Authors: Sabrina Ross
Quickly I headed towards the exit, hoping to lose Mason along
the way. Unfortunately, once outside, he caught up with me.
“What’s the hurry?” he asked, catching my hand in his.
“No hurry,” I said nervously, taking my hand back and stuffing
it in my jean pockets. “I should be fine. You really don’t have to
waste your time walking me home.” It was a little much, but I
needed to get away from him.
“Just let me walk you home and stop complaining,” he scolded.
I closed my eyes, turning away from him. Being around Mason,
drunk, was not a good idea.
The walk home was not just silent; it was awkward. I
didn’t
even understand why he insisted on walking me home. Mason, the
spoiled rich kid every girl wanted, the guy I oddly found myself
attracted to. I understood fully why girls were drawn to him, his
had the sexiest smile I had ever seen and those teal-blue eyes were
mesmerizing. When he looked at me I melted.
“Lauren—”
Before he ruined the moment, I interrupted. “I’m good from
“I’ll make sure you get to your door.” He
folded his arms
across his chest giving me a half smile. I felt cheated but even a
half smile was killing me inside. I just wanted to grab his face in
my hands pull him in and kiss him until I couldn’t take it anymore.
“I’m fine
,” I said clearing my throat, and hoping I hadn’t said
anything I was thinking out loud.
“That you are,” he smirked and my cheek flushed, then he
started walking again, nudging me to follow.
“I don’t get you,” I replied, walking next to him, glancing up.
“What do you mean?” he asked, looking down at me.
“Well, when we first met, in the forest, you were less than
cordial, and now you’re—”
He interrupted, chuckling. “Sexy?” He wagged his brow and I
rolled my eyes.
I replied, “I was going to say charming, but you’re still a
pompous ass.” I caught the smile on his lips before he looked up at
the blackness of the sky. My eyes followed and I stared intently at
the vast beauty hovering above us. The stars twinkled through the
mist of clouds.
“I’ve got to keep it interesting,” he replied. Then as he looked
down at me he saw me roll my eyes again. “I’m sorry that I was
such a jerk the other day.” He stopped walking.
A little confused by his words, I stopped walking as well and
added, “And at breakfast and at the bar tonight.” He laughed and
shook his head.
“And at breakfast this morning, and earlier tonight.” His cheeks
flushed. “I—I’m not normally a jerk.”
“Ha!” I blurted without thinking. “I find that hard to believe.” I
laughed. We stared a lot longer than what was comfortable. I
waited and waited for him to make a move but he didn’t and when
I looked over at the house next to where we were standing, I
realized it was my mother’s. My heart sank a little and I was
disappointed that this was ending already. When I looked back at
him he looked disappointed as well. “Thank you for walking me
home.” This side of Mason was more tolerable.
“My pleasure, Lauren,” he said, softly. Then came that smile
again, and I felt the breath in my throat come to a complete halt.
He stood there, eyes locked on mine, and for a split second I felt as
though he was going to lean down kiss me. “I’ll watch you in.” He
turned his head away slightly.
With a nod I walked past him. “Night.” I looked back.
He smiled and nodded. “Night.”
Once in the house I locked the door, peeking out the window to
see if he had gone. He stood there a moment. Then when I turned
off the patio light, he started to walk away. My heart was racing
and I hadn’t noticed until I was alone.
The next morning I woke up feeling horrible, although thankful
that there were no visits to the porcelain god in the middle of the
night. Rolling over to the edge of my bed, I dragged my legs over
the side and sat a moment. With my head in my hands I breathed
slowly before standing. I dragged the brush through the tangled
mess on my head and then tied my hair up in a bun. I stood in front
of my closet and chose some clothes to throw on. I was expecting
Cassie to show up at some point today.
My mom was happy that I joined her for breakfast. It had been a
few days, with Cassie dropping by and all, since Mom and I had
had more than a moment to talk.
“Morning
,” she said with a big smile. “I made some bacon. Did
you want some fresh eggs as well?”
“Sure,” I replied, taking a seat after pouring a mug of coffee.
“How was your night? I heard you come in late last night,” she
asked.
“It—was fun,” I said with a shrug. “Forgot what the night life
was like out here.”
“Who was the boy who walked you home?” she asked,
smirking. Of course that was what my mother noticed.
“Were you spying?” I scoffed, turning to look at her. She stood
at the stove, scrambling the eggs.
“No, I heard voices outside my window and got up to check,”
she said nonchalantly.
“Oh.” I sat back in the chair. “It was Mason Foster,” I said,
letting out a long sigh.
