But who’s to say Jada would even welcome his help in moving past her ex?
He may have secretly wanted her all these years, but it was obvious she’d had no clue, which meant her decade-long dislike of him had been real. Was it even worth the effort to try and convince her that they should bury the animosity that had always existed between them?
He ran his hands down his face as he pitched his head back against the chair’s leather headrest.
He had no idea how, or even if, he should try to move forward with Jada. Maybe there was no moving forward. Maybe last night was all he would ever get. Maybe that one amazing kiss would have to last him a lifetime.
Whether Jada chose to acknowledge what had passed between them last night or not, Mason knew there was one thing he still wanted to do for her. He reached for his phone and scrolled through the names until he found Selena Pareja. He dialed it and was informed by an automated recording that the number was no longer in service.
Damn, had it been that long since he’d called?
He Googled The Fortier Foundation and dialed the number. He asked to speak to Selena, and was put through moments after he told the receptionist his name.
“Mason Coleman,” Selena’s smooth voice came over the line. “It’s been a while.”
“Apparently,” he said. “I tried you on your cell, but the number’s changed.”
“I lost my phone last year while in Tokyo. I didn’t bother sending you the new number since you hadn’t called in a while.” Mason knew her pregnant pause was by design. “So, to what do I owe this call?”
If this were anyone else Mason would hesitate before asking for a favor for another woman, but Selena was like him, a professional. She wouldn’t allow hurt feelings to get in the way of business.
What was he talking about? Selena wouldn’t allow hurt feelings, period.
He told her about Jada, sharing what he knew of her years at the oil refinery where she’d worked as a PR representative, and about her enthusiasm for the job with Selena’s organization.
“She’s very interested in the work The Fortier Foundation is doing,” he said.
“Mason, you are the only man bold enough to ask his ex-girlfriend to hire his current girlfriend.”
“She’s not my girlfriend, just a longtime friend of my sister’s,” he said. “And I’m calling because I know she would be perfect for the job. I’m not saying you have to hire her—”
“Because you know I won’t hire her if she’s not qualified.”
“She is,” he said. “But I’m just asking that you pay close attention to her résumé. If I were you I’d call her in for an interview sooner rather than later. I have no doubt she’ll be snatched up by an employer soon.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Selena said. After another pause she added, “I won’t bother asking you to dinner because I know you’re a one-woman man. And, despite your denial, I know this Jada has to be more than just a friend. You wouldn’t stick your neck out otherwise. I’ll talk to you later, Mason.”
Once he’d disconnected the call, Mason tapped the phone against his lips, contemplating Selena’s words. Just a week ago, Jada would not have fallen under the classification of friend. To consider her more than a friend?
“Stop making a big deal out of it,” he muttered. It wasn’t as if he’d gone out of his way; he’d made a simple call.
Mason set the cell phone on his desk and returned to the ledger he’d been reviewing. A minute later, his desk phone buzzed.
“Mr. Coleman, it’s Dudley Cook,” his assistant announced through the speaker.
Mason’s eyelids slid shut against the headache that instantly sprouted behind his eyes. He was not in the mood for dealing with Oscar Davis’s cutthroat CPA today.
“Mr. Cook,” Mason answered.
“What’s the word on Vanuatu?” the other man asked.
“Dudley, I already explained the risk of setting up a tax haven in Vanuatu.”
“And I told you that Mr. Davis is willing to take the risk. I asked you to look into Seychelles, also. Have you made any progress on that?”
“Seychelles has the same risk as Vanuatu.”
As Cook went on a rant, Mason picked up the stress ball Kiera had given him as a gag gift for his birthday last year, and clutched it in his fist. Lately, he used the stress ball more than the tennis racket she’d intended as his real gift.
“I never said it was illegal,” Mason interrupted. “I said it’s a gray area. Very gray. The IRS is looking at offshore accounts much more closely than they have in the past. Mr. Davis is barely paying eleven-percent right now. If he goes down to an even lower rate he’s essentially putting a bull’s-eye on his back.”
“Again, it’s a risk he’s willing to take. Now, if you’re not up for this, find us someone in the firm who is,” Cook said before abruptly ending the call.
Mason pitched the stress ball across the office and pushed away from his desk.
Making partner was the next step in the chronology of the goals he’d set for himself years ago. The current partners were paying close attention to the Davis account. If he wasn’t careful he could very well be the snag that caused his own plans to unravel.
But if the only way to a partnership was by compromising his principals, did he really want it?
“Dammit,” Mason whispered.
He knew exactly what his conscience was telling him to do, but he was starting to question if always doing the right thing was holding him back.
***
“Okay, Kiera, enough with the half-assed explanations. It’s time for you to tell us what’s going on with you.”
“Here, here,” Jada said, tipping her goblet of merlot in Callie’s direction. “You’ve been acting shady for over a week. It’s time for you to spill.”
Kiera groaned. “God, can’t a person have one tiny little detail of their lives to themselves?”
“No,” Jada and Callie said in unison.
