Exquisite (36 page)

Mason was drunk. He’d been
surviving on frozen dinners and expensive alcohol and right now he was around
half way through one expensive bottle of scotch. He was sitting in the kitchen
of
Exquisite
with the bottle in his hand watching his employees work
around him. This had become a new habit for him. He'd given up his spot at the
pass, claiming he'd prefer to give someone else the experience, however that
had just been a way to sit down every night, which was helpful since he could
almost guarantee he would more than likely fall down. He watched as Rachel
walked over to him with her apron around her waist and a frown on her face.

She stopped bent down and hissed at
him. "You're drunk! Again."

Shrugging he replied, "So? Get
off my ass Rachel."

Shaking her head at him she reached
out and snagged the bottle.

"Hey! That's mine."

"So is this restaurant but you
don't seem to give a shit about it." she paused and let out a deep sigh.
"You look like shit Mase."

"Thanks for the helpful advice
there."

"Do you really think this is
what she’d want?"

Feeling his head swirl a little he
swayed and looked up at his sister, trying to focus but seeing two of her.

"It doesn't matter does it?
She's not here." then he mumbled, "And never will be again."

Rachel placed the bottle on the
stainless steel bench beside her. "Are we still talking about mom?"

He lifted his eyes to hers and
stood on shaky feet, "Of course we are. And now we're done. Give me back
the bottle."

"No." she replied
stubbornly.

"Fine. I'll just go out to
my
bar and get another one."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "What
are you doing to yourself Mason? This wont help."

He pushed past her and mumbled,
"Nothing does."

Lena sat in the car beside Shelly
and took a deep breath. Looking over at her friend she shook her head. "I
can't do this."

She reached over and took Lena's
hand. "Yes you can. I'll be right there. He knows the hospital comes here
and I'm sure he’s seen the booking and will stay well out of your way."

Swallowing, Lena couldn't decide if
that was a good or bad thing. It hurt her physically to think of being here and
not being able to go back and talk to him, kiss him or touch him. This place
held a lot of memories both good and bad and she couldn't help but think
tonight's would be in the latter category.

"Come on." Shelly said as
she opened her door and climbed out. Lena closed her eyes took a deep breath
and got out of the car. When they walked in the door she noticed the place was
at full capacity. People were lined up along the bar standing behind those
sitting on stools. The tables were all jam packed and the waiters and
waitresses were maneuvering their way through them carefully. The hostess asked
if they had reservations and luckily Shelly spoke up because it was quite clear
Lena had lost all ability to function. It was amazing she was actually still
standing on her own. They followed a young blond woman through some tables to
the long set up in the back where most of the doctors had already taken their
seats.

Lena's eyes darted around the dimly
lit dining room, trying to see anyone familiar like Wendy, Rachel or even Mason
just so she could slink low into her chair and avoid them. Luck was not on her
side though because just as the waiter arrived at their table she saw the
frosted double doors push open and Mason come out from behind them.

The first thing she noticed was he
looked terrible. This was not the same man she’d met nearly eight months ago.
The man storming through the restaurant with a scowl etched deep into his face,
and a dark shadow of a beard, looked nothing like the easy going Mason she’d
come to know and love. This man looked tired. His eyes had dark circles around
them and his hair was longer than usual and falling into his face. He didn't
greet anyone and didn't smile as he pushed his way behind the bar, and reached
up to grab a bottle from the top shelf.

The bartender watched him closely,
Lena noticed, but didn't say anything as Mason grabbed a glass then turned to
make his way back out from  behind the bar. Suddenly he stopped and his
eyes focused on someone walking through the front door. Lena followed his gaze
and froze when she saw the tall red head, Trisha, standing at the front door.
Almost in slow motion, like watching a car wreck, Lena saw Trisha spot Mason
turn on tall black heels and strut her way over to him.

Feeling the bile rise in her throat
Lena turned to Shelly. "I need to leave."

Shelly looked at her and arched a
brow, "What? Why? Did something happen?"

