The Red Wing Mansion

Chapter Twenty-One

"You were late," he murmurs, quietly.

"The clock... was slow, in the cabin," I whisper back, "It's no excuse, it's just... argh, I was nervous."

"Thank you for showing," Fontaine softens his approach and I glance sideways at him, we meet eyes and I feel an electric buzz through my spine, but it only lasts a second as he turns to the desk and my mother, "See you later, Marcella. We're just heading to the historical mansion for the photos."

"Oh, what a surprise..." my mother looks excited, then a little nervous, her eyes dimming as she no doubt recalls Pam's story about the serial killer who lived there, "Have fun. Behave Alix!"

She really yells that out, and I blush.

I feel like a kid. I can't even look at Mr. Fontaine.

As he walks out the side door he takes his keys out of his pocket, and we walk around the building to the back, where the nature is a little thicker.

His car is out of sight back here... I nearly die when I see a Rolls Royce casually tucked away behind Koff Falls Holiday Park.

There was no way this guy was a millionaire.

He was much richer. And that made no sense.

I blush just looking at the car, frozen behind the bumper as I stare at it.

Mr. Fontaine casually walks around to the drivers side and looks back at me.

"Are you coming, darling?" he asks so sweetly, and patiently.

I can't help but meet his eyes again.

I nod, I smile and I skip to the passenger side, hoping in.

We both shut the doors at the same time.

I didn't bring my phone or anything, but I surmise I wouldn't need it.

I put on the seat belt and Mr. Fontaine turns on the car and immediately starts to back out.

He doesn't turn on the music, so I assume he expects us to talk.

I chew on my lip just a little bit, nervous and excited.

The dream of him, kissing me, in the house that burned down... that dream which made me debilitatingly anxious... suddenly felt like the least of my concerns or interests. Instead of anxiety, I was excited to learn... literally anything else about this man.

What if I was able to see the past or the future, or it was a true premonition? What if I had magical psychic powers? I felt like I was thrust into the middle of a supernatural novel, and I wanted to indulge in the fantasy. Why not?

"Rolls Royce, huh?" I talk first, my hand slowly reaching for my pony tail, my fingers curling into my brown hair and tugging out one of the lengthy waves, pulling it over my shoulder as Fontaine turns into the carpark, and heads for the road.

It'd be a ten-minute drive.

Fontaine half smiles and looks at me... I blush a little, but he says nothing.

I start to fiddle with my camera, trying to appear busy. God, I'd give anything to have my phone right now, to toy with that.

"I guess I'm old fashioned."

Fontaine murmurs handsomely... his response comes a full slow minute after what I said.

So, he hadn't forgotten, he was just considering his words. I guess he really was a young country man.

"Nothing wrong with some manners," I blurt out, cringing inwardly as I think about my own conduct at home. Usually I was a brat, I couldn't lie.

"Yeah, like being on time," Fontaine takes a light dig at me, and I see him even looking a little annoyed about it.