Kiera sent them both a nasty look, but Jada shrugged it off. It wasn’t as if she’d never gotten that look from her before.
The three of them had been best friends since their sophomore year of high school, and had remained close, despite going to separate colleges. But, eventually, life started to get in the way. As Kiera’s catering business took off, and Callie’s veterinary practice expanded, they found themselves going months without seeing each other for more than a few minutes, usually when they ran into each other at the grocery store, or the dry cleaners.
These monthly get-togethers arose out of necessity when Callie’s world imploded after her husband revealed that he was leaving her for his younger, pregnant girlfriend. Being an only child whose parents had been killed while she was still in college, Callie had needed them desperately.
When Eric followed suit, leaving Jada in the same predicament Callie had been in, they continued their get-togethers. At least Eric had waited a little longer before he got his new girl pregnant.
Poor Kiera’s love life had always warranted massive amounts of alcohol, despite her being the optimist of the group. At this point, Jada wasn’t sure Kiera was even looking for love anymore.
Unless…
“Is this about a man?” Jada asked. “Please don’t tell me you accepted Garrett’s friendship request on Facebook.”
“No,” Kiera said. “I blocked him. I even blocked his number from my cell phone and the phone at the kitchen. This has nothing to do with Garrett.”
“Then what is it?” Callie asked, passing around the plate of double fudge, dark chocolate caramel brownies that should be declared illegal in all fifty states. Jada was sure the calories in just one was enough to kill a small dog.
Kiera groaned again. She lay prone across the cushioned armchair in Callie’s living room, her feet dangling over one armrest while her back bowed over the other. Jada tucked her feet underneath her, studying her friend from her spot on the loveseat.
“We’re only asking because we’re concerned
,” Jada told her.
“And nosy,” Kiera returned.
“That, too.” Callie topped off her wineglass. “You know we’re here to help. But we need to know what’s going on so that we’ll know how to help.”
Kiera sat upright and folded her legs underneath her. “Fine. I know neither of you will stop until you get all the gory details, anyway.”
“Wait, just how gory are the details?” Callie asked. “Do I need to uncork another bottle before you begin?”
“No, I think we’re good with what we have.” Kiera took a deep breath. “Okay, remember when I told you guys that I wanted to branch out with Catering by Kiera?”
“You mentioned that you were considering getting a food truck to take into New Orleans.”
“Yeah, well, when I looked into it, I found out that they can run upwards of a hundred thousand.”
“Dollars!” Jada screeched. “For an ice cream truck with a stove?”
“They’re a lot more than ice cream trucks with stoves.” Kiera drawled. She ticked items off on her fingers. “They’re fully wired, they require a ventilation system, a three-compartment sink. Basically everything you would need for a brick and mortar restaurant. And all that stuff has to be up to code.”
“So, will you have to put off buying the food truck for a while? Is that why you’ve been so off lately?” Jada asked as she reached for another brownie.
Kiera released another sigh. “I bought a food truck. From Craigslist.”
Jada dropped the brownie. “Craigslist?”
“Sight unseen,” Kiera said. She covered her face with both hands and groaned. “I know. I know. It was the stupidest thing I could have done, but it was such a good deal, and the pictures they had up on the website looked good enough.”
“How much did you pay?” Callie asked.
“Twenty-thousand. Cash.”
“Holy shit, Kiera!” Jada sat upright.
“Did they falsify the ad?” Callie asked. “Because there should be some type of recourse if they did.”
“No, no.” She shook her head. “The seller warned that the truck needed some work. I just didn’t realize how much work. And they definitely took the most advantageous shots of the truck.”
“Do you have any idea how much it’ll take to get it up to code?” Callie asked.
“The estimate I’ve gotten is another twenty-thousand, at least.”
“Holy shit, Kiera!” Jada said again.
“You want to add something else to the conversation other than ‘holy shit’?”
“I’m sorry,” Jada said. “I knew something was bothering you, I just wasn’t expecting something like this. What do you plan to do?”
“If I don’t get the truck up and running, the twenty-thousand I paid for it will be all for nothing. And I really want to get this new aspect of Catering by Kiera off the ground, before Jazz Fest, if possible.”
“Was the twenty-thousand the last of the money from your dad’s life insurance?” Callie asked.
Kiera nodded. “I tried getting a loan at the bank, but they’re asking me to put my business up as collateral. I can’t take that chance.”
“No way,” Callie said. “I’ll loan you the money.”
“I don’t want it. That’s the kind of money that can break up friendships.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Kiera.”
She put her hand up. “I’m not even entertaining the idea, Callie.”
“What about Mason?” Jada asked. Her skin got a little flush just saying his name. She was pathetic.
“No, no, no,” Kiera said with a vehement shake of her head. “I don’t want him to know about any of this. Mason has been bailing me out my entire life. This is my predicament. I’ll figure out a way to make it work.”
“I understand how that is,” Jada said. She and Kiera were alike in that they both had relied on family for virtually everything. Jada was proud of the stand her friend was taking. They were growing up. Look at them.
