Citrus and Situation.

Steele sat at the bar and savoured the taste of a fine Scotch that was going to be known henceforth as "dinner with client."

"Don't you know you should never drink alone?" said Monroe. "How will you con someone into picking up the tab?"

Steele nodded a greeting. "All dealt with. This is on agency funds, which are, thanks to the frugality of my associates, as robust as this delightful elixir. Let's get you one and sit over there." He gestured to a quiet corner.

"Won't your associates mind?" said Monroe.

"Murphy will, Murphy will mind until his head explodes. He thinks I'm a wastrel, a womaniser, a ..."

"A fine judge of character, by the sound of it."

"Hmm." said Steele.

They took their drinks off into the shadows. Sitting down, Monroe said, "So, why am I here?"

"You suspect an ulterior motive?"

"Have you ever had a non-ulterior one?"

"Well, this time I just thought I'd have a pleasant evening with a good friend who won't doubt my intentions. And you just doubted them."

Monroe grinned. "She's driving you crazy, isn't she?"

"There are millions of women in the world."

"Yes, there are." said Monroe.

"And this one makes so many unreasonable demands. She wants to know where I am, what I'm doing, even my name!"

"There's something I don't understand."

"There are a million things I don't understand, let's deal with your one thing first." said Steele.

"Why don't you just tell her a name? I mean, throw her Blaine. The name has enough paperwork behind it to pass muster and if that's what she wants, why not just tell her that's who you are?"

"Because ... " Steele fell silent. Of course that was what he should do, and she would accept any of the names whose passports she hadn't seen. Why wasn't he throwing her an alias as he would with any other woman? "She knows about Blaine." he said lamely.

"You don't know why she's different, do you?" said Monroe.

"She's a detective. One wrong move and I could be looking at fifteen years in a penitentiary."

"Then the only safe move is away."

"It's not what you think."

"I'm not aware that I think anything." said Monroe.

"So you're not thinking that I've become ... "

"What are you thinking?" said Monroe.

"She looks like Katherine Hepburn when she laughs and Ingrid Bergman when she doesn't. She walks a little like Myrna Loy and tilts her head like Audrey Hepburn and she doesn't want or need me. She doesn't even seem interested in Murphy and she knows his name! I don't get entangled with women."

"That has not been my experience." said Monroe.

"I mean they don't take over like this." He lowered his voice and leant forward. "Monroe, yesterday, I stayed an extra hour by choice to do some background checks."

"Sounds like lo... "

"You even think that word in my presence and I'm going home!" said Steele.

"Lemon." said Monroe, "Sounds a lot like lemon to me."

"Yes, well I am not the lemon type."

"Maybe you just needed to find the right squeeze."

"From the day I met her, Laura Holt has interfered with my plans, befuddled my mind and killed my social life. She irritates me beyond belief, interrogates me past enduring and ... "

"And you can't walk away? Mick O'Leary can't find the exit?"

"I can leave any time. Any time I want, I can vanish out of Steele's life, job and apartment."

"Then you've chosen to go through this. For what? A night with her?"

Steele smiled. "A night with her would be fantastic. She only has to say yes instead of no and we both get the best night of our lives."

"And then you go?" said Monroe.

"One night is generally enough." said Steele, "Anything more tends to feel a little stifling."

"You're evading the question." said Monroe.

"Yes." said Steele.

"I smell lemons."

"Daniel always says, 'Avoid clever women. They have a dangerous allure.'"

"Daniel lives alone, yes?" said Monroe.

"I should have listened to him. I don't suppose you can offer any better advice?"

"Of course I do. She's in your head and she's not leaving. She knows a bit about you, and that has you jumping like a flea on a hot plate, but it also means she's able to look past your past, maybe, if you don't keep dragging her into it. My friend, when life gives you lemons, you are the best qualified person I know to turn them into poulet au citron."

"You know what scares me?"

"What?" said Monroe.

"Right now, if we did have that one incredible night, I think I might just start planning the next one."

"You know what scares me?" said Monroe.

"What?"

"You're still sober and you just told the truth."

The End.