Lena shook her head and clamped her
mouth shut, not trusting herself to say anything. Shelly looked behind her and
Lena knew the minute she saw what was unfolding. It must have been worse then
when she was looking because a look of pity slid onto Shelly's face.

"Oh honey. I'm sorry I made
you come. I didn't realize he was with,"

Lena held her hand up and swallowed
not wanting to hear the words. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by a
tight fist and she couldn't seem to take a breath.

"Can we just go?" she
managed to get out.

Shelly nodded and pushed back from
the table to stand. Lena also stood then turned to find Wendy behind her chair.
Swallowing and keeping her eyes away from the bar Lena looked at the woman she
had started to consider a good friend.

"Lena." Wendy said
reaching out and taking her hand. Lena looked down at the fingers squeezing
hers gently. "How are you?" she seemed to think better of that and
shook her head. "I'm sorry that was a stupid question. Please don't leave.
I know Rachel would love to see you."

Lena stiffened. She hadn't been
sure if Rachel would ever want to talk to her again after what had happened and
they way things had ended with Mason.

"I'm not so sure," Lena
started.

"Well I am. Just because Mason
is falling off the deep end doesn't mean we all have to stop talking."

Lena nodded once and couldn't help but
raise her eyes to the bar.
Big mistake
. Mason had come around from
behind it and had seated himself in the end corner, where she’d once sat and
flirted with him. However, this time he had Trisha sitting on his lap stroking
his hair. Lena must of made some kind of strangled sob because Wendy turned and
looked in the direction she was. Wendy quickly turned back to her. "It's
not what you think."

Lena looked at the woman in front
of her and nodded, "Yes it is."

Shaking her head Wendy answered,
"No it's not. He's drunk and Trisha has wanted him for months. Even after
they broke up and you two hadn’t met, it was definitely over. She doesn't
understand no and she’s looking for an opportunity to slip in, she found
it."

Lena swallowed and turned to Shelly
who was looking over at the two at the end of the bar with a look that may have
been, Lena thought, murderous.

"I need to go." Lena said
moving to push past Wendy. She felt the manager's hand on her arm and looked
back at her.

"Please don't. If you ever
cared about Mason, or Catherine, please don't leave him alone with her. He'll
hate himself for it."

Turning Lena asked, "I don't
understand. What is it you expect me to do? I'm not his keeper. He hates
me."

Wendy shook her head. "No he
doesn't. He hates what you did."

Lena sucked in a deep breath and
Wendy nodded, "Yes. We all know. We're family, but he doesn't hate
you."

Shelly took Lena’s arm and
whispered, "I'll come with you."

Lena turned toward her friend and
looked at her as though she were insane. "You'll come with me where?"

"To rescue you're stupid
prince." she paused blowing out a big sigh. "Do you really want that
slimy witch on him?"

Right now as Lena looked over at
Trisha clinging to Mason's neck she thought she didn't care what happened to
him, but that wasn't true. Although she felt she would regret it she glared at
both Wendy and Shelly and dropped her bag on the seat and huffed out,
"Fine." and marched toward what she knew was about to be an ugly
battle.

Mason's head was fuzzy and Trisha
was sitting on his lap stroking his hair like an animal. It was starting to
really annoy the shit out of him but he was to drunk to do anything about it.
Originally he’d decided to drown himself in scotch then Trisha had arrived and
he’d changed his mind and decided to drown himself in her instead. Now as he
sat here with her clinging to him and petting him like a prized Labrador he
thought,
big fucking mistake.

"Oh I've missed you so much
Mase." she cooed into his ear.

Her perfume was overly flowery and
was tickling his nose so much he thought he was having an allergic reaction to
it. Then he laughed to himself because he thought it was hilarious that he
could
actually be allergic to her instead. He felt her mouth and her warm breath on
his ear right before a tongue flicked out and traced it. He shivered and not in
a good way,
what the hell was he doing?
He was about to push her off,
when he heard a woman beside them comment, "Well, isn't
this
cozy?"

