by Amy Brown
Come on, baby. Trust me. Trust me.
“You really won’t mind if I bring a friend?” she asks softly.
Exhilaration shoots through me because I have her where I want her. “Not at all. I’d like to get to know you. I want to spend time with you when we’re not discussing crawdads.” I give what I hope is a charming smile. “Will you come to the bonfire on Friday?”
Her frown reappears. “I won’t be at school Friday.”
“Doctors appointment?” I ask, trying to look disappointed.
“No. Not a doctor’s appointment.” She drops her gaze, her thick lashes hiding her expression.
“Oh. Well, I’d still love it if you join me at the lake.”
She glances up, and a spark of excitement flickers in her eyes. “What time would I meet you there?”
I have to restrain myself from laughing gleefully, and rubbing my hands together in anticipation. “We usually wait until dark. I plan on getting there around 7 p.m.”
“I suppose since it’s a Friday, I could take a break from studying.”
“So you’ll come?”
She gives a quick nod. “Sure. Why not? I haven’t seen much of this town. The lake might be a nice place to start.” She’s trying to hide her excitement, but I can see she’s flushed and breathless.
“Excellent.” I grin. Most excellent.
Her expression changes and becomes guarded. “We should get back to studying. We’ve wasted a lot of time tonight.”
There’s my little curmudgeon, right on schedule.
I don’t let her snippy remark get to me. No way. If all goes well, Friday will be a huge step toward seducing Charity Ballard.
Chapter Nine
Charity
The rest of my study session with Mason, I can’t concentrate. Did I hear him right? Did he actually say he was interested in me? How is that possible? He could have any girl in school, but he’s interested in me?
I know I’m more attractive these days, thanks to Fred and his generosity. I’ve had my hair cut into an actual style, and my clothes are amazing. But even so, it’s hard to accept a guy like Mason would be into me.
I catch him watching me a lot. I appreciate that he studies my face, and not my chest. I’m intrigued by our earlier conversation. He’s obviously intelligent. I can’t quite figure out what he really thinks about the whole poor versus rich thing. He’s very careful when he speaks, and I’m not sure if that’s because he’s hiding stuff, or he doesn’t want to offend me.
I still can’t believe he invited me to Outlaw Cove. Gregory and Lisa were telling me about that bonfire thing today at lunch. They also told me that it’s an invitation only affair. The fact that Mason actually invited me to go somewhere with him by choice, means a lot. Studying with me was forced on him, but inviting me to the lake is completely his decision.
As far as I know, he still thinks I live at the trailer park. Even though he saw my mom driving Fred’s Mercedes the other day, I told him the truth about it not being ours. I haven’t told anyone at school about how much my life has changed since mom agreed to marry Fred. Even Paula doesn’t know anything about my old or new life. It’s not that I won’t eventually tell her, it’s just that I’m still trying to process it myself.
When Mason begins to gather his things, I finish my drink and get up to toss my empty cup in the trash. I catch Sophia’s surly gaze from across the room. I’m tempted to stick my tongue out at her, but I don’t. I wonder if she’ll have a conniption when she finds out Mason invited me to Outlaw Cove. Will she be there? Probably. She belongs there more than me.
“Ready when you are,” Mason says.
I follow him toward the door, but when he stops to talk to some people from school, I keep going. I push through the glass door, and breathe in the cool evening air. Moms not here yet, so I lean against an ash tree near the sidewalk.
The bells on the door jingle as Mason comes outside. He glances around and finally spots me. He approaches, frowning. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”
“Oh. I didn’t know those people.”
“You never will if you don’t stop and talk to them,” he says gruffly.
I shrug.
“If you want people to be nice to you, you have to be nice to them too Charity.” He leans against the tree next to me, and his shoulder bumps mine.
“I doubt they’ll lose any sleep because they didn’t get to talk to me.”
He studies me, looking uncertain. “I can’t figure you out. One minute I think you’re a sweet girl, the next…”
“A bitch?” I hold his gaze challengingly.
