Starting Over Trilogy Boxset

by Kennedy, Brenda

  I clear my throat.

  “Mason, I know you would never hurt me. I can see it in your everyday actions. I do feel safe with you. I am amazed that in such a short time I feel so close to you. Mason, please try to understand,” I say, breaking eye contact and looking out the window behind him, before looking back to him. “I am a very private person, and some things in my life I can’t share. Some things in my life are just too personal. I don’t want to bare my ugly past and my personal demons and taint this,” waving my hand between us, “before it has a chance to get started.”

  He caresses my knuckles with his thumb.

  “Angel, you don’t need to go through this alone, whatever it is. I have broad shoulders. I can bear the weight of whatever it is you are dealing with. I want to help you.”

  “I know you do and you already have. I just can’t open up, not yet. Please try to understand.”

  He looks out the windshield, before looking at me, “I’ll respect your privacy because I don’t have a choice, but remember, whenever you want to talk, I am here.”

  I lean over to kiss him. He places his hands on my cheeks and leans into me. I close my eyes. He smells so good, and his hands feel so strong on my face. He pulls me closer to him and kisses me slowly. I moan, he deepens the kiss, and there is no other place I want to be. I put my arm around his neck trying to get as close to him as I can. His tongue enters my mouth eagerly and he lifts me over the console so I am sitting on his lap, without our lips losing contact. He caresses my cheek and slows the kiss. I pull away slowly and he moans softly.

  “God, Mason, I love kissing you.” I open my eyes and he is looking at me with lust in his eyes. I am certain the look in his eyes matches mine. “God, you have no idea.”

  He kisses me one last time.

  He opens his car door and helps me stand. He stands up next to me and takes me by the hand and leads me to my car. He opens his passenger door and hands me my purse. I unlock my car door and he opens it up for me. I get in and buckle up before he has a chance to remind me. He leans in and kisses me gently on my lips.

  “I’ll follow you home,” he says before he shuts my door and I have a chance to protest.

  I know it is no use. I wait for him to get in his car before I back out. He follows me home and walks me to my door. Looking around, he waits for me to enter the house.

  “Want to come in?” I ask.

  “Just for a second.”

  I open the door wide for him, and he comes in and walks around the house. He looks at the windows and checks the lock on the lanai door. I stand there, looking at him with my arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. He peeks his head into the spare bedrooms and in my room.

  “Looking for something?” I ask, still standing near the front door.

  Walking over to me, he smiles and says, “No, just want to make sure my girl is safe.”

  He bends down and kisses me on my nose and opens the front door.

  “Lock up and I’ll text you when I get home. I’ll wait outside until I hear both locks and the chain secured,” he says as he leaves and closes the door behind him.

  Of course, I do exactly as he says. I secure both locks and the chain and leave the porch light on. Serious, overprotective Mason is definitely hot. I shower and get ready for bed.

  Mason

  Once I hear Angel secure the locks on her house, I head home. I think about what she must be going through. I have no idea what it is, but it can’t be good. I wish she would open up to me. I haven’t known her long, but I feel the need to protect her. I don’t know why, but I do. She isn’t like anyone else I have ever met before. So independent yet so frightened.

  I enter the code to my penthouse, and I am shocked to see Julia standing in the hall foyer in front of the entrance door to my condo.

  “How did you get up here?” I ask, shocked to see her here.

  “Mason, don’t look so pissed. I have your elevator passcode, remember?”

  “I didn’t think you would have the nerve to show your face around here, but obviously, I was wrong. What do you want?”

  I just stand there. I’m not about to unlock the door to my condo with her there. I want her gone.

  “I tried to go into your condo, but my key wasn’t under the mat. When did you remove my key?”

  “Since you cheated on me and we broke up, which I’m glad we did. All I need is for you to make yourself at home while I’m out. Oh, and get this right, that is my key — not yours.”

  “I’m sorry, it was a mistake. I want to talk to you. I sent you a text, but you didn’t respond.”

  “I did respond. I ignored it. That was my response.”

