by Gold, Bella
“Good, now did you find the old filing system?”
Oh God, my face went pale as I realized I hadn’t done that. I’d gotten every other silly task he’d set for me done, but I’d forgotten to go down into the archives room. I really didn’t want to have to admit it, but I was going to have to.
Unless…
“Hold on, I’ll be back in a moment,” I dumped everything down and tore down the stairs, my whole body pounding in annoyance, and some shock too. I’d seen Mason be a dick to lots of people, and he’d made it very clear that he wasn’t about to give me an easy ride or anything just because he knew me before, but I never expected him to be this harsh.
As I found myself alone in the cold and dusty archive room, I let out a sigh of relief and closed my eyes for just a moment. These days I left the office with a pounding headache and a sickly sensation swirling around in my stomach. This felt nothing like I’d wanted it to be.
Feeling seriously pissed off with Mason, I yanked my cell phone out my pocket and put in a call to Ethan. His job as a travel writer took him all over the world, but he was usually up for chatting whenever.
“Hello?” he answered lazily, sounding like he was relaxing somewhere. I could just picture him on the beach in Thailand and I really wished that I was with him. Anywhere had to be better than here. “How’s it going, Mel? Liking the new job?”
“When did Mason become such an asshole?” I spat out, my temper getting the better of me. “He’s horrible now. He used to be nice, right? I’m not just imagining that?”
“Oh, he’s harder now,” Ethan sounded a little guarded, as if this wasn’t totally someone that he wanted to be discussing. “But he’s has to be. It’s the only way he can make a success of himself. It’s a hard world, as you know.”
“But he’s so… different.”
Ethan sighed deeply. “Monica leaving him hit Mason hard. He felt lost without her after being with her for so many years. It really didn’t help that happened all within the same month that he found his birth mother just to discover that she’d died…”
“Woah, woah, wait,” I insisted, trying to wrap my head around all of that. “Birth mother? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Oh God, did I not tell you?” I wasn’t surprised that he’d kept this information from me. He just didn’t think about things. He still had the drifter mentality; luckily it did him week. “Yeah, just before he started his company, he decided to track down his birth parents. He’d always known that he was adopted – not that he ever talked about it. I only knew because he told me once when he’d been drinking – and he’d just found his father living in a crack den. That truth killed him enough, it made him feel really worthless. He told him that his mom was a prostitute, which was why he’d been taken into the care of another family.” This was all so much, so horrible; it made my heart bleed for him. “He still wanted to meet her, but he couldn’t because she’d overdosed the week before.”
That was intense; he must have really struggled with that. If only he’d looked for her sooner, he might have gotten some of the answers to help him move forwards with his life. “Wow,” I practically whispered, unsure of what to say.
“Yeah, it was harsh. Then he told Monica, and not long after, they spilt up. I never heard if it was related or not, but I got the impression that it was, which was when he wanted to change. I guess he felt sick of feeling worthless, or whatever, so he decided to start his own company. Maybe he’s harsh, but this is his everything.
“Yeah,” I murmured sadly. “That makes sense.”
Okay, I felt like I understood him a lot better. Maybe now I could tolerate him more now that I knew why he felt like he had to act that way. I could spent my days with him using a matureness to get me through. He obviously felt like he had to be that way, just to keep himself on top.
“Anyway, I’m back in the country in two months, so we should hang out then. It’s unlikely anyone else will make the time.”
Damn it, there was a sadness to Ethan’s tone now too, which resonated with me. Our family just wasn’t the sentimental, touchy-feely type. “I will meet you,” I insisted. “Don’t you worry about that; we’ll do something fun and you can tell me all about your travels.”
As soon as we hung up, I set about finding the right file for Mason. I’d already taken long enough; there was no way he’d be impressed, and now I had to try even harder to keep my temper inside. Now every time he made me mad I would think about the heartache that drove him to be the successful businessman he was, and hopefully, that would be okay.
