19. Chapter Nineteen
Chapter 19
Mason stepped into the elevator and shifted his backpack higher on his shoulder as he pulled the two rolling suitcases into place behind him. He punched the button for the first floor and watched as the doors closed.
Linda was running to The Coastal Drip for the iced coffees they’d drink on the way to the airport. He was going to take a few minutes to say goodbye to Meridian before Linda returned.
In the building’s lobby, he took a glance around, savoring the memories of the last two weeks. It had been so much more than he’d hoped for, and he hated having to leave, but work beckoned, and he was ready to get back to it.
Meridian didn’t work on Saturdays, but she’d told Mason she would be in the lobby, and that’s where he found her, in the bright green club chair, reading a book.
“Time to go, Meri!” he called, dragging his rolling bags towards the door. He dropped his backpack next to them and moved across the room to give Meri a hug.
“Take care of yourself. Send a postcard. Keep living right,” she said as she stepped into his arms.
“You do the same, please. I hope to be back for July Fourth. Dad’s planning a family visit.”
Meri patted him on the back before letting him go. “Sounds good. Maybe Linda will be back then, too…”
Mason knew she was fishing for information. “I hope so. We’ll see.”
She furrowed her brows and glanced outside. “She will be busy, though. Hard to get away when you run your own business.”
Odd. Linda hadn’t had any trouble getting away for the last three weeks. What would prevent her from coming in July?
“She seems to have no trouble traveling while she works,” he responded.
“Right. Right. But if she opens her own store, it will be harder.” Meri shrugged her shoulders. “But I hope to see you both back this summer.”
“Right.” Mason wasn’t sure what was right or what he was agreeing with. It seemed Meri knew something he didn’t. That hurt. Why would Linda confide in Meri and not him?
A car horn sounded, and they glanced towards the door. Linda gave a wave, and Mason waved back, making his way towards his bags, Meri a few paces behind him.
“Have a safe flight,” Meri called as Mason opened the door.
“Thanks! See you!” he shouted as the door closed behind him.
Linda popped the trunk, and Mason tossed in his bags. He checked his watch. There was plenty of time to make his flight.
In the cool car, Linda pointed to one of the drinks in the cup holders. “That one’s yours.”
“Thanks.” He lifted it and twirled it, watching the ice cubes mix the cream around. “And thank you for driving me.”
“Not a problem.”
Silence fell, and Mason thought about what Meri had said. Was Linda considering opening her own store? That was a big jump from selling notepads and journals. He thought about the commitment of owning a retail location. The hours, the lack of holidays and days off. His leg shook, and he glanced at the cup.
“One espresso shot or two?” he asked.
“One.” Linda gave him a quick glance and changed lanes. They’d be at the airport before he knew it, and he wanted to savor this time with her. He pushed aside the nagging fear that life would move them in different directions before they had a chance to make it work.
He shifted in his seat to watch her. Her pink hair was in a high ponytail, making the unicorn-sitting-on-a-pool-float earrings more noticeable. She said she was going to spend the rest of the day poolside, and he noticed the bathing-suit tie lying on the back of her T-shirt. Glancing into the back seat, he saw her large stuffed tote bag. She probably didn’t even need to go back to the condo; she could go right to the pool when she got back.
“What time will you be home tomorrow?” he asked.
“About 7 p.m. if all goes right. I’ll have to get my cats from Laurel and then drive home. Sorcha said she’s making dinner, which I think means she’s ordering Chinese takeout. I’ll miss the sun and the water, but I’m ready to sleep in my own bed.”
She laughed, and her sunglasses slipped down her nose. He smiled as he watched her scrunch her nose to get them back in place.
“Funny. I never thought about that. Not sure what my bed would feel like. They’re always temporary.”
“Oh, I love my pillow-top mattress. I sleep so well in it. Took me a week to adjust to the bed in the condo.”
“Pillow-top, huh? Sounds heavenly.”