“Are you sure, Kiera?” Callie asked.
“Yes. Now, let’s change the subject. Please. I’m tired of thinking about my financial woes.” She turned to Jada. “What about you? You had that Naughty Nights party over in Covington. How did it go?”
Jada looked over at Callie. “You may want to pop the cork on that other bottle of wine.”
“Uh, oh,” Callie said. “What happened?”
Jada relayed the details of the party, explaining how she endured listening to Nikki talk about her and Eric’s sex life. When she told them about Nikki’s pregnancy, both Kiera and Callie came over and enveloped her in a hug. They knew the affect that kind of news had on her spirit. It was just one of the reasons she was closer to these two women than she was to her own sister.
“And, to top it all off, I ran out of gas on my way home.”
Kiera drew back from their group hug and raised an accusatory brow. “You know I have to say it, right?”
“You don’t have to,” Jada pointed out. Kiera’s brows nudged higher. “Fine,” Jada said.
“I told you so,” Kiera pronounced.
“There, you feel better?”
“Much,” her friend returned while Callie laughed.
“It actually turned out to be a pretty good night,” Jada continued. “A knight in shining armor came to my rescue.”
“Really?” Callie asked. “Anyone we know?”
A knock on the door drew their attention. Before Callie could answer it, the door opened and in walked Stefan Sutherland, Callie’s boyfriend of four months.
“Hello, ladies,” Stefan greeted. The hunky ex-Navy pilot had come to Maplesville back in November to take care of his nephew while his twin sister, an Army nurse, was deployed to Afghanistan. His and Callie’s worlds collided when Stefan brought a stray cat he’d rescued from a ditch to Callie’s animal clinic.
Callie jumped up from the couch and ran over to Stefan, wrapping her arms around his neck. The two proceeded to suck face like a couple of teenagers.
“Oh, give me a break,” Kiera muttered. “I thought it was romantic when they first started dating, but now it just makes me want to smack both of them.”
After her face-sucking session with Mason, Jada didn’t think it wise to comment. She also wasn’t sure she was ready to let Kiera know about what transpired between her and Mason. She was still trying to evaluate and absorb exactly what had happened between them herself.
Still holding hands, Stefan and Callie joined them in the living room.
“Sorry to interrupt the Girls Night In party, but I promised Callie I’d bring over her laptop as soon as I was done with it. It now has twice as much memory.”
“Handsome and handy,” Kiera said with an overly dramatic sigh. “Callie Webber, if I didn’t love you so much I would hate you, you lucky wench.”
Stefan laughed. “I’ll leave you ladies to your fun.”
“Actually, I’m going to leave with you,” Jada said. “I have another job interview in the morning. I need to turn in early.”
“Is it with the firm in New Orleans?” Callie asked.
“No, they haven’t called. This one is in Picayune. I’ll settle for it until I can find something more permanent.”
“Hey,” Kiera called. “You never told us the name of your knight in shining armor.”
Jada stopped just inside the door Stefan held open for her and looked back over her shoulder.
“Remember when you asked if a person can have one tiny detail of their lives to themselves? I just decided they can.”
She stuck her tongue out at them, laughing at the irate shouts from Kiera and Callie that followed her out the door.
Chapter Six
As Jada drove up to the curb in front of Mason’s house, she tried to calm the nerves that were ping-ponging inside her belly. She’d been both dreading and anticipating returning to his home with equal amounts of anxiety and excitement. She knew for a fact that he wasn’t even at home, and she was still on edge.
Was it the newness of it? Or the unexpectedness, maybe?
Nothing on the face of this planet or the next could have been more unexpected than the kiss she and Mason shared the other night. And his admission that he’d had a secret crush on her years ago? Unexpected didn’t cover the half of it.
Jada walked over to the side of the garage and felt inside the drain pipe for the key Kiera had told her would be hidden there. She’d left the alarm off, not telling Mason, who would have probably gone ballistic over that.
Jada grabbed her travel bag and another bag of decorations she’d picked up and went into the house.
She deposited the bags on the dining room table where the other things she’d bought for Kiera’s party still sat. She told herself that she should just get right to work getting ready for the party, but Kiera wouldn’t get here for at least another hour, and it wasn’t going to take her that long to string a couple of heart-shaped banners around the room. She had Mason’s house to herself for a little while, why not satisfy the curiosity that had been bombarding her for the past couple of days?
Jada hugged her arms around her upper body as she moved around the large, pentagon-shaped living room. The two sides on the left both featured arched entrances to the dining room and the kitchen. The far right side held a massive fireplace made of slate stone in varying shades of gray and soft brown.
Mason had always been very no-nonsense, so it didn’t surprise her that while the house was tastefully decorated, it was also minimalist. There were no knick knacks cluttering the shelves, no collection of sports memorabilia, or car magazines, or any of the other stuff Eric used to have around their home.
A Little Bit Naughty (Moments in Maplesville) Page 7