“You said it, not me.” He smirks. “But you can’t go around saying everybody’s mean to you, if you were mean first.”
“I wasn’t mean. I simply kept walking.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “Jesus, you’re a bigger snob than all of us put together.”
My face warms. He obviously has no idea that I act like this because I’m insecure. Does he really think I’m a snob? “You can think what you like.”
He sighs. “Don’t get all prickly with me, Charity. I’m trying to help you navigate.”
I lift my chin. “I’m sure you are. But, I can do that just fine by myself.”
He surprises me when he chuckles. “You’re feisty today.”
Before I can answer, my mom pulls up. I move toward the car, but he grabs my arm. I look back at him questioningly.
“You said you won’t be at school tomorrow, right?”
“Right.” Tomorrow is mom’s civil ceremony at the courthouse with Fred. She wanted me there, even though it meant skipping school. I’m glad, because I want to be a part of their wedding. I want to show my support. Fred has been nothing but kind to me, and I want to be sure he knows I approve of him marrying Mom.
“Do you know how to get to Outlaw Cove?” He studies me intently.
I nod. I don’t actually know the way, but I’m sure Paula does. She’s who I want to invite with me. I hope she accepts my invitation. I know she’s not a fan of Mason’s, but hopefully she’ll go along just to keep me company.
“You’re not gonna stand me up, right?” He grins. It’s obvious the idea of a girl standing him up is ludicrous to him.
“I’ll be there.”
His smile is somewhat smug. “Bring a bathing suit. A lot of us go night swimming in the lake.”
I shiver. “Really?” I’m not sure what I think about swimming in a strange lake at night. Oceans and lakes make me nervous even in the daytime. God knows what lurks beneath the water when it’s pitch black outside.
“You don’t have to swim. But if you do, I’ll keep you safe.” His voice is confident, maybe even a bit flirtatious. He’s so close, he could easily lean in and kiss me. I almost think he might because of the way he’s looking at me. But he doesn’t. Instead, he straightens, and waves to my mom.
She waves back, and I move to the car and open the door.
“Hello again, Mason,” she calls out.
He smiles. “How are you, Gloria?”
It kind of bugs me that he calls her Gloria instead of Mrs. Ballard. I’m not sure why. Maybe because it makes him seem overly confident. Shouldn’t kids our age be uneasy around adults? I certainly am.
“See you tomorrow, Charity,” he says, giving me a conspiratorial wink.
“Okay.” I shut the door, and he looks a little nonplussed at my abrupt exit. I need to work on my goodbyes. The problem is, I get flustered around him, and I start acting offhand to cover that.
Mom pulls onto the road, and I watch Mason in the side view mirror until he’s nothing but a dot.
“You didn’t forget about coming to the courthouse, right?” Mom asks.
“No.”
“Oh, because Mason said he’d see you tomorrow, and I thought you were skipping school for the wedding.”
Sometimes I think my mom should be a detective. She picks up on little details like that all the time. I have no idea what to call my exc
ursion with Mason. Is it a date? Mason said he’s interested in me, so, maybe it is? I don’t know. I’m clueless about this stuff.
“A bunch of kids are going to a bonfire at the lake. Mason invited me. I’m bringing Paula with me, if she’ll go,” I stay in a stilted voice.
“Mason invited you?” She sounds pleased.
“It’s a bunch of kids.” Why my trying so hard to play this down? I guess I don’t want to make a big deal out of it until I know what “it” even is.
“Still, it’s very nice that he invited you.”
I nod, and stare out the window as we leave the town and head out into the wide open spaces. The sun is almost down behind the mountains, and the cactus are jagged silhouettes against the twilight.
“I really hope you embrace how different your life can be now,” Mom says softly.
“I’m trying.” It’s hard to suddenly think of myself as someone who isn’t poverty-stricken, when that’s been my reality for so long.
