PRINCESS: I have a surprise for you.
MASON: Care to clue me in?
PRINCESS: Then it wouldn’t be a surprise.
MASON: So you decided to tease me?
PRINCESS: Are you calling me a tease?
I tried to stifle a chuckle so Nip wouldn’t catch on that I wasn’t paying attention to the film.
MASON: If the shoe fits.
PRINCESS: I love shoes.
MASON: I’ll be there in two hours.
PRINCESS: I’ll be thinking of you.
That was perfect since I’d done nothing but think about her all day, every day, for the past nine months of my life.
MASON: Only good thoughts.
PRINCESS: Dirty, but good. I promise.
My fingers hovered over the screen of my phone, but rather than reply, I decided to get my work done so I could get to her. I had no clue what she was doing, but these next two hours were going to drag.
That much I knew for sure.
CHAPTER 25
~ Gretchen ~
Everything was perfect. All I needed now was Mason. In order to kill some time, I called Sophie.
“Girlfriend. How are things in Cali?”
Sophie didn’t know my relationship with Mason had evolved, but first things first.
“Things are great. But enough about me; tell me about Spencer.”
She let out a giggle followed by a sigh. “He’s wonderful. Well, he was when I was there, but since I left, we’ve spoken every day or texted. We even had Skype sex.” Sophie giggled again. “You should see how big he is. If I hadn’t seen him in person, I’d say the computer added four inches, but . . . I took a screenshot I can send you.”
My mouth gaped at her comment. Before she continued, I stopped her. “Really, Soph. I’ll take your word for it.”
“Fine. Suit yourself, but you don’t know what you’re missing.”
No-shame Sophie. That was what I should call her.
“How’s Mason?”
“He’s good. No, he’s better than that. He’s special.” The hem of my tank top was starting to fray with all my fiddling.
“Mm-hmm. I bet he is. Deets, please. You can’t just give me he’s special when I just told you I was having Internet sex with Spencer McHungwell.”
“Okay, that was funny.” I let out a laugh. “McHungwell.”
“Don’t try and change the subject. Tell me about your trip. Did you finally do that man?”
Part of me wanted to keep our life private, but this was Sophie. We told each other everything.
“Our trip was fantastic. And to answer your question, yes, and it was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. He’s a lot of fun to be around.”
She tsk-tsk’d. “Of course it was. You’ve been fucking the same boring dick for years. Just look at douche-nuts in comparison to Mason. There isn’t any.”
“Scott was a good-looking guy, Soph. Even you thought so when you first met him.”
“True, but his horrible personality uglied him up. Plus, I think you feel more for Mason than just a guy to have fun with.”
“He’s a good friend of mine. Look, I need to go, I just wanted to call and say hi.”
“Miss you, sister.”
“I miss you too. I’ll see you when I get home.”
We disconnected our call, and I thought about going back to Virginia. There was no doubt I’d miss Mason, but my life was there, not here. Plus, this was supposed to be my time to check things off my list.
And there was one that was first and foremost on my mind tonight.
* * *
The small private patio behind Jack’s home was the perfect setting for my dinner surprise. A small table set for two, surrounded by tiki lights, was all set for my special plan. The seven-foot stone wall that blocked the rest of the beach from us added just enough seclusion so we could eat naked if we wanted to.
My plan was to cook a delicious dinner, but since Josh got most of the cooking gene in our family, I ordered takeout. A dinner of jerk chicken, mango spinach salad, and rice pilaf waited under silver domes, ready to be served.
I’d changed into my black halter-style bikini, with a black maxi sarong tied around my waist. It was just sheer enough to entice, and opaque enough to cover. Although the sun was still shining, the candles on the table created the romantic ambience I had hoped for.
Now, to wait for Mason to get here. Anticipation sparked a variety of new emotions in my body. This was my way of thanking him for taking time off to drive me up the coast.
I was glancing at my phone to check the time when I noticed I’d missed a call from Jonas. Not wanting to think about work, I decided I’d listen to his voice mail later. Before I could set it back down, my phone rang with the ring tone, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” and I instantly smiled.
“Hi.”
“Hey, Gretch. I’m stuck in traffic. The highway is jammed tonight. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Probably another half hour at least.”
“That’s okay. Please be careful. I’ll see you soon.”
After we hung up, I put the chicken and rice in the oven and the salad in the fridge. Since I had time, I thought I’d listen to Jonas’s message.
“Hi, Gretchen. It’s Jonas. I have something important to discuss with you. If you could please call me back as soon as possible, I’d appreciate it. I think once you hear what I have to say, you’ll appreciate it too.”
My curiosity piqued, I returned his call and he picked up right away.
“Hello there, Ms. Prescott.”
I rolled my eyes. “Hi, Jonas. Is anything wrong?” All I needed was for the website to have a glitch when it just went live.
“I have a proposition for you.”
Hearing Jonas say “proposition” in his deep voice, knowing what he looked like, raised my hackles.
“What is it?” Where his voice was confident, mine was apprehensive.
“I’d like you to come and work for me. Before you say anything, let me explain what I mean.”
