14. Chapter Fourteen
Chapter 14
Linda had her journal out when Mason returned from Meri’s office. She was putting together a list of things she needed to do for Laurel’s bridal shower, which was only four weeks away.
The planning activity allowed her to forget about missing the work deadline yesterday. Planning was her happy place. She felt in control and in her element when she was brainstorming and creating lists. Thinking about future accomplishments was better than focusing on past failures.
She already had the venue booked, and invitations were in the mail. She’d designed them and created a template to sell on her Etsy storefront.
“Whatcha doing?” Mason said as he approached.
“Working on plans for Laurel’s bridal shower.” She put the pen in the holder attached to the bright purple journal. “I need to call your sister to plan food and activities. We’re co-hosting the shower. You know Laurel wouldn’t trust me to do it all on my own.”
“That sounds like Laurel. Anything I can do to help you?”
“No. I got it. Besides, what do you know about bridal showers?” Linda smiled at him as she adjusted the visor. It was too loose and kept slipping down onto her pink plastic sunglasses.
“To avoid them at all costs,” Mason quipped. “Erin told me I got a wedding invitation at Dad’s house. I need to RSVP.”
“You do. Laurel will be happy to see you there.” Linda looked away.
Would it be awkward with Mason there? Birds, not butterflies, seemed to fly around her chest, bumping against her ribcage.
She took a quick, deep breath and told herself to calm down. She desperately needed to find a date for Laurel’s wedding if Mason was going to be there. Wondering if Mason would go solo or if he’d bring a date, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer.
Mason lay back on the lounge and sighed. “Will you?”
“What?”
“Will you be happy to see me there?”
Linda took another deep breath; this could get painful in a hurry. There didn’t seem to be a right answer to his question. Finally, she said, “Sure. It’s an important event in our lives. I’ve always imagined our families together for the big moments, like weddings.”
Mason made a noise in his throat, but Linda couldn't discern the meaning. To be safe, she decided not to ask.
Mason was quiet for so long that Linda thought he’d fallen to sleep. She opened her journal again and stared at the list of qualities in a guy to date, which she’d jotted in her journal—easier to carry than the large piece of paper Sorcha had used. On a physical level, Wyatt matched her criteria nicely. She needed to get to know him better to see if his personality was a match.
“Who are you going with?” Mason asked.
She hadn’t noticed that he’d sat up and was hovering close to her shoulder. She snapped her journal closed and hoped he hadn’t seen the list.
“Don’t know yet.”
“So, you’re not dating anyone seriously?”
Not dating anyone at all. To Mason she said, “Not really.”
“Want to go with me?” he asked.
She sucked in a breath so loudly she imagined Meri could hear it inside the building. “What the what?” she sputtered.
“Be my date to Laurel’s wedding.”
Linda turned to look at him better and lowered her sunglasses, like she was trying to figure out what she was looking at. Mason smiled at her, and her heart fluttered.
“I don’t think that will work,” she said.
“Why not?”
“It would be too awkward. People will talk. It will take attention away from the bride, and people will vilify me for years to come. I’m supposed to be the boring, helpful, dull maid of honor. The bride is supposed to shine with the light of a thousand suns. They will shred me and toss me out with the trash if I take any attention away from Laurel. Not a good idea.”
“Come on…you’re full of unverified hypotheses. Take it down a notch.”
Instead of irritating her, Mason’s words made her smile. It was like Mason to be the voice of reason.
“Fine. Maybe I’m exaggerating a teeny, tiny amount. But I’m telling you, Laurel is a bridezilla. She won’t let me have colored hair at the wedding. She wants me to dye it a ‘respectful’, her words, ‘light brunette color’. In other words, don’t look like my identical blonde ! Twin! Sister!” Everyone on the other side of the pool turned their heads at Linda’s shouting.
“Hey, you’re shouting.” Mason said.
“Am not. I’m speaking in all caps.”
“All right. Take the caps lock off. Stat.”
Linda huffed out a breath. “It would be one thing if she asked me to go natural, back to blonde, but I’d look too much like the bride, so she can’t have that. She asked me to dye it brown.”
“Hey.” Mason sat up and leaned towards her. “You would be a gorgeous brunette. Just saying. Sounds like you need to chat with Laurel. But personally, I think you should go with whatever hair color you want. It’s your head.”