“Aha!” As I walked back up, I felt a little more positive about everything.
Well, I did until I saw Mason and his glowering expression. Even as I handed the file out to him, he didn’t crack from his frown. “Took you damn long enough,” he yelled far too loudly, causing everyone in the nearby vicinity to turn around to stare. “What the hell were you doing? , He was getting louder and louder. I had to ball up my fists to stop myself from losing my temper. “I haven’t got all day, you know? If you don’t understand that being a stockbroker is a fast-paced profession, then maybe you’re in the wrong job.”
He folded his arms across his chest, almost as if he were waiting for me to answer him. I pursed my lips together, trying to keep all the words inside. Mason had been through a lot… that was why he treated people badly… I just had to stand there and take it in the same way that everyone else did… it would be over soon enough…
“Maybe I need to find some easier jobs for you, huh?” Oh God, it was getting increasingly hard to stop myself from reacting. “Is that what you would like? Maybe something admin would be more up your street?” My blood was boiling; I was shaking under the pressure of my anger. “Or how about you going to work with those giggling idiots that answer the phone?” Now he was insulting my friends too? What the hell had happened to him to cause such a reaction? “I was promised such high things when I hired you. Clearly, that was wrong.”
Breathe, I warned myself. Don’t react; just take it. But my brain was darting about, rage bulldozed through my whole body, and I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer. Sure, he’d had a hard time, but that wasn’t my fault. There was no need to treat me that way at all.
“Will you just shut up?” I suddenly heard myself yelling back. I suddenly felt like I was having an out of body experience. Like I had no control over myself anymore. “Is there any need to speak to me like I’m shit? Have I actually done something to deserve that?”
Everyone might have watched as I got chunks torn out of me, but now that I was giving something back, all their eyes were averting like crazy. They were trying to act like nothing was happening in front of them, but they weren’t leaving the room. They wanted to hear, even if they couldn’t see. This had obviously been a long time coming; it was just a shame that it had to be me that said it. Especially now that I knew more about Mason’s life, but I didn’t feel like that excused the way he treated other people.
“Do you get a kick out of berating people in public?” Shit, all my emotions were coming out now. I’d opened the floodgates wide. “Does it make you feel like a big man? These people here work hard for you, they put their own reputations on the line for you, and you treat them like hell. Do you actually feel like that’s a good way to do business? Don’t you think that happy employees would be better?”
I broke off, panting and breathless, reality hitting me. This wasn’t a dream after all: this was real life, and I’d just yelled at my boss in front of everyone. I was about to be fired, there was no doubt about it.
I shrank in on myself, feeling small and afraid. This was awful, the worst thing that had ever happened to me, and now I was going to really get it.
But instead, weirdly, he burst out laughing. I felt the whole room still in shock as everyone gave him odd looks. Had he really cracked up or was I about to get the biggest ass-chewing ever?
“Okay, I hear ya,” he said, patting me on the arm as if
it were a joke. “That’s fair enough.” The tight knot in my chest loosened as, for some odd reason, he didn’t seem angry after all. “You’ll have to let me take you out for dinner tonight, so you can tell me more.”
What? What was happening? Did he just ask me out on a date? My whole body flushed with embarrassment and excitement. What did I even say to that? I mean, did I even want to go out with this guy? Okay, stupid question, I really did even if he wasn’t pleasant to work with, but could I? Wouldn’t that be really weird?
Shit, he was staring at me, waiting for an answer. “Oh, erm, sure,” I said, just because I needed to give him something. “Sounds nice.”
Sounds nice? How lame was I? Couldn’t I think of anything better than that?
“Great. I’ll pick you up at eight then.”
And that was that. He flawlessly transitioned back into work mode, so I did my best to do the same, but my brain was everywhere. What was this? How should I dress? How was I supposed to act? Surprisingly, after my little speech, I was even more stressed than before, and there was no shouting that could cure that!
