When Andy woke up that morning, she felt like a new person. Humming, she turned around in bed but Leo wasn't in bed. Hearing his muffled tone of conversation that came from the balcony, she tiptoed over there deciding to surprise him.

Suppressing a smile, she pulled apart the curtain to reveal a gorgeous male specimen. Clad in only boxer shorts, his lean and fit body would make any woman swoon. Andy actually checked for drool and then grinned. How in the world had she managed to get such a good-looking guy?

She giggled like a school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrong now. They would go home with Mary and then she would, well, she had to sell the house and get out of Prescott, but that seemed much less important now. The most important thing was to get hold of Leo, maybe show him exactly how thankful she was that he tagged along with her so far.

Before she could pull apart the curtain and reveal herself, snatches of Leo's conversation drifted to her.

"Yeah, I know Robin's desperate to have me, but I don't belong to anyone, woman or man. So, please make sure you inform-" Leo stopped talking as maybe the person on the other end of the line started speaking.

"You know what, fuck Robin. I don't need these complications in my life right now. Robin can go hang for all I care. I can't be bothered about all that right now."

Andy waited as the person on the other end of the line kept Leo listening.

"Emily," Oh, so he was talking to Emily, his sister-in-law? "I know that Robin said that, but just because someone loves me and make floral declarations - it just makes me gag. Robin's behavior is clingy and no one with self-respect will ever talk like that and I really, really don't give a rat's ass about such behavior."

He paused again. "What do you mean don't talk like that? You think after all that Robin's done I am out of line and should show respect?" Leo took a deep breath. "Ok. I'm riled up now, Emily. Please let's not talk about what Robin wants anymore. I love you and will see you soon. Give my love to Zack, tell him his uncle misses him."

Leo hung up and stood to lean on the balcony railing, lost in thought. Andy let the curtain drop and went to the bathroom to freshen up, suddenly feeling like a deflated balloon.

Should she ask Leo what that was all about? Was that a clingy ex-girlfriend who was bothering Leo and telling him that she loved him? Did she have enough claim on him to ask him about his life?

Well, she told her reflection in the vanity mirror, I will certainly not be clingy with him. If and when he moves on, I will just shrug my shoulders and say, "Well, these things happen. I was smart enough to not get too involved with Leo in the first place."

"Are you talking to yourself?" Leo knocked on the bathroom door.

"Just a minute!" she called out. Well, she could be calm and composed. That was the correct way to conduct an affair, after all. She felt cool bathroom tile under her fingers and realized for the first time that she had gripped the bathroom sink tight. Something splashed next to her hand. She looked up in the glass and to her horror, she realized that there were tears on her face. How mortifying!

She had just been with Leo, sexually, for just a few days. And the very thought of someone else gazing at his semi-naked body in the morning made her go mad with possessive rage. Wasn't this exactly what she didn't want to do?

And Leo didn't take kindly to clingy exes. There was proof enough of that.

-----

It took almost half a day for Mary to be discharged from the hospital. Andy behaved like a cold-hearted bitch the entire time, not really making eye contact with Leo and not responding to his jokes and personal jibes.

Just to piss her off, he started flirting with a young, fresh-faced nurse, but she just ignored his antics and somehow her determined silence made him crack up.

The journey back to Prescott was also made in silence. Of course, it was Andy's fault, she readily admitted, but she fussed around enough with Mary and acted like not talking to Leo was the most natural thing in the world.

He lapsed into silence till they reached her home and finally he dragged her away to her bedroom. "What's gotten you in a snit, Red. Were you jealous when I flirted that sweet little blonde nurse?"

"Of course not, Leo. What gave you that idea?" Andy tried to maintain her stoic demeanor, but Leo was kissing her neck. Then her lips. And she moaned and placed her hands around his neck. It was hopeless arguing with Leo when she could put her mouth to much better use.

-----

"I'm fired?"  Andy shook her head in disbelief. She was back at work after a grueling week and now her boss, Howard Stern, was telling her she couldn't waitress anymore.

"Mr. Stern, I mean, Howard. There were extenuating circumstances. I did ask Felicity to keep you informed-" Stern cut her off with a raised hand. Damn it, she needed this job!

His kindly eyes were twinkling with mischief. "I said we don't need a waitress anymore. I am offering you a full-time position as my accountant. I have various investments and I need someone with your talent with numbers to help me keep my money straight."

"Oh." So she wasn't fired?

"I was quite impressed how you managed my accounts and your neat little suggestion of managing the inventory has already started saving me money. You're bright Andy, please help me by managing all my accounts? Oh, and so it will help you make up your mind, it does pay a lot better."

Stern quoted the figure and Andy was relieved. It was a much better job and she loved playing with numbers anyways.

"Thank you, I accept." Andy smiled at Mr. Stern. "It's a big relief for me, to be honest."

"Well, one more thing, since you don't have any vehicle, I'll loan you my car." He twirled a car key with a trolls keychain on it around his index finger. "It's my daughter's Camry and she's away at the university. You can use it, since I may require you to pay visits to my different businesses from Dallas to Houston. You can drive, can't you?"

