“I’m sorry about that,” Sara says.
“No need to apologize,” I say, waving her off.
“I really don’t care for her. I’m not even sure why she acts as though we are friends. Maybe she was hoping I would say something to her about Mason.”
“Oh, are they friends?”
“Hardly, Mason and she dated a while ago, before he found out she cheated on him.”
“What!”
“Yeah, I know. He is such an awesome guy and she is a bitch for doing it. Mason is one of the most respected men I know. They dated for a couple years and anyway … that’s in the past where it should be.”
Wow. I had no idea. That’s too bad. He really does seem like a nice guy. I’m really looking forward to our date tomorrow, I think to myself.
“The past should most definitely stay in the past,” I agree.
We pay the bill and collect our cars from the valet, and I head home. I pull the dress from the bag to inspect it. Perfect. I hang it up in the closet and lay the jewelry out on the dresser. Happy with my decision, I shower and call it a night.
I get a chime from my phone alerting me that I have a new text. I have come to expect it nightly, although the butterflies are still in my belly, knowing it’s from Mason.
M: How was your day?
A: Great, Sara and I went shopping after work.
M: Mmmm, may I ask what you bought?
A: You may, something for tomorrow.
M: Will I like it?
Oh, he makes it so easy to play with him.
A: Not sure.
M: Is that all I get?
A: Did you want more?
M: A description, a color, a length would be nice.
A: Well, let me see …?
M: You are going to be the death of me. You do know that, right?
A: I doubt that, but you will need to wait to see it tomorrow. You are working tonight, right?
M: Yeah, I’m working. Just wanted to remind you to lock up before you went to bed and to see how your day went.
A: My house is secured, and I am already in bed. Thank you. Good night, Handsome.
M: Sweet dreams, Beauty. See you tomorrow at 7.
A: Mason?
M: Beauty?
A: Be careful at work.
M: Always. ;)
I have soft music playing on the surround sound, and I am on my second glass of wine. Standing in front of the full-length mirror, I’m looking at myself. I check the front, the back, and the sides. My hair is curled in big loose curls, my eyes are done up in smoky shades of eye shadows, and lip gloss to my lips. I also applied my favorite lotion and body spray, cinnamon and peaches. I am wearing a red silk-and-lace lingerie set. Again, not that anyone will see them, but I feel even sexier wearing them. I pull my dress over my head and secure the buttons. I twirl around while looking at myself in the mirror. The dress is sexy, but not sleazy. I put on the chunky jewelry that Sara picked out and spray a little more body spray to my dress and neck. Perfect.
I grab my shoes and walk barefoot into the living room. The doorbell rings, and I look at the clock. Seven on the dot. Smiling, I head to the front door. I look out the peephole and see Mason, looking handsome as ever, adjusting his tie. Is he nervous, I wonder?
I open the door and greet him with my best smile.
“Hi, right on time, I see.”
I open the door wider for him to walk through.
“Please come in.”
“Wow!” He stands there looking me up and down. “You look stunning.”
I can feel the heat rise to my face with just his words. “Thank you. You look very sharp yourself.”
He steps through the front door and I motion towards the couch, while closing the door behind him. I just need to put my shoes on and I’ll be ready.
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, I almost forget my manners. These are for you. I hope you like daisies?”
“Thank you.” I take them from him. “I love daisies; they are my favorite. How did you know?”
“Lucky guess.”
“Let me put these in some water.” I walk into the kitchen in search of a vase. “Please make yourself at home. Would you like a drink? Wine or beer?”
“No, thank you, I’m fine. Lovely place you have here.”
“Thank you.”
I run the water in the vase and I finally get to look at him. He is looking out the glass door at the lanai and the backyard. He is wearing a midnight black suit with a crisp white shirt and a grey tie. He is looking all 50 shades of grey. Laughing to myself, I wonder if he read that book. Is that why he wore a grey tie? Guys don’t read those kinds of books, do they? I shake my head to try to clear it from my one-track mind.
I walk into the living room and place the vase of flowers on the coffee table.
“Thank you; they are beautiful.”
“You are more than welcome.”
Reaching down to pick up my heels, I tell him I’ll be ready in just a minute. I sit down and slip my foot into the shoe, but I am unable to get it fastened. He watches me struggling with the tiny buckle before he walks over to me. I remove my high heel and decide to wear a different pair.
He kneels down in front on me on one knee.
“May I?” he asks with one brow raised.
I can feel the damn heat rising in my cheeks again. I am feeling all 50 shades of red tonight.
He lifts my foot with one hand wrapped gently around my bare ankle. He slides my shoe in place, lowers my foot and secures the tiny buckle. He rubs his thumb across my ankle gently before reaching for my other heel. I watch him intently as he raises my other foot and repeats the process. He again caresses my ankle before releasing my foot.
“There.”
He stands and reaches out for my hand. I place my hand in his and stand up. He looks me up and down, smiles his appreciation, and says, “Beautiful.”
“Thank you. Let me get my clutch and I’ll be ready.”
