Was that it? Her excuse was that she wasn’t a good mother, so she decided not to be a mother at all? It was clear that chasing fame was more important to her than her own child. “Did it work out for you?” He leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “Did you become a big star in the U.K.?” He couldn’t help the sarcasm.
She lowered her eyes for a moment, and the apples of her cheeks turned pink. “No. I didn’t. I tried, though. Very hard and for a very long time. First in L.A. and then in Europe.” She let out a long breath. “Eventually, I realized that everyone was right. I just wasn’t good enough, and I stopped chasing my dreams.”
A bout of empathy suddenly overtook Mason. He’d be crushed if the world didn’t recognize his passion for music. Sometimes, all it came down to was timing. Talented artist often fell by the wayside simply because their big break never came. But her explanation only created more confusion. “Then why didn’t you come back?”
Her eyes bore into him, begging him to understand. “Because too much time had gone by. I missed my window of opportunity. I had become a stranger to my own son. I didn’t know how you’d react to seeing me again. I had no idea what people told you about me. Whatever you’ve heard, I’ve changed. I’m not the same person I was when they knew me. I went back and forth a million times on whether to come to the States or not. And then when I saw you – just a glimpse – I had to speak to you.” She reached across the table and grabbed both of his hands in a desperate gesture. “I had to, Mason. I had to try, before it was too late. Losing Aunt Mary made me realize how much of your life I’ve missed. I can’t make up for the past, but I’m here now. Please, Mason. I just want to get to know my son.”
The genuine remorse in her voice and in her eyes tugged at his heart, and he caved.
“You’re birth mother?” Tessa’s eyes were as wide as saucers.
“I’m as surprised as you are.” While Mason paraphrased the entire conversation he had with Kendall, Tessa had been silently staring at him, eyes growing wider with disbelief with each sentence.
“Are you OK?” Tessa cupped Mason’s face in her hands. “You must be so upset.”
Mason didn’t know if he was OK or not. His head was in a daze, and he felt pulled in two different directions. One part of him thought it would be nice to have a relationship with Kendall. The other still didn’t trust her. There were too many gaps in her story. Too many lost years void of content. He had no idea why she thought everyone hated her and talked badly about her. No one ever said a word about her, good or bad.
“Sit down.” Tessa guided him to the couch. “I’ll get you a glass of pomegranate iced tea.”
Mason sat back against the couch cushion and stared across the room. He tried to recall memories of Kendall, but the only images that played in his head were of Aunt Mary. She’s the one who bathed him and dressed him. Took him to the playground. Memories of Kendall were always fleeting glimpses of her running out of the house. It reminded him of how much he missed Aunt Mary, and his chest hurt from grief. He always viewed her as a grandmother, but, now, he realized that when he was a baby she was like a mother to him. Emotion tightened his throat, and he teared up.
“Mason . . .” Tessa knelt next to him and put her hand on his knee. “What’s wrong?”
He wiped his eyes. The pain was still so fresh and raw it oozed out of him. “Nothing. I . . . I was just thinking about Aunt Mary.”
Tessa’s eyes watered and her mouth bowed into a frown. “I’m sorry, Mase. I miss her, too.” She offered him the glass. “Here. Drink this. I put a little Southern Comfort in it.”
He gave her a sad smile. It was all he could muster. “Thanks. I need it.” He took a long sip and welcomed the splash of alcohol. “It’s such bad timing. I know she came back because of Aunt Mary’s funeral, but I wish she would have waited. My head’s not clear. I can’t think straight.”
Tessa, always there to ease and comfort someone’s troubled heart, moved into the seat next to him and ran her hand up and down his back. “How do you feel about what she said?”
“I feel like she’s hiding something. Like everybody is hiding something. Why doesn’t anyone ever talk about her? Why does she think everyone hates her?”
Tessa shook her head. “Maybe because she wasn’t around. Or, they had nothing to say about her.”
