Queen In Play (The Manhattan Tales Book 2) (19 page)

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Mason ordered a rental car, and chose something less conspicuous than his usual Benz. We didn’t want to draw attention to ourselves or the fact that Mason had money to throw around. My family didn’t have a lot of money, which is the reason why they moved to Ohio with my aunt and uncle in the first place.

Mason’s knuckles were knotted white as he gripped the steering wheel on the highway.  He stared straight ahead at the pickup truck that was just in front of us.  Rain splattered in large drops over the windshield and wipers squeaked.  The knot was in Mason’s jaw as he listened to the repetitive squeaking.  He wasn’t accustomed to noisy windshield wipers.  That’s not really what had him on edge.  The closer we got to Aunt Mel’s and Uncle Joe’s address, the more tense Mason became.  I chewed my lower lip.  The tension radiating off Mason was so thick.  It was suffocating.  I couldn’t resist; I had to ask.

“Are you still angry with Travis?”  I am not normally timid around this man anymore, but the topic was one we never discussed.

“Jill, you can’t bring up shit like that while I’m driving.”  Mason responded curtly.

I said nothing as I looked out my side of the window. He was right.  Why did I have to ask that while he was driving on on unfamiliar roads? The GPS directed Mason to merge off the exit ramp, onto a main road and he followed suit.  Once the traffic quieted, he spoke as calmly as he could manage.

“I was angry with him for sleeping with Ella.  I’m no longer angry about that.  I’m simply betrayed at this point.  He has neither my trust nor my respect.  I’ve been gutted by every fucking person in my life, and he chose to join that club.”  He clicked the right blinker and turned onto a long, quiet road.

I was quiet for a few minutes, waiting to hear if he had more to say, but he clammed up.  His jaw was set firmly. 

“Not everyone has betrayed you.”  I murmured quietly.  “I never did.  My mom would never-”

“I know.”  He kept his focus fixed straight ahead.  We were about fifteen miles outside of Cleveland.

“I suppose in a way he did me a favor.  Ella never would have made me happy, and I have you. Us.”  His lips curled into the faintest of smiles, before it faded and his face grew somber again.  “I just wish I could have seen what a floozy she was,
without
Travis stabbing me in the back.  He was my brother for over a decade.  The only friend I ever really had, Jill.”

Here’s Mason. Pouring his heart out while driving.  I suddenly realized this was why I waited to ask him the question in the car.  He couldn’t distract me from the topic with sultry suggestions, or with sex. 

I remained quiet, waiting to hear if he had more to say, but he was silent again.  I opened my mouth to ask one more question as he pulled onto a small gravel drive.  I hesitated in my thought, and before I could get the words out, he parked the car and shut off the engine. 

“We’re here.”  He stepped out and opened my side of the car.  The rain had stopped just in time.

My mom nearly tackled me to the ground when she ran from the house. 

“Oh honey.”  We held each other tight.  When we finally relaxed our embrace, I watched as mom gave Mason a big bear hug.  For such a small woman, she had a lot of strength in her embrace.  He was stiff, but remained polite and returned her hug. 

My Aunt Mel and Uncle Joe emerged from the house and descended the wooden porch steps.  The house was a decently sized white farm house with a wrap-around porch.  The exterior paint was peeling everywhere, and I could tell they purchased the property as a fixer.  The property was about an acre in size and I could see a large shed off to the side, where Uncle Joe’s Black Ford pickup was parked next to Aunt Mel’s Stationwagon.

My cousin, Allie, flew down the porch steps and tackled me.  “I missed you!”  She shouted too loudly, but she was very excited.  She’s only fourteen, so she can get away with it.

I hugged Uncle Joe and Aunt Mel, and then watched as they greeted Mason warily, but politely.  They knew him from years ago, when he joined our family picnics in White Plains, but I knew what they were thinking: 
What is he doing with our Jilly Bean?
  The last time they’ve seen Mason, he was driving a white porsche and had a woman on his arm who was too prissy to bother with any of us. 

