In the far end corner is a water cooler, coffee maker with different creamers, hot teas and a variety of snacks, all set out neatly on a table against the wall. Nice touch, I think to myself.
“I was expecting to see wooden chairs and a wooden magazine rack — this is very beautiful.”
“Wait until you see your office,” Carla says, grinning.
“Can’t wait.”
I walk back down the hallway and look into each of the patients’ rooms, the nurse’s station, Carla’s office, the restrooms, and then my office. I look in before entering. The office is done in a nautical décor. My desk, bookshelves, and coffee table are all dark mahogany wood. A replica of the soft, brown leather couch in the waiting room is in my office, which also has an intimate seating area with two chairs. A table is near the seating area along with a Keurig coffee maker and a small refrigerator filled with bottled water. A large canvas painting of a catamaran is hung on the wall opposite of the door. I walk around, carefully looking at everything. Seashells and black and white photos of fish, sunsets, and palm trees are scattered throughout the window ledges and on the bookshelf. On top of the bookshelf is a white porcelain angel resting on the ledge. I walk over to my desk and sit down. On top of my desk is a large calendar and a ship inside a glass bottle. I pick it up and look carefully at it when I realize the boat is a catamaran.
I set it down carefully and rock in my office chair. Resting my head back on the chair and closing my eyes, I hear someone enter the room.
“Are you all right, Mason? You don’t like it?” my Mom asks as she gets closer to me.
“How did Angel get here to decorate?”
“Madison has been Skyping with her. Angel wanted to do something special for you for all you have done for her. This is her way of saying thank you. As you can see, she is very talented.”
Mom is standing right next to me.
“I didn’t notice additional charges made to my credit card.”
“Angel ordered and paid for everything in your office. It’s her gift to you.”
“I wish she wouldn’t have done that, and where did she get the money to do something like this?”
“I know Mason, but she wanted to do this for you. We tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t hear of it. She bought everything on clearance and she used her Interior Designers discount. I didn’t know this, but Interior Designers get a huge discount. You miss her?”
“I love her. How am I supposed to go on every day without her? From the first day I met her, I knew there was something different, something special, about her. I love being with her, being near her. With all that has happened to her, she never once let it get her down. Her only fear was for me. That Jim would do something to me, not her. That crazy, beautiful, selfless, perfect girl fears for my life, not her own.”
I rub my eyes and stand up next to my mother.
“Mason, she loves you more than herself, and that alone speaks volumes. You will find a way to fix this, I know you will. But for now, Angel needs time. As long as Jim is in jail, she is safe. Let her have some time to sort it out in her head. She’ll figure it out. In the meantime you, your father, Vincent, Raùl and Donovan can figure out a way to keep Jim from hurting her again.”
I pick up the glass bottle holding the boat. “This represents our first date together. We went out on Vincent’s catamaran on a blind date. A boat just like this one.”
“You are right, it does. Angel didn’t think you would figure it out.”
A message in a bottle. I laugh to myself, because only Angel would think to conceal a message.
Bending down to kiss my mother, I tell her I have to go take care of some business, but I’ll see her here tomorrow at 2 p.m.
“Mason, she’ll come around.”
“I hope so, Mom.”
Carla is in her office unpacking some boxes.
“I’ll be here tomorrow at 2:00. Do you need me to do anything?”
“No, I think it’s all taken care of, but thank you.”
“Do you think we should have food tomorrow for everyone?”
“Already taken care of, and we’ll have champagne, too.”
“You bought food and champagne?”
“No, you did. I just ordered it. Pick everything up at Publix on S.R.70 tomorrow at 1:00, and don’t be late.”
“Wow, that was nice of me,” I laugh. “I should have thought of that sooner.”
“And that is why you have me.”
“Because you make me look good?”
“Well, that, too, but also because I’m brilliant.”
“I can’t argue that; remind me to give you a raise.”
“You already did and it was very generous, thank you.”
“Note to self … self, stop being so generous.” I smile at her.
“Ha, ha. Very funny. Now leave so I can get this stuff put away. I’m getting paid by the hour, you know.”
“Good point, see you tomorrow, and Carla?”
Carla looks up at me, “Yes.”
“Thank you.”
“Mason, you’re welcome, now go; I have work to do.”
I wave goodbye to Cathy, who is still on the phone, and head to my car. My phone dings with an incoming text from Julia.
J: I want to see you.
M: When?
J: Tonight for dinner.
M: Where?
J: Fleming’s Steakhouse on 41?
M: No, Gecko’s on Cortez tomorrow night at 8:00.
J: That place isn’t very intimate, and you hate crowds.
M: Take it or leave it.
J: Ok, looking forward to seeing you.
Angel
“Angel, deja de llorar y sal de ahí. El ya se fue mi niña.”
[“Angel, please stop crying and come on out. He’s gone, dear.”]
“Esta bien María, solo dame un minuto mas. ¿María si no es mucha molestia me podrías hacer un té caliente, por favor?”
[“All right, Maria. Just give me another minute. Maria would you mind making me some hot tea, please?”]
“No, por supuesto que no.”
[“No, of course not.”]
