Bases Loaded (18 page)

“I’m not stalking you.” Kari’s body was still lean and slender. She
had lost a few pounds.

“Really,
how did you get my number?” Kari crossed her arms under her chest. I can see her diamond ring.

“Internet background search.” I had my lie ready.

“I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Fine, don’t talk to me. I’m going to do all the talking.” She rolled her eyes and that was my chance to lay it all on th
e line. “I know you’re engaged.” Quick observation now that I can see the ring up close. “Congratulations. I know you want to be married. I know you want a family.”

“Wonderful you know it all.”

“Kari. I want you to be happy. I know I have caused you a lot of pain but you are important to me whether we are together or not. I love you, not just in the physical sense. You are my best friend.”

“Find you some more friends.”

“Why are you so mad at me? You moved on. You’re getting married. I’m still stuck in my loveless marriage but you are marrying a man that you told me you love. I don’t understand why you’re so mad at me, especially when I’m not mad at you.”

“I don’t know why I’m mad. I’m just tired of you and your bullshit.”

“No bullshit. I wish you the best. I’m here with a peace treaty in my back pocket. I want us to put the past behind us. I want to be friends. I don’t want it to be awkward when we see each other.”

“I can’t believe anything you say. You lie.”

“That hurts. I have never lied to you.”

“That’s all you’ve ever done.”

“I’m sorry you feel this way. I’m sorry I’ve hurt you so deeply.”

“
Are you?”

“Yes of course. You are the one person I never wanted to hurt.”

Kari glanced around the parking lot to see if anyone was watching us. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“I’m not here to give you any trouble. I’m here to give you my best wishes. I’m here to beg for your friendship. I knew that our love affair is over. I sincerely wish you happiness with Jack. I just don’t want to lose you as a friend. I want to be cool. I want us to be cool.”

“We’re cool.”

“No seriously Kari.”

“No seriously Mason.” She was mocking me. She still had anger in her heart toward me.

“I will always love you. I’m not here to interfere. I’m not going to show up at your wedding and make a scene. I just want us to be cool again, cool like before we ever started sleeping together. Can you accept my gesture of friendship?”

Kari was thinking about my speech. I hoped she couldn’t see through the murky haze of bullshit words. I needed her in my life. I didn’t care how she came. If I couldn’t have all of her I would settle for a piece, any piece.

“Kari, say something.”

“What the fuck do you want me to say Mason?”

I took a step toward her. “I want you to be my friend. I want us to be cool.”

“Fine, we’re cool.”

I opened my arms. I needed a hug to seal the deal. I needed to show her I was serious. “Kari.”

She hesitated a moment but she still loves me and I’m still in her system. I’m still the man. The man that made her pussy explode around my cock. She hasn’t stopped loving me. She can lie with her mouth but her pretty brown eyes give her away. She still loves me. Finally she stepped into my arms and into my warm embrace. I inhaled the fresh scent of grapefruit in her hair as I savored the warmth of her body. I relished the feel of her breasts as they pressed into my lower chest. I reminisced on the feel of her creamy insides. It’s not over until the fat lady sings. I offer my friendship today just as a ploy. I will offer my cock in the future and she will accept it just the same.

Kari pulled away from me and I let her. I didn’t want to let her go but I was on a mission.

“I would appreciate knowing that you’re alive and well sometimes. I care about you and Trey. You can always talk to me, always. I don’t care what it’s about. I don’t care what time of day. I will always drop everything to listen to you. Our friendship is important to me, no bullshit.” I was looking into her eyes. I prayed I got my message across loud and clear. “You can talk to me anytime. I support your decision to be with Jack. I think he is the better man for you.”

“Mason. He is the better man for me.”

“I see that now.”

“I
want him. Me and you were good together but we were a mistake.  I wanted you. I tried to stay away but I’m not stupid. I knew that if I ran from you, you would chase me. We both knew better and we both got ahead of ourselves and our emotions.”

“I agree. It’s the past. We are starting over fresh.” We stood awkwardly in front of each other for a few seconds. “Well I got to go. I just wanted to say
congratulations to you. I don’t expect an invite but I’m going to get you an engagement gift.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know but I want to. I will probably be a gift card or something. I will just send it in the mail. It’s not a big deal.”

“Okay.”

I grabbed Kari by her forearms and pulled her toward me for a friendly kiss on the cheek. I faked a smile. I couldn’t believe how well I was acting. I was fucking Leonardo DiCaprio. He is a blonde blue-eyed Italian actor and I’m a blonde blue-eyed Italian actor. I was wigging out. I guess I had watched The Departed so many times I thought I was Oscar worthy. It doesn’t matter. Kari believes my lies and she was all the audience I needed.

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER, 9
th

I had established a platonic friendship with Kari. We managed to talk more than a few times and even go to lunch once a month. I counted the times. Once I gave her an engagement gift and another time I gave her a list of properties in her and Jack’s price range. I told her these homes were built with a higher guard of materials. I told her what to look for in a home because this area was ripe for tornados. I even told her what hotel to choose on her honeymoon. I was the greatest friend ever.

Our encounters were never awkward.
We joked and laughed. I made her feel comfortable with me. It was like old times without the nasty hot sex. We laughed and we shared stories but it was clear that out friendship was secret. I was always on my best behavior. I even fooled her into thinking that I had a girlfriend. I think she may have been a little jealous but she hid it well. I told her I had filed for divorce. That was true but Tess and I still lived in the same house.