I looked around, dismayed.  “Where is Travis?”

“He had to stay late in the office, honey.  They’re working on a big deal.  Your brother works night and day on this one.”

Mason shoved his hands in his pockets and the rain decided to pick up in a mad torrent.

“Come in.”  Aunt Mel gestured for us to get into the house as a rumble of thunder loomed over our heads.  “You must be hungry.  I grilled some burgers before the rain started.”

“Your brother will be home soon, I think.”  Mom added as we all filed into the house.

I glanced at Mason quickly in the front hall.  He had years of practice in masking his emotions, and he was an expert.  He only grinned at Uncle Joe and chatted lightly about business in Manhattan. 

It was so good to see my family.  Allie talked my ears off, about the boys at her high school and a new clique she was trying to schmooze. I did not miss that High School drama.

I offered some food for thought, but I had a difficult time completely relating to this girl.  She is so different than I was at fourteen.  She is a cheerleader, and loves the color pink. I never would have made it into her social circle in High School.  I was Allie’s age when I met Mason for the first time. I smiled softly, and flushed at the same time as I remembered it in vivid detail.  It was one of the best days of my life, and also one of the most embarrassing.

9 years ago…

It was five o’clock on a Friday afternoon.   Travis usually worked until six at the office and mom had therapy sessions for her depression.   I thought I had the apartment to myself, as I usually did after school on Weekdays. I blasted the stereo in the living room.  The walls reverberated as Black Sabbath’s
Sabotage
blared at maximum volume.  I sported my typical punk rock look.  I was still wearing the navy and gray plaid uniform skirt, but a navy AC/DC t-shirt, high-top converse and black tights with red skulls printed on them. I borrowed my brother’s red tie, and my dad’s old navy fender.  I never learned how to play and Travis didn’t let me touch the guitar because he was afraid I’d break it. 
Well, too bad.
  My brother wasn’t home.

Black Sabbath continued to vibrate the walls in the tiny Brooklyn apartment as I jumped on the couch, pretending to jam out.  I hated my new school. I was shy and awkward and didn’t have money like the other kids who went to school there. I just didn’t fit in, and I was desperate for a way to let off some steam.

I belted out the lyrics to the song as I jumped up and down in place.  My hair was dyed black, and I’d already gotten in trouble for coloring my hair without permission.  That afternoon, I’d gone the extra mile and put temporary purple streaks in my hair and borrowed black eye liner from one of the girls in my homeroom.

The song finally ended and I jumped off the couch.

“Thank you!”  I raised my hands in the air, holding both middle fingers in the air.  “You can all kiss my ass! Fuckers!”  I said this boldly, facing the living room window, but I was alone so it was okay.  The curtains were drawn, so I wouldn’t have seen the reflection watching me in silence.

A low, steady applause broke me from my imagination.  A single pair of hands were clapping.  I whirled around, ready to have ten heart attacks.  So many thoughts sped through my mind before I made contact with my spectator. 
I thought I was alone!

I looked like a deer in the headlights as I faced the person who applauded my rebellious behavior.  A young man stood by the door.  He wore a black leather jacket, which matched the raven hair that was gelled away from his face.  My jaw dropped.  I’d never, in all of my fourteen years of existence, ever seen a man so good looking.  I had to remember to breathe… and then I had to remember that I’d just completely humiliated myself in front of him by acting like a complete idiot.  My heart was ready to explode out of my chest.

A half-smirk curled up the stranger’s cleanly shaven, olive face.  “Bravo.  I’d like an encore of that one.”

My face heated so hot.  I wanted to die.  I was so shy.  I never did anything like this in front of others, especially strangers.  Then my eyes darted toward my brother, who stood fuming beside the stranger.  He was still wearing his dark gray suit from the office. 
Oh no.  I might literally die… after I’m grounded.

“There will be
no
encore,” Travis stated grimly.  He looked at me like he might throttle me.  Then he turned to his friend.

