Common Sense Doesn't Become Me (14 page)

"Uh huh. I see. So they already have
preferences at the bakery. You know I want to be their first to buy
them their special choice there. You know, when they are old enough
to pick one out. How old do you think that will be? Two?"

She let out a little laughter and set her
purse on the table just inside my front door. "If they are anything
like me, it will be early. I have got to pass on eating mine. I had
brunch with my MIL earlier, and I am still full, so you eat mine
and don't give me grief that I am eating for two because these ten
pounds just snuck up these few weeks of being too tired to do
anything."

We both sat down on my couch, but I still
gave Mason's bedroom one last sorrowful glance. Marion caught it
and sat facing the window, so I would have to sit facing her, away
from his window. "That bad?" She questioned.

As I spoke the first words out of my mouth, I
stood up to pace back and forth, all while holding an uneaten
cupcake. What I had to say was this serious that eating my cupcake
could wait. "Well, yes and no. I mean when I tell you, as I replay
it all in my head several times, I think I took what happened so
personably when really this has to do with Mason and his father's
relationship. Either way, I don't see there being a successful we
in this thing. It wasn't like he whipped out a sword and defended
my honor against his father. If anything, he looked beat, confused,
almost like he was questioning his own decision in this. That
perhaps we are good together, you know in that way, because believe
you me, we are good. However, as far as long-term marriage
material, I think he might be thinking his dad is right. Which,
while I say this and think it, it is kind of like the reason my mom
would love me to marry him is similar to why his father does not
want me to marry him. My mom doesn't care if I love him, or if he
were good to me, just that he is rich and successful. His dad
doesn't care if we are good together, or that I am a nice person, I
just don't fit the mold of a woman he has plans for his son to
marry so that he can pass off his company to him. I don't know. Am
I over thinking this?" I collapsed on the couch facing her after I
finished my babble. I was good at that.

"Well. What I think is, that anybody else,
would not have been able to follow what you just over processed in
your brain. It's the first week of dating. You had sex too soon.
You obviously both have got the hots for each other. You like each
other as friends. Other than that, it is too soon to talk marriage
and family. Perhaps, it was too soon for you to meet his family."
Then I watched her take a small piece of the uneaten cupcake in my
hand and plop it into her mouth. "Mm, goodness, there is always
room for that. Give me that other cupcake or die, woman!"

I couldn't help but to start to laugh so hard
as I handed her the cupcake out of my hand, I put my hands in the
air like I was under arrest, and then I joked. "Please tell me you
will not be one of the crazy pregnant women who steals food out of
other people's hands or plates. You are above that Marion
Stohls."

"I am." She replied. "But right now, I made a
little room for this cupcake. It's a good thing we don't live so
close to this bakery. I don't know how you manage."

"I guess I have self-control." Then I raised
my eyebrows in question and said the next thing with some serious
laughter before taking the other cupcake out of the bag and eating
it in one fair swoop. "Well, sometimes I have self-control."

The room fell silent as we smiled at each
other and devoured our cupcakes in one sitting. Picking any crumbs
that might have fallen onto our laps up and putting them in our
mouths. We were not wasteful when it came to bakery cupcakes.

When we were both done, we headed to the
kitchen for a tall glass of skim milk. Not that drinking the skim
milk would lower the calorie intake we just digested on the
cupcakes, it's because that is the only type of milk I buy. This
was not the first boyfriend caper cupcake cure in our lives and for
me; it might not be the last. Marion found her prince. I thought I
found mine. In the silence of gulping milk to wash down the sugar,
I mulled that over.

Marion finished first and let me in on a bit
of information that filled the gap between how Carl and Mason knew
each other. "So, Carl's company has done business with Montahue
Properties in the past, and they have a big project coming up at
the airport. Carl and Mason met because in six months, Mason will
be one of many project managers, and he will have to interact with
Carl. Pretty cool stuff, huh? Carl says that Mason mentioned to him
what his father was making him do. It is some type of punishment
for some stupid woman fiasco, oops sorry. Carl did not want me to
mention that. Just forget it has to do with a crazy ex. Maybe now
is not a good time to mention that Carl heard Mason has a
reputation for dating some seriously whacked-out women. Perhaps
that is why his dad is so overprotective about who he dates."

