“Maybe we did enough talking earlier,” she mumbled.
“Maybe,” I murmured. “I’ll see you guys at school Monday,” I opened my wallet and tossed a few bills on the table. “For the pizza,” I motioned to the money before stuffing my wallet in my pocket and slipping into my coat. I gave a quick wave before walking away and leaving them there.
oooooooooo
Danielle
“You could have been nicer to him,” Amber sighed as she crossed her arms on the table in front of her. “He paid for our dinner after all.”
“You didn’t hear the stuff his friends were saying about me,” I slumped into my chair. “They were being so rude, and he just sat there. He didn’t defend me or anything. I thought he was different.”
“Maybe he’s trying to be. He came over to apologize, right?” she pushed back from the table. “I mean he stayed after they left. He spent most of the night staring at the side of your head. I think he likes you and doesn’t really know how to deal with it yet.”
“Yeah right,” I groaned. “Mason Stone likes me? No way,” I shook my head as I stood and put on my jacket.
“Yes way. Now come on. Let’s go to the mall and talk about how cute he is and how much you like him, while we walk around because face it Dani, you like him,” she giggled.
“Do not,” I shook my head at her.
“Uh huh. Keep saying that,” she turned to walk away. I reached over and grabbed the receipt off the table. I stuffed it in my pocket before jogging after Amber to catch up. I knew it was stupid, but keeping that receipt meant something. Mason Stone had bought my dinner. It was almost like a date, only it wasn’t. This was a night that I would always remember. This was the night when my view of him would change.
Chapter 5
Mason
Present Day…
Things had been crazy at work lately. The days had been passing quicker than I’d have liked, and school was looming right around the corner. I only had three more classes to finish my business degree, and I had planned to take all three this semester. Normally I only took on two classes at a time so I could work full time, but Jen seemed to be doing better lately and I was hoping to finish up my degree so I could move on to a higher paid position.
When I’d started college at Loyola, I’d been a fulltime student on scholarship. Football had always been good to me, and until Jen’s accident I’d attended classes and such like any normal college student. When our parents died and then Jenni fell apart, I was the only glue holding us together. I let go of my scholarship and dropped back to part time. I moved out of the dorms, offered to let Jenni move in, and have been in slow motion ever since. I don’t regret what I’ve done for a second, but I am ready to get past this point in my life.
Sam’s offered me a management position once I get my degree. I’d never seen myself doing that, but it would put me on a more regular schedule. She even talked about opening for lunch again, and letting me have the night shift. With the baby coming, she wants to be home with Mara and Dev.
It’s been a week since I ran into Danielle. Now that I know who she is, she’s been on my mind more than I care to admit. I’ve looked for her every time I’ve worked, but she hasn’t come by the bar. I figure she’s avoiding it as much as possible now that she knows I work there.
I’ve been wracking my brain trying to come up with a way to find out anything I can about her without being too obvious, but I’ve been coming up blank. Dev and Jase are nothing like my friends Brad and Chris were, but I know they’ll have fun ribbing me once they see that they were somewhat right in their assessment of us. Dani has seen my dick, and that is the problem. Not size of course, but the fact that she saw it, and then I crushed us into a million pieces. If Brad were here now I’d beat the ever loving shit out of him, but I know after last time, he’d be a fool to come anywhere near me. I gave him the beating of his life, and I’m lucky I wasn’t arrested. If Chris hadn’t pulled me off him, I might have killed him.
oooooooooo
“You gonna help me, or stand there and watch?” Dev groaned as he struggled to lift one end of one of the pool tables in the back room. We’d been at this for a week now, and Sam had recruited as many employees and friends to help as possible. She said she’d rather pay us, people she knew she could trust, then a bunch of strangers. At first I thought she was nuts, then I saw the bid that the contractor had given her. His part was already ten grand, and that didn’t include any of what we’d been doing. Dev, Jase, and I along with a few others had been here demoing the wall between the two spaces and moving things out of the way, mainly the pool tables and a few booths. Sam had hung a giant plastic sheet up at night for the first few days, but now we were at a point that she was going to have to close for a while. The contractor told us that it shouldn’t take more than two weeks to finish his part, then all she’d need to do was get it painted and put everything back. Standing here looking at this mess though, I wasn’t so sure.
“Yeah man, sorry,” I grumbled as I shuffled over to the end opposite him.
“Use your legs, not your back,” Dev groaned as we squatted together opposite one another and stood, lifting the table between us. “Holy fuck that’s heavy,” he growled as we shifted a few feet in his direction. We moved over to where Sam was directing us and placed it down with a ‘thud’ before taking a few deep breaths. “You are going to owe me tonight, woman,” he turned to face her and fought hard to keep the angry glare on his face, but was failing miserably.
“I know,” she shrugged with a smirk. “I’ll pay you back,” she turned and walked away, swaying her hips and whistling knowing he was watching her.
“Damn,” he hissed as he watched her walk away. “So did you ever figure out how you knew Danielle?” he snickered like it was the funniest thing in the world.
