They sat us in a booth right at the back of the restaurant, it was slightly too romantic for my liking, but I went with it anyway. It was decorated with red suede seats, patterned glass screens surrounded by deep, rich brown wooden frames that matched the table and a single red candle in a silver holder sat in the middle.
Definitely too romantic.
We were served by an older guy, I would guess to be in his late forties. Never really been good with ages! He walked us to our table, handed us a menu each, then turned and addressed Mason. Not me...Mason.
“Would you like to see the wine list sir?”
Sir? You’re old enough to be his dad!
Mason looked to me and raised an eyebrow, silently asking if I would like to see the wine list, but I’m not a ‘wine-list’ kind of girl so I replied, “No thanks, I wouldn’t mind taking a look at the cocktail menu though.”
The waiter looked practically aghast at my request, then raised his chin slightly and declared, “We do not serve cocktails in this establishment.”
I didn’t get a chance to reply because Mason, still looking at me, ignoring the waiter, asked, “What cocktail would you want Sunshine?”
I thought on this, and probably should have thought a little longer before I answered... “A screaming orgasm.”
Mason’s eyes darkened and he visibly swallowed a couple of times. I watched as he clenched his teeth and took a deep breath through his nose, then turned back to waiter and asked, “Do you have a good quality vodka?”
“Well yes of course, but...”
“Do you have Baileys?”
“Yes sir, we do but...”
“Do you have a coffee liquor?” He spoke over the waiter again. I had to bite my lip to prevent a giggle. It was rude, he shouldn’t have done it, but it was still funny.
“Yes sir, we have a coffee liquor but...”
“Do you have amaretto?”
“Of course sir...”
“Then regardless of the fact that this establishment does not have a cocktail menu, you could make her one anyway yes?”
“Sir, we don’t...” The waiter attempted again, to no avail.
“If you have all the ingredients, and I’m assuming you have ice, then you could make her one anyway...yes?” Mason repeated.
The waiters jaw worked back and forth a few times and I was waiting for him to ask us to leave or at least react, he didn’t though. But he did speak through clenched teeth so I knew Mason was testing his patience!
“I can ask at the bar.”
“Thank you, and I’ll take an orange juice.” Mason nodded at the waiter, suggesting we were done so he could leave us to peruse the menu. He did, but not before he sent me a scathing look and huffed out a breath.
As soon as he left, I couldn’t hold it in anymore and a giggle escaped my lips. I held my hand over my mouth so as not to laugh too loud, but if anything it only caused an echo, making it louder. Other patrons turned to look at me but I ignored them, attempting to breathe to calm my laugh.
“Mase! I can’t believe you did that! He barely even got two words in!”
He shrugged, then answered.
“Babe, he called me ‘sir’ when he’s clearly at least twice my age. He didn’t even look at you when he spoke, he looked at me. He looked down his nose at you when you asked for a cocktail, and he definitely thought he was better than you. You shouldn’t have to stand for that. I think I got my point across, and you’ll get the drink you want. Job done.”
Well when he put it like that...who was I to argue?
Doubt that I could have argued at the time anyway seeing as my brain my still processing the fact that he had addressed every point I thought about during the conversation...the ‘sir’ thing, the ‘not even acknowledging my existence’ thing and the ‘looking down at me’ thing. My exact thoughts, he had them too.
Damn.
Moments later, the waiter was back, he placed Mason’s drink on the table murmuring, “Your orange juice, sir.”
Then he looked at the remaining drink on his tray, took a deep breath and spoke to me, while handing me the drink.
“Your...screaming orgasm, miss.”
I pressed my lips together in an attempt to prevent yet another giggle at the waiter’s expense, but it was too difficult and I ended up snorting right in his face!
Oh...my...god! I snorted in his face!
He reared back quickly, huffed out a breath again, and left. Well, wasn’t that just the snap of the last shred of control I had. I roared with laughter, right in the middle of the classy restaurant. I couldn’t breathe I was laughing so hard.
It was awful! Tears were streaming down my face and I started panting, just trying to take in enough air.
Mase reached across the table and put his hand on my shoulder telling me to breathe, it was calming, so I took a deep breath and tried to steady myself.
Every pair of eyes in the place were on me, so I bit my lip and looked down, feeling slightly bad for probably embarrassing Mason with my outburst.
Did he care? Nope.
With my eyes still on the table, I muttered ‘sorry’ under my breath and figured Mason would probably suggest we go somewhere else or just never go out again.
That didn’t happen
I heard chuckling. A masculine rumble of a sound, sexy even. So I chanced a look up at him and watched him shake his head.
“Babe, don’t be sorry! It was fucking funny. Man, life ain’t ever gonna be borin’ when you’re around! Did you see that guy’s face when he said ‘screaming orgasm’! He’s probably never said those two words in his life. Uptight bastard. Only you would come to a place like this, and order a drink like that. Funny, so damn funny!”
I liked that. A lot. I liked that he didn’t care, and he clearly had my sense of humour. Still...
“But everyone is staring at us.” I pointed out.
“So let ‘em!” He shrugged, then added... “Probably the most action any of these pretentious fuckers have had in years.”