I walk into the bedroom, grab my black clutch and do another check in the mirror before walking to the living room. Mason is already at the front door smiling and holding it open for me.
“Shall we go, Beauty?”
Walking towards him, I smile.
“Thank you.”
I flip on the porch light and secure the locks on the door. I walk through the door before him. He closes the door and then tries to open it to make sure it’s securely shut. Satisfied, he walks over to me. I loop my arm through his and he leads me to his car.
“You look very handsome tonight. You kind of remind me of Christian Grey,” I say.
“Thank you, but who is Christian Grey?”
Mmmm, so he didn’t read the book. He wore the tie because he likes it.
“Just my book boyfriend.”
He stops at his car and opens the door for me to get in.
“So, you have a book boyfriend?” he says and looks at me with a raised brow.
I bite my lip and correct him: “I have more than one.”
“Should I be worried?” he asks, still holding the door open for me to get in.
“Yes, I love them,” I say, getting into his car. I swear I can hear him chuckling before he closes my door.
Conversation flows easily between the two of us on our way to dinner.
We pull up in front of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse on Tamiami Trail. The valet opens Mason’s door for him. Before Mason steps out of the car, he looks over at me.
“Stay put, Angel. I’ll get your door for you,” Mason says.
I remain seated. My hands begin to sweat and my heart beats a little faster. I watch him as he stands in front of the car talking to the valet. Mason hands him a tip and places the valet ticket in his jacket pocket. He is handsome and looks so powerful. He buttons his jacket and comes over to my side of the car. He opens my car door and reaches his hand for mine.
“Watch your step.”
I take his hand and he wraps his fingers tightly around mine. I do as h
e says, because he carries such power in his words. I feel safe around him. I stand up straight and straighten my dress.
He looks down at me, winks, and says, “Ready?”
I can only nod my answer. I can feel the blush creeping up into my cheeks again. How can this man take my breath away with a wink?
He holds the door open for me and places his hand on the small of my back. We walk past a throng of people who are standing in the foyer. He excuses us as we try to get past them. He leads me up to the hostess desk, where he is greeted by name.
“Mason, so nice to see you again. We have your table ready,” a beautiful blond says, looking at him.
“Great, thank you, Lori.”
“Please follow me.”
With Mason still resting his hand on the small of my back, we are led to a small intimate table in the corner of the back of the restaurant. He pulls out my chair for me and waits until I get seated before pushing it in slightly. He takes the only chair at the table across from me. He takes his napkin and lays it gently on his lap. He leans back in the chair and looks around the room before his eyes land on mine.
The hostess hands us our menus and says that our server will be right with us.
Our table is small and intimate. A lit candle and a single red rose decorate the white linen tabletop. The faint sound of a piano is heard coming from the other room.
“I hope you like steak and seafood,” he says while unbuttoning his jacket. “They have the best food in town.”
“I have never been here before. I’m sure the food is delicious.”
The server comes over and introduces herself, never taking her eyes off Mason. She repeats the dinner specials and Mason orders a bottle of wine and two glasses as well as a Scotch for him.
We look at the menu, and he tells me his favorite dishes.
“I can’t decide. Everything sounds so good.”
I start biting the inside of my cheek.
“They have many delicious choices on the menu,” he says while looking up from his menu at me.
I know he can see that I am overwhelmed by the number of choices.
“Beauty, I would like to order for you if that’s all right with you? That is, if you trust me?”
I look up at him and ponder his words. I do trust him. But why do I trust him so easily, so soon?
“Of course I trust you and I would like that very much. There is just so much to choose from,” I say honestly while placing my menu on the side of the table, relieved that part is taken care of for me. I lay my napkin across my lap.
The waitress returns with our drinks and some bread with seasoned olive oil. I watch in amazement as Mason orders for the both of us. Crab cake appetizer, 6 oz. filet, seasoned potatoes and a fresh vegetable. He hands her our menus and focuses his attention back to me.
He reaches for the bottle of wine from the ice bucket and fills my glass. He smiles at me before leaning over to hold my hand across from the table.
“I hope you like the food I ordered. I should have asked what you were in the mood for before I ordered it.”
“No, it’s fine. I love steak and seafood. Everything sounded delicious.”
The waitress shows up with our appetizers: crab crabs with a creole sauce. Mason thanks her and she saunters off. The food is mouthwatering. I moan as soon as it hits my mouth. Mason laughs as I close my eyes to savor the taste.
“This is so good,” I say, pointing to my crab cake.
Mason nods his agreement.
“They have the best crab cakes around and their creole sauce goes perfectly with it.”
We finish our crab cakes in silence, and I finish off my glass of wine.
He refills both of our wine glasses, and I excuse myself to use the powder room. He stands and pulls my chair out for me and tells me where they are located. Thanking him, I take my clutch and head in that direction.
I wash my hands, check my teeth, and reapply some lip gloss before leaving.