“Do you see why I have to send her to that school?”

Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome only smirked as he leaned against the wall.  Travis approached me, took the fender from my hands and removed his red work tie from my neck.

“What the f- What the hell is going on with your eyes?”  He surveyed my raccoon eyes. “And this?”  He gestured toward the purple streaks in my hair.

“Give it a rest, Pryor.  She’s just a kid.”  The stranger stated smoothly in a perfect British accent.

“She’s grounded.”  My brother answered sternly, looking at me.  “I specifically said that you are not to touch dad’s Fender.”

“Travis!  Stop.  You’re embarrassing me.”  I blustered.

“You embarrassed yourself, Jill.” 

My lower lip quivered.  I was so humiliated.  I usually kept myself out of trouble, followed rules and avoided conflict like this.  Now the conflict was directed at me, in front of this heart-stopping stranger. 

“Let it go.  I think she learned her lesson fair and square.  The humiliation is proof enough.” The man was direct as he spoke to my brother.

Travis eased up on me after that, and I looked at the stranger with thankful eyes.

“Mason, meet my sister, Jillian.  Jill, Mason.”

“So this is the famous
Jilly Bean
.”  Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome shook my hand with amusement written all over his face.  I knew
about
Mason for years, but never met him until this point.

“I didn’t know you were British,” I blurted as he shook my hand.  I was so flustered, and I momentarily lost my filter.

Mason laughed.  “And I didn’t know you were so… rebellious.”

“I’m not,” I frowned, and quickly looked up at my brother.  “Excuse me while I go hide under my bed and die now.”  I turned to leave them in the livingroom.

Mason just laughed.  Clearly, this was all really entertaining to him. 
I had no idea I could be so funny.

“Go wash off that hideous makeup.  We’re picking up mom, and then we’re all going out for dinner.”  My brother briefly halted me in my tracks with those words. If it had been any other time, I would have been overjoyed.  We never went out to eat in restaurants and this would be a treat. The reality of the situation crashed down on me, however.

Oh God. I’ll have to endure more awkward humiliation in front of this gorgeous stranger.

I was wrong about that, though. As it turned out, the evening was very enjoyable.  Mason drove a silver Maserati back then, and insisted on taking us to a trendy new restaurant in Times Square.  He asked me about school and my hobbies. I loved talking about the 4-H club, which was the only hobby I had at the time. He asked me what I did at the 4-H Club, and about the animals I cared for… I temporarily forgot about my previous embarrassment and by the time the evening was over, it didn’t matter anymore.  He knew how to charm everyone around him, including me.  I quickly felt very at ease around him.

Present Day

I felt Mason’s hand clasp lightly on my shoulder, and realized I had zoned out.  Allie was long gone, helping my aunt in the kitchen.

My mom’s nerves were showing.  She was nervous around Mason, bending over backwards trying to make him feel comfortable.

“Mason, do you want a beer?  We have Sam Adams- or we have some wine downstairs if you like that-”

“Sam Adams is fine, Mrs. Pryor,” Mason responded smoothly.  “Thank you. Let me offer a hand.”  He took the large salad bowl from her hands with a smile, so she could grab the glasses for iced tea.

“Oh, I have it.  Go sit down, honey.”  She spoke to him as though he was still a kid, just like old times.

We all sat around the rectangular dining table while we ate burgers and salad.  My Aunt Mel and Uncle Joe are big talkers, so combined with Allie, it was easy for Mason to remain quiet. 

“Oh my God.  Oh my God.”  Allie spoke so quickly and loudly; I felt Mason flinch beside me. I also jumped slightly.

“Jilly I have to show you the new cheer I learned over the Summer.  We have to do a girl’s day tomorrow.  We can go shopping!”

Oh, joy.
  Don’t get me wrong.  I love my cousin dearly, and I definitely wanted to spend time with her, but I was going to need a venti double espresso before I started my day with her.