Common Sense Doesn't Become Me (10 page)

"So this young gentleman here, Mason Montahue
of Montahue Properties, just informed me that you two have started
dating." Her voice held excitement over the Montahue Properties
part, but I knew she was judging.

"Yeah. About that mom. Strange thing happened
on the way home from the dinner-party Sunday." Before I could state
a clean rendition of what happened, Mason chimed in.

"I already told your mom that we had been
friends for quite some time, and that I was just waiting until you
were available to ask you out. That we had two very lovely dates
and have decided to commit to dating each other." He put his arm in
mine and then proudly stated. "Where to ladies? My treat. I'm sure
the birthday girl is starved."

"Well I was thinking..." My mother stepped
right up with where she wanted to eat, not bothering to ask me, uh
hello the birthday girl, where I wanted to eat. As we walked out of
the building, there was Marion pulling up to the guest parking spot
in her Audi A6. I knew this just blew my mom's plan all to hell,
and I had an inkling that Bethany had wanted the backup for my mom.
Marion had always had a way of getting my mom to show her softer
side, which Mason also seemed to have that effect at this
moment.

While everyone got in their cars to drive
just four blocks away to a decent restaurant, Mason and I drove
together in his BMW. It was black and fully loaded, and the dark
tinted windows gave me sultry ideas. Which I needed those to go
away right now, but with the smile on his face, it was really
hard.

"Quite the surprise running into your family.
This makes date three in three days, and I am already meeting your
family." He said it with a devious smile that told me that he too
was counting down to seven faithfully yet with a degree of
difficulty.

"I know. Sorry. I didn't know they or you
were coming today." I offered up with a pained expression that had
more to do with my mom than anything else.

"I wanted to surprise you. Don't be sorry. I
was prepared if you had other plans. Did you like the flowers?" He
sounded sincere and thoughtful while my heart ballooned with a
romantic puff of air.

"I love them. I have never had a man send me
flowers at work. You did a bang-up job of sending a huge bouquet.
By the way, the ladies at work were jealous of the flowers, and I
caught quite a few pairs of eyes checking you out as we left." A
huge smile spread across his face.

I think he liked the attention; however, he
had his own question to ask, as he did not miss the large packet, I
tossed on my desk. "What was that packet you tossed on your desk
when you came back to your desk? It had a huge smile on your face
staring at it before you looked up and saw me. Thanks for the over
joyous shout of my name by the way." I knew he was teasing me,
because I had shouted his name as if I was singing a hymn in the
church choir.

"Oh that! I was so excited to see you. I
forgot that I wanted to show my mom. The Crawly Plant is paying for
an online management course for me to take so that I can eventually
run the production line. I am so excited. I know this will help in
keeping my mom silent for a bit about college. It's not a four-year
degree like she wanted but even so. This is more my style, and the
fact that the plant is paying for it, rocks."

"I'd say. That's great news Amber." He
reached over and stroked my leg, then held my hand. This gave me
ideas on what I would like to happen in this dark tinted window
car, just as we pulled into the parking lot to the restaurant. When
his hand left mine, I felt as if I missed his touch already.
However, with him there by my side, along with Marion and Bethany,
I felt as if my mother could do nothing to upset me.

After lunch, Mason kissed me sweetly on the
lips, and then said his proper good-byes to everyone before heading
to his car. Marion insisted on driving me back to work and
practically dragged me away from my mom as she was gearing up for
the inquisition about Mason. Bethany was in her car and gone down
the street before Mason left his parking spot. Marion and I drove
away as my mom had a hurt look on her face as she was getting in
her car. I felt bad, even though I was mad at what her original
intensions were, and she had no right; I felt bad that she looked
sad. I still had a heart even though we had no bond.

"Wow. You owe Bethany. Could you imagine if
she hadn't texted me the four-one-one, and Mason showed up, and
just you, your mom, and Mason went to lunch? Yikes. She is really
not a bad sister. It could help if she wasn't so perfect, yet I
think she only does it so she doesn't have to deal with the wrath
of your mother. You, the rebel you are, just encourage it."