He believed that there were ill feelings between Kendall and his parents and the rest of the Immortal Angel family. She admitted that she was selfish and self-absorbed back then and she probably did things she regretted. The real question is, has she changed? He didn’t know the answer, but he needed to find out.
Kendall already sat at the manicured table when Mason entered Le Bernardin on West 51st Street. He had slept fitfully the night before and dreamed that she never showed up at the restaurant for brunch. But she was here. Nerves tickled his belly as he approached, and she rose to greet him. She had shed yesterday’s black ensemble, and it was replaced by a pale peach sheath that fell just above her knee. A twist at the back of her neck held her hair in a sophisticated up-do. She was chic, and her fashion surprised him.
He could tell Kendell wanted to give him a hug or perhaps kiss his cheek, but she hesitated, and he didn’t feel comfortable offering affection. He was still making his mind up about her, which is why he didn’t tell his dad yet that he’d been in contact with her.
“Thank you for meeting me, Mason.” She looked past him. “You didn’t bring your girlfriend? I was looking forward to meeting her.”
“No. I thought it best if we just take it slow.” He slid into the chair, awkwardness creeping up his back.
“Oh.” Disappointment made her smile disappear, but she nodded as if she understood. “I hope you like French cuisine. I don’t get to eat at many fabulous restaurants in London. Not like in New York City. I’d have to fly to Paris in order to dine on French cuisine of this caliber.” She looked around the place, eyes bright. “I never could have afforded to eat at someplace this elite when I lived in the States. Nor would I have appreciated it. I had no culture back then.”
“So what do you do?” She obviously had money by her refined appearance and choice of restaurant.
She paused to fill her glass with water from a large bottle of Evian on the table. “I married money. I know it sounds shallow, but Edward is a good man and he loves me.”
“Do I have any brothers or sisters?”
“No.” She smiled as if it were absurd. “I didn’t have any more children. What about Jimmy and Audra?”
She really hadn’t bothered to find out any information about him at all. Details about his family were all over the internet. His dad’s fame, his mom’s role at Falcon Records, his own career as a musician, even Michael’s aptitude as a whiz kid and winner of the National Science Fair was readily available with a few clicks of the keyboard.
“I know what you’re thinking.” She pressed her fingers along the crease of her napkin. “I know I could have kept up to date on your life, but I don’t pay attention to entertainment news, and I’m not the type to snoop online. I’ve done that in the past, and I didn’t handle it well. It kept sucking me in and I needed to move on. I needed to forget about those people.”
She kept using the words “everyone,” “them” and “those people” as if there was some kind of feud going on with her on one side, and his parents and the Immortal Angel family on the other. But Mason wondered if it was a diversion and what she actually meant was that she was still hung up on his dad.
A waiter stopped at their table and handed them menus. “Bienvenue à Le Bernardin. Welcome to Le Bernardin. May I suggest you start with a mimosa made with Nicolas Feuillatte Brut and freshly-squeezed orange juice?”
Kendall held up her hand. “No alcohol for me, thank you. Just another bottle of Evian, s’il vous plait. Mason, please feel free to order a mimosa or whatever you fancy. You don’t have to pass up alcohol on my account.”
He shook his head at the waiter. “Nah. I’ll stic
k with water, as well.”
The waiter nodded and walked away with the promise of returning to take their order shortly.
Mason sat back and assessed Kendall’s remark about alcohol. “What was that about?”
Her cheeks flushed again, and she refilled her glass from the bottle of water on the table. “I had a bit of a drinking problem, but it was a long time ago.” She raised her eyes to meet his. “I’m actually surprised Jimmy or one of the others never mentioned it.”
“They don’t talk about you.” He didn’t know why he said it like that, as if she didn’t matter, and he felt bad for being insensitive. “I’m sorry. I just meant—”
“It’s all right. I understand. I doubt they’d have much to say. You know how the expression goes – if you don’t have anything nice to say, and so forth and so on.” She forced a smile. “On to happier things. You never answered my question about siblings. Did Jimmy and Audra have any children together?”