  “Mason, don’t be like that.”

  “Don’t be like that? You have got to be kidding me! I don’t have anything to say to you, Julia. It’s that simple. Things ended exactly the way you wanted. You really need to leave.”

  “I made a terrible mistake. I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry! I don’t believe this! I’m not sorry. You did me a huge favor, and I should be thanking you. If you didn’t cheat on me, I never would have met Angel.”

  “Mason, don’t be so mean. I love you. I want to work things out and have things be like they used to be with us. Don’t you remember how good it was with us?”

  She walks over to me and tries to put her hand on my arm. I back away. I don’t want any part of her.

  “Julia, what I remember about our relationship is that you were having sex a hell of a lot more often than I was. The thought of you makes me fucking sick. This ended exactly the way it should have.”

  I summon the elevator, because I am done with her and this conversation.

  “Mason, that’s not fair.”

  “Leave and don’t you ever show up here again.”

  The elevator arrives and she reluctantly gets on. She looks at me with tears in her eyes.

  “I mean it, Julia. Don’t show your face around here again. I have moved on and you need to as well. We are over.”

  “I wouldn’t count on that,” she says and glares at me before the elevator door closes.

  I go inside the condo and slam the door behind me. Taking a deep breath, I head straight to the bar and pour myself a Scotch and down it. I pour another and head outside and try to clear my head. What the fuck is wrong with her! My phone dings with a text message alert. It’s from Donovan.

  D: Wanna go to the Tiki bar Wednesday?

  M: Sure, who all is going?

  D: Me, Vincent, and the girls. Ask Angel if she wants to go.

  M: Ok, sounds like fun.

  D: How is it going with you guys?

  M: Great, I like her. She’s pretty awesome.

  D: She seems pretty cool. Sara and Brea love her. See you Wednesday. 7 p.m.?

  M: Sounds good.

  I shower and turn on the TV. I text Angel to see if she wants to hang out Wednesday.

  M: Angel?

  A: Mason?

  I do love her playful side.

  M: Busy?

  A: No, just reading.

  M: About one of your book boyfriends?

  A: Of course.

  M: I’m jealous.

  A: Don’t be. I love him, but it’s you I’m thinking of.

  M: Good to know. Are you thinking about what a great kisser I am, or how sexy and intelligent I am?

  That should shock her.

  A: No, I was thinking about how overprotective you are and how sexy that is.

  M: You always know what to say. Donovan just texted and wanted to see if we wanted to go to the Olearys Tiki Bar after work on Wednesday. Sara, Brea, and Vincent will be there. Interested? Thursday is a holiday so no work for the girls, and it’s my day off.

  A: Is this a date?

  M: Does it matter?

  A: Nope.

  M: Then it’s a date.

  A: Can I wear heels?

  M: Oh, God…. Yes, please.

  A: Good, then it’s a date.

  M: Good, I’ll pick y
ou up at 6:30.

  A: Ok, Good night, Handsome.

  M: Sweet dreams, Beauty.

  I lay my phone down and think back to the conversation I had with Angel. I want to figure out what is going on with her. She wants me to respect her privacy, but something has her frightened enough to buy a gun. I grab my laptop and pull up Google. Am I prying if I use Google to search for her name? I feel like a spy. My hands hover over the keypad … fuck, I can’t do it. I can’t betray her trust. I have to believe she’ll tell me when she is ready.

  I instead shop for office supplies and furniture for my new private practice. In a few weeks I want it up and running. My last day at the hospital is coming up. I need to get with Carla and offer her a job she can’t turn down.

  I get a text from Julia, I delete it without reading it. I don’t care what she has to say. My thoughts return to Angel. Sometimes she acts like she’s into me, then other times she pulls away. When our fingers touched on the boat that first day, she quickly pulled away. Then when Donovan and I saw her and Brea at the pub she hid behind her menu, like she didn’t want me to see here. Then other times she calls me Handsome and says she thought I would never ask for a second date.