Chapter Five
"Are you sure?” I gasped in panic, trying to show Carly the entirety of my outfit in the video chat screen on my phone. “It doesn’t look too date like?”
“This is a date, stop trying to deny it,” Carly rolled her eyes at me. “You look great. Mason is going to fall head over heels in love with you in a second.”
“That isn’t what I want,” I shook my head rapidly. Was that really the impression I was giving off in the knee-length red dress and black heels? I had my hair hanging loosely down my back in a way that I hoped was natural, but maybe I still looked too dressy. I did look a bit like someone who wanted to be loved... damn it, I had to find something else to wear.
Beep, beep.
“Oh God, I don’t even have time to change,” I groaned, slapping my palm on my forehead. “That’s him outside. I can hear the car horn. Shit, I’m so nervous! What am I going to do?”
“Oh my God, do you even know how lucky you are?” Carly squealed excitedly. “Stop moaning; you’re about to have the best time ever. Will you just go out there and get Mason into bed? We’re all desperate to know how good he is!”
I hung up quickly, not wanting to even think about that. There was no way I was getting into any bed with Mason, not a chance in hell. This was complicated enough without me adding any more to it. It was already going to be weird enough going back to work after having a date, never mind after sex... I just didn’t think I could do it.
My heart raced, my chest went hot with fear, but I forced my way to the front door anyway. I was far too intrigued to not go, however much the idea of this scared me. The curiosity , inside of me was stronger than any other emotion. As I tugged open the door, I saw Mason standing there, holding open the door to a very flashy limo. It was so immense that it only gave me a spilled second to look at how heart-stopping gorgeous he looked in his well-fitting tuxedo. But in that second, my heart flipped like crazy. It was almost unbelievable: me going out with him. To an onlooker, it probably looked like some sort of crazy joke.
“Oh my goodness,” I exclaimed, slapping my hand across my mouth. “What is all of this?” There was no denying it now, this had to be a date. There was no way Mason would go through all of that for a simple work dinner. Would he? And how did I feel about that? “This is madness.”
“You scared me today,” he teased with a wicked smile across his lips. “I’m trying to appease you before you start yelling again.”
This side of him was more the Mason I knew, the one I remembered from all those years ago, the playful teasing, and it actually helped me to relax a little bit. I could go out with that version of Mason; it was the professional him that intimidated me like crazy. Maybe this night wouldn’t be so bad after all!
“Well, you better hope that everything is perfect,” I replied, holding my nose up in the air, matching his joking tone. “I don’t know if I’ve gotten all my temper out just yet.”
He held the door open for me, acting the proper gentleman, treating me in a way that no guy had ever done before, and it made me melt inside. I’d never felt so protected, so adored before, and I had to admit, it was a little bit intoxicating.
As the car whizzed through the city, towards the French restaurant that Mason had chosen for our date, we reminisced about our past, not even once talking about our present. We recalled funny events that occurred in our home, we chatted about Ethan’s bad attitude towards his mom that hadn’t dulled as he got older, and we remembered how goofy we both were. It was incredible.
This was what I thought it would be like when I started working with Mason; this was the way I wanted it to be all along. Everything would have been so much easier for me if he’d just acted like my friend.
I got so lost in our conversation that I actually forgot we were on a date until we pulled up outside a building that was much too fancy for me. My eyes ran over the place in a stunned silence. This looked like the sort of building celebrities frequented, people with billions of dollars to spend, not nobodies like me. This was the sort of place that fit in with new Mason, not the one I wanted to spend time with. I had to try to put a stop to it before we got too far. Once we were inside those doors, there was no turning back.
“Did you... book a table?” I asked, a little anxiously, expecting him to turn around and bite my head off.
“I don’t need to,” he looked incredibly proud of that fact. “They always have a table reserved for me. They love me in there.”
Did that mean he’d brought a lot of dates here? I really didn’t want to be just another one in a list. Just because I assumed Mason was still sensible when it came to women didn’t mean I was right. From what Ethan had told me, I didn’t know anything about this man at all!