Andy hopped delightedly and grabbed the keychain. "Oh yes, I can. Thank you so much, Mr. Stern!" Impulsively, she gave him a hug. "I can't wait to tell Felicity!"

"Oh, yes. Go on, then!"

It took Andy and Felicity awhile to catch up and Andy had to wait till it was lunch time to get Felicity's undivided attention.

"I'm so happy for you, Andy! You always had a good head about numbers." Andy grinned at Felicity. "Thanks, sweety. How are things with Ben?"

Felicity actually blushed. Then leaned in conspiratorially, "Had I known how talented he was in bed!" she placed her hands on her chest and sighed. "He's, um, well, very well-equipped you know?" She gave Andy a saucy wink and they laughed.

"So, how are things with Leo?" Now it was Andy's turn to blush. 

"Well, I mean, he's well.... " she stammered and Felicity laughed.

"That good, huh?"

Andy bit her lip to stop the stupidest grin from forming on her face. "Well, yeah, he's something else. Though I only had one boyfriend and that was so far back, I don't remember sex being so, well, mind-blowing. He's, well, he's just... I mean, to be fair, I haven't been with a guy for, well, eight years, so I may be overreacting, but he's, just such a great guy!" Andy finished and saw that Felicity was staring at her slack-jawed. 

"What?" she asked Felicity.

"Did you just say that you hadn't been laid in eight years?" Her blue eyes were wide with disbelief.

Andy shifted in her seat. "Well, yes. I didn't really meet any interesting guys, I was working in a home for abused women, remember? My friend tried to set up me up on dates, but I just didn't wanna."

Felicity's eyes were still wide.  Finally, she seemed to recover her power of speech. "Honey, you're, or you were, practically a virgin! I never realized that your feelings for Leo were so strong. I mean, you always told me that you weren't about to get married."

"Well," Andy wet her lips. "What I have with Leo is just a fling. A few short months of bliss. It's nothing more."

"If you say so, honey." 

"No, I mean it. I also heard him talking about his ex, today."

Felicity's lips formed a sympathetic moue. Then she squeezed Andy's hand. "I do hope that-, well, sweety, just be careful, ok?"

Andy enjoyed the first day that she spent with only the accounting books. She even found herself humming. It seemed to her that she was finally doing something that she was good at.

"Someone's in a good mood!" Andy looked up to see Leo sauntering in. He had a jacket hooked on his shoulder and a pair of Raybans hooked on the top of his head. In jeans and a white muscle T, he looked yummy. 

Andy gave him a brilliant smile. "I was hoping you'd drop by!"

"Well," he came over and pecked Andy's lips. "Someone wanted to meet you."

"Washington!" Andy squealed as the big dog bounded in and launched himself at Andy. She buried his nose in his fur. "I've missed you, boy!"

His side was still bandaged and she shot Leo a worried look. Drew sauntered in after him.

"Oh Drew, thanks for taking care of Washington!" She impulsively hugged him. "You're the best!"

"Well," Drew blushed and stepped away from Andy with a wary glance at Leo. "It was my pleasure."

---

To celebrate Andy's promotion, Leo took her to Houston. They wined and dined and he took her to the Ritz where they stood together in the balcony, sipping champagne. Leo certainly did everything in style.

"It was kind of Drew and Felicity to take in Mary for the night." It would have been impossible for Andy to get away otherwise.

"Yes, Drew's a pal."

"What's the weird energy that I felt between you two?" Andy smoothed the little black dress that she had worn for her date with Leo. Her first actual date! Though they had been with each other, she loved being just close to him and talking.

"Oh, that! He's scared of me, I told him that if he gets too close to you, I will dislocate his shoulder." Leo said calmly, his gaze level with her. He had cleaned up as well, wearing a butter yellow shirt with brown trousers. He had even worn a tie which he had loosened at the collar. Andy itched to pull it off of him.

"You said what? That was mean!" Andy giggled. "Poor Drew, he must have believed you! We were good friends even before you came along, Leo. So that's not nice."

"Well, he believed me because I was dead serious, Andy. I don't like any man sniffing around what's mine."

Andy delicately perched her champagne glass on a patio table. "I am not yours, Leo. This is 2017, for god's sake. Women don't belong to men anymore!"

Leo just grinned."If you say so." He was very agreeable. He moved in to hug Andy from behind and she shivered when his tongue glided along her nape. His hand with his champagne glass moved to her lips and she took a sip, the sparkling liquid bubbling down a cold trail in her throat as Leo's lips heated her skin from the outside.

She sighed. "Leo, you make me feel crazy."

"I should hope so, being your first after so long does come with a lot of pressure."

He knew! Andy sputtered out the champagne as her face burned. 

"God, I'm gonna kill Felicity!" She turned and buried her face in his shirt, feeling the solid warmth of his chest.

Leo chuckled in her hair. Then he said in a serious tone, "Thanks for bestowing such a lovely gift on me, sweetheart. I will cherish it always."

Always. In the days and nights after they go their separate ways. "It-It doesn't really mean anything. You just happened to be there." 

"It means a lot to me." She felt Leo kiss her hair and for long moments, just stood there letting him hold her.

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A/N: Please do vote/comment. I hope that you enjoyed it!