I raised my eyebrows in question as I set my
empty milk glass in the sink. "Nope. Quite all right. We all know
how senseless I can be. Why make me out to be something I am not? I
suppose Mark Anthony, that's Mason's dad, is just trying to keep
his son from doing something really stupid again, like falling for
someone like me."

Marion walked over and put her hand on my
shoulder. "Don't be so daft darling." She said it in an English
accent. I knew she had been caught up in her English soap opera
Downton Abby. I didn't blame her. I was a season behind and just
waiting for her to lend me her iPad again, loaded with the next
season, for a long day of nothing but English proper drama.

She grabbed my hand, led me over to my couch
and told me to sit. When she finally sat next to me, she let out a
huge sigh and smiled brightly as if to cheer me up. "Here's the
deal. So Carl and Mason went out for a few drinks after the
meeting. Carl sensed the poor chap needed it, which he did. When
Carl found out that Mason had to do maintenance on a building for
six months, he knew you lived in a building owned by Montahue
Properties. So, Carl showed him a picture of you and me that he
took on his phone. Remember that brunch we all attended, and you
looked smashing. That one. Well, Mason wanted to know all about
you. Carl made you out to be one hell of a woman. I'm not sure if
it was coincidence that put your two apartments across from each
other, it could be Mason did a little check ahead if you get my
drift. Carl mentioned you might be single. I guess, just by what I
said about Steve and your dates, Carl already figured the guy had a
wife or girlfriend. Sorry. I thought of mentioning it the day Carl
thought it aloud, but the next day was your family party, and you
know. I guess I wanted to meet the guy first. Get my own opinion
formed. By the way, I planned on grilling the son of a bitch with
several questions, nicely of course. Anyway, back to Mason. It was
just a coincidence with the whole you drunk naked dancing and
passing out due to the birthday family dinner fiasco. However, it's
a really cute story you can tell your kids one day."

I sat in silence for a second mulling all of
that over, then I crossed my arms and pouted. "I doubt we will be
creating any offspring. Not to mention the fact that I eluded the
fact that Steve is married part by substituting in crazy mad wife
for crazy mad girlfriend. I didn't want it to look like I am such a
blithering idiot, which obviously, I am."

"Stop." Marion put her hand up in a stop
motion and frowned. "Stop making yourself out to be so bad. You're
not. Your awesome, besides your pouty look doesn't work for me. I'm
team Amber, remember."

"I know." I paused as I took in a huge
breath. "It's just I was already planning the wedding. Is that so
weird?"

"Yes... and no. I was that way with Carl.
Think about it. Just a week ago today, you were hopeful that Steve
and you might just take it up a notch to commitment, and look what
happened. This time, you know a lot more about Mason. You both seem
to really like each other. Heck, he took you to meet his family,
although a bit too soon if you ask me. What I gathered from Carl,
Mason gets a bit too excited easily. This little disaster probably
had him thinking, just like it got you thinking."

"Yeah. I think I should slow it down. I
almost feel pressured now to work on my growing up plan before
stepping back out to the world and announcing 'hey, look at me'.
You know. Maybe get going on the whole management online course.
Get in a few charitable hours at an elder home or dog shelter.
Deliver meals on wheels. Something. Then maybe I wouldn't look like
such a disaster to his dad."

"Stop. Who cares what his dad thinks? Ok. I
know you do, but slowing it down might not be a bad idea. By all
means, let's keep the family dinners for like, month four of
serious dating. It was a fluke that he got to meet your mom and
sister already. Meeting family does not include going out for
drinks with Carl and I, by the way. Once you two have ironed it
out, we would like to go out as a couple. Carl says they got along
great. No pressure by the way. And I really like him, because he
really likes you."

I let that mull over in my mind, and then I
reached over and hugged her. "You're right. Like always. Hey. How
was the baby shopping?"

