9. Chapter Nine
Chapter 9
Tuesday afternoon, Mason got off the elevator on the first floor while Linda continued onto the fourth.
He wanted to chat with Meri before getting out of his rockabilly gear.
He’d been thrilled when a customer agreed to take a picture of him and Linda at the supermarket. Linda had looked adorable in her poodle skirt, white blouse, white socks, and black shoes. She’d pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and accessorized with all things pink, which matched her hair perfectly. He loved the enthusiasm she’d shown while shopping. He hadn’t been sure if she’d go along with it but was thrilled when she had.
He was going to have pictures of them taken together every day while he was here. The pictures would sustain him when he was in the next new town, lonely and homesick.
Yes, he talked a good game, saying he wanted to experience the excitement of a new city every quarter. But staying busy and moving frequently kept the loneliness at bay.
He had hoped the time here, alone, with no timecard to clock and no errands to run, would help him assess where he was in life and where he was going.
The constant moving was growing old, and he was ready to put down real roots. Maybe put in the time and effort to advance his career. That would make his dad happy.
Once he’d discovered that Linda was here, his focus changed. He didn’t want to be alone; he wanted to be with her. He was grateful when Linda agreed to volunteer with him to help Meri out.
It’d been a mistake to think he was over her. How could he be? She was the grape jelly to his peanut butter. The milk to his cookie. Ugh! She’s got my mind a mess.
Meri was in her office when Mason knocked. She looked up from the spiral notebook she was writing in and exclaimed, “Elvis!”
Mason chuckled. “If only I was half as handsome as Elvis. Like the rockabilly look? Look at this picture of Linda and me at the store this morning.”
“Love it! Dang!” Meri whistled. “You two have always been the cutest couple.”
“We’re not a—”
“Gosh, I remember one of the first years your families were down here for Halloween. You and Linda dressed up as Batman and Robin. You were adorable.”
“Yeah, I remember that. More from the pictures than an actual memory. Why in the world was she Robin?”
“Linda wanted to do whatever you were doing. Whatever you said, she went along with.”
“Maybe when we were nine.”
“Okay, things like that don’t last forever. Wouldn’t hurt you to listen to her more.”
Mason plopped into the seat across from Meri. “It may look like everything’s fine between us, Meri, but until four days ago, we hadn’t spoken in six years.” Give or take two months.
“No! That’s ridiculous!” Meri pulled open a drawer and pulled out a basket of mini chocolate bars. She grabbed a small Twix and yanked off the wrapper. “Help yourself.”
Mason waved his hand. “No, thanks. It’s true. Before this weekend, the last time we were together, we were dating. Linda was ready to commit to a more serious relationship, and I wanted to move. I needed to get away. My head was still in a messed-up place after losing Mom. I felt like Dad and Erin bounced back too quickly. I tried to talk to Dad about how I was feeling, and he just gave platitudes, like ‘your mom’s in a better place’ and ‘Mom wouldn’t want you moping, live your life!’ It was too much to take.”
Meri had been listening quietly—well, as quietly as devouring three mini-Twix bars could be. “That blows. Sorry your dad couldn’t be more supportive when you needed him. We can all be a little crappy at how we handle loss. Some people seem to bounce back, as you say, but deep down they’re miserable, too. You never know.”
She put the chocolate basket back in its drawer. “Now, back to you and Linda. That’s it? You took off and broke up? No contact?”
“Yeah.” Mason looked at his hands. He needed to trim his nails. “I didn’t know how to deal with it. I thought I would call her after I got settled, but once I got settled, it seemed like it was too late.”
“It’s never too late, son.” Meri leaned back in her chair and ran her hands through her brown and gray hair. “Maybe serendipity brought you both here at the same time for a reason. Maybe this is your second chance.”
“It would be our third chance.”
“Second, third, whatever. You’re not out of chances, is my point. Now, I should get back to work. Mr. Peters asked me to plan a May Day party. What’s a May Day party?”
“A party that happens on May first?”
“Get out of here, smarty-pants.”
Mason smiled and left. In the elevator, he thought about Meri’s words. Was it too soon to even contemplate a third chance with Linda? Probably, but when had Mason ever done something expected of him?
As he stepped out of the elevator, the community board across the hall caught his eye. On a yellow sheet of paper was the image of a large fire. Underneath were the words, “Bonfire. Tonight at dusk.”
Hmm, that sounds fun. Instead of going to his own condo, he went right to Linda’s and knocked.
When she opened the door, he felt disappointment wash over him as he realized she’d changed out of the fifties costume. She still looked good in the pink tank top and long loose shorts with flamingos on them.
“Are those your mom’s shorts?” he asked.
“Most likely. Found them in a drawer. What’s up?”
“Can I come in? Haven’t been in here for ages.”
“Fine.” She stepped aside, and he entered the condo. It was mostly how he remembered it. Light yellow walls, white couches, and black iron details in the ceiling fixtures and side tables.
