Rock Bay 2 - Letting Go (11 page)

M
ASON
clicked his phone off as he pulled into his

 

Maybe do more than just talk. Mason grinned.

With every conversation, he was getting more and more attracted. Sure, Drew was a little uptight and let his business run his life, but his voice was sexy, and he was so sweet and eager to get to know Mason. Every time they talked, things went more smoothly, they found more that they had in common, even if they were very different. Mason had never laughed so much in his life. There was no such thing as perfect, but just out of the gates, whatever it was between them seemed pretty damn close.

Mason was just warming up a burrito in the microwave when his phone rang. He did a happy little dance when he saw the caller ID It was Drew.
He must have known I was thinking about him
. Mason picked up the phone with an easy smile.

“Hey, you.” They’d gotten more casual the past few calls. The awkwardness of the first day was long gone.

“Hi. What’s up?”

Me, in about a minute here.
Mason really,
really
liked Drew’s voice. “Not much. Just walked in the door.”

“Excited for the weekend?”

 

“I’m not doing anything… am I?” He couldn’t help hinting. Not very subtly at that.

Drew spit out a nervous laugh. “Actually, you read my mind. I was calling to see if you wanted to do something with me.” The poor thing sounded nervous, like Mason hadn’t been phone flirting with him for nearly a week and might actually say no to his offer.

“Of course I do. Any ideas?”

 

There was a long pause. “I guess there’s always dinner. Or maybe a movie?”

“I think we can do better than that.” Mason thought about what he’d seen around. “How ’bout bowling? I saw an alley just off the highway.” Bowling sounded like fun. They could be silly and actually
talk
without the pressure of a white tablecloth between them.

“Sure, we can bowl. I have to warn you that I suck, though. Like really badly.”
Cute. I like a guy who will admit he sucks at something and not have to be all macho. “I’ll teach you.”
“Okay. What day?”
“How ’bout tomorrow night? I don’t want either us to have to worry about having to get up on Monday morning.” Mason realized how that sounded and blushed like hell. “I didn’t… oh, Jesus. I just meant neither of us have to try to get home super early so we don’t lose sleep. I mean, I know we’re not at sleepover stage yet.” He blushed even harder. “Never mind.”

Drew laughed softly. “It’s cool. I got it. Why don’t I come pick you up at sixish on Saturday?” “Perfect.”

Mason gave Drew his address. They talked for a few more minutes and then hung up so Mason could get in the shower. He grinned and hummed

his way into the shower. He couldn’t wait for their date. Shower, Chinese food, and early to bed. Then he could spend the day getting stuff done and be ready for his date.
A real date.
It felt like it’d been forever.

Mason’s good mood lasted until the next day when he was coming home from the grocery store with stuff for the next week and a huge smile on his face. Only four more hours until he got to see Drew. They hadn’t actually
seen
each other since the night of the block party when Mason had passed Drew his number, and while things had been flirty and cute, they hadn’t been particularly suggestive. He hoped to change that in a few hours. Mason was in the middle of planning how he’d get Drew to kiss him when he noticed a figure waiting on the front stairs of his building. He was tall, with sandy hair that flopped just so, expensive jeans, and a smile that said he knew he was welcome. He wasn’t.

“Todd? What the fuck?”

His ex-boyfriend stood and walked over to where Mason was open mouthed and flabbergasted.

“Hi, babe. Is that any kind of greeting for your boyfriend?”
Mason was beyond pissed. “Come inside. We’re not doing this in front of all my neighbors.”

“No problem, babe.”

 

“And quit calling me that. We’re not together anymore.”

Mason couldn’t help but notice that Todd didn’t help him carry in the groceries he had balanced in his arms, didn’t even offer. He just followed Mason up the long staircase to his thirdfloor apartment. Mason could feel Todd’s disdain for his living space seeping through the T-shirt he was wearing and coating his back.