A loud 'ugh' echoed out through my apartment.
I got the impression she was about to unleash the MIL shopping
stories on me. I did not mind. I needed something to take my mind
off Mason.

By the time Marion left, it was past
dinnertime and no Mason. I had turned my phone back on, and I did
not see a text or message. So I did what any 'grown-up' woman would
do, I logged on and completed some information on my on-line
management course. I charted a calendar set with dates and times
specific to when I was to study and be on-line. Kind of like a job.
I patted myself on the back for doing that. Then I did a search
engine wording for volunteer work and there were more choices than
I could possibly imagine. I finally settled on reading to the
elderly at a senior center close by on Sunday mornings. I figured
if I did not like getting up early enough to go to church, I would
at least give back to my community by getting to the Senior Center
by ten for a few hours of reading. Besides, I had a great
theatrical voice that I mastered in high school drama, this was
going to be fun.

Somewhere in all my efficiency, was Mason,
lingering in between decisions, thoughts, and fingers clicking on
the keyboard. I had my doubts about how things were going to go
forward. I had wished he had said something on the ride back to my
apartment that reassured me of what he wanted, that being me. I
even thought of how nice it would have been if the rest of his
family wasn't so quiet when his father spoke up. I guess they are
one of those families that doesn't speak out against the head of
the household. It's not like I can expect everyone to be as
outspoken as I am. Lord knows; it has gotten me into more trouble
than I would want to admit to. I don't think me sticking up for
Mason helped the matter any.

I picked up my phone and put in the text
before I could change my mind. Besides, Mason might want an out in
this relationship any ways. This text will give it to him. I simply
typed in: Need some space, let's give this thing a rest for a
bit.

I hit the send button with much trepidation
that I was making a mistake. I did not want a breakup, but perhaps
a break from any family meddling. Deep down, what I truly wanted
was for him to rush over here and confess his undying love for me,
wrap me in his arms and show me tenderness for the drama that we
just endured. Somehow, I did not see that happening. Watching too
many romance movies always put a damper on what really happened in
these situations, at least that was what my grown-up side of my
brain was saying to me.

I grabbed my ereader off my charger, locked
up my apartment for the night by putting the safety chain in place,
and headed to my room. I was still full from my cupcake mixed with
the pity party drama that had my stomach on the edge, so I settled
for a hot tea and my fluffy land of twenty or so pillows on my bed
and settled in for a good read.

Sometime around ten p.m., I drifted off to
sleep, only to be woken up to my phone buzzing with a text. It was
Mason. He was outside my door and wanted in. I didn't move. I
froze. I wanted to rush to the door and let him in, but instead my
body laid there weak from all the chaotic emotions that had boiled
in my head all night. Then my phone lit up with him calling. I had
the ringer on silent, but the vibration caused my phone to move
about on my nightstand. Then I saw it stopped, and it was as if I
had been holding my breath. I picked up my phone and held it,
debating whether or not to call him back. I finally settled on
checking the voice mail he left me.

As I listened, I ached for his arms to
surround me. "Amber. Please call me. We need to talk. I want to
apologize for my father's actions, hell, my actions. Listen. We
don't need a break, but if you want one, I understand. Call me,
okay?"

I was torn. I wanted to call him back so
badly, yet I knew the type of man he was; he might actually want
the break and just want me to think it was my idea. Wait. It was my
idea. But did he want the break and was just making it sound as if
he was honoring my decision? I was falling deeper into a crevice of
indecision. Calling him now would only make me doubt it more
later.

I fell asleep with my phone in my hand out of
exhaustion from mental thinking around midnight. I never called
back. I wanted to, badly. Somehow, playing hard to get or not
playing at all seemed like the more mature thing to do. I wanted
him to think that I was putting serious thought into all this, and
I was, but I also wanted him to feel bad that I did not call back,
which was immature. I was on the fence about how I was dealing with
this, yet I knew seeing him or talking to him right now did me no
good. I think? I fell asleep with those questioning thoughts
rolling back and forth in my brain.