He could tell Linda was working at the kitchen table. A laptop was open, and a notebook lay beside it. Even from this distance, he could see a nicely labeled to-do list on the notebook, with several thin strips of floral tape on the edges.
He glanced at the refrigerator, which had a large white paper taped to it. “What’s this?” he asked as he stepped closer.
Linda dashed around him and pulled it down, but not before he saw the label at the top. “Requirements for Linda’s Date to Laurel’s Wedding”.
“It’s nothing!” Linda choked out. “Just something to humor Sorcha.”
Mason smiled at her. “It looked like something I would be interested in reading. Maybe I could help you find a date.”
“That’s suspect.” Linda rolled her eyes. “Who do you even know in Illinois? Do you stay connected to high school or college buddies?”
“A few. Come on. Let me see what’s on your list.”
“Absolutely not. It’s not even accurate. Just stuff I let Sorcha write down.” She walked to the trash can and tossed it in. “Now, why did you stop by? You haven’t even changed yet?”
“I’m on my way to do that. But I wondered if you saw the sign about the bonfire tonight. Sounds fun. Live music. We can take some beverages.”
“A bonfire? No, I didn’t see it. I, um. We need to be up early tomorrow.”
“Right. We can take seltzer waters or hot cocoa; we don’t have to drink alcohol.”
“True. If we don’t stay out too late, that would be fun.” A loud ding sound came from her computer. “Hey, I need to get on a call with my boss to go over a proposal. Gotta run.”
“Sure. I know you’re working. I’ll get out of your hair. The sign said music starts at eight. Want to get dinner before?”
She looked away. “No, I must get this project wrapped up today. Let’s plan for eight.”
“I’ll come and get you then. Later, Lindy.”
She walked to the table, and he let himself out.
He paused in the hallway. His chest tightened thinking about how quickly Linda rushed him out the door when her computer pinged, reminding her she needed to talk to her boss. She said her boss had a girlfriend, and she didn’t appear to have a thing for the man, but Mason couldn’t help the jealousy that tensed his muscles. He needed to go for a run to release the adrenaline coursing through him.
Linda grabbed a hoodie out of the closet. Once the sun went down, she expected it to cool off, even close to the bonfire, and her T-shirt that read “Bayside Bay is Where I Play” would not keep her warm enough.
Waiting for Mason to knock, she took a moment to straighten the living room. She folded the yellow plaid throw blanket, putting it in the wicker basket in the corner, and removed an empty glass from the coffee table.
When the knock sounded at the door, she nearly jumped; she was standing right next to it. She threw it open and laughed at Mason when she saw him standing there with an overstuffed laundry basket.
“What’s all this?” she asked.
“I dug through the closets and cabinets in the condo and got everything we could possibly need right here. A beach blanket, thermos of decaf coffee, cups, some packets you toss into a fire to add bright colors, a Polaroid camera, and extra clothes in case it gets cold. And I ran to Franki’s Sundries to get s’more fixings and other snacks. Can we go? This is heavy.” He lifted the basket and flexed his biceps.
“Wow. You are prepared. I can’t remember. Were you a Boy Scout?”
“A few years. I dropped out when my troop stopped doing the pinewood derby. I loved building those cars.”
Linda grabbed her hoodie and tossed it into Mason’s basket with a wink.
“Hey now!” He laughed. “Are you taking advantage of my muscles?”
Mason flexed as he lifted the basket a few inches.
“Muscles?” Her face flushed and she dipped her head. “I didn’t notice. Let’s go, Wimpy.”
She scooted past him and hurried towards the elevator.
Once Mason caught up with her, she pushed the button and glanced across the hall, seeing the bonfire flyer. “I missed that earlier. Glad you noticed it. Should be fun.”
“Agreed.” Mason swung the basket from side to side. “Meri’s doing a lot of cool new things to add fun and life to the place.”
Outside, they strolled over to where Meri was supervising a man preparing the bonfire. There was an enormous pile of logs tented towards the middle. It was going to be a roaring fire.
Mason pointed with his shoulder to the southern side of the bonfire. “Let’s go over there. We’ll get a splendid view of the sunset.”
He led the way and found an open spot. After putting the basket down, he reached in for an extra-large beach blanket. He gave it a flip and arranged it on the sand.
Linda pulled off her flip-flops and walked to the center of the blanket. “What can I do to help set up?”
“Nothing. Just sit.”
Meri came over and joked with Mason about his laundry basket.
“Function over form.” Mason called to her back as she moved on to Mr. and Mrs. McNett from 3B, right below Mason’s family’s unit.
Sitting on the blanket, Mason pulled the thermos out. “Decaf?”
“Sure. Nice touch. Coffee sounds better than water or seltzer.”
As Mason poured coffee into a mug that read, “Caf or No Caf, That is the Question,” a lanky man wearing a funky, dark green cowboy hat began tuning a guitar. He was on the west side of the bonfire, closer to the water.