“Mason Foster, really?” she replied, a bit of surprise in her tone.
“Yeah, turns out he is Cassie’s cousin.”
“Oh, right. I always forget that.” She chuckled.
“So you know Mason, then?” I asked, resting my elbows on the
table.
“Well, I don’t know him well, just know of him,” she replied. “I
knew his mother.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
She walked over to me, with the pan in her hand, scooping the
eggs onto my plate. Then she turned on the water to scrub the pan.
“Well—I’ve heard that he has a way with the ladies.” She
chuckled. “He has a bit of a reputation, you know.”
“I sort of got that vibe from him,” I replied.
“His mother isn’t too pleased with his playboy attitude, though.
I always told her it will take the right woman to change him.” She
giggled again.
“What’s so funny?”
“Just something I remembered.” She sighed.
“You can’t say that and not elaborate, Mom. Come on. Tell
me,” I demanded.
She sat across from me, pouring a mug of coffee. I waited in
anticipation. “One of the ladies at the country club found him
indisposed with the coat check girl. His mother practically pulled
him out of the building by his ear.” She shook her head, laughing.
“I’m sure he got a good tongue lashing from her that night because
he never stepped out of line again.”
“When was this?”
“I think it was that summer you came home.” She spooned eggs
into her mouth.
“The time that I brought Matt,” I asked.
“Yes, that was the year,” she said. I stared off, dazed. “Eat,
dear, before it gets cold.” I nodded and ate a spoonful of eggs.
“What are you up to today?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t heard from Cassie yet. I figure I would
just go into town, see if I run into anyone.”
“I haven’t seen many of your friends since you moved,” she
replied, sipping her coffee.
“Really?”
“Last I heard, Devon moved to Washington.” She tapped her
lip. “Eva went to school in New York, and Tori married some rich
guy and then divorced him and married someone else.”
“Oh well, window shopping is fun.” I shrugged.
“I need to get a few things. Do you mind if I join you?” she
asked.
“No, not at all.” I smiled, happy to spend time with my mom.
In town Mom parked the car at the end of the strip mall, and we
walked together to her first stop, the pharmacy. I leaned up against
the window outside, waiting, smiling back at anyone who smiled
as they passed me.
“Lauren?”
a woman called out. I turned to my right and saw an
old friend from high school walking towards me. She was with a
small child and pregnant with another.
“Yeah,”
she said, hugging me. “Wow, you look great. You
haven’t changed a bit.”
“Thanks.” I did the friendly thing and hugged her back. “You
look great too. A mom, huh. Wow that’s awesome.”
“Yeah, I love it.” She rubbed her belly then motioned to her
son. “This is Trevor. His daddy is Michael Armstrong. Do you
remember him?”
“Yeah,” I lied.
“Anyway, I should be going. I have an appointment with my
baby doctor.” She grinned, pointing to her protruding belly.
“Okay.” I continued to smile. That’s when my mother walked
out.
“Hello, Sara,” she said as she joined me. Sara waved and
smiled, walking away. “Her husband is sleeping with the nanny,”
my mom whispered, taking my arm in hers.
“Mom!” I gasped. “Really?”
“Oh yeah—she knows it too, pretends she has no idea. I’m
pretty sure that baby isn’t his anyway,” she replied.
“Have you become the town gossip in my absence?” I laughed,
resting my head on her shoulder.
“Speaking of gossip,” she said as she slowed the pace of her
walk. I straightened, noticing Mason walking towards us.
My heart started to race and I was feeling light headed.
“Morning, Mrs. Miller, Lauren.” He smiled and nodded.
“Mason,” my mother replied. “I—just need to slip in here,” she
said and walked away.
“Sleep well?” he asked, stepping closer.
“Fine, thanks. You?” I gulped.
“Like a baby.” He smirked.
I sucked in a breath and looked down at the ground. I had never
felt this awkward around a guy before. Mason had a way of doing
that to me. “You look great,” he added.
My eyes danced. I didn’t know what to say. “Thanks.” I
blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
Damn that smile of his.
“That’s a different look for you,” he said.
“What?” I asked, crossing my arms, waiting for his smart-ass
remark.
He leaned in close to my ear. “Bashful,” he whispered. “It’s
endearing.” I couldn’t help the flare of red that brightened my
cheeks as he stepped back.
“Oh.” With a gulp I stepped back. My knees felt weak and I
needed to sit down.
“Are you all right?” he asked, grabbing my arm.
