Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
MASON
I sit at my desk, staring blankly at the computer screen. The words blur together as my mind drifts back to the night before. Tara’s touch, her laugh, the way her body responded to mine—it’s all I can think about. The memory of our night together seems to have etched itself into every fibre of my being, a sweet torture that I can’t escape.
But now, in the cold light of day, reality sets in. She knows me as Romeo, the masked stranger who swept her off her feet for one incredible night.
I run a hand through my hair, sighing harshly. How the hell am I supposed to tell her the truth? “Hey, Tara, remember that amazing night we had? Yeah, that was me, Mason, the guy you hate. Surprise!”
I can almost hear the disgust in her voice, see the betrayal in her eyes. No, I can’t do that to her. But I also can’t just walk away. Not again.
I glance at my watch, realising I’ve been sitting here for hours, lost in thought. It’s nearly lunchtime, and I haven’t gotten any work done. I push back from my desk, grabbing my jacket. I need to clear my head, and there’s only one place I want to be right now. Even though I still don’t know what to say, I need to speak to Tara as Mason.
The drive to the hotel where Tara and Odette are staying seems to take forever. Traffic is a nightmare, and every red light feels like a personal insult. By the time I pull up to the valet, my nerves are shot. I hand over my keys and rush inside, scanning the lobby for any sign of Tara.
I pull out my phone to call Odette and ask for their room number, but I get a call from my mother. “Hi, Mum,” I answer.
“Hello, dear. How are you?”
“Good, thanks. You?”
“Fine, fine. Have you heard from Odette? I’ve been trying to call her.”
“No. I was actually just about to give her a ring.”
My mum sighs. “If you get a hold of her, tell her that there’s a video of Tara circulating that might affect her chances at the upcoming election.”
Goosebumps form on my skin. “What do you mean? What video?”
“I don’t know. I was just talking to Maggie, and she mentioned it. She hasn’t seen it yet, either. But she heard from someone that it’s something about Tara being irresponsible in Sydney at a time when she should have been back at Moonstruck Cove, talking with investors in the community. Can you imagine? I’m sure it’s nonsense.”
My heart gallops. No. It can’t be. If it’s true, then this is a fucking nightmare. “I’ll find Odette. But can I ask you to do something, please?”
“What?”
“Call everyone you know—the ones who are supportive of Tara—and see who has a copy of the video, or at the very least, has seen it.”
“Okay.” Mum pauses. “Have you spoken to Tara at all this weekend?”
“No. But I want to help with this, so I need to go now.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can do, too. But I’m sure the video is just a misunderstanding. Tara was just having fun at Odette’s bachelorette party. Why would anyone get mad about that?”
I shake my head. Did Arpi take a video of me and Tara dancing to slow music at A Musical Night in Masquerade? She wasn’t with Odette. She left the masquerade early with a masked stranger. Was that in the video, too? Is Tara going to have another humiliating moment?
I clench my fists. The thought of Tara being humiliated again through a video that involves me is making my stomach churn. I need to find out what’s on that recording and who the hell circulated it. And more importantly, I need to find Tara and warn her before this blows up in her face.
I dial Odette’s number, tapping my foot impatiently as it rings. Come on, pick up . After what feels like an eternity, she finally answers.
“Hey, what’s up?” Odette’s cheerful voice filters through the speaker.
“Odette, where are you? I need to talk to you and Tara right now,” I say urgently.
“Whoa, calm down. We’re just finishing up brunch at the cute little café in our hotel. What’s going on?”
“Wait there for me,” I say before hanging up and heading to the café.
My eyes scan the tables, and I spot Tara and Odette with six other women. Damn this is such bad timing.
Odette sees me and waves me over, her expression shifting to one of concern as she takes in my face.
I glance at Tara, and she’s busying herself with stirring her smoothie. She doesn’t even want to look at me. I’m not wearing Romeo’s masks.
“What’s wrong, Mason?” Odette demands.
“There’s a situation,” I say, “I need to talk to you and Tara in private.”
Tara finally looks up at me. “Why?”
I sigh. I don’t want to say anything in front of all these people. “It’s private. Please. It’s very important.”
Odette stands. “Maybe you can tell me, then I can tell Tara afterwards.”
I shake my head. “It’s better that I tell both of you at the same time.”
Tara’s brows furrow, and she gets up from her seat, nodding at Odette.