“This is me.” Mason gestured to his door and put the bags of groceries down before he fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked it. He hated Todd in his new place, the place that had been just his and didn’t have any of the bad residue left over from everything that had happened between them in Seattle.

“Cute place.”

Mason rolled his eyes. “You’re not good at lying. It’s not your humungo condo on the lake. That will never be me. I happen to love it.”

“Sure thing, babe.”
“Jesus, Todd. Don’t you listen? I asked you not to call me that. You can call me Mason. Or nothing at all.”

“What’s got you all in a huff?”

Mason sputtered. “You! What are you doing here, Todd? We
broke up
. And how did you find

me? I never gave you my new address.”
For a reason.

“Jeez. A guy drives forever to Butt Wipe, Egypt to give his boyfriend some awesome news and he gets his head bitten off. You’ve changed, Mase. I don’t think this town is good for you.”

Mason sighed. “You’ve made that abundantly clear. How did you find me, Todd?”

Todd shrugged nonchalantly. “You work at the hospital. I’m a surgeon. The nurse at the front desk can’t tell a gay guy if her life depends on it. I flirted a little, she gave me your mailing address.”

Fucking Phyllis.
“That’s great, Todd. Sounds a lot like stalking to me.”

“Listen, I just came to tell you that the neurosurgery program has a late opening. They’re even willing to let you make up the prerequisites while you’re in the program, based on my endorsement.”

Todd had gone through the neurosurgery program at the University. Even when Mason had been planning to be a doctor, that was never what he had in mind. Couldn’t tell Todd that. Todd wanted Mason to go to med school, to get a flashy car and an even flashier condo. It was like he was embarrassed to be seen with some mere nurse. Being gay was fine, as long as he had the right well-educated arm candy at his side.

“Why are you so intent on this, Todd? I told you already I’m not going to go to med school.”
Or change my hair, or buy different clothes, or quit hanging out with my “redneck breeder friend.
” Todd had nearly gotten Mason to change everything he was before Mason stepped back and realized what was going on.

“We both know you’re not meant for this hick town, baby.”
“Mason.”
“What?” Todd looked confused.
“I said call me Mason, and I’m done here. I

think it’s time for you to go.”

Todd advanced, attempting to put his arms around Mason. “I drove down here to spend the weekend with you. I miss just hanging around in bed with you, relaxing.”

Todd must’ve had a different memory than he did. All they ever did in bed was fuck, and then Todd would be up and showering and off to his next social function that he inevitably dragged Mason to. Or else on his side of the bed “too hot and sweaty to cuddle.”

“Well, calling ahead would’ve been nice. I have a date in a few hours, and I’d like time to get ready.”

Todd scoffed. “What, you’re dating the one other small town gay guy? How sitcom of you.”
Mason was going to reply before he remembered that there was no winning with Todd. You just had to get away. “You need to go. I am going to go take a nap, and you’re not coming with me. Walk down the stairs, get in your car, and drive. I don’t want you coming back here again.”
“Jesus. I don’t like the new you at all.”

“That’s just because I’m not doing exactly what you want, which is what the old me tended to do most of the time. Bye, Todd. We’re not going to be seeing each other again.”

By that time, Mason had managed to maneuver his ex to the door. He then pushed a little less than gently and closed and locked the door behind himself.
One obnoxious ex taken care of. For now.
He hoped that it was for good, but he wasn’t going to believe that one until it happened.

“I’
M GOING
on a date with Mason tonight,” Drew

told Lex as Lex worked on his coffee drink. It was Saturday, so he’d chanced a pumpkin spice latte instead of his regular Americano with Splenda. “That’s great, Drew. Any ideas what you two

will do?”