“I have a ten year old brother. Michael.”
A genuine smile lit up her face. “That’s precious. Does he play the drums, too?”
“Not really. He’s very smart. Already an entrepreneur. He’s a lot like my mo—” The word hung in the air. He’d never been more confused about how to address people. Audra was his mother. His mom. But he felt guilty calling her that in front of Kendall, although she had no right to the title.
Kendall nodded with understanding, but also with a tinge of resentment sitting in the corner of her mouth. “She raised you. She’s your mum.”
He didn’t know what to say or how to respond, and the awkwardness came back, causing him to drum his fingers on the table.
“Just like your father,” she said, referring to his finger tapping. She was lost in thought for a few moments as she stared at Mason’s hand. “I wanted fame so badly when I was young. I’m embarrassed now that I think back on it. I didn’t have half the talent I thought I had.” The confidence she portrayed up until now diminished, and vulnerability took its place. “Everyone told me I was terrible, but I never believed them. I thought they were just jealous.” She mocked herself with a laugh. “I should have listened to them. I probably made such a fool of myself. However, I had big dreams. Now I see that everyone was right about me. I hope I never run into any of them. I couldn’t stand to hear them gloat about it.”
Dismayed and a little irked, he frowned. It must be horrible to, not only have your dreams crushed, but for others to crush them. No one deserved to be torn down and ridiculed. He wanted to ask her specifically who she was referring to when she said “them” and “everyone”, because he couldn’t imagine his parents, Aunt Kira, Tommy, Angel, Jessi, Damien or Alyssa cutting her down the way she kept insinuating. He was listening, though. He wanted to form an unbiased opinion. The complexity of her intrigued him. She admitted to being at fault and regretting decisions she’d made. She also kept saying that she was a different person now, which seemed obvious, but he still wasn’t one hundred percent sure what to believe.
“I guess I deserved it,” she said, with regret. “I wasn’t very nice back then.”
“No one deserves to be bullied,” he quickly stated.
Her eyes welled with tears and she dabbed the napkin to the corner of her eye. “You’re right. I tried not to let it bother me and continued to pursue my singing career, but it hurt my feelings terribly. It still hurts.” She forced a smile and blinked a few times. “Enough about the poor sad girl I used to be.”
The waiter approached the table with a fresh bottle of Evian and refilled their glasses. Mason watched Kendall as she gave the waiter her order. She spoke eloquently, throwing in a few words in French here and there. He couldn’t imagine the person she used to be and the way she explained her life had been. After he gave his order the waiter left and they were alone again, and she seemed to be happier.
“Tell me about your fabulous life.” She leaned forward and rested her chin in her hand. “How did your music career take off?”
He shrugged. “It just happened. I guess because of who my dad is, I got noticed right away. I made the rounds on daytime talk shows when I was 10. I’ve been in world famous bands since I was 18. Now I’m in my own band and we’ve skyrocketed. We have a number one single and a successful album. I just got back from our first tour about a month ago.”
She was beaming with pride, fidgeting in her seat as she listened. “Your life sounds so exciting. I’m so happy for you. I knew you were destined for fame and greatness. You’ve turned out so well. You’ve done so much with your life. You’re such a handsome man. You have Jimmy’s incredible smile and those adorable dimples.” Her gaze grew heavy, and she sat back in her chair. “Tell me about Aunt Mary.”
A weight landed on his chest. Not just from loss, but from guilt because he hadn’t thought about her yet today.
“I’m sorry.” Kendall patted Mason’s hand. “I didn’t mean to upset you. She was a wonderful woman. As sweet as can be. And she loved you so much. I remember when you were born. I didn’t know what I was doing. I had no help. My mother wasn’t there for me. I had no one. Aunt Mary showed up at my door when you were three days old with an arm full of diapers and baby clothes and these little tricks to help you fall asleep. She was a Godsend. Did you see her often? Were you close?”
“She lived with us. When I came to live with my dad, so did she. Even after I moved out, she stayed. She was part of our family.”