"I do not." I laughed, but we both knew it
was true.

"So what's this about the Crawly Plant paying
for an online degree for you? You mentioned it when your mom tried
to talk about you filling out college applications then Bethany
interrupted asking Mason way more questions than a sister should.
She's jealous you know. Hell, every single female out there that
wants a man like him is jealous. He is sexy Latino hot, and he
knows how to handle the women. Your mom was like putty in his
hands, and he picked up the check for all of us. How sweet!"

"Gosh, Marion. I know. It's like my prayers
have finally been answered when it comes to a good man. I would
have settled for half his looks and all of his sexy good
nature."

"So have you already, you know?" I knew
exactly what she was insinuating.

"Not yet. He's Catholic too, not that we
practice, but we agreed on seven dates." I beamed with pride
because if I liked a guy, I barely made it past date one without
giving out the goodies. Probably why, I did not get to the prize -
a true relationship.

"Wow. You are practically Virgin Mary." She
taunted.

"I know." I jokingly laughed back. "So Wally
Woo called me in. He has plans to get into management with
International Sales and knows he can't transfer until he has
someone in his spot. I'm the candidate. Lucky me. I am so stoked.
This just took a major off my 'I'm gonna grow up now that I am
thirty' plan."

"Well, I think I can help you with the
charitable volunteering part. We are having twins."

My scream could have shattered the windows.
"What? Yes! Boys or girls, or one of each. Because if it is one of
each that would be so very cool, not to mention the whole twin
connection thing and your plan of wanting two kids over in one
shot..." I would have rambled on, but she put a hand gently over my
mouth. Then when she pulled it away, we both giggled, as she knew
that was one way to stop me from babbling when I was excited.

"Don't know the sex yet, just that I was so
tired that Carl insisted we go back to the doctor, and they did an
early ultra sound and heard two heartbeats. So cool huh?"

"Yes. So very cool. How's Carl doing with all
of this?"

"Wonderful. By the way, I'm not going to be
making pilates for a while. In fact, I found a pregnant yoga class;
I'd ask you to join me, but that would be kind of weird."

"Quite alright. Count me in as baby helper,
sitter, whatever. This is exciting. What does Carl's mom say about
all this?" I looked over at her as she pulled into the guest
parking spot at work.

"Let's not go there. Hey. Have a great day at
work. Carl said he sends his love and would have liked to come by
your work party tonight, but he's in a meeting until seven, and
then he wants to take me out to celebrate the twins. Is that
alright with you?"

I reached over and hugged her as my good bye.
"Yes, besides I'm hoping Mason will drag me out early. He
considered today's lunch number three, which makes tonight number
four, Thursday is five, Friday is six, and that leaves only one
good thing to do on Saturday." I started to laugh.

"Slow down there speedy." She teased. Just
remember, that the fact the two of you agree that an established
relationship is best, seems terrific. I don't want you to go too
fast. There is definitely something there between the two of you. I
can see it. The way he touches you possessively, the way he looks
over at you lovingly, and responds to your mom at just the right
time. He's good."

"I know." I let out that breathy sigh I
always feel in me when I think of him. "Marion. Can you say a
prayer for me on this one? It feels like he's the one."

"I will. Now get back to work before Wally
Woo is mad you took an extra half hour."

The rest of the day blazed by. I had a lot of
inquisitive coworkers to my cubicle, not so much over the flowers
but the man who visited my office. The two 'troublesome drama duo',
I internally like to call them, tried to ask a few too many
questions about Mason and how they thought his name use to be
Steve, less than a few days ago. I held my ground and insisted they
had the name wrong. However, a small part of me realized that even
though I was happy about Mason, it was not but less than a few days
ago that I thought Steve might be the one. Was all this because my
biological time clock was sounding off that I was looking for the
Mr. Right? I was so taken with sexy words and does all the right
things Steve, that I forgot to do a little online investigative
work of my own. Had I done so, I would have quickly discovered that
Mr. Smooth Talker, let me buy your batteries and replace them, was
a jerk all along.

