A half-smirk curled up the stranger’s cleanly shaven, olive face. “Bravo. I’d like an encore of that one.”
My face heated so hot. I wanted to die. I was so shy. I never did anything like this in front of others, especially strangers. Then my eyes darted toward my brother, who stood fuming beside the stranger. He was still wearing his dark gray suit from the office. Oh no. I might literally die… after I’m grounded.
“There will be no encore,” Travis stated grimly. He looked at me like he might throttle me. Then he turned to his friend.
“Do you see why I have to send her to that school?”
Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome only smirked as he leaned against the wall. Travis approached me, took the fender from my hands and removed his red work tie from my neck.
“What the f- What the hell is going on with your eyes?” He surveyed my raccoon eyes. “And this?” He gestured toward the purple streaks in my hair.
“Give it a rest, Pryor. She’s just a kid.” The stranger stated smoothly in a perfect British accent.
“She’s grounded.” My brother answered sternly, looking at me. “I specifically said that you are not to touch dad’s Fender.”
“Travis! Stop. You’re embarrassing me.” I blustered.
“You embarrassed yourself, Jill.”
My lower lip quivered. I was so humiliated. I usually kept myself out of trouble, followed rules and avoided conflict like this. Now the conflict was directed at me, in front of this heart-stopping stranger.
“Let it go. I think she learned her lesson fair and square. The humiliation is proof enough.” The man was direct as he spoke to my brother.
Travis eased up on me after that, and I looked at the stranger with thankful eyes.
“Mason, meet my sister, Jillian. Jill, Mason.”
“So this is the famous Jilly Bean.” Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome shook my hand with amusement written all over his face. I knew about Mason for years, but never met him until this point.
“I didn’t know you were British,” I blurted as he shook my hand. I was so flustered, and I momentarily lost my filter.
Mason laughed. “And I didn’t know you were so… rebellious.”
“I’m not,” I frowned, and quickly looked up at my brother. “Excuse me while I go hide under my bed and die now.” I turned to leave them in the livingroom.
Mason just laughed. Clearly, this was all really entertaining to him. I had no idea I could be so funny.
“Go wash off that hideous makeup. We’re picking up mom, and then we’re all going out for dinner.” My brother briefly halted me in my tracks with those words. If it had been any other time, I would have been overjoyed. We never went out to eat in restaurants and this would be a treat. The reality of the situation crashed down on me, however.
Oh God. I’ll have to endure more awkward humiliation in front of this gorgeous stranger.
I was wrong about that, though. As it turned out, the evening was very enjoyable. Mason drove a silver Maserati back then, and insisted on taking us to a trendy new restaurant in Times Square. He asked me about school and my hobbies. I loved talking about the 4-H club, which was the only hobby I had at the time. He asked me what I did at the 4-H Club, and about the animals I cared for… I temporarily forgot about my previous embarrassment and by the time the evening was over, it didn’t matter anymore. He knew how to charm everyone around him, including me. I quickly felt very at ease around him.
Present Day
I felt Mason’s hand clasp lightly on my shoulder, and realized I had zoned out. Allie was long gone, helping my aunt in the kitchen.
My mom’s nerves were showing. She was nervous around Mason, bending over backwards trying to make him feel comfortable.
“Mason, do you want a beer? We have Sam Adams- or we have some wine downstairs if you like that-”
“Sam Adams is fine, Mrs. Pryor,” Mason responded smoothly. “Thank you. Let me offer a hand.” He took the large salad bowl from her hands with a smile, so she could grab the glasses for iced tea.
“Oh, I have it. Go sit down, honey.” She spoke to him as though he was still a kid, just like old times.
We all sat around the rectangular dining table while we ate burgers and salad. My Aunt Mel and Uncle Joe are big talkers, so combined with Allie, it was easy for Mason to remain quiet.
“Oh my God. Oh my God.” Allie spoke so quickly and loudly; I felt Mason flinch beside me. I also jumped slightly.
“Jilly I have to show you the new cheer I learned over the Summer. We have to do a girl’s day tomorrow. We can go shopping!”
Oh, joy. Don’t get me wrong. I love my cousin dearly, and I definitely wanted to spend time with her, but I was going to need a venti double espresso before I started my day with her.
“I’ll show you my new cheers, and we can get lunch from the little place in town. You don’t have plans tomorrow, do you? I bet your boyfriend won’t care, will you?” She spoke so quickly, barely allowing me any time to respond.
“Alison, calm down. Nobody can keep up with you.” Aunt Mel said to her daughter with a piqued brow. Allie seemed to relax only slightly in her chair and sipped her iced tea.
“I think a girl’s day would be nice,” Mom added.
At that moment, Travis arrived through the front door. He appeared tired, still in his dark suit. His tie was loosened around his neck.
“We’re in here, honey.” Mom called out to Travis as he nearly passed the entry in the dining room. He stopped in his tracks and spun on his heels.
Of course I had to get up immediately and hug him tightly. I’m sure everyone in the room was able to feel the tension that immediately radiated between Mason and my brother. The two barely acknowledged each other. Travis cast a brief glance at Mason, and that was all.