“Yeah,” I sighed as I slumped against the table. Dev was a good friend, but I really wasn’t ready to dive into my past with him. I was an asshole back then, and after the way things went down with Tiff, I really didn’t want the bricks stacked against me again. I had a feeling that all my shit would soon hit the fan anyway, why rush it?
“And?” he chuckled as he shoved me slightly.
“And nothing,” I started to walk away, but stopped when the bell over the door dinged alerting us that someone was coming in.
“Hey. She’s in the back. Hang on,” Jase called from somewhere in the other room. He rushed past us in the same direction Sam had gone, laughing at the same time and shaking his head.
Dev and I looked at each other in confusion. “Wonder what that’s all about?” I shook my head and chuckled.
“The hell if I know,” Dev rolled his eyes. “He’s been all giddy ever since Tiff told him about the baby. I’ve never seen him like this. He’s been such a girl,” he snickered as I started laughing harder.
My laughter died in the air when I heard rather than saw who he was talking to. “It’s ok. I’ll wait at the bar,” Dani’s voice called out and my heart jumped into my throat.
“Fuck, she’s here,” I cursed under my breath.
“Now’s your chance to apologize for your dick size,” Dev chuckled as he smacked me on the back. “Maybe she’ll forgive you for your less than stellar performance the last time you were together. That’s why she’s so mad right?” he teased as he walked away, leaving me there completely stunned. He had no idea how close he was to being right on the money with this one.
I took a few deep breaths before stuffing my hands in my pockets and shuffling around the corner. My breath caught when I saw her standing there leaning against the bar. She looked so different from the last time I’d seen her. She seemed more relaxed now, and more like the Dani I remembered. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail high on her head. She was wearing a white ribbed tank top that accentuated her perky breasts perfectly and a pair of jean shorts that cupped her perfect ass. They were frayed across the bottom. She’d worn a pair of old Chucks that looked like they’d seen better da
ys, and wrapped around her right ankle was a small gold ankle bracelet. A few loose pieces of her blonde hair were hanging around her face, and as she leaned against the bar, she twirled one around her finger. A pair of dark framed glasses sat perched on her nose that was wrinkling at the moment. The sun that was shining through the front windows illuminated her golden skin and made her hair sparkle.
I moved slowly like I was approaching a scared animal as I made my way up beside her. I leaned against the bar mimicking her pose but making sure to leave some space between us. “Hey Dani,” I murmured without looking at her. Out of the corner of my eye I could see her stiffen. “It’s nice to see you again,” I swallowed.
“Wish I could say the same,” she snapped angrily before pushing away from the bar and fleeing towards Sam’s office.
“Dani wait!” I called as I started to follow her.
She spun around, and the daggers shooting from her eyes took me back right then to all those years ago. “No you wait. I don’t want to talk to you. I can’t stand to look at you. You make me sick. Do you hear me? I fucking hate you! I’m only here for work, Mase. You can go rot in hell for all I care,” she turned back towards Sam’s office, and before I could say another word, she disappeared inside.
“Holy shit, dude!” Jase gasped. “What the fuck did you do to her?”
“It’s a long story,’ I groaned as I shuffled over to the bar and sat down. I placed my elbows on the hard wooden surface, and dropped my head into my hands. “I fucked up so bad. I mean worse than you could ever imagine. I don’t think I can fix this,” I blinked a few times. I was not going to get worked up over this, but I was so hurt and angry over what happened, and even though I’d buried it, seeing her again was bringing it all back.
“I’ve got time,” Jase murmured as he waltzed behind the bar like he worked here and grabbed a beer out of the cooler. “Talk to me, man.”
“Let’s just say you were right. She’s seen my dick, my eighteen-year-old one, and I was a complete asshole to her,” I closed my eyes as I took a sip from the bottle in front of me. “I was such an asshole,” I paused before continuing, “even though I loved her.”
oooooooooo
Danielle
“Hey. Are you ok?” Sam’s head popped up when I came rushing through her door, closing it behind me.
“I’m fine,” I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. “Mason and I used to know each other. We parted on bad terms, and he doesn’t seem to remember that.”
“Wow. Ok,” Sam nodded a few times. “Well, we can have our meeting in here if you’d rather do that,” she smiled and I sat down on the couch she had in there.
“Things seem to be going well,” I smiled, pushing thoughts of Mason to the back of my mind.
“They’ve been going very well. I think we’re right on track for that grand reopening you were recommending. The weekend after Labor Day should work fine,” she grinned as she tapped a few keys on her computer and then turned in her office chair to face me.
“Great. I can start working on some mockups for the flyers that we’re going to put up, and I’ve gotten a few requests out to some local bands. I figure if we get some fresh blood in here it might attract more people. Are you still wanting to start promoting microbrews? We could get a few local ones for the opening. Maybe have some small samples for people to try,” I was getting excited thinking about this event. I’d always worked alongside a partner in the past. This was going to be the biggest event I’d done solo. Thoughts of Mason were fleeting as my excitement grew and Sam seemed to be just as happy as I was.