I maneuver my wheelchair through the doorway after wiping away my tears. I am at my cottage with Aunt Maria, and Mason is gone forever. It’s over. Everything I have ever wanted I let walk out that door. My heart aches from thinking about never seeing him again, never being with him again. I swear my heart bleeds when I think about never being kissed by him again. The only choice I had was to let him go.
Maria hands me my hot tea with a sad smile.
“Todo va a estar bien Angel. Una vez todo esto haya terminado con Jim; tú y Mason van a estar juntos.”
[“It’ll be all right, Angel. Once all this is over with Jim, you and Mason will be together.”]
“¿y por mientras cómo se supone que voy a hacer sin él?”
[“How am I supposed to make it without him until then?”]
“No lo sé mi niña, lo siento.”
[“I don’t know, Pumpkin, I’m sorry.”]
“Lo amo y ya lo echo de menos.”
[“I love him and I already miss him,” I cry.
I scoot my wheelchair over to the large lanai door and look out into the yard. I wave to Carl and Josephine, who are in their flower garden, picking flowers. It must be nice having someone to grow old with. They are truly the perfect couple.
“I forgot to tell you that Sara called and said she and Brea want to come over this evening to start planning the wedding.”
“I’m not really up to it. I’ll text them and tell them another time would be better,” I say out loud, then mumble to myself, “Any other time would be better than now.”
Ding dong, ding dong. The doorbell rings.
“Pumpkin, I think they are already here,” Maria says as she walks to the door to answer it.
I look at the clock: 6:15. I had no idea it was this late.
Sara and Brea both walk into the house and head straigh
t into the kitchen, carrying bags of groceries.
“I thought we were planning a wedding?”
“We are, just as soon as we put these few things away,” Brea says, opening up the refrigerator.
I scoot the wheelchair towards the kitchen and say, “It looks like more than a few items; it looks like you bought everything in the store.”
“We’re just delivering them; you can thank Ma … I’m sorry, Angel. Mason bought these for you. He wanted to make sure you had enough drinks and snacks. He knew between Maria and Josephine, the food and meals wouldn’t be a problem,” Brea says, walking over to me. “He wanted to make sure you had enough snacks and drinks.”
“Comfort foods,” I mumble to myself.
A tear slides down my cheek. “It’s all right, please thank him for me.” I quickly wipe the tear away. I scoot over to the table and wait for them. When they are done putting everything away, they go back out to the car and carry in more grocery bags. Maria puts those away while Brea, Sara, and I plan Brea and Vincent’s wedding.
Brea and Vincent have already decided that October 22nd 2014, 7:30 pm at the Sarasota Botanical Gardens will be a perfect time and place for their wedding. Brea wants her wedding colors to be white and black with a touch of red. Cakes and Cups Bakery on S.R. 70 will be baking their wedding cake. Brea can pick up samples of cake next week and then decide on the flavor of the cake and icing.
Brea gets up from the table to use the restroom, and Sara gets us all drinks.
Once everyone returns to the table, we begin looking at wedding dresses. Maria leaves and walks next door to Carl and Josephine’s house. Most of the dresses are form fitting, and Brea gets easily discouraged. The baby is due sometime in November, so she will need a dress not so constricting. Sara and I keep looking while Brea eats potato chips.
“Here, pass the chips. I’m hungry, too,” Sara says while reaching for the chips.
“Sorry, they’re gone.”
“You ate the entire bag of chips?” Sara asks, walking over to take the bag from Brea.
“I was hungry. Don’t look like that — it was a small bag.”
We all laugh as Sara walks into the kitchen to get another bag.
“Here, what about this dress?” I ask, holding up the picture. “It’s snug on top and flares out at the waist.”
Brea takes the catalogue and Sara walks back in the room with another bag of chips, looking over her shoulder.
“Very sexy and elegant, I love it.” Brea smiles.
“It’s perfect,” Sara says, sitting back down and opening the chips.
“Look at the price, I won’t have to spend the entire dress budget on it; there will be money left over too.”
Sara takes the catalog and rips the page out before she stuffs it in her purse. We talk about caterers, photographers, entertainment, and the colors of the maid of honor and the bridesmaid dresses. Brea and Vincent will talk to caterers this week and will schedule an appointment to meet with them and taste selections on their menu. The reception will also be held at the Botanical Gardens, which will be very convenient.
Sara and Brea leave, and I head into the bedroom. I run water and wash my face and brush my teeth. Maria helps me into a nightgown and into bed. The bed feels too big for just one person. I reach for a book and allow it to take me to another time and place. My phone chimes with a text, and my heart picks up a beat. I look at my phone — the text is from Mason. My hearts starts to beat a little faster knowing he is thinking of me.
M: Thank you.
A: Am I missing something? You’re the one who bought the groceries. I need to thank you.
M: I went to the office today. It is very beautiful; thank you for doing that for me.
A: You are very welcome. I did that before we broke up.
M: Don’t say that, Beauty. I don’t want to think about it, although I haven’t been able to concentrate on anything else.
I want to tell him that it’s all I can think about, too. I love you, so come and get me is what I want to say, but I don’t say any of those things.