“You really don’t care?” I asked.
“Care? Sunshine...I’d pay to see that again. It was awesome!”
Well then. He didn’t care. I didn’t care. We waited for dinner.
I stopped when the food arrived and thought about what he’d said. I couldn’t help it. I had to know.
“Mase, why do you call me Sunshine?”
He paused, with his glass half way to his mouth, and put it back down. I watched as he ran his tongue across his teeth and then licked his bottom lip, looking almost nervous.
“Oh, um, no reason, it’s just a nickname.”
Lie. It was obvious.
“You’re lying. Why won’t you tell me?”
He sighed.
“So, that first morning after we met?” I nodded, trying really hard not to think about that morning, or the night before. “Well when I woke up, you were still asleep, but the sun was shining through the window, right across your face and you looked so peaceful, so serene...I guess it just stuck. You looked like pure sunshine.”
He shrugged and looked down, like he was embarrassed he’d admitted that.
My breath was caught in my throat, no one, ever, had paid that sort of attention to me. I didn’t know what to do with the feelings I had, so I ignored them.
Dinner was quieter, the only thing that did set us off was the fact that, our waiter did not return to take our orders or deliver our food.
Nope, he sent a young girl, probably my age. Old man couldn’t handle us clearly!
Other than that, quiet. Nice. Just dinner.
Mason paid, I offered half, even though I was actually praying that he wouldn’t accept, seeing as I didn’t have a hope in hell of actually affording it.
Chapter Six
Harper
Driving home, I noticed he wasn’t driving towards my apartment, so I asked him where we were going.
“My house babe.” He replied.
“Um, why?”
“’
Cause I need to get changed for work and my uniform at your place is in the washing machine.”
There were a million and one things wrong with that sentence, thought it would be easier to address them one at a time.
“Your uniform, is in my washing machine?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“’Cause it was dirty?” He answered. He masked his statement as a question.
Argh!
“I figured that.” I answered dryly. Then spoke again. “What I mean is, why didn’t you take it home and wash it in your own washing machine?”
“’Cause that’s the uniform I leave at your place.”
“Okay, so why are you leaving a uniform at my place?” Should have asked that sooner, just never got round to it.
“I’m there a lot, makes sense.”
It was clearly moot point, he was leaving it there whether I wanted him to or not. So I tried something different.
“I’m a student Mason, students don’t put just a uniform in the washing machine, it’s a waste of water, electric and washing powder!”
It was a desperate play, I actually felt a bit stupid saying that, but it was worth a try.
“Babe, god, it’s just a wash! And regardless, I put a full-load on.”
“A full load...but how?” I asked.
“Your stuff is in there too.”
Um, hell no!
“You went through my dirty washing? What the hell!” I exclaimed.
His look turned from relaxed, to cocky, arrogant ...punchable.
“Oh yeah, don’t worry though Sunshine, I didn’t put your delicates in, just your tops and that ya know?” He rubbed his lips together a few times, then added in a quieter voice, “Not that I didn’t look. Damn you wear nice stuff. Got hard just thinking about you wearing them.”
“You asshole! You don’t go through girls’ dirty laundry. That’s wrong on almost every level Mason.” My voice came out high pitched and squeaky, so I definitely wasn’t hiding my embarrassment very well. Don’t get me wrong, I had nothing to hide, I just couldn’t believe he’d done it.
“I was doing your laundry! Not like I just went searching through it.”
“Oh fuck it, I never win against you, just don’t do it again. I’m capable of doing my own laundry!”
“Didn’t seem like it” He replied immediately.
I didn’t respond because, well, he was right.
I do the laundry, when I need to. I don’t like cleaning, tidying, washing...none of it! I like clutter and mess and spontaneity and just generally leaving things up in the air and unorganised.
I’m not dirty, just messy! There is a difference and in reality, as long as personally, I’m clean and look good, I just don’t much care about any of the other stuff.
I figured that was why my mind was reacting oddly to Mason being around all the time. That had to be the reason, the fact that everything was tidy and organised. I just wasn’t used to it, that’s all. Couldn’t have been anything else...I was fairly sure.
It must have been about five minutes later when I thought of something he’d said and suddenly snapped in his direction.
“Oh, and don’t picture me in my underwear either! Friends don’t do that!”
He swerved the car slightly, earning us a beep of the horn from a driver on the other side of the road, then exclaimed, “Fuckin’ hell Harp! Don’t do that. I could have crashed. Jesus, woman!”
“Sorry.” I mumbled, I wasn’t sorry I snapped, just sorry I didn’t wait until he wasn’t paying attention to the road.
“And anyway, friends or not babe, you’re hot, you’re beautiful, the sex was out of this world, and when I see lacy, silky, barely-there underwear, that you’ve worn, yeah, I’m gonna picture you wearing it. It’s a personal fantasy.”
My whole body flushed and I turned my head to look out the window so he wouldn’t see my cheeks redden. I’d heard it before, that I was hot, I was beautiful, I had a good body...but it was just different from Mason.
He was so, just good. Clean, handsome, cut, just, I couldn’t even explain...perfect.