I had every intention of taking a few moments
to search Mason Montahue online, but my workday got away from me.
By the time I was heading to the restroom to plug in my curling
iron, freshen up my makeup, and make myself look sexy thirty, not I
work at a production plant attire, I was already running late. I
texted both Marion and Mason, that I was about fifteen minutes out.
The few coworkers that said they were going were already there. I
saw Wally heading out just as I was heading towards the restroom
and told him to save a table for four for us. I got the sure thing
sign, or at least some kind of hand gesture as he walked out with
his white ball cap sideways, new sticker still on.

Just as I arrived at the bar, I saw Marion
already in her car parked and waiting for me, as Mason pulled up.
He parked his BMW next to her Audi, parked next to my red two door
used parking lot special thing. I felt out of my league by dating
Mason and having a best friend who was rich, yet I had to remember
that Marion was middle to poor class like me not that long ago, and
something told me that Mason was not raised with a silver spoon in
his mouth.

Marion and I waved at Mason as he parked.
Then as he stepped out in faded well-worn jeans, a tight black tee
shirt that showed his bulging muscles, and some really expensive
looking black cowboy boots, I swooned, as so did Marion. Our
collective, ah's, filled the air between us as he walked over and
spoke in a country manner. "Evening ladies."

Marion nudged me and I finally spoke up. "Uh.
What's with the cowboy gig?"

"What?" He kicked his feet out and showed me
one of his cowboy boots like I showed him my red kitten heels at
the bar the other night. "You don't like?"

"Oh I like alright. I just didn't peg you for
a cowboy." I teased as he grabbed my hand to walk inside.

"Well, then maybe later, you and I should do
a little getting to know each other better. Honey, I do country.
This is Colorado; you can be a cowboy one minute, and city boy the
next. I'm a little bit of everything. Just you wait and see." Then
he dropped a soft quick kiss on my lips, and when he pulled back,
he put his lips to my ears and whispered against them. "I can't
wait to get to know you better later."

Ok. Here is where my whohaw just gave the
rebel middle finger to my parental you are thirty and grown-up
inner child voice. One look, one kiss, one whisper and I was in a
tailspin of fantasy, and could easily have skipped out on my own
work birthday celebration if Marion was not standing there looking
in awe at the two of us. Then she said something that struck a
romance chord with me. "You two remind me of Carl and myself when
we first met. Mason, I can't wait for you to meet Carl."

Then Mason said something that shocked both
Marion and myself. "We've already met. His company has done
business with Montahue properties. Just ask him. He'll tell you. So
yes, I look forward to the four of us going out for a dinner or
drinks."

Right after that comment, we stepped inside
the loud ruckus of a dimly lit bar to several coworker's shouting.
"Happy Birthday Amber!" I moved about the bar talking with
coworkers with Mason by my side, while Wally Woo and Marion caught
up. She used to work with him on the actual production line when
they were in their early twenties.

Two hours later, as Marion made her escape to
go celebrate with Carl; I whispered into Mason's ear. "Anytime you
are ready to leave. I'd rather be alone with you."

I did not have to say another word. I was
quickly whisked out of there with very brief good-byes as coworkers
still noshed on the questionable buffet bar and kicked back two for
one beers. As soon as we got out into the parking lot, Mason walked
me over to my car, leaned his body into mine, pulled my head up to
his with his hands and dropped a tongue twisting kiss that left me
with only one sound to escape me. A very loud and discernible 'ah',
which caused a bit of laughter out of Mason.

"What?" I teased.

"You. That 'ah' sound after we kiss. It's so
adorable. You're so adorable. How did I get so lucky with you?" His
statement was so romantic that I had to remember I was being
swooned by a man who might be wearing a mask. He might not be all
that I am making him up to be. He could have a dark hidden past
that I had not revealed yet.

"Mason?" I knew what I was about to ask. It
was actually very mature of me even though my whohaw was tugging at
my jeans insistently begging me, screaming at me 'no, don't bother
with that, just kiss him again', while I said what I said next.
"Can we talk?"