I walk out of the powder room, and I am shocked to see Julia at our table talking to Mason. Mason looks stressed. He is never stressed. He does not look happy to see her. He is running his hands through his hair. She has a look on her face that I can’t read. I have no idea what they are talking about, but I know the look on Mason's face, and he isn’t interested. Sara already told me the story of the two of them, and I already don’t like her.
I straighten my dress, stand a little taller, and stride right over to them. When I get closer to the table, Mason looks at me — he seems defeated. He stands to greet me with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. I reach both my hands out for him, and he readily takes both of them in his.
"I’m sorry it took me so long,” I say, totally ignoring the intruder. He pulls me to his side, and I give him my biggest smile.
I look up at Julia, who is staring at me.
“Julia, right?” I say, reaching my hand out to her.
Ignoring my hand, she says, “Sara’s friend from last night, right?”
“Yes, that’s right, lovely to see you again,” I lie.
I look over at Mason and explain to him we met last night while Sara and I were having dinner.
“Julia, if you’ll excuse us, I would like to get back to my date,” Mason says.
Julia is still standing there, looking dumbfounded, and not moving. He walks me over to my chair, still holding my hand. He doesn’t pull it out for me but waits for Julia to leave.
He clears his throat, and then he says, “Julia, if you’ll please excuse us, I would like to get back to my evening with this beautiful young woman.”
I can’t stop the smile that is now spread across my face.
Julia shakes her head and mumbles something about seeing us around before leaving to join a man at a nearby table.
I watch as Julia walks over to her table to join her date. Is that the man she cheated on Mason with? What does he think she is talking to Mason about?
Mason leans down and whispers an apology into my ear before pulling my chair out for me. Once I am seated, he looks around the room before taking his own seat across from me. He sits down and apologizes again to me.
Determined not to let this put a damper on our evening, I ask, despite already knowing the answer, “An old girlfriend?”
“I’m sorry, yes.”
He attempts to smile without succeeding.
“Part on good terms?” I say, smiling brightly.
He looks up at me and says, “Yes, the best.”
And we both start laughing.
Our food comes and we eat in a comfortable silence. I can feel Julia staring at us although Mason never mentions it. He pours the last of the wine in my glass.
The waitress comes and clears our plates and shows us the dessert tray.
“For dessert, they have a great key lime pie,” Mason says.
“Would you like to share a piece?” I ask, not sure I have any room left.
“Sounds good.”
“One key lime pie and two coffees, please.”
I slide my chair closer next to him and he grins at me.
“Well, if we are sharing dessert we need to be close enough to reach it.”
“Good point, if I knew that we would have shared dinner, too, then.”
I swat his arm playfully and we both laugh.
He drapes his arm over my chair, gently touching my shoulder and stares at me.
I am able to see Julia clearly from this position, and I know he had to endure her stares all through dinner. I feel bad for him. What a bitch to hurt him like she did. I look at him and he still has stress lines on his forehead.
He looks directly into my eyes like he is trying to read my soul. I forget about everything. I focus on the color of his dark eyes, dark like rich chocolate. He smells like spice and sandalwood. I move my eyes to his lips. They are full and beautiful. I search his eyes again and they seem even darker than before. He leans closer to me and stops. He looks into my eyes and then my lips. My mouth is dry a
ll of a sudden. I lick them to try to add moisture to them. His eyes travel back up to meet mine. I feel like I can’t breathe. My heart is pounding. He moves his hand from the back of the chair and places it on the nape of my neck. He gently strokes my cheek with his thumb. He slowly pulls me slightly to him before stopping one last time. Almost like he is asking for my permission. I close my eyes leaning in to close the small distance between us. Our lips touch ever so softly. He has the softest lips of anyone I have ever kissed. I open my mouth slightly inviting him to enter. He lets a small moan before our tongues touch. Softly and sweetly we kiss. He pulls back slightly, I open my eyes, and he is staring intently at me. I blink a few times trying to remember where we are. When I realize we are sitting in a busy restaurant, I try to sit back. He tightens his hold on me and leans in and kisses me softly on my lips once more before releasing me. The waitress clears her throat. I sit back in my chair and fidget with my napkin on my lap. The waitress is there with our dessert and coffee.
Julia and her friend leave shortly after our display of affection.
We share our pie and drink our coffee. He keeps one arm around the back of my chair, caressing my shoulder occasionally. He asks for the check and pays the bill.
Turning his chair to look at me, he says, “Are you in a hurry to get home?”
”No, not at all. Do you have something else in mind?”
Smiling, he says, “There’s something I want to show you.”
His stress lines are gone from his face and his eyes are back to normal again. Must have been a pretty bad breakup for a person to do that to him with one conversation.
Smiling back at him, I say as cheerfully as I can, “Ready whenever you are, Handsome.”
He stands, buttons his jacket up, and pulls my chair out for me. I stand, straightening my dress and reach for my clutch. I tell him I need to use the powder room again, swaying just a little. He reaches for my arm to steady me.
“Are you ok?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.
Starting Over Trilogy Boxset Page 8