It scared me, my reaction to him. I liked him, and I did want to spend time with him. But my heart was locked in a steel cage and I could already feel the locks rattling. I’d never been in love, wouldn’t know what it felt like, but I was starting to worry that if felt a lot like what was happening to me.
I didn’t get chance to analyse the feeling too much, we pulled into his driveway and I looked up at the house thinking I really should have paid more attention the last time I was there.
I could definitely understand why neither Mase nor Ruben wanted to move out. It was a palace! Balconies from every room on the top floor, huge rooms, and it had a garden! A real garden. Lush, green lawns, a paved patio, stone water-feature off to the side...it was beautiful. Even with the garden alone, I knew the place must have been worth a fortune, considering gardens were scarce in London, in general.
It’s a capital city. Therefore, it’s all about businesses, tourist attractions, high-rise buildings and apartment blocks.
I stood at the window, staring out at the garden as I waited for Mase to get changed, wondering what it would be like to be able to sit out there all the time, knowing it all belongs to you.
Amazing.
“I’m ready Sunshine, you want me to drop you home? Or you coming to the club for a bit?” A voice asked from behind me. I tore my gaze from the view and turned to face Mason.
At his question, I faltered.
I wanted to go home, but I had something to say to his brother, Jackson. I hadn’t seen him since I entered their place and wondered if he was home.
Mason frowned, like he didn’t know why I wanted to see his brother, but replied, “Not yet babe, he took Taylor out I think.” He glanced at his watch, then said, “But he should be back any time. You want to wait for him?”
“I could?” I asked, thinking that if I lived in a house like that, I wouldn’t want to leave anyone in it without me being there. Clearly, he didn’t feel the same.
“Of course, I trust you. Why d’ya wanna talk to Jax anyway?”
“Nothing big, just something to do with Taylor, I’ve helped him a bit, and I think I know what he should do next.”
“You’re helping my brother, sort out issues he’s having, with a woman he wants to be with?” He replied, sounding incredulous. I had no idea why. It wasn’t something out of the ordinary.
“Yeah.” I answered, like it was obvious.
He shook his head and whispered, ‘wow’, under his breath. Again, I didn’t get it. I vaguely wondered if maybe he just thought it was a nice thing to do. But I didn’t question it.
“Sure thing babe, make yourself at home, if you’re gone by the time I get home, which you probably will be, then I’ll just see you tomorrow, if not then I can give you a lift back later.”
He kissed me on the forehead.
Then he left.
It was things like that. The sweet things, gentle things, stupid fucking loving gestures that were messing with my head...and although I hated to admit it...my heart.
I didn’t have to wait for long by myself. No more than ten minutes later, I heard the door open and Jackson strolled through. I frowned briefly, wondering why the hell he had spotlessly clean and ironed clothes, but his face and his shaved head, we’re covered in mud.
How strange!
I was nervous though, I still didn’t know him all that well, and I didn’t know how he’d take what I had to say.
“What’s up Harp? Mase here?” He asked.
“Um, yeah...well no...he’s not now...he was here though, he said it was ok if I waited for you. I hope it is...he said it would be. I didn’t just like, not go home, I wanted to wait for you to talk to you but Mase said he had to go the club since you were out and I like...I really needed to speak to you. I didn’t touch anything, I just waited here, even though Mase said you wouldn’t care, but I wasn’t sure so I didn’
t and I just sat here yeah?”
My words were coming out too fast, I was just babbling and he said,
“Whoa, Harp, take a deep breath and slow down. I don’t care that you’re here. You can always come here. So what’s up?”
“I think you should leave Taylor alone.” I blurted, thinking that it was just best for me to get it over with.
“You want me to leave Taylor alone.” He repeated, his voice slow and slightly unsure.
Wow, I didn’t think macho-men ever be unsure.
“Yeah, I mean, no...well, not permanently. Just for like, a few days...she told me what she said to you outside the cinema and I think, no, I know...she doesn’t really know what she wants when it comes to you, because you’re always there regardless of how she acts with you. Think about it, right now, she can treat you how she wants because you’re trying to prove a point that you really like her and she’s different. So if you just like...stopped making an effort for a few days, she’d realise that she can’t get away with it. Wouldn’t she?”
It was a good idea, I knew it was, I knew Taylor better than anyone, and I wanted her to be happy, I figured Jackson was better than any guy I’d have picked for her. Even if he did have an edge.
“Well yeah, I guess she would. But what if it back fires? And she just ends up realising that she really doesn’t need or want me around? Then I’m back to square one all over again.”
He had a point, I supposed. I bit my lip and thought for a second.
“She won’t.” I stated firmly. Then explained...“Thing is with Taylor, she thinks she has to be strong, for us. But what she doesn’t realise is that, her ice facade is all an act. Hell, we’ve known it since the day she came out of hospital after her parents died. Our old Taylor is in there. Don’t get me wrong, she always looked out for us back then too, but it was real then. Taylor doesn’t know what real is anymore.”
I stopped for a breath, then continued.
“I have a plan, it’s a good plan, and you’re gonna help me do it, because it’s for you! I’m like 99.9% certain that it’s going to work. You just need to stick with what you’ve been doing. Just not for the next few days!”
Resist (London) Page 6