“How did work go today? Get done what you needed?” Mason asked, handing her a cup.
“Mostly,” she answered. “I’m waiting for an estimate from one of our suppliers, which should be in my inbox in the morning, and then I’ll get the proposal sent off. Tomorrow is a hard deadline. If I miss it, my boss will kill me.”
She put both hands around the mug and brought it closer to her nose. She could smell a hint of cinnamon and a strong whiff of vanilla. “Mm, smells wonderful.”
“Thanks. I love tinkering with new blends and flavors.”
Linda wiggled, trying to find a comfortable place in the sand.
The musician played a Neil Young tune, and Linda closed her eyes. The warmth of the fire to her right, the heat from Mason’s body on her left, and the coffee aroma under her nose filled her with a much-needed sense of peace. She remembered many nights with her family and Mason’s family building their own bonfires on this beach. The moms would bring oodles of snacks, and the dads would lead games as they sat around the fire in a circle.
“Do you remember—” Linda started. At the same time Mason said, “Hey, I remember…”
They both laughed, and Mason leaned over to bump her shoulder with his. “Ladies first.”
Linda took a sip of coffee and leaned back with a hand on the blanket behind her. “Do you remember our family bonfires out here when we were kids?”
“I do. They were so fun. Dad and I talked about that not too long ago. I should send him a picture. Hold on.” Mason dug around the bottom of the basket and found his cell phone. “Selfie!” He angled the camera so the bonfire was behind them. Linda smiled as she leaned closer to his shoulder.
Once he clicked the picture, Linda leaned in to look. “That’s good. Send it to me, please.”
“Same number?”
“Yeah.” She’d never changed it, hoping he’d reach out.
“You got it.” His thumbs tapped on his phone. “That’s what I was going to say, too. I remember having bonfires when we were kids. My Mom would bake cookies and your mom would bring the salty snacks, chips or popcorn. It was great! Fun times.”
“Your mom made the best oatmeal raisin cookies. I miss them. I miss her.”
She heard Mason’s breath hitch and worried she’d touched a nerve. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.
“Please don’t be.” He turned towards her and held her gaze. “I don’t get to talk about Mom enough. I miss her.”
“She was the life of the party. She loved when we were all together.”
“Being surrounded by people brought her joy. As soon as we left here, she’d be talking about the next time we could all come back.”
He set his coffee down, wiggling it so the sand securely held it from under the blanket. He lay back and put his arms under his head as he searched the sky.
Linda turned to face the water. She watched the musician as he threw his head back to sing a long, lonesome note. She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her elbows on them, propping her head in her hands.
It was hard not to feel nostalgic and miss the days of their youth, before things got complicated with jobs, travel, and broken hearts.
The sun had set, and the horizon glowed with streaks of pink and purple. Linda thought the combination was gorgeous and considered adding purple streaks to her hair. A stab of irritation followed, thinking about her sister’s demands to dye it dark blonde or brown for her wedding. Why did Laurel have to be so controlling all the time?
Mr. Cowboy Hat launched into a Kenny Chesney song about sunsets, and Linda felt a tear trickle down her face. She was thankful Mason was still lying on his back.
She brushed the moisture away and reached for her coffee cup.
Mason put his hand on her lower back, though he didn’t move the rest of his body. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“How did you…” She turned to look at him. How did he know? “It’s nothing. Just feeling sentimental, I guess. Maybe I'm tired. It was an early start. Tomorrow will be another early morning. Maybe I should head in.”
“Hey.” Mason sat up. “We’ve only been here twenty minutes. It’s too early to go to bed. It was my fault for saying I miss Mom. I didn’t mean to bring you down.”
“No, it’s not that.”
Sure, reminiscing was a part of it, but it was more about being in a romantic atmosphere with Mason and not being involved with him. When they were dating in college, she had fantasized about vacationing with him here, alone, without their families, but they’d never gotten a chance to do it. Now here they were together, but not together .
Her mind got stuck on a loop of ‘what could have been’, ‘what almost was’, and ‘why not?’ It was exhausting.
Mason put his arm around her and pulled her close. It felt good to rest her head on his shoulder. “Well,” he said. “Whatever it is, I hope it passes. This night is too perfect to be sad. We’re surrounded by some of the best seventy- and eighty-year-olds we’re lucky to know. The bonfire is roaring, and this guy is halfway decent.”
“Hey, he’s fantastic.”
Mason chuckled. “I suppose. How about a warmup on the coffee?”
“Now, that would be divine.”
Mason filled their mugs and put the thermos back in the laundry basket. “Need your sweatshirt? It’s cooled off.”
“I do. Thanks.”
She pulled the hoodie on and let the warmth envelop her. She closed her eyes to listen intently to the waves against the shore, which made a soothing backdrop to Mr. Cowboy Hat’s crooning.
If she didn’t think too much about all the could haves and should haves when it came to Mason, it was easy to let go and enjoy herself.