I lead them out of the café to a quiet part of the hotel where we can talk in private.
“This better be important, Mason,” Odette says with warning in her tone.
I nod, wishing I could cushion the blow for Tara. But I don’t know how to, so I just look at Tara and say, “There’s a rumour that a video of you is circulating back at Moonstruck Cove. It might affect your election chances.”
Tara’s eyes widen in shock. “What video? What are you talking about?”
I try to keep my voice calm. “I don’t know.” Then I tell them what my mother told me.
“But it could just be Eric trying to start a scandal, right?” Odette suggests. “He wouldn’t have a video because Tara wasn’t at the Wild Boys showboat. She was at A Musical Night in Masquerade. That was a sell-out event. They couldn’t have followed her in.”
Tara clasps a hand over her mouth. “Maybe they saw me leave you at the wharf, “ she tells Odette. “Maybe they knew I didn’t board the showboat and got on the Masks On boat, instead,” she whispers in horror.
I shut my eyes. If they had a video of that, it wouldn’t be good for her reputation.
“What do you mean you boarded the Masks On boat?” Odette asks Tara.
“I missed my ride, and I ended up there. I’ll tell you everything later. But, my God, I can already imagine what Eric would say—that I’d rather have anonymous sex with people instead of celebrating my best friend’s bachelorette party or entertaining investors.” Tara hides her face behind her hands.
“Hey,” I say soothingly. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. We don’t know if that’s the video they have.”
Odette grabs Tara’s arms. “Are you sure there were no cameras last night when you…you know…went home with a guy? What if he was the spy?”
My heart skips before I glower at my cousin, who isn’t looking at me. No, of course not!
Tara shakes her head. “It was pitch dark. It would have been impossible to take a video—” She gasps, panic written all over her face. “But what if there was an infrared camera?”
“No,” I say forcefully, my heart pounding so hard I can almost hear it. This is not how I want my secret to come out. But for Tara’s sake, I have to bite the bullet.
Tara shoots me a glare. “You don’t even know what we’re talking about.”
“Juliet,” I say quietly in the lower tone I’ve been using as Romeo. “There were no cameras in my apartment last night.”
Tara pales, her mouth slackening. Her eyes are wide as she gapes at me, her expression turning from confusion to recognition. Then from shock to horror. “No,” she whispers. “No. No!” She turns on her heels and runs.
“Tara!” Odette calls before turning to me, her expression aghast. “ You slept with her last night. You? Why on earth, Mason?”
“I didn’t plan it,” I say insistently, running a hand through my hair in frustration. “I was the security at the Masks On boat, and she wanted to catch a ride with us because she missed her boat. I was trying to look after her, so we had a lot of interaction. Then, when she said she wanted to remain anonymous during a one-night stand, I just… couldn’t resist.”
Odette shakes her head. “This is crazy. You two have so much history—and not the good kind. And now this video... What if it’s the two of you together? Not at your place, but maybe on the boat or at the masquerade.”
I sigh harshly. Odette could very well be right because I have a feeling Arpi wasn’t an innocent party in this. “Look, whether or not that video exists, the rumours have already started. We need to help Tara neutralise the threat to her mayoral chances.”
“I’m sure Eric started it,” Odette spits out. “But what can we do? I guess we can also make a video explaining that the reason Tara didn’t get on the showboat with me was because she heard of Eric’s nasty scheme. I bet we can get the relevant Mooners to front up and confirm that they heard about Eric’s plans and that they warned Tara. Plus, if we follow the trail, it’ll lead to the source of the rumour—and Eric. I’m sure of it.”
I nod. “Can you work on that with whoever Mooner wants to help? I’ll work on who might have shot a video last night. I have a lead that I need to follow up on.”
“Okay. Thank you for doing this. But I’m still mad at you for sleeping with Tara.”
I smile thinly. “I’m sorry this has ruined your bachelorette weekend.”
She waves a dismissive hand. “I already had fun last night. You go do your assignment, and I’ll go do mine.”
“Okay. Let’s touch base when we have something concrete.”
She nods. “I’m sure Tara is grateful for your help, too,” she says in a softer tone. “She’s just really hurt right now.”
“I know.”
And I fear that her shock at the way I revealed myself, coupled with this new scandal against her that most probably involves me, has burned all my chances of getting back into her life.