“Yeah. I—I’m just a little lightheaded.” I turned around looking
for a place to sit. Mason followed, looking down, his eyes focused
on me.
“You are going pale. Are you sure you’re okay?” He knelt in
front of me, his hand on my knee. His touch sent shivers up my
leg.
“Yep.” I said, patting his hand and removing it from my knee.
He smiled and laced his fingers together at his legs.
“Mason?” A blond woman came walking towards us. I watched
as he winced and left out a long heavy sigh as he stood.
“Gabriella,” he said, forcing a smile before turning to face her.
She walked up to him and kissed both his cheeks.
“What are you doing? Are you rescuing another damsel in
distress?” She bellowed linking her arm with his. She barely even
glanced at me.
“No, just talking to a friend.” His eyes found mine and he
winked. My heart pattered. “This is Lauren Miller.”
“I remember,” she said with a frown. “We should get going.
Mom is waiting.” She turned to walk away. I bit down on the
insides of my lips and looked down at the ground. My mother was
right about Mason. He was still a playboy. His body turned to face
me, but I didn’t look up at him.
“Sorry about that.” He said.
“Oh, don’t apologize. I should have known.” I said and got to
my feet.
His lips slowly parted. “What does that mean?” he scoffed. As
I made an attempt to walk past him, he blocked my path.
“Please, Mason, don’t act as if you don’t know what I mean.” I
shook my head and walked into the pharmacy, tracking my mother
down. When I found her, she was standing by the window,
watching us. She gave me a sympathetic smile.
“Don’t do that again,” I grumbled and turned to find Mason
staring at me through the glass, his eyes wide and his jaw clenched
tight. To avoid his stare, I quickly turned away and pulled my
mother towards the door. I knew what she had been up to when
she dashed into the pharmacy, leaving Mason and I alone, because
she had already been there.
“Was that his girlfriend?” she asked, nodding in their direction.
I looked up, watching him get in a red 2013 Ferrari. Definitely not
the car he drove the other day. He stopped, turned and stared in
my direction over the hood of his car.
“Where else do you have to go?” I asked, avoiding her question.
In reality it stung a little but I also didn’t want to know who that
was because I was not going to get tangled in the mess that was
Mason.
Later that afternoon, Cassie called and asked me to join her for
a late dinner with Charlie and his friends. With a slight hesitation,
I agreed to join them. To be fair my hesitation was more based on
the fact that I really didn’t want to run into Mason again. After all
they were family and it was inevitable that if I was with Cassie
Mason was close by.
I quickly changed into something a little more suitable, putting
half my hair up in a clip to keep it from my face.
“How do I look, Mom?” I asked, walking down the stairs to the
main floor.
“Terrific, honey,” she said with a smile. “Where are you
headed?”
“Cassie is taking me to dinner at the country club.”
“Oh, back into the old habits, huh?” she grinned.
“I guess,” I said, leaning on the door frame. “It’s where Cassie
goes.”
“I know. I remember,” she said and turned to leave. I stood
there with my hands on my hips, confused by her tone.
“You used to be a member, Mom. I don’t understand why you
turn your nose down at it now. Being part of the club isn’t a bad
thing.”
“You’ve been there lately. You tell me.” She shrugged and
disappeared around the corner.
Then the doorbell rang.
When I answered the door, Cassie stepped through, hugging me
right away. Then she looked me over and nodded.
“Very cute. Love today’s outfit,” she said.
“Thanks,” I replied, grabbing my purse off the counter.
This time I had thrown on a pair of sleek black cigarette pants
on; a cream sleeveless blouse, tucked in; and these cute red patentleather pumps. When we got outside, I spotted Charlie leaning on
the hood of his black Porsche Panamera GTS. As we approached
him, I noticed two others sitting in the back seat. I held in a sigh,
hating that I was the fifth wheel, but climbed in next to the couple
and smiled anyway. When she said friends, I didn’t think couples.
“Lauren,” I introduced myself.
“Carson, and this is Olivia,” Carson said as he shook my hand.
“Nice to meet you,” Olivia said, following suit. The fake smile
on my face stretched wide.
The country club was busy. We stopped behind a line of cars,
and everyone piled out. Charlie handed his keys to the valet who
approached him. Then his hand instantly took Cassie’s. Carson
and Olivia followed. I, however, startled by a voice from behind
me, turned before taking a step forward.
“Bunch of stuffed
-up snobs, huh?” the handsome blond joked.
I looked at him queerly, then turned, looked at the other valets,
noticing that this guy wasn’t wearing a uniform. I turned back to
face him, a little wary.