“You deserve to be there at the lake just like all those other kids.”
“I’m not sure they agree.”
She scowls. “Who cares what they think? Mason obviously likes you, and thinks you should be there.”
“I guess.” I’m still mystified by why Mason invited me to the lake. He must feel the same attraction I feel when I’m around him. If he hadn’t invited me to the lake, I’d have never been so silly as to believe he could be attracted to me. But, since he said he’s interested in me, I have to at least entertain the idea that he’s attracted to me too.
“You know anything about his family?”
“I know his dad works for an oil company.”
She nods. “I’ll have to ask Fred about Mason’s family. He knows everyone in town, so odds are he’ll have some information for us.”
I wince. “I don’t want to spy on Mason’s family.”
“I’m not saying were going to spy on them, but there’s nothing wrong with finding out town gossip about them.” She laughs. “You’ve never had a boyfriend before, so of course I’m going to be protective.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend now.”
“I know. My guess is, the more Mason gets to know you, the more he’ll like you.”
There speaks a mother.
“I suppose we’ll see.” I’m very attracted to Mason, however, I know we’re very different. Or at least, we come from very different backgrounds. We don’t really know each other, so any attraction we have is solely based on physical appearance. My pulse picks up when I think about his green eyes and full lips. I’ve never been kissed for real. In grammar school, Bobby Tyler gave me a peck on the mouth, but I’ve never had a full on romantic kiss.
I’m not sure what I think about the fact that Mason might only be interested in me sexually. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, I’m a senior in high school and most of the kids my age are already sexually active. Maybe Mason will be my first. My cheeks warm at the thought of that. I’ve never really thought about sleeping with any of my classmates before, so this is all very new to me.
When we get home, I go to my room. I have a TV in my room, which is crazy. Half the time we didn’t even have a TV in our house, let alone in our bedrooms. Mom had enough trouble paying normal bills without trying to also pay for cable. I’d watch what I could on my computer, but having a TV is a whole new luxury. I change into sweatpants and a T-shirt, and stream music on my TV. Then I put on a purifying clay mask that I like, and lie down on my bed.
Naturally, my thoughts drift to Mason. I seem to think about him an awful lot. We’ve only known each other a few days, but I already can’t stop thinking about him. I don’t want to get my hopes up. Nothing may come of this trip to the lake. I’m curious to see how he’ll treat me around all those other kids. He knows that I used to live in a trailer park, but unless he’s told the other kids at school, they shouldn’t know about my past. I hope they don’t know. That would make them even less likely to accept me.
I guess tomorrow should be an interesting day.
****
Mom looks beautiful in her lacy cream-colored dress. The hem stops at the top of her knees because she didn’t want a dress that looked too much like a wedding gown. I’m not sure why she’s so anti-wedding. Not that I wanted her to have a big wedding or anything, that would’ve been even more stressful. Nobody in their right mind wants to wear a bridesmaid dress. But, I do think she deserves to celebrate her marriage to Fred. It took her a long time to find the right person, and that seems like something that should be celebrated. Fred wanted to have a fancy reception with all of his friends, so that they could meet mom, but she wasn’t ready for that. She says maybe later they can have a big party.
Fred looks handsome in a gray suit with a yellow carnation in his lapel. Fred wears a lot of suits, and they always look very expensive. The way he gazes down at mom during the ceremony reassures me he truly loves her. When he says his vows to her, his voice wobbles, and he has to stop because he gets emotional. I get a lump in my throat just watching them. I’m happy for my mom, and happy for how Fred has changed our entire family’s lives.
Fred insists on taking us all out to a fancy restaurant after the ceremony. He says if mom won’t let them have a reception, then we at least need to have a private celebration. The restaurant he takes us to has cloth napkins and shiny silverware. There’s a person who handles nothing but wine who comes to the table. Fred insists on having champagne for the adults, and me and Luke have Shirley temples. I order a filet mignon with béarnaise sauce and asparagus. Before the meal, we have cream of pumpkin soup. I’ve never thought of pumpkin as something that would make a good soup, but it’s delicious. When the steak arrives I can’t believe how tender it is. It’s definitely the best steak I’ve ever had in my life.