  What is she afraid of? Is she afraid of getting too close to me? Afraid of falling for me? Afraid I might hurt her? Afraid someone else might hurt her? She bought a gun today. Why? What is she hiding from? Who would hurt her? There must be a way for me to get the answers from her. She’ll open up when she is ready, right? She’s more open when she drinks. Maybe Wednesday at the tiki bar she’ll open up to me.

  I work the next two days on dayshift. I run when I can. I played racquetball with Vincent, Donovan, and my Dad. We had a drink afterwards, and it felt great hanging out with them. My Dad fits right in, and the guys love him. My Dad is 53 and is in better shape than I am.

  I call my mother, and we chat about the beach house and the new painting she has for me. She is so excited about it. My mother can never keep a secret. She tells me it’s a canvas painting of a Florida sunset on Long Boat Key. Knowing my mother, it will be perfect for the beach house. I tell her I bought some office supplies and ask her if she would mind online shopping for my office waiting room furniture and office desks and chairs. I tell her what I need and how many. My mother loves to shop, especially if it’s someone else’s money she is spending. She tells me she and Madison will get right on it.

  I call Angel and tell her I know what we are doing for Saturday. I tell her it is something she will love and is good at, and I tell her she needs to wear comfortable shoes. She begs me to tell her where we are going, but I don’t. She will love what I have planned for her, and to be honest, no one more is suited to do it than she is. She acts like she is pouting when I refuse to tell her where we are going.

  I run home and shower after work before picking Angel up. I decide on plaid shorts, a white polo and tan Sperrys. I spray on cologne and head out to pick her up. I knock on her door and wait for her to answer. She answers the door wearing a bright yellow sundress and white fuck-me heels with a glass of white wine in hand.

  “You look absolutely stunning, Miss Perez.”

  “Thank you, you look pretty handsome yourself, Mr. Myles,” she says as she places her wineglass on the foyer table. Turning back towards me, she locks up and links her arm in mine as we walk towards the car.

  She stands by the car door and waits for me to open it for her. Before, she would have tried to open it herself, but now she waits for me. I open her door for her, and as soon as she is seated she starts fastening her seatbelt. I get in and reach over and hold her hand during the ride over to the Tiki bar. She tells me she can pick up her new gun tomorrow and wants to see if I want to go with her to shoot it. Of course I do. She tells me that Josephine sent over some fresh-squeezed orange juice for me today.

  “I must have made an impression on them for her to make me fresh squeezed orange juice,” I say.

  “Nah, she just hates seeing all those oranges go to waste. You know how people are at that age? They don’t waste anything,” she says, completely knocking me down a notch, or four.

  “Ouch,” I say looking over at her and she is all smiles.

  "Ok, well, maybe you made some kind of impression on her,” she says, laughing.

  We pull up to Oleary’s Tiki Bar, and I help her out of the car. I swear every guy is looking at her. That’s right, Dickheads, she’s with me, I think to myself. I place my hand on the small of her back and guide her to the others already seating at the outdoor table near the water. A band is playing some Jimmy Buffet tunes, and the atmosphere is relaxed and fun. White Christmas lights are strung around the trunk of the tall palm trees that line the sidewalk from the parking lot to the outdoor seating area.

  A pitcher of beer and a pitcher of margaritas are already at the table when we arrive. Angel walks around to the guys and places her hand on their arms. She congratulates Vincent on his recent engagement with a hug. She hugs Donovan next and congratulates him on completing the half-marathon and on a job well done with raising money for such a great cause. I walk over to the girls and kiss them hello and congratulate them both. She walks over to join the girls who are already pouring her a drink. She looks up at me and smiles.

  I mouth to her, “Hungry?” and she mouths back, “Starving.”

  We order six different appetizers and one more pitcher of beer and another pitcher of margaritas. After my first beer, I decide to switch to water. I don’t want to drink and drive. I want to make sure Angel can drink and have a good time without worrying about if I’m too drunk to drive.