“I had a late lunch so I will be in the apartment settling down. I just wanted to see Jill. I have to prepare for an important meeting on Monday,” he murmured as he walked away, but he turned and looked at me. “You owe me a movie night, by the way. I’ll be back down in a bit.” He smiled at me, and then left the room. There was uncomfortable silence for a few moments following.
“So, about that girl’s day tomorrow..” my Aunt Mel began.
“I can spend a few hours out, definitely. I missed everyone,” I answered as I sipped my iced tea. I felt bad about neglecting Mason all day though. He brought me to Ohio just so I could leave him for an entire day? What would he do all day?
“Go.” Mason said directly, sensing what was on my mind.
I looked up at him in question.
“You’ve missed a lot of time with your family. You have a lot of catching up to do.” He grinned down at me.
“What will you do?”
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” He winked with a smile. “Go and enjoy yourself.”
I smiled, feeling warm and fuzzy inside. My Mason.
21. Mason Woodward
I had not planned on Jillian being gone for an entire day, but it worked well in my favor. I wasn’t counting on having her at my side the entire weekend. I knew her family wanted to spend time with her, hence the reason for this trip.
Shortly after Jill left with her trio of ladies, I took a walk around her uncle’s property. I could have stayed at the hotel in town… and do what? The paint was peeling off the house and shed. It needed work, and I hadn’t seen a house this run-down close up. I most certainly stepped into another world. I made for the house, intent on getting some work accomplished from the laptop.
The lyrics of familiarity suddenly blasted over the property. AC/DC’s Back In Black blared so loudly and was directly coming from the shed behind the house. Travis had made himself scarce as long as I was around, but I knew he was home. His blue Nissan was parked in the back and evidence was leading toward the old detached garage beside the shed. The door was half-closed, but only Travis blasted music to that ungodly volume.
Now or never, I told myself. Fuck all. I turned on
my heel and approached the garage. I peered into the dimly lit area just as Black Sabbath reverberated from all four walls of the small structure. There was a strong smell of oil, and a black 1968 Chevrolet Impala was neatly centered on the cement, but there was no Travis to be seen. The clang of metal came from beneath the Impala, and I rounded the car.
“Fuck!” I heard a familiar voice hiss. A pair of denim, ripped at the knees, and work boots were stretched out beneath the vehicle.
“Need a hand?” I finally asked.
Travis moved out from under the Impala and looked up at me. His face was streaked with black grease. His crew neck t-shirt was white at one time. The man looked up at me grimly.
“The last time I got a hand from you, it landed me in the ER.”
“Well deserved, don’t you think?” Bad form. I silently scolded myself for that remark.
“Fuck off, before I return the favor.”
I allowed that comment to slide. He repositioned himself under the vehicle again, and I remained standing there. Travis was attempting to resume work on the car, but was clearly distracted by this point.
With a huff, he removed himself from the car. “Do you need something? Other than my sister? What the fuck is up with that?”
Travis had gone into overprotective brother mode. He straightened, looking at me. I had a good five inches on him, but I could see that he would clock me if I said one wrong thing. At this angle, this close up, I could see that his nose was slightly crooked- a reminder of our history.
There was stiff, intense, and uncomfortable silence between us. To be perfectly truthful, I was at a loss for what to appropriately say.
Travis wiped his hands on an old rag that was on the wooden work bench closest to the car.
“I understand why you hate my guts,” Travis broke the silence as he threw the rag down on the bench, and then lowered the volume on the stereo. “What I don’t understand… is what you are doing with my kid sister.”
His face was turning red at the mere thought of it.
“That’s simple. I love her.” My tone was direct and not open for argument.
Travis barked out a laugh, then shook his head. “Man, you’re going to break her heart. And then I’m going to land myself in jail.”
My nostrils flared and my jaw was set in a firm line. He doesn’t know a damn thing about my relationship with Jillian.
I watched him pick up a wrench, twirl it in his hand thoughtfully, and then set it back down on the bench. “Let me get this straight. You rejected my calls when I tried to apologize years ago… told me to fuck off, and pretended I didn’t exist for the next five years.” His dark eyes looked at me directly and his face was stormy.
“Meanwhile, Jillian turns out to be a beautiful, intelligent woman and suddenly you find room in your heart to forgive and forget?”
“Forgive, yes… but I will never forget that you betrayed me.”
If the conversation continued down this path, I would not be sticking to my original plan.
“Fuck, man.” Travis breathed in deeply and then exhaled. “I don’t even remember any of it.”
My expression was questioning, yet wary. I was not about to fall for any of his bullshit. “By all means. Enlighten me as to what you do remember.” My reply was sardonic.