“I know this might seem silly, but do you mind if we go somewhere else?” I scanned my eyes down the street, seeing a friendly looking Italian place not too far away. “Ooh look, let’s go for pizza!”
“Really?” he looked really taken aback by that. He paused and stared at me thoughtfully for a second before continuing. “Wow, you really aren’t like other women, are you?”
“Erm, what do you mean by that?” I wasn’t sure whether he meant that as an insult or not, so I didn’t know if I should be offended just yet. It didn’t seem like a horrible statement from his tone, but I wasn’t about to base my judgment on that.
“Well, I mean most women want a lot of money spent on them on a date. They want to be taken to over-the-top places and order the most expensive thing on the menu. They never want to go for pizza. It just seems a little crazy to me but in the best way possible. You keep on surprising me, and I really like that.”
Luckily it seemed like there was some admiration in his gaze, so I shrugged and smiled bashfully. “Well, I would just rather be comfortable.” I really meant that. I wasn’t impressed by his money at all; I much preferred him before he was rich. I just wanted to have a nice time with the guy I liked, and that would never have happened in that fancy French place.
As we walked inside, I felt relieved that I’d spoken up. I wouldn’t have been able to relax in that other place even for a second. I would have been convinced that everyone was staring at me, looking at me like I didn’t fit in; then I would have started acting stilted and weird. Then I never would have gotten to the bottom of why Mason asked me out.
We took our table and placed our orders quickly, and as we did, I noticed that Mason was still being much more open and friendly. “Why don’t you act this way at work?” I asked, starting with the one topic that I promised myself I would avoid. “You’re just so much more... approachable.”
“Oh, you know how it is,” he shrugged, acting blasé. “The whole ‘you catch more flies with honey’ is all bullshit. Vinegar works so much better.” When I didn’t respond, he decided to continue. “I had to work hard, to prove myself, to show that I was worthy. No one respected me at fir
st because I hadn’t yet made a name for myself. I had to be hardnosed; it was the only way to get by.”
“Okay, but why now?” If I could get through to him, then maybe it wouldn’t be so hard as we got back to work. Maybe I could really change him. “Why are you still acting that way?”
“Have you ever had staff?” he sneered. “No one likes to do as they’re told, not unless there’s a threat up their ass. You have to strong-arm people into what you want them to do; that’s just the way that it is. Especially in this world.” He leaned back in his chair and looked me up and down. “You should learn that if you want to get by.”
Okay, there was no point in holding back anymore; I’d already said too much. “But everyone at work hates you,” I insisted. “Is that what you want? Wouldn’t you prefer your staff to like you?”
“I don’t care,” he shrugged. “They respect me, and that’s much better.”
At that moment, our conversation was stopped by the waitress bringing over our food, but it didn’t leave my mind. I didn’t agree with him one bit. I felt like there had to be a way to be respected and liked as a boss. I was sure of it. My dad ran a department and as far as I was aware, everyone liked him.
I would just have to find a way to show Mason that while also making it seem like it was his discovery. I got the sense that was how he worked, and there was no point in trying to change the elements that were intrinsically him; it was only this fake nasty bit that I wanted to get rid of.
“This is nice,” he sounded surprised. “To be honest, I haven’t been anywhere like this since I made my money, and it’s nicer than I remember.”
“I’ll have to bring you again,” I teased, half hoping that it would actually happen. I wasn’t sure what would happen tomorrow, but I really hoped that this wouldn’t be the end of... whatever this was.
As I watched him eat, I felt tempted to ask him about his parents, and the horror of finding out the truth of where he came from, but I forced myself to stop at the very last moment. He’d kept that private for many years, it was obviously something that he didn’t share easily. Plus, I didn’t want to betray Ethan’s trust like that. If Mason ever wanted to tell me, I wanted him to tell me of his own accord.