A: I’m sorry, Mason.
M: I’ll be over in the morning with breakfast.
A: No, Mason. That’s all right.
M: Sweet dreams, Beauty
A: Good night, Mason, and please don’t come.
M: Angel?
A: Yes, Mason?
M: I love the catamaran in the glass bottle and the angel sitting on the bookshelf.
A: You do?
M: I do; they are my favorite.
A: Everyone needs an angel to look after them.
M: See you in the morning.
The next morning, Maria comes in and helps me with my shower. I am dressed and brushing my hair when I hear Maria and Mason talking.
Once I am done, I slowly scoot myself into the living room where Vincent and Mason are sitting at the dining room table.
“Hi, Angel, you look great.”
“Thank you, I am feeling better.”
“What brings you here today?” I ask, looking from Mason to Maria to Vincent.
“Um, Mason asked me to come over and install some garage lights and a lamp post for you.”
“Mason?” I ask, looking at him.
“Angel, it’s so dark on your road at night, you needed some more lighting around your house.”
“Vincent, no, but thank you, that isn’t necessary. I appreciate it, I really do,” I say, turning to look at him.
Vincent holds his hands up in surrender before saying, “Sorry, Angel, it’s already done. They are installed and working beautifully.”
“How did you do that so fast? Never mind, how much do I owe you?”
“Well, it’s time for me to go. Got a pregnant girl I need to get to the doctor’s.”
“Is that today? She didn’t say anything about it last night.”
“She has a lot going on with the wedding, and the baby,” he says, walking to the door.
“Wait, how much do I owe you?”
“Already taken care of, see ya,” he says, walking out of the house.
“Mason, please let me….”
“I need to get going as well. Do you need anything before I leave?” he asks, cutting me off mid-sentence.
All of a sudden, I feel sick. It felt so normal having Mason here with me; I almost forgot we are broken up. I shake my head without making eye contact with him.
He walks over to me and kneels down beside me. “Call me if you need me and I’ll be over tomorrow night at 7:00 with dinner. I brought you and Maria breakfast; it’s in the kitchen.”
I nod and tears fill my eyes. I close my eyes and pray that the tears stop.
“I love you,” is all he says before kissing me on my lips and standing to leave.
I want to tell him to stay, don’t leave, to take me with him. I want to tell him I love him more than anything else in my life, but I can’t. I can’t be selfish and ask him to stay with me and live in danger. I want him; but I know I can’t have him. I need to make sure he and everyone else are out of danger when Jim gets released. I know he is coming for me and he will hurt anyone who is with me. I need to cut things off with Mason completely, before it’s too late.
Mason
I am sitting at the bar in Gecko’s pounding Scotches back. I arrived early so I could drink enough to take the edge off from meeting Julia. The thought of seeing her makes me sick. I need to see where her head is and what game she is playing. I flex my hands into fists. I want to pound on something, on her. I have never hit a woman before, but I would like to hit her, just once. That’s the main reason I wanted to meet her here. This place is always crowded, and there will be witnesses if this goes badly, which I’m certain it will.
Someone walks up behind me and wraps their arms around my waist. I cringe. I already know who it is. I smell her before I see her. She is wearing her signature scent: Victoria’s Secret, Love Spell. I know that scent anywhere, God knows I bought enough of it. Everyone plus their sisters wear
it. There is nothing unique about Julia; she is just like every other woman out there.
Long platinum blond hair, fake tits, tattooed eye and lip liner and collagen implanted lips smelling like Love Spell. She wears six inch heels to make up for her petite size of 5’1”.
“Why are you sitting at the bar and not at a table?”
“Because I like the bar,” I say, waving to the bartender for another Scotch.
“Since when?”
“Since about an hour ago.”
“Let’s get a table. I’m starving.”
“I’m not hungry. What do you want to see me about?”
The bartender comes over with my Scotch and takes Julia’s drink order. I order a double Scotch before he has a chance to walk away. Earlier, I texted Donovan and told him I was drunk and asked if he could pick me up soon. I have no intention of sitting here with Julia all night. He texted back and said he is on his way. That should give me about 30 minutes with her. Plenty of time, I think to myself.
Julia takes the empty seat beside me, and I refuse to look at her.
“Mason, I haven’t eaten yet. I’ve been busy today, and I’m starving.”
“Not my problem,” I say, feeling the bile threatening to rise from my stomach.
“I take it you saw the interview yesterday with Bay News 9?”
“I did. I thought that was a new low, even for you. Scraping the scum from the bottom of the barrel, don’t you think, Julia?”
“I had no choice. You won’t talk to me.”
I down my drink before the bartender returns with my double.
“You did this so I would talk to you?” I finally look over at her with disgust. “Well, you definitely have my attention.”
“I thought I would.”
“What do you want?” I ask while the bartender delivers our drinks.
“You.”
“Julia, you had me once and didn’t want me, remember? Would you like me to remind you of the events that led to our permanent breakup?”
“No, Mason, I am well aware of them,” she says, wrapping her arm around mine. “I told you I made a mistake and I am sorry.”
Starting Over Trilogy Boxset Page 27