Travis returned to his natural, pensive state as he contemplated quietly. “The day you found Ella in bed with me, you were supposed to come over that night. We were going to grab a pizza and some beers.” He shrugged. I screwed up some files earlier that day at work and my boss chewed me out. He threw me off the case I’d been working on. I was so stressed. I ended up at the bar at three in the afternoon. Ella was there…”
I watched my ex-friend wipe grease from his face. “She sat with me and I told her about my day. I was drunk by this point, but I remembered she told me she had feelings for me. I remembered thinking that I needed to get the hell away. I took a cab back home. Took a nap. Woke up with Ella next to me in only a thong… just as you busted in. Got punched in the face. Went to the ER. The end.”
“You expect me to believe that load of bollocks?” I asked incredulously.
“Look. Woodward. That woman was never my type. You know the type of women I went for. I never had patience for her bitchy attitude. I tolerated her for your sake. We all did! I don’t know why the fuck she was in my bed, but I wasn’t drunk enough for that. I tried to explain that to you.”
The pensive nature was long gone. Travis was fuming. He began storming toward the door, but stopped and turned toward me. “You’re so hell bent on believing that everyone is ready to fuck with you. Not every person in the world is like your father. Sometimes, you just have to trust the people who care about you most. I don’t know why that bullshit happened the way it did, but perhaps it did me a favor. It showed me your true colors as soon as times got rough.”
He threw the towel down and left me standing there in the garage, like a damned idiot. I followed him outside. He stormed far ahead of me. He sensed me close the distance behind him and stopped momentarily to bark out one last request.
“Do me one favor, at least. Stay the hell away from Jill. Please. I couldn’t bear it if you broke her heart.”
He turned to continue walking toward the house.
“I can’t.” My words stopped him in his tracks. “Believe me, I tried. I thought it was for the best… but I’m a selfish bastard.”
He scoffed in agreement at that last bit.
“I want to ask her to marry me.” This got his attention. He looked at me, profoundly confused. Furious.
“Why would you want to marry my sister?”
This question angered me. “Why the hell not?”
“Do you even remember what you said to me that night you broke my nose?”
Apparently not. Judging from his expression, it was condescending and demeaning of his social class.
Travis shook his head. “You said, ‘I should have known better than to mingle with low-class paupers.’ You confirmed your true feelings when you ignored my sister as she tried to invite you to her high school graduation.”
There was a sharp, stabbing pain in my gut, but Travis was persistent in driving his point home.
“You threw Jillian into that label when you made that sentiment, wouldn’t you agree? She can never fit into your world.”
Come to think of it, I do recall saying that. It was said in anger. Did I mean those words? Perhaps I did at the time, but it’s all in the past. History. Nothing we do will change what has already transpired.
“I can’t rewind time and change what I said, or reverse the things I’ve done. I can only move forward. I don’t intend to change who Jillian is. I love that she doesn’t fit the mold expected within my world- as you delightfully call it. She and I will find middle ground.”
Travis stood there, quietly contemplating. He was greatly conflicted and it was expressed all over his face. “I’m sorry man, I just can’t wrap my head around you with my sister.” His face contorted. “... Nor do I want to.”
I gave a slight laugh. “I’d prefer if you didn’t…”
Silence.
He finally gave a slight smirk and then a chuckle. The tension was still there, but no longer smothering. “You hungry? I was thinking about ordering a pizza.”
“Black olives, no mushrooms.” I stated.
“Fuck, no mushrooms.” Travis agreed.
We walked in silence for a few minutes.
“I believe you, by the way.” I shattered the quiet between us as we walked through the back door. Travis eyed me momentarily as he grabbed the house phone.
“About?”
“There have been some revelations in my life that have come to surface recently, and I believe that you did not sleep with Ella, nor did you intend to. I’m only sorry it took me so many years to see that.”
Travis squinted his dark eyes at me warily, as though he did not believe my statement.
“Did you just say you’re sorry?
Wow.”
“Shut the hell up and order the pizza.”
“First you said you want to marry my sister and then you apologized. My God. I’m in a parallel Universe-”
“Shut the fuck up, bloody bastard.” I could only smirk.
Travis laughed and fished the menu for a local pizza parlor from a side drawer. He phoned the order and then tossed me a beer from the fridge.
“I don’t mean to sound like a girl… but when do you plan to ask her?”
One empty pizza box and three beers later, Travis was asking that question.
“Soon,” I answered.
“You’re not recycling the ring you bought for Ella.”
“You’ve had one too many beers, my friend.” I took the half-empty can from his hand and set it on the coffee table.
“I am giving her my grandmother’s ring. It will mean much more to both of us than some purchased ring. Jillian appreciates things that have sentimental value.”
Travis nodded his approval and grabbed his half-empty beer can from the table.
“I’m going to ask her, but it will mean so much more to her if I can tell her that you gave your blessing.”
My reunited friend gave me a cock-eyed glance. “If you make her happy, then absolutely. If you break her heart, I’m going to kick your ass.”
“Fair enough.”
22. Mason Woodward
Jillian returned home later that afternoon with her cousin, mother and aunt. She was the first to walk through the door, and her mouth nearly dropped to the floor when she found two old friends playing Guitar Hero in the living room. Naturally, Travis was winning by a long shot but nobody was paying attention to the score.
Queen In Play (The Manhattan Tales Book 2) Page 18