We laugh a lot during the meal, and Fred and Mom look so happy. I have to pinch myself that this is really happening. Luke sits beside Fred, and he watches him a lot. It’s obvious Fred is filling the hole dad left in his life when he abandoned us. I’ve always been glad that Dad doesn’t come around anymore. I guess Luke needed him more.
Once the meal is over, we go home. Fred and Mom plan on taking a mini vacation to Hawaii in a couple of weeks for their honeymoon. Apparently Fred owns a home there. He also has a house in Maine and California. More and more I’m gathering that Fred isn’t just rich, he’s filthy rich.
I’m nervous about tonight. Thank goodness Paula agreed to go with me to the lake. She isn’t thrilled that I’m attracted to Mason, but she said she supports me regardless. I’ve never had a good friend before. I don’t know her very well yet, but so far she seems to truly care about me.
Fred offered to drive me to the lake, but Paula has her driver’s license already, so I’m going to ride with her. When she pulls up to get me, my stomach is churning with nerves.
I climb into her car, and the music is blaring. She turns it down quickly, and grins. “Ready to have some fun?” she asks.
“I hope I remember how.”
She heads down the long driveway toward the main road. “I’ve never been invited to the lake for the cool kid’s bonfire. I’ve gone to the lake my whole life, but not for one of these special get-togethers.”
“Never?”
She chuffs. “Of course not. That crowd doesn’t usually invite people like me.”
“I’m still not sure why Mason invited me.” I’ve been trying to figure that out ever since he asked. The only answer I can come up with is that he’s hoping I’ll sleep with him. Maybe I will. Who knows? I don’t want to go to college a virgin, and Mason is the only guy who’s ever really made me think I was ready to have sex.
It’s almost like she’s reading my mind when she casually says, “From what I hear a lot of people have sex at these things.”
My face heats. “I’ve only known Mason three days.”
“I know. But he is cute.”
“Yes. But, even if I was gonna sleep with him, I’d at lea
st want to wait a week.” I laugh gruffly.
She hesitates. “So, you are attracted to him?”
I’m sure it’s no surprise to her that I am. Mason is really good looking. I’ve seen the longing glances girls give him. There’s a reason he has a big ego. “Yes.”
She nods. “I figured.”
“Does that make you think poorly of me?”
She frowns. “Not at all. I understand. He can be very charming when he wants to be.”
“Why don’t you like him?” I try not to sound annoyed. She knows him better than me, and I’d be wise to listen to her reasons.
She doesn’t respond immediately, but when she does, she says softly, “Him and his friends don’t always have the purest motives.”
“What does that mean?”
She sighs. “I think you should make up your own mind about him. If I tell you I don’t like him, and then you decide you do like him, that could make things awkward between us.”
“I respect your opinion though.” I study her profile, wondering what she knows that she doesn’t want to share.
“Mason isn’t evil. He’s just self-centered. I think he goes along with things that Travis and Jeremy want because he doesn’t want to lose his social standing.”
I wrinkle my brow. “What kind of things does he go along with?”
“I think you should just spend some time with him tonight, and see if you still like him. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?” It’s obvious she’s reticent to throw him under the bus just yet.
“If there was anything really terrible, you’d tell me, right?”
“Of course. I don’t want to judge him based on rumors. I have no proof that he’s ever done anything bad. I’ve only heard rumors.” She smiles at me. “He said you could bring someone with you tonight, so that makes me think better of him. I’m willing to believe the things I’ve heard are just made up stories, depending on how he treats you.”
“Fair enough.” I return her smile. “Thank you for coming with me tonight. I know it was short notice.”
“My pleasure. I’m excited to finally see what goes on during these elite gatherings.”
