Michelle Monkou - One To Win

Fiona stepped inside and went on the hunt. No one was immediately in sight, although she heard activity coming from various parts of the house. As she walked down the hallway toward the staircase, she noticed luggage sitting in the middle of the entryway. Leo appeared and stopped near the parked garment bag and suitcase.

“Done with your super-secret mission? Leaving?” Fiona tried to sound nonchalant and not disappointed.

“I’m moving out to the guesthouse.”

“Really? What are you up to?”

Denton entered and Fiona waited until Leo was done talking to the handyman. The guesthouse was within walking distance, but another part of the garden separated the two houses. Maybe Leo’s staying off-site could be used to her advantage. He’d be out of Grace’s watchful gaze. Slightly beyond her cousins’ annoying interference.

“Are you going to work now? I noticed that my grandmother is off doing her own thing.” Fiona motioned toward the back of the house with her chin.

“I’m going to head into town to buy a few things.”

“Oh, great—I’ll come with you.”

“Why?”

She stuck out her hand. “Hi, I’m Fiona Reed.”

He stared at her hand and then up at her face, his confusion printed in his wrinkled forehead. “Hello, Fiona.” Finally he took her hand, gentle and unsure. “I’m Leo.”

“Good to meet you, Leo.”

“Why are we doing this?”

Fiona didn’t have a clue, was just going with her gut. “That’s how I greet new friends.”

He slowly nodded, releasing her hand. “But we’re not new friends.”

“If you start from the beginning of something, it’s new. Or you can fast-forward and continue with barely a ripple.” She tried with every bit of effort to keep up the facade that this was a casual conversation. “Circumstances have brought us together. Figured that we can be civil, all friendly-like, as we’ll be sharing the same space.”

“Sounds logical.” His doubt in her perspective poured out of his tone.

“I can hear the ‘but’ about to come. Here’s the start to my peace offering. Let me drive you into town.”

His eyebrows shot up.

She had to fight back a chuckle. “Hey, it’s all on the up-and-up. And I know the roads around here.” She crossed her heart. “I won’t jump your bones.” Yet.

Leo’s smile almost emerged. “It’s not that. I know you’re only interested in knowing what I’m working on.”

“I won’t lie that I’m not interested. Okay, very interested. However, I would like us to be on amicable terms while you’re here. And if that’s comfortable for you—” she paused to read him: nothing “—then we could...” Her attempts whimpered into silence.

Leo looked toward the open door. Did he want to shut this down now?

“Well, I won’t push. But just wanted to toss that out to you.” Fiona’s pride stung around the edges.

The staircase provided her escape and she turned to leave.

“Give me an hour to get a few things settled and then we can go into the city.” He stopped in the doorway.

“Hey, it’s cool. Don’t want to force you.” Fiona wanted back on firm ground, not this squishy place of uncertainty and regret.

“You’re not forcing me. Can’t, really.” He shrugged. “I’ll take your invitation with the spirit you intended. A small step toward friendship.”

“One hour, then.” She watched his exit away from the tense interaction. She guessed they were in test mode. All she needed was a slight thaw in the frozen bridge between them.

Fiona headed up to her room to change her clothes. She wanted jeans and a T-shirt. Maybe dressing way down could benefit her plan to be casual and nonthreatening. As for her hair, she pulled it back into a ponytail and then put on only a light cover of makeup and an equally light sweep of lip color.

A series of short knocks on her door provided the only heads-up that her cousins were about to barge into her room.

“Heading out?” Dana asked, unabashedly sizing up her outfit selection.

“Yeah, going out with Leo.”

“That was fast. Hell, I lost the bet.” Belinda pouted as she made for a chair.

Fiona rolled her eyes. “You two are of no help. I was having a hard time convincing Leo that I wanted to be friends.”

“He’s only playing hard to get. Why wouldn’t he want to be friends?” Dana climbed onto her bed.

“The project. He thinks that I’m coming at him because I want to know what is going on,” Fiona said.

“I call that being astute,” Belinda remarked.

“And right,” Dana interjected.

“I do want to be friends.” Fiona stated her conviction for the first time to her cousins.

“For your two-week jaunt or beyond?” Dana pushed.

“You’re making me sound like a calculating wench. Looks like I’ll have to prove myself to Leo and to you.”

“Oh, hon, no need. We’re teasing.” Belinda waved off her concern.

Fiona accepted the reassurance, but deep down, the teasing had a certain bite. Even Leo’s cool reaction to her overture had the undercurrent of distrust. Of all the things she could be accused of, being insincere wasn’t one.

Dana leaned forward from her perch on the bed. “Are you leaving soon?”

“Yeah. Why?” Fiona noticed Dana’s hesitation.

“Grace wants the family together at dinner. ‘It’s our first night under the same roof’ spiel,” Dana explained.

Fiona asked, “Are my parents here?”

Belinda shook her head. “I’m guessing that they will be here by dinnertime if Grace is requesting that we all be there.”

Fiona wasn’t confident on that front. A glance at the clock on the mantelpiece over the fireplace let her know that it was time to meet Leo. After checking her face in the mirror and feeling satisfied with her reflection, she breezed past her cousins and headed out of the room.

“Don’t do anything I’d do.” Dana laughed over her witty remark.

“I’m going on instinct. No promises.”

“I feel sorry for that guy.” Belinda shook her head again, her mouth curved in a grin.

Fiona ran down the stairs and hit the outdoors. At that moment, Leo pulled up in his car and waited for her. Taking a deep breath and exhaling some of her nervousness, she pasted on a bright smile.

Leo beckoned to her.

She slipped on her sunglasses and headed toward the car.

Leo opened the door and she slid in. “I was going to drive.” She looked up at him as she pulled the seat belt over her body.

“That’s because you thought you were going to take charge of the situation.” He winked before he closed the door.

She bit her cheek to stop from grinning.

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