Mason looked around Trisha's
shoulder and almost pushed her to the floor when he spotted Dr Shelly Monroe
and Dr Lena O'Donnell standing at his bar. It seemed as though the scathing
comment had delivered by Dr Monroe, since Lena was glaring at him with a look
of pure disgust. So instead of dumping Trisha on the floor Mason wrapped his
arms around her waist and hauled her onto his lap. She let out an ear piercing
giggle and he watched Lena's eyes narrow and Shelly arch a brow.

"Evening Dr's." he
managed and was impressed he didn’t slur his words.

"Casanova." Shelly said
tipping her chin down in greeting and then glared at Trisha when she giggled.

"Casanova? What does she
mean?"

That's when Lena decided to step in
and unpin her first grenade. "She means he's a player. Didn't you know
that Trisha? He was dubbed that in a national article?"

Trisha ran a hand down his chest
and Lena watched the move with narrowed eyes and a fury he’d never seen on her.
She looked absolutely murderous and then her eyes turned to him and she just
looked disgusted. He couldn't honestly say he blamed her but he'd be damned if
he admitted it.

"Really?" Trisha asked
leaning in about to kiss his cheek. He pulled his head away and Lena rolled her
eyes. Trisha didn't seem bothered and then asked him, "I thought Casanova
was a great lover? The ladies all wanted to be the one with him, maybe
that’s
why they call you that Mase."

Shelly snorted and Lena raised her
hand to the bartender. Greg, came down and she ordered herself a White Russian and
Mason felt a jolt go through him, remembering a night when he’d made her White
Russian's. A night that had ended with him in her bed for the first time. Lena
turned then and moved around Shelly to stop beside them, looking over Trisha as
though she were a bug under her shoe. He also remembered the first time these
two had met and it had gone completely different, Lena had been intimidated
then. Whoever that Lena had been she was not here tonight. Tonight, pissed off,
grenade throwing Lena was in full force and she had her target locked on Trisha
and him.

"No Trisha." she said
slowly as though she were talking to a two year old. Shelly was watching from
behind Lena and her eyes were twinkling at him as though she knew he was about
to get his ass kicked and she was looking forward to the show.

"One of Casanova's favorite
and most appropriate quotes is,
'Desire is only kept alive by being denied:
enjoyment kills it, since one cannot desire what one has got'
so what do
you think that means for you?"

Mason felt Trisha sit up on his lap
and his eyes narrowed over her shoulder at the pissed off Lena. She was fuming
mad and she was directing it all, surprisingly, at Trisha. He was sure he was
the one that deserved it, and honestly she was cutting him down by saying he
slept around, but right at this moment he almost feared for Trisha's life.
Completely disregarding him as though he was not there Lena moved in closer and
put a hand on the bar and narrowed her eyes on Trisha.

"And do you know what they say
about desperation Trisha?"

Trisha blinked at her and shook her
head, Mason almost groaned knowing she was walking right into that one.

"It stinks."

Lena sniffed the air picking up her
glass and taking a sip, "In this case like a bad floral arrangement."

Shelly let out a loud laugh and
Mason couldn't help it, he did too. Trisha jumped down off his lap and turned
to face him. "Why are you laughing at me? That wasn't funny Mason."
and she was right, it’d been bitchy, but Trisha was the queen when it came to bitchiness,
she was just upset that tonight she’d been out bitched.

Lena shrugged and looked her up and
down once more. "You should cut your losses Trisha."

Then she flicked her eyes to him
and for the first time, he felt nothing there. They were empty and cold as she
turned back to Trisha

"He's drunk. He doesn't really
want you, he's just looking to escape. Do you really want to be that?"

Mason sat up straight now and his
mouth fell open, "Hang on a minute."

Lena's eyes flicked back to him.
"No you hang on a minute. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Trisha's mouth fell open and she
picked her purse up. "I'm gonna go." she turned to Mason, leaned in
and kissed his cheek, she whispered
call me
but he was to busy glaring
holes at the infuriating woman in front of him to care. She turned and walked
away without either of them noticing.