Struck By You: Players (5 page)

     We drove in silence until we got to the restaurant.

     We were seated in a private booth and he ordered us a bottle of wine. He poured me a glass and leaned back in his seat watching me – almost making me nervous – as we waited for our waiter. I stared back at him until he broke and looked the other way.

     I took my phone out of my purse and checked for calls. It was after six, after all.

     “No calls yet huh?” he teased.

     I shook my head and put my phone down on the table, next to my wine glass.

“Thursday was fun,” he said suddenly.

     I took a sip of my wine and smiled. “It was,” I agreed.

     “So you didn’t mean that lousy remark, did you?”

     I laughed and shook my head.

     “We can still finish what we started you know,” he said.

     “I thought you said this was a friendly business dinner,” I retorted.

     Just then the waiter came and took our order.

Once he left, Mason began the staring game again.

     “So,” I said, “you seemed to have enjoyed yourself last night.”

     “It’s a classy place. That building belongs to my stepdad.”

     “Good for him,” I replied, not sure why he felt the need to tell me that. Was he trying to impress me?

     “Carl and your boss, I think his name is Paul? They came up with the concept,” he continued.

     “Yeah, my sister’s husband helped finance it,” I replied giving it right back to him. The truth was that Eric owned 15% of it.

     “You mean your brother-in-law is Eric Hudgens?”

     “That’s the one.”

     “My dad is his lawyer. Hayes Associates, you may have heard of them,” he said proudly.

     He was making me sick. I drank whatever was left over in my wine glass and excused myself to go to the bathroom.

     When I came back our food was served. He had poured me another glass of wine and I drank about half of it in one shot. I grabbed my fork and started eating.

     “Was it something I said?” he asked but I continued eating and drinking. “Riley, what’s up?” he asked.

     I calmed myself down a bit and smiled. “I’m fine,” “So whereabouts do you live, Mason?”

     “About five minutes from the spa. Carl owns most of that block, and I have a penthouse condo in one of the newer buildings,” he began. “In fact, he owns that building where the spa is located.”

     “So what do you do for fun aside from yoga and expensive strip bars?” I asked, trying to change the subject yet again.

     “Carl owns a villa in Spain, so we go there for a few weeks every year. He sends Tanner and me to Cuba and Mexico every winter and earlier this year he got us a trip to Amsterdam, which was my graduation present.”

     My phone rang just then. The name Steve J. was on call display, so I smiled and showed it to Mason. Then I picked up the call and took the phone with me outside so I could speak to him.

     When I returned to the table, our dishes had been cleared and a little dessert menu was in its place.

     Mason was sitting back with his arms crossed, staring at me as I sat down.

     “What?” I asked.

     “That was by far the rudest thing anyone has ever done to me,” he remarked, opening his dessert menu.

     “Somehow I doubt that,” I retorted, looking at mine. “You owe me a hundred dollars,” I said softly.

     He sighed. “So what did he say?” he asked.

     “I’m meeting him later tonight,” I said casually, not looking up at him.

     “Excuse me?” he asked.

     I looked at him. He was visibly angry and I smiled. “What, did you think I was going home with you?”

     He ran his fingers through his hair and bit his lower lip. “Why not?” he asked despondently.

     “Do you ever hear yourself speak Mason? Everything you do and everything you are is your stepdad or your dad. I’m not sure if you’re trying to impress me or throw it in my face that you come from money, and the truth is I really don’t care. I asked you what you do for fun, what did you say? ‘My stepdad owns a villa and he pays for my vacations.’ Do you really think that’s going to impress me enough to get me up to your penthouse your stepdad gave you?” “How about being real with me? Don’t treat me like your usual pickups because we are way passed that. I know what you are and you certainly know what I am. So tell me Mason, give me a good reason why I should blow Steve off for you tonight,” I said.

He sat there staring at me, but didn’t say a word. Instead he grabbed his wallet and pulled out his Gold card.

I laughed slightly. “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” I said.

“I already called a cab. I just need to grab my bags from your car,” I said putting the phone back in my purse and got ready to leave.

He paid for our meal and we left the restaurant. We got outside, then he opened the trunk for me and let me take my bags. He waited outside his car until my cab came and as soon as I sat inside, Mason took off like a bat out of hell.

Chapter 6
Mason

     “Because I want you,” I said out loud as I drove way above the speed limit.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Why couldn’t I say that to her? I had the chance, I have no problem telling other women I want them, but not her. Why? Because she can see right through my bullshit, because we are so alike and I’ve never hated someone as much as I hate her right now.

Then it dawned on me. She was me, she was a female version of me, but ruthless. Who picks up a call from another guy while you’re having dinner with another? Then she tells me straight up, she’s meeting him after dinner which I’m paying for.

Suddenly it became clear what I had to do.

Come Monday morning I would march into that spa and cancel my membership – I needed to stay far away from her and never ever step foot at The Palace.

I spent the majority of Sunday in my condo. I had no desire to go outside; instead, I schemed and imagined how things would go down on Monday when I saw her. 

As soon as I walked in the lobby Monday morning, she was there standing next to the young girl at the front desk. She had her hair up in a bun, wore a light pink tank top and white yoga pants. She was eating an apple as she was reading a book. She looked like a damn angel.

     “Good morning Mr. Hayes,” said the young girl behind the desk. I couldn’t remember her name so I waved while I looked at Riley, but she did not acknowledge me. She took another bite of her apple and kept on reading.