“That sounds great. The drywall is going up this weekend, and then the painters are coming. As soon as that’s done the new flooring is going in. The guys are going to put the tables back, and then it’s just a matter of cleaning the place up. I’d love it if you could be here for that. We could discuss how we want to decorate in here for the event. I can have help on standby to hang things or move the heavy stuff. I’ll feed them and they’ll do it for free,” she giggled.
“Sounds good,” I nodded as I stood up. “Well, I’ll see you next weekend. I’m apartment hunting today, so maybe I won’t have to live out of suitcases at my parents’ place. The drive sucks too,” I laughed as I placed my hand on the door.
“I’ll bet. I know of a few places nearby that might have a space available. My building does if you don’t mind a short drive, and I think Jase’s complex does too,” she smiled as she turned back to her computer.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks,” I waved and pushed the door open.
As soon as I was back out in the bar, I tucked my chin to my chest, stared at my feet, and moved as quickly as possible toward the front door. I didn’t want to see him, and I didn’t want him trying to stop me again.
When I rushed past the bar, I heard words that stopped me in my tracks, “I was such an asshole.” He sure was. He was more than an asshole, but I didn’t think there was a word in the English language that could describe what he was back then.
The guy behind bar made eye contact with me before looking away, and Mason said something else, but I missed it. I’d pushed the door open at this point, and the busy traffic drowned out whatever he was saying, but at the moment I didn’t care. There was nothing he could say that would change the way I felt. He’d done what he’d done, and I wasn’t sure I could ever forgive him for it. I knew I sure as hell couldn’t forget.
Chapter 6
Mason
9 Years Ago…
“So what’s up for tonight?” Chris was leaning against my locker as I was grabbing a few things for my last class, history.
“Not sure, what did you have in mind?” I mumbled as I flipped through the posters and timeline I’d made the night before. Dani and I had our presentation today, and I’d worked late into the night getting my part just right. I knew she thought I was a dumb jock, but I was planning to prove her wrong today.
“I was thinking maybe pizza after practice,” he shrugged as I slammed my locker closed.
“I don’t know,” I folded the papers in my arms, and began heading down the hall. “I’m hoping to celebrate an A on this assignment,” I glanced over my shoulder at where he was jogging behind me trying to keep up.
“Don’t tell me you’re passing up a night with us, for her,” he rolled his eyes.
“She’s not that bad,” I chuckled. “I don’t mind spending time with her, and it’s the only way this is going to work.” I knew that if I was going to win this bet, I needed Dani to trust me, and spending time with her was the quickest way to do that. She’d finally started talking to me in class, and last weekend she came to the game. She hadn’t admitted it, but I saw her in the stands with her friend, Amber.
“Whatever you say, dude. Don’t let Brad hear you talk about her like that, or he’ll screw with her again. He’s determined to make this hard for you,” he clapped me on the shoulder right before I rounded the corner to Ms. Gleeson’s classroom.
“I don’t care what he does. I think he’s jealous because he picked a girl that actually likes me,” I chuckled as I stepped through the door.
Dani was sitting in her usual seat staring at the papers in front of her. Her hair was pulled up on the sides in barrettes and she was chewing nervously on the pencil in her hand. “What’s up?” I slipped into the seat beside her and placed my backpack on the floor between us.
“I’m not sure if this is what she’s wanting,” she tipped her head in Ms. Gleeson’s direction.
“Dani,” I chuckled. “You have like a five point oh GPA, all the teachers love you, stop worrying,” I pushed gently on her shoulder.
“Stop,” she hissed as her cheeks bloomed with color. “I’m not perfect.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” I grinned as I opened the folder with all the graphics I’d done. “What’d ya think?” I placed the timeline in front of her and watched her eyes widen.
“You did this?” she touched the edge and trailed her fingers o
ver the fancy lettering I’d added.
“Yeah. Stayed up late working on it. I don’t think I really slept much last night,” I yawned as she looked over at the other papers in front of me. “Here,” I handed them to her.
“These are great,” she smiled as she flipped through them. I’d used some of the photo paper that my dad had in his office to make them look clearer, and more professional. I needed to score points here, and based on the way Dani was reacting, it looked like I had.
When it was our turn to present, Dani turned to me, “I’ll do the talking. You hold up the papers.”
“I can present too,” I frowned. The way she was carrying on, she was treating me like the stereotypical dumb jock. “I’m more than an easel.”
“Just hold this,” she handed me the poster, and before I could argue with her, she squared her shoulders and began presenting our assignment to the class.
oooooooooo
“Oh my god!” she squealed as our entire class poured out into the hallways when the bell rang. “I can’t believe how great that went,” before I could process what was happening, she jumped into my arms and wound her arms tightly around my neck. “I’m so happy right now I could kiss you,” the words tumbled out of her mouth, and as soon as she realized what she was saying and doing, she turned bright red and pushed away from me. “Sorry. Oh my god, I’m so embarrassed,” she buried her head in her hands and started to scurry down the hall away from me.
“Wait!” I called as I rushed after her. She was weaving between people so fast I could hardly keep up. When I took the last turn, I caught her arm as she was pushing open a door that led to the courtyard near the back of the school. “Wait!” she froze when I touched her arm.
Say You Remember: book 4 in The Witness Series Page 4
