Chapter 35: Fiona

"Hi." Paige greeted.

"Hey." Simon replied short of words.

"What brings you?" She asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I just wanted..., Can I come in?" He asked.

"Sure." She replied and shifted to the side to allow him in. He walked into the room and got enveloped with the sweet smell of Lavender mixed with Strawberry, Coconut and one other fragrance that he couldn't make out no matter how hard he tried. It could be roses or citrus or cinnamon even, he just couldn't place it but he knew the base of the fragrance and it was Lavender. "Please sit." She offered him a seat opposite her bed while she sat down on her bed opposite him trying without success to bring down her inner slip to prevent the large amount of her thigh that was on display.

Simon smiled inwardly. At least there was something to look at he thought to himself. He has seen a lot of skin, but hers was so perfect. "I've spoken with lawyer." He started gaining her full attention. "She's agreed to check the house and should be able to seal the deal at most two days from now starting from tomorrow." He told her.

"Your lawyer is Anna right?" She asked him.

"Yes." He replied. Paige stared at him for a while. The question on her mind was rather evident even to Simon. 

"What form of payment are you proposing?" She asked him calmly.

"An extension of your stay to nine extra months making it a total of one year." He replied. Paige noticed something so different about him. He was so calm, his chin bones were no longer haughty or so prominent as they use to be. His air of arrogance was almost not noticable.

"Emily will be here throughout that period?" She asked.

"No," he started. Emily is going back to the united kingdom after June's wedding. That have been the plan all along." He replied.

"What then will I be doing while she's gone?" She asked him confused. 

"We'll think of something." Came Simon's reply.

"I don't understand Simon." Anna started. "Why will you want me here if I won't be doing anything for you? It makes no sense." She asked again.

"And who said you won't be doing something?" He asked with a serious face. "You definitely will. I'm yet to think of what." He told her looking at her closely to note her reaction to each of his words.

"I won't do your chores, neither will I your help nor your fuck mate. I would never do any of these." She told him sternly.

"I would be a big fool to ever ask such things from you and I apologize if I ever made you feel a kind of way. Please, forgive me. I promise to be of my best behavior henceforth." He told her to have her look at him in shock. Obviously the Simon she knew always stay high up in his horse. This was the first time she have ever seen this version of him. She wondered if it was because he saw her cry earlier or because of their conversation at the dinning room.

"Would you love to see the cardiac centre?" He asked cutting her thoughts short. Paige's mood brightened up at the mention of the cardiac center. She was hoping he might let her work there without pay as a type of repayment plan. Since he mentioned it, she believed it was possible.

"I would love to." She replied.

"I will take you there tomorrow. They have a booked surgery. You might want to see." He said.

"Sure!" She said excitedly. "I can't wait."

"I'll have to go now." He stood up in a bid to distract himself from the tempting thighs in front of him. "I'm hoping on getting an answer to my proposal before the week runs out. Will that be okay by you?" 

"Okay." She replied standing up to see him off. Once outside the door, Simon turned to her.

"I just want you to know that I'm not a bad person. I actually struggle to express myself. Most times, I get misunderstood. But I meant it when I said that I always come through for people that I care about. And you should know this, I care about you." He said making Paige speechless as she stared at him open mouthed. "Good night sunflower." He finally said.

"Goodnight." Paige replied and watched him turn to the direction that led to his room at the end of the floor. She went back into her room stunned, speechless and bothered. One year was a very long time. Though it was not too long to sacrifice in order to have her home and 'Pai Boxes'. These are the basic things she can fall back to. The only problem she had was Simon's reason for wanting her around him for a whole year doing nothing. Just then, her phone rang. She took it up from the bed and checked the caller, it was Stefan and she quickly threw it back on the bed in shock. When she couldn't bear seeing the name on the screen, she covered the phone screen with a pillow.

That night, Simon had the most peaceful and uninterrupted sleep ever while Paige was restless all through the night.

****************

Fiona kept pacing the patio restlessly. Her mother Theresa Ruben was sitted on a patio chair watching her daughter. The beautiful Pride of Barbados serenaded the walls creating a thick and extremely beautiful shade with lovely fragrance. Fiona paused in her steps and turned to her mother.  "Fiona, can you tell me why you're pacing round the whole house." Theresa asked her daughter once she turned to her. "What is wrong?"

"Mum, do you remember the girl that came to June Kentleys engagement party with Emily? The fake, ugly, thrashy, classless, immature and very irresponsible girl. Do you remember her?" Fiona asked her mother who went into deep thought trying to remember any lady of such description that was with Emily Kentley.

"I don't think I remember anyone with such description with Emily that day." Theresa replied.

"But I saw y'all smiling with the girl and shaking hands." Fiona insisted. She was sure her mother knew who she was talking about but it could be that her memory needed a little juggling.

"No," Theresa replied. "I really didn't meet such a person. The only person I exchanged pleasantries with was Emily's Nurse. She was the only one Emily introduced to me." Theresa stressed. 

"Her nurse! Fiona exclaimed. "She's the one I'm talking about mother."

"Oh dear, But she's none of the things you mentioned. As a matter of fact, she's very classy and intelligent. You need to engage her in a conversation, you'd be impressed. She is...."

"Mum please!" Fiona cut her short. "I don't want to know. I seriously do not care."

"Is she the reason for your restlessness?" Theresa asked her daughter. She became worried when Fiona nodded. "What did she do to you?" She asked.

"She's trying to take Simon away from me." Fiona started. "I saw them at the grocery store. Simon was shopping for groceries with her. They didn't come with a guard. He drove to the store himself! And that's not the worst part mother." She said  taking a seat beside her mother. "When I greeted Simon, he spoke to me like I was some fool. Like he didn't know me. He called me a pest because of that girl. You know how much I love Simon and how I've been making progress with him already. Now that she's here, she want to ruin everything."

"I know," Theresa said holding her daughter's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. I hate it when you're this worked up. If she's the reason for this ill mood of yours, then we have to do something about her. What do you wish to do to her?" Theresa asked her daughter with concern. Fiona was her only child so she always wanted her to be happy. In fact, she literally have her way in whatever she does. Fiona was a real definition of a spoilt brat.

"I want her to disappear." She continued. "I want her to disappear and leave Simon. I've been through a lot in a bid to win him over already and I'm seriously making progress. I can't afford to loose him to some cheap thing."

"Very well," Theresa started. "Leave that to me, I'll take care of that. Firstly, We'll dig up her past and see what we can find and also check if they can be used against her. Let's start with that for now. If she persist, then we'll devise other ways to get rid of her." She said. Fiona smiled happily. She knew her mother would definitely help her besides, she is her only child.

"Now, come sit." Theresa called her daughter. "While I work on making her disappear, I'll need you to do more about Simon. He needs to see you. You need to spend time with him. Seduce him if possible so as to get what you want. This should be your own job. Do yours, while I do mine." Theresa told her daughter.