Chapter 8 Mason
Mason
“Ladies and gentlemen, as we make our final approach into Laguardia…”
The New York skyline loomed outside the window as our flight approached Manhattan. My anxiety was at an all-time high since boarding the plane five hours ago. I couldn’t jog up and down the aisle to get rid of it, so I concentrated all of it into my bouncing leg and tried to breathe through it.
I was still working out what I was going to say to my father when Thomas’s warm hand landed on my knee, stopping the bouncing.
I glanced down to where he palmed my kneecap.
I wished I could permanently attach his hand to me.
Leaning in, he spoke softly. “You’re making me nervous, and I don’t get nervous. Ev-er. So kindly cut it out and relax.”
Startled, a nervous snort bubbled up as he enunciated ever with enough conviction to imply his statement was a forgone conclusion and a matter of fact. Tilting my head, I found his usual smirk and raised brows. God, I wanted him. “What makes you think I’m not relaxed?”
He rolled his eyes like I was clueless. I could hear the sarcasm before he said it. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the way your big thigh is shaking my seat. I didn’t take you for a nervous flyer.”
Shifting toward him, I frowned. “I’m not. I’m fine.”
He raised one brow, but maintained his death grip on my thigh. “Uh-huh. Whatever has you worked up can wait until later. The only thing you should be thinking about is where we’re going for dinner. I don’t eat street food.”
I grinned at him. “Are you an aficionado of fine dining, Agent Kingsley?” I was tempted to continue bouncing my knee, just to see how long he’d try to hold it down.
But Thomas removed his hand to tuck his book into his bag.
I don’t know what it was about his touch that had a calming effect on me, but it was like an electric shock that reset my nervous system.
“No, but I appreciate quality. And this town is known for it.”
I raised my brows. “So you’re familiar with New York.”
“I know my way around,” he said. “My uncle John was a fireman in lower Manhattan. We used to come up and visit him. He took me to Coney Island and my first Yankees game. On rainy days, we would spend hours at Ellis Island, going through the exhibits. The stories and the things left behind fascinated me. We shared a love of history. He’s why I joined the Marines.
” I was caught up in his story when he glanced down at my leg. “Are you okay now?”
Nodding, I shifted, wanting more information. “Does he still live here?”
“No,” he breathed out heavily. “He died on 9/11. He was in Tower Two. Didn’t make it out in time.”
For a moment, I saw his pain before it disappeared. “I’m so sorry, Thomas. I can’t imagine…” I trailed off. “Do you regret your decision to come with me? This can’t be easy for you.”
He sat back and tried to reassure me. “To quote you, I’m fine.
” His familiar smirk returned. “I made my peace with the city a long time ago. I wanted to be here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have insisted on coming with you.
Right now, I just need nervous Ned to stop trying to loosen the bolts holding down my seat. ”
I grinned at his accusation. “Sorry. I’ll make it up to you with an ultra-nice dinner. How about that?”
He waved his fingers to motion for me to continue. “Keep talking. Now you’re speaking my language.”
My anxiety slowly receded as I forgot about my problems to spout off dinner options. Thomas considered my suggestions as the flight attendant came by and collected our cups before landing. “What sounds good to you?”
“Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you.”
“Fair enough.” I smiled as the anxiety temporarily drained away. He did that for me, and I didn’t ever want him to stop.
Half an hour later, outside baggage claim, we climbed into the backseat of the black car I’d ordered. When the driver took off without asking for a location, Thomas frowned. “Where are we staying?”
Now it was time to look at him like he was the ridiculous one. “The Covington. I know some people.”
“Smartass,” he mumbled under his breath. But I knew that look. It was the same one I dreamed about. The one where he told me he had feelings for me, too.
As we rode into the city, our conversation flowed easily.
Every moment we spent together, I felt like a baby bird breaking out of my shell.
I didn’t need his physical protection. At six-foot-four and two-hundred sixty pounds of solid muscle, I could do that myself.
What I’d come to need from him was the way he tended to my heart and soul.
He could read me like a book, make me laugh when I wanted to break down, and get me to talk when it was the last thing I wanted to do.
And every time he smiled or looked at me like I was someone he wanted to know, my heart did a little thing in my chest that made me ache to hug him and let him know how much he meant to me.
Over the last few months, Thomas had become more than just a friend.
He was my confidante, my sounding board, and my voice of reason.
And as much as I knew it was going to hurt, I also knew I loved him.
When the car pulled up to the entrance of the hotel, we got out and headed inside to check in.