“I had no idea you were all so close. What was she like? Was she the same?”
A ton of memories filled Mason’s head, each one more special than the last, and a sentimental smile spread across his lips. “She was fun. Always with a smile on her face. Me and my dad used to drive her crazy with our drumming. He soundproofed the drum room, but she could still hear it. She used to walk around the penthouse wearing these big headphones to muffle the noise. One time, she didn’t notice that we were done playing and we didn’t tell her.” He chuckled at the memory. “She wore those headphones for an hour before she realized we were sitting in the living room. She got us back by hiding our drumsticks. We pretended to go nuts looking for them. We didn’t have the heart to tell her we had a stack of ‘em in the closet.”
Kendall’s laughter lit up her face and Mason laughed with her. “This is nice,” Kendall said. “Us. Talking. Getting to know one another.”
Unexpected warmth filled Mason’s chest. “It is. I’m glad I came today. I’m glad you came to New York.”
“Thank you, Mason. It means the world to me. I’d like to stay for a while and spend some time with you. If that’s all right.”
He didn’t need to think about it. “I’d like that.”
Mason popped open a beer and plopped down in the lounge chair on the rooftop deck of Lucas’ penthouse. The sun was blaring down on him, so he pushed his shades higher on the bridge of his nose. He stared into the blue sky and tried to clear his head. For one day he didn’t want to think about loss or surprise biological parents showing up out of the blue. He rolled his head to the side to look at Tessa. “Do you think I can bring my drum set up here?”
“No. I think you’d get Lucas kicked out of his apartment if you brought your kit up here.”
“That’s what I thought.” He covered Tessa’s hand with his and gave her a soft closed-mouth smile that, he hoped, conveyed how much he appreciated her in his life. With all the crazy shit going on the last few days, she turned out to be his rock. He knew she would be. She was one of those people who always knew what to say and how to handle a situation. Even if it was just a loving embrace, her empathy and compassion eased his heavy heart.
“Lower the flame!” Tessa called to her brother. She was the cook and the grill master, but Lucas refused to let her man the barbecue when they were at his pad.
Lucas didn’t listen, and another flame shot up from the grill. The top choice rib eye burgers that had Mason’s mouth watering were in danger of turning into well-done inedible pieces of meat. “You better g
ive him some tips, babe, because I don’t think he knows the knob turns in two directions.”
“Honestly, I don’t know how he’s related to me right now. He’s not even wearing an apron.”
He chuckled at the overly dramatic huff she expelled from her lungs. Others may have thought she was joking, giving her brother a hard time, but Mason knew better. Food was serious for Tessa. The only thing she committed to more than cooking was the band.
Tessa rummaged through the tote bag she brought, which contained sunscreen, lotions, towels, bug spray, extra sunglasses, a lightweight beach cover-up, and, apparently, an apron. No. Make that two aprons. And those were only the things Mason saw her pull from the bottomless bag. His girl was prepared for anything.
“Put this on, big brother.” She slipped the apron over Lucas’s head and knotted it around his waist. “And tie your hair back before you singe it off. Geeze. Don’t you remember anything from our childhood?”
Mason threw his head back and laughed up to the sky as he recalled the incident she was referring to, although Tommy Blade losing a chunk of his long blond hair when he had leaned over the grill to steal a sausage was definitely no laughing matter. Mason watched Tessa secure an apron around her waist before she assisted her brother on the grill. She lowered the flame and showed him how to rotate the burgers so they cooked evenly, and she moved the salmon steaks to the top rack, but not before coating it with a healthy dose of olive oil with a basting brush she produced from the bag, so they didn’t stick to the grill.
The elevator doors that led to the rooftop opened and Sindy walked through them carrying several large sealed containers. Mason jumped up to help her. Together, they spread the salads and sides on the table and took a seat to wait for the brother and sister duo to place the grilled feast on the table.
MASON WILDER: Radical Rock Stars Next Generation Duet Book 2 Page 14