Chapter 129: You're Not a Rich Kid
"You look stunning," Ron said with genuine appreciation.
"Mr. Ron, do you remember me?"
Fiona wore a black, backless evening dress. The fitted silhouette showed off her curves, and the subtle glimpse of her legs beneath the flowing skirt embodied the perfect balance of elegance and allure.
Any more would have been too much, any less wouldn't have been enough.
Of course, this dress was way too expensive for the struggling Gallagher family budget, and naturally didn't belong to Fiona - it was just a temporary rental.
Thanks to most department stores' return policies, you could wear something out as long as you kept the tags on and brought it back the next day.
She had originally planned to wear it out to a club with her girlfriends that night. After weeks of their nagging, she'd finally decided to forget about waiting for "the one" and just hook up with some random guy to end her dry spell.
She never expected to run into him again today.
Ron couldn't recall meeting a woman like this before, but if he had, given his eye for detail, he definitely would have remembered her.
"Sorry, I don't think we've met. Or maybe you could refresh my memory?"
"New York. I was a student in the National Academic Decathlon," Fiona said. "Part of the group that got taken hostage by those terrorists and rescued by you. We talked on the flight to New York, but I didn't see you on the flight back."
Anyone who knew her well would be shocked. Was this still the same crude, unfiltered Fiona?
"New York? Students taken hostage by terrorists?" Ron's memory clicked. "Oh right, I remember now, but there were a lot of students there. Which one were you again? Give me a hint?"
Ron asked with a hint of embarrassment. Rescuing hostage students in New York - he'd done that before. It was his first mission at the Secret Service Academy.
There were so many people there, and he couldn't immediately place the girl in front of him. But he desperately wanted to figure it out, because the sense of familiarity was overwhelming.
"On the plane, you came up to me and asked if I came from money," Fiona said, getting a little heated. "And after I said no, you asked me if I spoke French."
"Even the money for my competition came from academic scholarships. How the hell could I afford French lessons? Those classes cost like two hundred bucks an hour! You know what the most infuriating part was?"
"What?" Fiona's words were bringing back memories for Ron, and he had a sinking feeling about where this was going.
"You actually said, 'Good thing you're not rich and don't speak French!'" Fiona called him out without mercy.
Ron slapped his forehead. He remembered perfectly now. He had indeed met Fiona on that plane during her high school days. Of course, back then she wasn't as... developed as she was now.
It had really freaked him out at the time.
That face, that school uniform - it reminded him of a disaster movie from his previous life, "The Day After Tomorrow."
No way, right? Had fate given him another life just so he could die spectacularly in some epic climate disaster?
Even after Ron struck up a conversation and discovered she wasn't the heroine he remembered from the movie, he still wasn't completely at ease.
Hell, even when the students who were supposed to be trapped by flooding were instead taken hostage by terrorists, he still couldn't relax. Ignoring his partner Hobbs's mockery, he rushed out that night to buy the warmest winter gear and a stockpile of protein bars, carrying them everywhere he went.
Even when everyone made fun of him for being paranoid, he wouldn't let it go.
Who knew when some superstorm would hit? What about that freezing air that could turn people into popsicles in seconds? His worries turned out to be unnecessary.
Oh right, that girl had confessed her feelings to him back then, and he'd said he preferred mature, independent women.
"Okay, I remember now," Ron said, looking Fiona up and down again. "You've definitely grown up. When I first met you, you were just some high school kid."
"So am I a mature woman now?" Fiona lifted the hem of her dress and did a little spin, showing off her figure.
"Uh..." Ron was caught off guard, surprised that she'd remembered such an offhand comment he'd made years ago.
"For the past few years, I've done exactly what you said. I haven't dated anyone, let alone slept with anyone," Fiona said, her voice getting huskier as she stepped closer to Ron, practically melting into his arms.
Ron could feel her body trembling slightly against him.
"I never touched any hard drugs. Okay, I tried some weed a few times, but you know how it is in this neighborhood. Anyone who hasn't is basically a saint."
Fiona paused, then gritted her teeth and threw herself fully into Ron's arms, burying her face against his chest. She whispered, "I've been waiting so long for this day. I almost gave up hope. Thank God you showed up before I did."
Fiona had always thought being born into a family like hers was some cosmic joke. Even when she was staring down the barrel of a terrorist's gun during that hostage situation, she'd thought that maybe dying wouldn't be the worst thing.
Every day was just survival, just getting by. If she died, her family would get a big insurance payout. Lip was smart enough - he'd probably save some for the younger kids before Frank could blow it all on booze and drugs.
Her only regret would be never seeing her family grow up.
Just as she'd closed her eyes, waiting for the end, a gunshot rang out. When she opened them, she was safe and her captor was down.
"You okay?" A hand reached out to her. In that moment, he looked like an angel sent from heaven.
Ron panicked. "Whoa there, I just came looking for my drone. Why are you suddenly confessing your feelings to me?"
Question: What do you do when your long-lost admirer shows up out of nowhere?Waiting online, this is urgent!
"Um, if I'm remembering right, we've only met like two or three times total. Are you sure you want to think this through? Maybe it's just gratitude, not actual love." Ron tried to step back, but Fiona held him tight, and he didn't want to hurt her by forcing it.
"I don't need to think about it. I know what love feels like."
Then she held him even tighter. As if to keep him from escaping, Fiona even hooked her leg around his.
He had to admit, it felt pretty damn good.
"Okay, but shouldn't you at least ask if I have a girlfriend? Or if I'm married..." Ron's hands instinctively went to her waist to steady her.
He swore he was just worried she might fall.
Unfortunately, before he could finish the thought, she silenced him with a kiss. When they finally broke apart, she breathed, "I don't care if you have a girlfriend. I'd rather be your side piece than nothing at all."
"You said it, not me," Ron said, running a hand through his hair.
Fiona bit her lip: "My bedroom's upstairs."
(End of chapter)
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