That went well Mason,
I said to myself as I walked in the studio, my whole plan of cancelling the membership in her presence just went out the window.

Then much to my surprise, the three women I had been intimate with were present. Gloria, Stephanie and in walked Riley. Gloria and Stephanie placed themselves together near the front, so I thought it would be best to place myself somewhere close to the exit which meant somewhere near the back row. I also picked somewhere where I would have no distractions, no more women from the spa.

As soon as class was over, Gloria and Stephanie began talking to Riley privately. I left the studio as quickly as I could and made my way to the showers.

Twenty minutes later, I was back on my way to the lobby to cancel the membership and she was there again, but now she’d let her hair down and off to one side over her shoulder. She was sitting in the waiting area with her book again, and she had her pink hoodie on and her backpack by her feet.

I walked up to the receptionist, trying to think of a good reason to cancel, because for some reason the one I had rehearsed all day yesterday I’d forgotten completely.

“How can I help you Mr. Hayes?” said the young woman, offering me a warm smile.

“I would like to book another massage please,” the words just rolled off my tongue and I had no control over them.

“Certainly, Mr. Hayes. We have an opening again this Wednesday at four with Gwen, does that work?”

“Perfect,” I replied.
What the hell is wrong with me!

When I turned to leave she was gone, and I was able to think again. I left the building to get my car and she was standing next to it, reading her book. She looked up at me once I unlocked it and quickly put the book away in her backpack.

     “I wanted to apologize about Saturday, Mason,” she said. “I was harsh and I’m sorry,” she said looking into my eyes.

“Okay, forgiven,” I said putting my gym bag in the trunk and made my way to the driver door.

     “Mason,” she said. She looked down and smiled then looked at me as if she needed to say more to me.

     “I made a ton of sushi yesterday, more than I could possibly eat,” she said and bit her lower lip “Do you want to come over for lunch? You can park your car in the underground parking, I live very close,” she smiled.

Say no, say no
. “You bet,” I replied and walked around the car to open the door for her. It was a bit windy and as soon as I opened that door, her hair went to my face and the sweet scent hit me like a freight train. I knew at that point I’d do whatever she wanted me to.

“So how was the rest of your evening on Saturday?” I asked as I sat in the car. I was curious.

She smiled and shook her head. “I didn’t call him back, if that’s what you’re wondering,” she said, shifting her gaze toward me. “I went home and went to bed early.”

I nodded, feeling sudden relief and I’m not sure why, but I stopped hating her at that point.

Her condo unit was on the twentieth floor of the high-rise, a small one-bedroom. But like her, the unit was bright with tons of sun light coming in. Her furniture was mainly all white, modern with some bohemian accents, cozy, and everything was spotless.

“Just make yourself comfortable,” she said as she took her hoodie and shoes off.

“Nice place,” I said as I walked around her apartment looking at all the photos she had everywhere.
     “Not as nice as yours I bet,” she said mockingly.
     “I don’t plan to live there forever, I do want to buy my own place someday.”
     “Can I get you a drink? I have wine, vodka or beer,” she called out.
     “Nothing right now, maybe a glass of water.”
     “Help yourself, bottles are in the fridge.”
     I went in her kitchen which was surprisingly big for the size of the unit. She was standing over the island transferring sushi from one platter to another. Her hair, now in a low ponytail, gracefully draped over her beautiful back. I grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and watched her as she worked. I walked up and stood next to her. “Where did you learn how to do this?” I asked.

 “I have a lot of downtime, the Food Network and YouTube mostly,” she said, transferring some of the California rolls. It was true she had made a lot of sushi and all kinds, and it was all beautifully done. 
     “Looks delicious,” I whispered and kissed her shoulder.
     She smiled and stepped aside a bit. “Let’s eat,” she said taking the tray.
     We sat on her large white leather couch. She turned on the large-screen TV and started flipping through channels.
     “Help yourself,” she said. “Do you like John Candy movies?”

     Took me a minute to figure out who John Candy was and she started laughing at me.
     “The actor, big fat funny guy, Uncle Buck, he’s dead now?” she said.

     “Shit yes, sorry, it’s been a while.”

     “Well I got this Blu-ray collection on Saturday with a bunch of his movies. I watched some yesterday, but I haven’t seen
The Great Outdoors
,
Spaceballs
or
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
yet,” she said, holding the remote looking at me waiting for my response.

Watching old movies was the last thing on my mind but she wasn’t giving me a choice.

“
Spaceballs
,” I blurted.

She smiled wide almost giddy when I said that.

     We ate for the first thirty minutes of the movie, then she grabbed a pillow and lay down on the couch with her feet close to me.

     I was full and I tried sitting back to relax but could not get comfortable, so I started shifting and moving around like an idiot.
     “Mason,” she said, “take my socks off please, my feet are hot.”
     This day kept getting weirder and weirder. I was so out of my element I didn’t know what to do with myself. I took the pink socks with white polka dots off and looked at her to see what she wanted me to do with them. She looked away from the screen. “Just throw them on the floor,” she said. So I did.
Suddenly she burst out laughing hysterically during a scene.

     I’d never heard her laugh like that; she was infectious and adorable when she laughed, but I missed the punch line because I was too preoccupied with my present situation.

She continued having fits of laughter throughout the next few minutes, then she grabbed the remote and paused it.

“Don’t you know how to relax?” she asked.

“What? Why?” She caught me off guard.

“You don’t find this funny? You’re sitting there fidgeting. Don’t you do this with your buddies?” she asked and seemed a bit pissed.