My celibacy gave me clarity. I still kept an eye on Uncle Jimmy b
ut my anger had subsided. I had months to think about me and Kari.

But today was her wedding day. I had this relationship with her. She promised me that after she left the hair salon she would met me at my new office. I expanded my business and my new place was in an industrial area. I wasn’t open for business quite yet but Kari had been there before when I was looking for a location.

I had a wedding gift for her. I wanted her to come and pick it up. Kari texted me. She would be here in ten minutes. I knew she would be alone. None of her friends were aware that we had started talking and seeing each other again. This was the final countdown. It was now or never. I vote for now.

I watched the
clock. I fidgeted in my chair and for some reason my evil twin was waking up. When she pulled into the back lot I was beyond happy.

Kari
showed. She’s here, in the flesh. She is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I had a plan and my plan seemed to be working out thus far. This is my last shot to plead my case. She will hear me and understand. I will explain it in a way that she relates to. I know that after everything is said and done, she still loves me. What we have is special. What we have is real. What we have is forever.

KARI

I had a terrible splitting headache, a real migraine. I felt heavy and my eyelids seemed to be locked shut. I knew that much before I even opened my dried eyes. I had cottonmouth. I was parched beyond belief. With strong thought and intense effort I opened my eyes. My vision was blurry and it took a few seconds for me to find my focus. When I did finally focus, that’s when I tuned in to an object, that’s when I saw Mason. He was sitting in a chair across the room. His body was relaxed and stationary. He was wearing a black sleeveless t-shirt and gray sweat pants.

Maybe this was a dream. If I looked around
the room I would be able to tell. I slowly lifted my head. There was an intense ache throbbing at my left temple. What the fuck? Why am I so groggy? I touched the top of my head and placed my fingers in my hair. I felt a lot of bobby pins. The bobby pins had to be the cause of my headache.

I rose to sitting and realized my hair was pinned up in a French roll because today was my wedding day. I was getting married so why was I in this bed? Why was Mason in the room with me? I looked over at the bedside table and noticed the alarm clock read 5:31 p.m. I looked over at Mason and he swiftly moved to standing. My heart picked up a pace that was deadly. The time was off.
That can’t be the right time. I was somewhere I didn’t recognize with my ex-lover and it was over two hours from the time I was to get married to Jack. Oh my God! Oh my God! This isn’t a dream. This is real. My wedding was at 3p.m. I missed it. That’s funny. There’s no way I missed my own wedding. There’s no way I left Jack at the altar. Is this a dream?

I can’t breathe. I can’
t breathe. What did Mason do? Where am I? My panic produced a random tear. Mason’s face had said it all. Yet I didn’t want to believe it. This had all been bullshit. This was a ruse to lure me away. A plan he concocted for reasons that are unknown to me.

“Mason.” I said his name just to ensure I wasn’t g
oing crazy. I looked at the digital clock again for clarity. But instead of clarity it just brought shock and disbelief.

“Please Kari, listen. I love you.”
Mason was in my face.

He loves me. What is he talking about?
I looked around the room. There was barely any furniture, a bed, a chair, a single nightstand and two boarded up windows. What?

My
questioning eyes crash landed on Mason. It was much more then my mind could handle. It was a maelstrom of emotions. I knew him. I knew Mason. I could read him. My heart crumbled when his bulbous eyes conveyed his devious intent. I blinked a few too many times because maybe I was reading him wrong. There was no way in hell this mutherfucka kidnapped me on my wedding day, the day that is supposed to be the best day of my life, the day I have and hold from this day forward. That’s just too unbelievably melodramatic. Mason would never do that. He would never resort to such desperate measures to gain what he wants. Me? I almost laughed at the audacity of my thoughts and the overabundance of narcissism it took to think them.

Mason was standing over
me with a gravest solemn haze in his eyes. He was looking down on me, my fear and my burgeoning realization. My mouth fell open but I didn’t have any words. All I had is confusion, anxiety, rage and a panic that would soon put me in cardiac arrest. In his eyes I saw the truth, this is real. I am awake. I am here. I have missed my own wedding. I have been kidnapped.

“Please
Kari, sweeheart, don’t be mad at me. I just couldn’t let you get married.”

Authors Note

I finished book four a tidbit behind schedule due to the extra book of wrote entitled
Free Agent
. I hope you enjoyed
Bases Loaded
. I’m going to have to get me some #TEAM MASON t-shirts and some #TEAM JACK t-shirts. This book is the longest in the series. I wish I could produce these books faster but I got a B in typing, when I really deserved a C. This cliffhanger was wild. After talking to a few women I realized that a lot of ladies have been detained by men. Most men are bigger and stronger than women and although I have never been kidnapped by a guy, being detained has happened to a few of us. Men are able to block the door. Stop you from leaving the premises and put you in a little hostage type situation. Mason Rizza is special and very desperate. He took it up a notch. Love will make you do crazy things. I hope you enjoyed this book. Now I am on to the next. December is a very hectic month for me so I plan to have the next book,
Flag On The Play
finished by the end of February. If I can make it sooner, I definitely will. I’m trying to finish up this series because I have a stand-alone novel that is dying to be written.  Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your purchase. Please leave a review. They are greatly appreciated and some of them are so funny, clever and helpful. All of them I appreciate.

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