When he paused for a moment, I remained silent, but the gears in my head were spinning.
“The site is incredible,” he said, “and has seen more traffic over the past few days than it had in months. Athletes are contacting me, which leads to this call. As you know, my clients are all over the world. Your website is a great connection between my clients and potential teams. In today’s world, you know scandal can cause an athlete to get passed over, even if he’s the best in the game.”
I nodded as if he could see me. “Yes, I understand that.” And I did. I knew Dane had issues in his past that could have cost him his tour card, but since they weren’t publicized, he was all right.
“That’s where you come in.”
“Jonas, with all due respect, I have no idea what this has to do with me.”
“We need to spotlight clients, what they’re really like. Create pages with bios that will link to their player video and stats. What I’m asking is for you to come and work with me, to meet the players, get an up-close-and-personal approach to them. I know you studied creative writing as part of your degree.”
“And why can’t I do this as a freelancer?”
“I want you on my payroll. You’ll be traveling several months out of the year. If you’re an employee, expenses will be easier for taxes, and you’ll get health care.”
Was this even happening? “Where exactly will I be traveling?”
“We’ll be going to Asia, Spain, Mexico, France, London, and Australia, and that’s just to name a few.”
“We?” My heart jackhammered in my chest. The bottle of wine I had chilling on the table called to me, and I reached out to pour a splash in my glass. This definitely called for a drink to calm my nerves.
“Yes, I’ll be going with you. At least for the first few times until you get acclimated and see what I need. But you’ll be staying in each place for a few weeks before moving on to the next. Of course, you’ll be living out of a suitcase and
hotels, but for what I’ll be paying you, you won’t be slumming it.”
I swallowed hard. “What exactly are you offering me?”
Jonas chuckled. “I’ll e-mail you the contract. Feel free to negotiate; I know you like things your way. Just think about it before you say no. This is perfect for you. Being young, single, and talented, this is right up your alley.” He paused and added, “Don’t say no. I need you.”
After I took a long drink, I set my glass down. “I’ll look over the contract and get back to you. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“If you can let me know within the next few days, I’d appreciate it. The sports world never stops.”
Holy shit. I refilled my glass and opened my e-mail. Did I need glasses? I took a minute to count the zeros with my index finger before squealing.
This was fantastic. Talk about a dream job.
I immediately sent the contract to Drake, then sent him a text to keep it confidential. Which I had no reason to think he wouldn’t; lawyers are good at that. But he was also my brother, and I was sure he was about to go through the roof.
I sent a follow-up text.
GRETCHEN: I know this is a surprise. It was to me as well. Just look it over. I haven’t accepted the offer yet. Love you.
I had just bounced out of my chair when Mason walked in, and all my excitement halted.
Mason. I’d be away from not only my family and the States, but Mason. Tonight wasn’t the night to discuss it. No, this was my thank-you to him. I’d wait until I could talk to Drake, and then I’d worry about everything else.
“Wow, it smells good in here.” Mason leaned over and kissed my cheek before holding my hands out to the side. Blowing out a whistle, he said, “You’re beautiful. I’m sorry I’m late.”
“Thank you, and you’re forgiven. Grab a beer and I’ll get dinner on the table. We’re eating on the patio.”
My plan was for us to share the bottle of wine, but it was now half gone.
“What’s all this, Gretch?”
“I wanted to thank you for taking time off and helping me check off a few items on my list.”
When we sat down and dug in, he said, “This is unbelievable. Restaurant quality, princess. Did Josh teach you how to make this?”
“No, it’s from a restaurant. My cooking skills are limited.” I shrugged, and when he laughed, I raised my glass. “To you, Mason. Thank you for being a wonderful man and friend.”
“You make it easy.” His beer bottle met my glass in a gentle clink before we each took a sip.
Soft music played from the outdoor speakers. When we’d finished eating, Mason took my hand.
“Dance with me.”
We were in each other’s arms, our bodies touching, my head on his chest. Doing my best to clear my mind, I gripped him tighter.
Mason and I had just started our relationship. No, we didn’t categorize it, give it a name; we didn’t need to. The problem was, I wanted more time with him.
“About that item on my list.” I bit my bottom lip.
“Which is that? Going to Paris or the Grand Canyon?”
Paris. I could go to Paris.
I shook my head. “No, sex on the beach.”
Mason stilled, bringing our dance abruptly to a halt. “Why, Miss Prescott, was this dinner a seduction ploy? Because I can assure you, it wasn’t needed. Although, there are quite a few people out tonight. It’s a perfect evening to walk the shoreline.”
I glanced down at my bare feet, which were firmly planted in sand. “We have our own beach right here.”
“Grab a blanket and I’ll get a condom.”
Mason plastered his lips to mine, pressing his erection against my stomach. Once we broke free, I told him I’d grab the condoms.
Yes, plural.
As fast as I could, I brushed my teeth, grabbed our necessities, and headed back down to the patio.
When I stepped outside, Mason looked like he’d seen a ghost. That’s when I saw my phone in his hand. He tilted the screen my way.
“What does this mean?”
My heart sank. “Why are you looking at my phone?”