“We’re going bowling. Fun, goofy, less pressure.”
Lex grinned. “I like it. And you’ve been talking to him all week?”
“Yeah, nearly every night.” Drew usually went to bed dreaming of Mason’s voice. He’d never felt so giddy over anything else before.
“You two are like schoolgirls. It really is adorable, even if Tally says I’m not allowed to call you that.”
“Did Mason say anything about me to you?” Drew’s belly fluttered.
“Just that he really likes you, and he’s excited to hang out in person… oh, and that he thinks you look like you’ll be a good kisser.”
“
Oh
.” Drew hadn’t kissed anyone in a long,
long
time. The last woman he’d dated had been nearly a year before, and he had avoided physical intimacy with her as much as possible, since he hadn’t really been into her. The thought of kissing Mason, of doing anything sexual with Mason was both thrilling and totally terrifying.

“Don’t freak out. I can see you freaking out.” “I’m trying not to. I’m just nervous.” Lex handed the paper cup over the counter.

“Here, drink this. It’ll help.” Drew tried to hand his money to Lex, but Lex waved it away. “It’s on the house. First date free latte or something.”

“Thanks, Lex. Hey, tell Tally I said hi. I know I’ve got a few hours but I think I’m going to head home and concentrate on not freaking out there, okay?”

Lex chuckled. “Sure, thing. Have fun tonight.” “I will.” Drew nodded. “I think we both will.”

 

Chapter Nine

 

F
UCKING
Todd.

Mason had tried to lie down for a nap, but all he could see was Todd’s smug face looking at him, so sure that he belonged in Mason’s place, in his bed, in his life, that there wasn’t a drop of doubt. It infuriated Mason to no end. And the worst part was, no matter what he’d said earlier, he didn’t think he’d seen the last of his ex. Todd wouldn’t like to lose that way. He’d want to get rid of Mason on
his
terms.

Things hadn’t started out so awful with Todd. At first he’d been charming, rich, sophisticated, a respected surgeon in the hospital where Mason was interning. He’d been like a celebrity there. All the nurses swooned over him, giving him nicknames and hot looks. Imagine Mason’s surprise when the gorgeous doctor actually hit on
him
instead of one of the females on staff.

For Mason, who’d been dating club kids and college boys, Todd had seemed like a dream come true. He could take Mason to the best restaurants, buy him clothes from stores he’d never dared look in, take him on expensive ski weekends, trips to the coast, even Europe was offered once— although Mason didn’t take him up on that one. It was a different universe than the solidly middle class family he’d come from, or the barely above poverty level he’d been living at in the city.

It wasn’t all that long, though, maybe a month or two, before Mason started to notice things. Little stuff at first. His favorite old sweatshirt was gone when he left it at Todd’s one night, Todd making a face when he mentioned Logan. Mason attempting to choose the restaurant one night, only to have Todd shoot him down with a sneer and a few catty words. Mason had gone with the flow, too impressed by Todd’s wealth and sophistication to even think of contradicting him. But it had gotten worse, like every slippery slope always does. And also like every slippery slope, it got harder and harder to gain ground. By the time Mason knew he needed to get out of the relationship or go insane, Todd had a finger in every part of Mason’s life. A controlling finger. Mason rarely saw Logan, he never went out with any of his “rent boy friends” as Todd called them. His life was filled with cocktail parties, and socials, and weekends with guys with names like Brent and Dean and Carter. Some of them even had roman numerals. They all had bank accounts the size of Mt. Everest.

He’d vowed when he left that he wasn’t going to do it again. He wasn’t going to let Todd in, let the asshole get to him. But he’d managed to find Mason and ruin his morning, and make him so damn mad…. Mason squeezed his eyes shut and tried to relax.

I should call and cancel. He was pissed, and it was the best thing to do. He couldn’t somehow bring himself to do it, though. I’m just going to lie here for an hour or so. If I’m still pissed, then I’ll call him.

By the time an hour had passed, Mason was fast asleep. He wasn’t in any better a mood when he woke up, but he looked at the clock and realized that Drew would be there in ten minutes. It was too late.
I’ll just go out for a little while.
Too bad every time he even looked at his front door, instead of seeing the apartment he loved so much, he saw Todd’s hateful face standing there sneering.
Fuck.