  We all eat together standing around the picnic table where tiki torches are lit and the white lights in the palm trees illuminate the seating area. They haven’t decided on a wedding date yet. They want to see what dates the venues have available first. They know it will be sometime in October or November. We talk about the upcoming wedding, venues, wedding colors, food, and entertainment for the reception. Brea says she want Cakes and Cups to make her wedding cake. Vincent just sits back and lets Brea take over the conversation. He smiles and nods while Sara and Angel talk with Brea about flower arrangements. Weddings are certainly a girl thing. The girls all talk animatedly about the upcoming event.

  Angel comes over to me and tells me she’s going to the ladies room. I tell her I was heading in that direction and I walk with her.

  I wait for her outside the ladies room. When she comes out, she is smiling the smile that melts my soul. She stumbles a couple of times before she rights herself. I reach my hand out for her and she automatically places her hand in mine. Giggling, she stands on her tiptoes, leans into me and whispers, “I think I’m drunk, my nips are lumb.”

  “Excuse me?” I say, laughing back at her. “I know what nips are, but what is a lumb?”

  She is giggling and says, “My nips,” as she purses her lips at me, “are lumb. I can’t feel them.” She says as she licks them.

  “Oh, your lips are numb?” I say, bearing an all-teeth-and-dimple smile.

  “Yup, that’s what I said, my nips are lumb.”

  I place my fingers on her chin to raise her mouth to mine. I kiss her softy. I swear I could hear her moan before I release her.

  “They don’t feel numb to me, Beauty.”

  She laughs and stumbles again before grabbing ahold of my arm.

  “Come on, Angel, time for me to take you home.”

  I walk her back to the others to say our goodbyes. Vincent and Donovan look at their girls and decide it’s time for all of us to leave. We settle up the check and assist the girls out to our vehicles. We all laugh at the giddiness of the three drunken girlfriends. Sara, Brea, and Angel hug each other like it’s their last goodbye. Good thing the insurance office is closed tomorrow, or three girls would be trying to work with some serious hangovers.

  I walk Angel the short distance to the car and help her inside. Once I get in, I lean over her to secure her seatbelt in place. I look over at her, and she has her e
yes closed. I lightly touch her cheek with my hand, but she doesn’t stir. I drive the short distance to her cottage, and I park my car in her driveway. Her porch light and a few street lights are the only lights on this dimly lit road. She needs garage lights and a lamp post wouldn’t hurt either.

  I attempt to wake her up but with no luck. I open her purse in search of her house keys. Once I find them, I lift her from the car, purse and keys in my hand, and carry her to the front door. Once I figure out which key I need, I open the door and lock the door behind us. I attempt to wake her again with no luck. I carry her to the bedroom and lay her gently on her bed. I put her purse and keys on the dresser and then look over at her. She looks beautiful and peaceful. That bright yellow dress against her dark hair is a beautiful contrast. I walk into the kitchen in search of some Tylenol. I hear water running from her bathroom — she must be up. I grab the Tylenol and a bottle of water and head into her bedroom.

  She stumbles out of the restroom with her hair in a ponytail wearing a white tank top and a pair of blue shorts, holding onto the hallway wall for balance. She startles when she sees me and grabs her chest.

  “I’m sorry, Angel. I didn’t mean to scare you. I went to get you some water and pills for your hangover.”

  “That’s ok, but I don’t have a hangover,” she slurs.

  “If you don’t take these, you will,” I say, holding up the pills and water.

  I reach out for her and help her walk the short distance to the bed. She gets into bed under the sheets and quilt and sits up.

  I hand her two Tylenol and twist the cap off the bottle of water before handing it to her.

  “This will help in the morning.”

  “Thank you, Mason," she says after swallowing the pills. I take the water from her and place it on her bedside table. I lean down and cover her up as she snuggles under the covers. I rub my hand along her cheek and down the length of her arm.

  “Sweet dreams, Angel,” I say, kissing her forehead before standing to leave.

  “Mason?” she says in a very drunken tone.

  “I’m here, Angel,” I whisper, kneeling down beside her.

  “Will you stay with me tonight?” she asks with her eyes closed.