“It wasn’t intentional. It was on the table when I was clearing it, so I shoved it in my pocket. When it vibrated, I grabbed it, thinking it was mine. That’s when I saw Drake’s text.”
All the air from my lungs disappeared.
DRAKE: What about Mason?
DRAKE: You’ll be gone for a long time, but the opportunity is incredible. The contract is pretty standard. I don’t see any glaring issues. Call me if you have any questions.
“You weren’t supposed to see that.” I quickly snagged my phone and clicked it off before gripping it tightly in my free hand. The other had condoms in it, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to need them.
“Clearly.”
“Mason, all of this happened right before you got here.”
“You still haven’t mentioned what this is.”
“Let’s sit down.”
I freed my hands by setting my phone and the condoms on the table, and his gaze moved from the little foil packets to me. When I reached for his hand, he crossed his arms.
“I think I’ll stand.”
Mason had never used such a curt tone with me before. It was a reminder of how Scott had talked to me, not a memory I wanted to revisit.
“Fine, suit yourself. Jonas offered me a job. It’s an incredible opportunity, and yes, I’ll need to travel, but it isn’t forever.”
My snippiness felt icky. This wasn’t me and Mason. We weren’t these people. Hell, we weren’t even a couple, not really.
“I didn’t even say I was going to take it yet.”
“Yet, but you’re considering it.” He raked his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Gretch. I know your work is important to you. If you took this job, you’d be able to see parts of the world that you may not see right away, but what about California? I thought you liked it here.”
“I do, but I don’t live here. I never said I was moving here. Yes, it’s wonderful, and I was contemplating staying here, but how do I pass this up? Could you? If you were offered your dream coaching job, would you say no? Oh, wait, you didn’t say no, because here you are in California. You didn’t think twice about leaving Virginia.”
“Yes, I did. It was tough leaving Lucy.”
“Right, but you did it. She was your best friend, yet you left. She didn’t try to stop you. If I recall, she was happy for you. We all were.”
“She had Drake. I knew she was going to be fine. Plus, she’d never tell me not to go. It didn’t matter if I was in the same state; we’d always be friends.”
“Do you think I want to leave my family or Sophie to travel abroad? They’re going to flip out too, but they’ll understand.” This was getting us nowhere fast. “When Scott got his job in Michigan, he wanted me to go with him, but I didn’t want to leave my family. There was nothing in Michigan for me, so I stayed and ended up alone.” Mason flinched at my comparison. “Look, I love what we’ve started with each other. You make me happy. We can still talk, and you can come and visit. I’ll be back soon; it’ll fly by.”
He shook his head. “I just got you, Gretchen. To you this just started, and maybe it isn’t fair, but this started for me a long time ago. Each day we’re together, I fall deeper for you. Do you understand that? You’re the one I want to start and end my day with. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by staying here with you. I did this to myself.”
“Mason . . .” I placed my hand on his arm.
“Take the job.”
Tears pricked my eyes. “What?”
“Take it. You deserve being able to live your life, to experience new things and work at what you love to do.” He looked me in the eyes. “For the record, I’d never ask you not to go, nor would I ever want you to give up an opportunity of a lifetime. But you didn’t say that I was one of your reasons not to take the job. You didn’t mention me or us.”
“Of course you’re one
of my reasons.”
“No, you said your family and Sophie.” He walked into the house and up the stairs. Soon he was back with a large duffel bag. “I’ll come back for my things.” He grabbed his keys off the table and set down a small rectangular box. “This is for you. Happy early Valentine’s Day.”
“Wait, where are you going?”
“Spencer’s. I think it’ll be best if I stay there.” His head dropped forward before he set his bag down.
“Why?” A tear ran down my cheek, salty when rolled onto my lips.
“Saying good-bye to you gets harder each time. Knowing I might not see you for several months is too much for me right now. I’m sorry, Gretchen. I do wish you the best with everything.”
He brought his soft lips to mine, our final kiss. His good-bye kiss.
Then he picked up his bag and walked away.
With trembling fingers, I opened the gift he gave me. More tears came when I saw the beautiful silver bracelet with a charm representing each place we’d visited on the coast.
I quickly ran to pull open the front door to stop him, but he was gone.
CHAPTER 26
~ Mason ~
Once I got in my car, I called Spencer and told him I needed his couch. He was curious about why, but held his questions and told me to come on over.
When I drove in, our apartment complex greeted me like a slap in the face. I swore under my breath at the sight of my building still under repairs.
“Hey, man.” Spencer greeted me at the door with a bro hug.
“Hey. Thanks for letting me crash.” I tossed my bag down next to the sofa, which would be my bed for a while, and plopped down on it.
“You look like shit. What the hell happened? I just talked to Sophie, and she told me how excited Gretchen was.”
“So, she knows about the job?”
Spencer’s eyes narrowed. “What job? She said Gretchen had a big thank-you dinner planned for you, and couldn’t wait to see you when you got home.” He handed me a cold beer. “What job are you talking about?”
Charmed: A Prescott Novel (The Prescott Series Book 3) Page 19