“It is my head. Thanks for that.”
“Your pretty head.”
“What’s the flattery for, Mace?”
“It’s not flattery. I’m trying to compliment you. Hoping to cheer you up. Guess it’s not working.” He leaned back on the lounge chair, crossed his arms and brought one finger up to his chin and began tapping in an exaggerated “thinking” gesture.
He started muttering to himself. “Hmmm, no.” He paused and whispered, “Got it!” Then shook his head no. “Well, there’s… would that work?”
Linda laughed. “Cut it out. I’m fine. It was a mild rant.”
“Still worried about the work project?” he asked.
“I am.”
“I’m sorry about that. Do you want me to call your boss and tell him I kept you from getting it done on time? Would that help?”
She smiled at him. “Thank you for offering, but no. It was my responsibility. I was having such a great time, I lost track of time. I should have been mindful. Just stop being so charming, will ya?”
“All right, all right, but I can be your punching bag if you need it. My offer to apologize to your boss still stands if you change your mind.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
He lowered his ball cap to sit right above his sunglasses. “If I fall asleep, don’t let me get sunburned.”
“I got your back. Or your front. Whatever.”
She shook her head, embarrassed at her statement. Not like she was watching his chest rise and fall.
Opening the cooler, she searched for a Coke. Two in one day was unusual for her, but she needed the shot of cold, sugary goodness.
What was she thinking, hanging out with Mason like this? Like they were friends and not exes.
Between her frustration with herself over missing the proposal deadline and irritation with her sister’s wedding demands, Linda was thankful that Mason was here and trying to cheer her up. He’d charmed his way into her heart twice before, and her heart was softening towards him again.
Mason closed his eyes, replaying Linda’s reaction to his invitation to be his date for Laurel’s wedding over and over in his mind.
If he was honest, it was crushing. He knew it was too soon to suggest it, but he didn’t like seeing Linda upset and feeling like she had to dull her shine for her sister.
He couldn’t nap while Linda was still upset about everything. This might keep her miffed, but he had to know. He turned so he could watch her reaction to this next question. “Operation Keep Laurel Happy is underway,” Mason began. “My apologies for not taking your sister’s needs into account. You’re right. People would talk if we went together. They would say ‘There goes the cutest couple here’, besides the bride and groom, of course. So, who are you taking? Someone I know? Someone from our college crowd?”
Linda scrunched her nose; he loved the way she did that. “No. It won’t be anyone you know. Don’t worry.”
“I’m not.” Didn’t matter if it was someone he knew or not. He wasn’t worried so much as jealous.
“Who will you ask?” she asked, her voice hushed and uncertain. Did she not want him to take someone? What did that mean?
“I don’t have a go-to date for weddings. I don’t know who I could ask. If I meet someone at my next job who would take a flight and hang out in Illinois for a couple of days, it would be a stroke of luck. As it is, I’ll have…” he pretended to look at a watch on his watchless arm, “…less than two months to find someone, charm them, and get them to go with a near-stranger to a wedding. Totally doable.” He chuckled. “I’ll probably go stag.”
“I’m sure you’ll have no problem.” Linda picked up the book she’d brought and opened it. She took the pink bookmark out and tapped its edge against her thigh.
Mason knew he should drop the conversation, but he forged ahead.
“If I bring someone, will you promise to be nice to her?” he asked.
Linda paused for a few moments before answering. “I promise,” she said.
I’m an idiot . Why did he even ask the question? Trying to see if it would make her jealous? She didn’t seem jealous; she seemed hurt. No way was he taking a date to Laurel’s wedding! He hoped she wouldn’t, either. Then they could hang out together. It wouldn’t be weird if they weren’t on a date.
Maybe he should just shut up and let her read. No, had to push his luck. “Promise me one dance at the wedding, whether or not we bring dates?”
Her head spun around. “Seriously? We’re negotiating dances?”
“Not negotiating. Just asking for a yes, in advance.”
“Fine. I promise.”
Good. He had that to look forward to.
Now, how could he cheer her up? Flowers? Too romantic. Chocolate? She wasn’t overly fond of chocolate. Hmmm.
“Are Skittles still your favorite candy?”
“Absolutely.”
“Cool.”
He had an idea.