“I’m sorry
?” I said, my eyes automatically narrowing.
His cheek flushed and then he chuckled. “Sorry, I thought—”
I interjected, saving him from embarrassment. “It’s okay.”
“Daniel.” He held out his hand.
“Lauren.” I accepted. We managed to get through the front
doors uninterrupted.
“Are you new here?” I asked.
“Sort of,” he replied, looking around the large dining room.
“You?”
“Not really.” I shrugged.
Then Cassie called out to me. As I turned, she was waving me
down.
“Lauren, come on.”
I turned back to Daniel. “I should—”
“Of course. Sorry to bother you,” he said and turned to walk
away.
“You didn’t bother me,” I said, touching his arm before he got
away.
His lips curved slightly. “Good to know. Enjoy your meal.”
Then he reached down, took my hand and kissed it. I smiled.
Whoever said chivalry was dead?
“You too,” I said, then slowly started walking towards Cassie. I
noticed, out of the corner of my eye, Mason leaning against the
pillar by the window, his eyes on me, arms folded across his chest.
When Cassie spoke, my attention diverted from Mason to her.
“Who was that?” Cassie asked, looking over my shoulder.
“Uh—Daniel?” I replied.
Her brow arched. “He was handsome.”
“Yeah, he was, wasn’t he?” I said.
Briefly, I glanced in Mason’s direction. He was still watching
me. I should have stuck to my senses and said no to Cassie about
joining them for dinner at the country club. I knew Mason was
going to be here. After I took a seat, Mason started to walk in my
direction. My heart pounded harder and harder against my chest.
Then I was thoroughly disappointed when he kept walking.
“You always seem to meet the cute ones,” Cassie teased.
“Yeah,” I muttered, still watching Mason. “What’s wrong with
Mason today?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged, looking at me, then over at
Mason. “Why? Do you have a thing for him?” she asked, grasping
my forearm. “I don’t care if you do, but I must warn you first.”
“No. God, no.” Who was I kidding I couldn’t stop thinking
about him since that first day in the forest. “I’ve heard all about
Mason,” I said. My neck craned to follow where he was headed.
He exited the dining area and I let out a sigh. “What’s on the
agenda for tonight?” My attention was on Cassie again.
“The club again,” Cassie replied. “There’s nothing else going
on right now.”
“I’m game for that. This time I’ll even dress up,” I said. Cassie
grinned. Then the waiter walked up, taking our drink order.
“So, Lauren. Tell us a little something about you.” Charlie
asked, sitting back in his chair, wrapping an arm around Cassie.
“Why has it taken this long for Cassie to introduce us?”
“Oh, uh, well—I have been living in L.A. for the past few
years,” I replied.
“Living the high life. How exciting. What was it like?” Carson
asked.
“It was fun.” I shrugged, wanting to change the subject. This
was a conversation I didn’t want to have.
“What brought you back to Portland?” he asked.
“Her mom was in need of some help,” Cassie interrupted,
saving me. Charlie glared as if to scold her for interrupting.
“Yeah—uh, my dad passed away, so Mom’s been alone all this
time. I figured it was time for a change of scenery.” A little white
lie didn’t hurt. I gave Cassie a nod, thanking her for saving me.
She smiled back. I preferred to be the silent one on these outings.
The waiter approached the table again, this time with our drinks
and took our food order. Nobody had even glanced at their menu
yet but they all ordered anyway. When my turn came around, I
just ordered the usual: lamb, wild rice and veggies.
“So, Lauren, are you single?” Charlie asked.
“Uh—yes.” I choked on my wine.
Cassie turned, scolding him, “Charlie, stop bugging her.”
“What? She seems his type.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not looking for anything,” I sputtered
nervously, dabbing my lips with a napkin.
“Why? Are you gay?” He asked with a hushed voice, leaning in.
“No,” I scoffed. I didn’t get the impression that Charlie was at
all abrupt as he was. I eyed Cassie who just screwed her lips down
then mouthed she was sorry.
“Then what’s the problem?” he asked. “He’ll be at the club
tonight. Check him out. If you fancy him, I’ll introduce you,” he
said nonchalantly. My mouth dropped in disbelief. What was with
everyone trying to stick me with their friend or brother or
whomever? I glared at Cassie, who mouthed another apology. I
shrugged, then nodded, and then avoided looking at Charlie after
that. Eventually, I excused myself to go for a walk in the garden
and get away from them for a bit. Cassie looked up at me
sympathetically. I was thankful that she got me.