicate in Morse code. The rapping was used to get the other's attention.
Zelda glanced at Schreiber. Both her brown eyes were looking directly at their boss, but Zelda knew this was just a façade. She tapped her pencil twice against her notebook to inform Schreiber she was aware of her.
The brunette shifted slightly in her seat, then crossed her legs and tilted her head slightly towards the ceiling. What's up? She stared at the table briefly, rubbing her temple near her eye. You look down about something.
Zelda frowned and pushed some hair out of her eyes. It's nothing.
Schreiber gave a small, quiet cough, rolling her eyes. Yeah, right!
Heaving a sigh, Zelda planned to respond, but unfortunately, she had sighed perhaps a little too loud.
"I hope I'm not boring you, Cleverly?" Ganondorf asked, feigning concern.
"Certainly not, sir," Zelda said, leaning forward. "In fact, I am most intrigued by the subject of statistics. Please continue."
"Thank you for your permission," he growled, before carrying on.
Underneath the table, Schreiber kicked Zelda, then toggled her pencil back and forth between two fingers, shaking her head and smirking. You're not worming your way out of THIS one, Cleverly!
Zelda raised her eyebrows and straightened. Why not?
Schreiber furiously started to tap out a reply with her pencil.
"SCHRIEBER!!" yelled The Man. "Would you STOP that infernal tapping?! Please, all of you, put your writing implements to good use and draw this graph!"
While the rest of her co-workers begrudgingly did so, Zelda merely opened her legal pad to a blank page. She'd already memorized that graph two years ago, in college. So had Schreiber.
Pretending to be copying down the graph, Schreiber wrote a note to Zelda on her own pad: You look really pensive about something. Pause. that's not statistics.
Snorting a laugh, Zelda decided that she should just answer. I got a new sitter yesterday for my daughter.
How old is she again?
Six. Anyway, it's my first time hiring a guy.
Schreiber's eyes widened. A GUY?
He's my neighbor's son.
Is he hot?
Zelda gave her associate a withering look. You'd think business people as serious as lawyers (especially Schreiber) would be above being boy-stupid and perverted. Kind of like Malon. I'll talk to you at lunch, Zelda wrote. And she did.
"Wow, hiring a man is like, breakthrough!" Schreiber squealed.
"Eliza, it's not big deal," Zelda sighed, opening a water bottle. "You and my friend are getting really excited about nothing."
"Nothing my butt!" Schreiber exclaimed a bit loudly, quite uncharacteristically non-eloquently. Zelda raised her eyebrows, but for all the effect it had, she might as well not have. "Sooo, what's his name, and is he a hunk, or what??"
Letting out a laugh of disbelief, Zelda leaned back in her chair. "You're acting just like a KID!"
"Y'all know I'm just young at heart!" Schreiber giggled girlishly. "Go on, Zel, what's his name?"
"Link Vaughn," Zelda groaned, admitting defeat.
"Really?" Schreiber asked, looking surprised. "Link Vaughn?"
"Do you know him?" Zelda asked slowly, arching an eyebrow in skepticism.
"I…" Schreiber now looked kind of confused. "I have no idea where I've heard that name before, but I definitely have…"
Zelda shrugged; it probably wasn't true. "You check up on that, Eliza."
"Oh, I will."
A/N: Sorry this seems like kind of another one of those "nothing" chapters, but the next installment will hopefully be worth it!