I’d reserved one of the two-bedroom apartments, and on the way up to the twentieth floor, I confessed to him.
“I hope you’re okay with sharing an apartment.
I didn’t want to be alone after what I’m about to do. ”
He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. His eyes were soft as he took me in. “I don’t want to be alone either. I get enough of that at home.”
My heart beat ridiculously fast as we stood in the elevator, staring at one another. “Me too.” I wanted to reach out and grab him by the coat, pull him to my chest, and show him how much his being here meant to me. But I couldn’t do that. Could I?
When the elevator came to a stop, his hand slipped from my shoulder. “No matter what happens tomorrow, I’m here.”
I nodded. “In case I forget to tell you, thank you for coming with me.”
One side of his mouth turned up. “You’re welcome. Let’s go unpack and have some fun.” He walked out of the elevator, leaving me to follow.
“Fun? What do you mean?”
“Fun. Something to be enjoyed. Ever heard of it?”
I snorted. “Have you been hanging around with Lennox? You sound a lot like him.”
Thomas stopped outside our door while I unlocked it. “Of course not. But I think you could use something to help you unwind. What do you say we catch a game?”
Walking in the door, I put my bag down on the chair in the living room. “I thought you wanted a fine dining experience?”
He shrugged. “I changed my mind. We can eat later.”
Never failing to surprise me, I agreed. It was better than sitting around, dreading tomorrow. Something told me that was his plan all along. “What do you have in mind?”
Thomas looked around the apartment as I went over to the balcony. Opening the sliding doors, the sounds of the city below put a smile on my face. The view of Lower Manhattan was spectacular this time of day.
“We’ve got a couple of choices,” he suggested, looking at his phone. “The Yankees are in town, and the Rangers are playing over at the Garden. Take your pick.”
I smiled. “You want to go all the way out to the Bronx for a baseball game?”
“You ever been to one?”
“I have. Many times. But considering what Axel does for a living, maybe I should be watching hockey.”
His smile lit up the darkest places in my heart. “Then hockey it is. But we gotta get a move if we want to be there before they face off.” He slapped me on the shoulder, then left me to follow him once again.
“Is that the hockey equivalent of a kickoff?”
Thomas turned and raised a brow. “Are you telling me you know nothing about hockey?”
I shrugged just to throw him off. You can’t live in the northeast without knowing hockey. “I’m a football player. I spent my time doing that. Do you know hockey?”
“Not really. Guess we’ll learn together.”
When we got to Madison Square Garden, Thomas purchased our tickets, then bought us both a hot dog and soda. “Is this what you had in mind for dinner?”
He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “This is to keep you from starving to death between now and the end of the third period. Dinner will come later.”
As we found our seats, the first period was underway.
Both teams were skating quickly, slamming each other into the boards.
And when two players threw their gloves down on the ice and went at it, the crowd went nuts.
I leaned into Thomas. “If football allowed fights, we’d never get the game played. ”
“I bet,” he replied. “I wonder if Axel is a fighter.”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
As we watched the rest of the game, I’d never considered the physical demands of the sport before tonight. It was as demanding, if not more so, than football.
On the walk back from the Garden, we stopped in a pub and ordered a burger. As we watched highlights of other sports, Thomas asked, “What’s the plan for tomorrow?”
My stomach was in knots just thinking about it. “I made an appointment to see him at the end of the day. I told his assistant I wanted to surprise him, so she didn’t put my name down. His calendar is clear after three.”
Thomas nodded. “That’s good. Nothing to rush the conversation. I’ll stay in the lobby until you need me.”
“That works.” Looking pointedly at him, I nodded toward his beverage. “As long as I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you drink as much as a beer. I don’t like them myself, but I’m curious about you.”
He wiped at the condensation on the side of the glass. “I quit years ago.”
I nodded. “Really?”
Thomas looked up at the screen where the highlights of tonight’s baseball games were playing. “I stopped when the girl I was dating was killed in an accident.”
“Oh, god. I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “It was a long time ago.”
I didn’t know what to say as he took a swallow of his drink. He didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t push. But it was another tidbit of information about him. “I’m here if you ever want to talk about it."
He smiled and gave me a look that made my heart race. “I know you are, and I’ll tell you about it sometime. Just not tonight."
The bartender served our food, putting an end to our heavy conversation. As we ate our dinner, we drifted into an easier conversation we both enjoyed. Life was simple with him, and it made me want more of the very thing I couldn’t have.