He was making small talk, but he wanted to say so much more. He wanted to tell her he was going to miss her every day until he could see her again. And he wanted to tell her he’d buy her a plane ticket to come see him anytime. If she had flexibility to work in Florida, then she could work in Seattle, and she had said she wanted to visit Seattle. It’s why he’d picked that city.
But the drive to the airport was not the time to confess these things. It would feel like setting a broken bone, then immediately removing the cast, saying “Just kidding”, and removing any sort of stability when it was needed most.
He would wait and see how things progressed when they were apart. He planned to communicate every day, even if it was only a quick text message. They needed to stay in touch. They needed to maintain a sense of normalcy and day-to-day interaction.
Then he needed to find a way for them to be together, permanently.
Déjà vu , Linda thought, pulling into the airport, watching the signs for Mason’s terminal. He was taking the same airline Sorcha had flown two weeks ago.
Pulling to the curb, she flicked on her hazard lights and checked the mirror before jumping out. Mason had already popped the trunk and was shrugging into his backpack.
She grabbed the smaller of the two roller bags and put it on the ground, glancing behind her at the car pulling up. She hated having to hurry. Maybe she should have parked and walked him to the terminal.
“Got everything?” she asked.
Mason pulled the handles up on both roller bags, then turned his focus on her. He held out his arms, and she stepped into them, resting her head on his chest.
Tears stung her eyes. Don’t cry!
Mason hugged her tightly and rocked gently.
“Got to keep it moving!” yelled a security guard walking on the sidewalk.
Mason sighed and pulled back slightly. “I hate goodbyes.”
“Then don’t say it.”
“See you later, then?”
“That works.”
He let go of her and put his hands on her cheeks. He leaned in for a kiss, and the noise and motion of the airport drop-off lane melted away. Linda sighed as her lips found their place on his.
As much delight as she felt from his kiss, it was gone too soon. He pulled back, smiled, and quickly kissed her nose.
“I’ll call or text when I get in.”
“Do that.”
He stepped back and grabbed the handles of the suitcases. As he walked away, she watched him get swallowed up by the automatic doors, and her body shuddered.
“You owe me four hundred dollars for the veil,” Laurel stated as soon as she opened the door to her apartment.
Linda, standing on the welcome mat, felt all the enjoyment from her time in Florida get sucked out of her.
“Hello to you, too,” she said, stepping into the apartment. “I don’t have that much cash on me. Can I Venmo you?”
“No rush. Just wanted to remind you.” Laurel’s voice rose and fell like she was speaking to one of the six-year-olds in her classroom.
Buddy ambled out of the bedroom and circled Linda’s leg. She reached down and scooped the cat into her arms, giving him kisses and coos. He purred in her ear. “Fine. I’ll send it when I get home.” Linda would send her a check and hope the snail mail would do its thing.
“Or maybe we can go shopping together to replace it. That would be fun!”
Linda wasn’t sure about making that promise but murmured something that sounded like agreement.
“Other than the veil incident, the cats seemed to have a good time.” Laurel walked towards her kitchen. “Want a drink?”
“Nope. I want to get the cats and get home. Sorcha’s making dinner.”
“Oh. I’d hoped to talk to you about the plans for the bridal shower. You know. Make sure everything is on track. Erin said—”
“It’s on track.”
“I didn’t finish.”
“It’s on track, Laurel. Can we talk tomorrow? It was a rough flight. Turbulence. And I was stuck between a man who promptly fell asleep, drooled, and snored the whole way, and a woman who was knitting. Which sounds harmless, but her elbow knocked my arm every five seconds. It was torture."
“Testy. Fine. Call me tomorrow. I want to make sure—”
“I know you do. I promise it will be fantastic. It’s under control.”
Laurel’s bridal shower seemed to be the only thing Linda had under control at the moment. Her heart was freaking out, wondering why she hadn’t changed the destination of her flight to Seattle, and her brain was calculating and planning and imagining everything that might be needed to expand her side hustle.
She needed to get home and gain perspective on everything. Time back in her own home, in her normal routine, would give her that.
The vacation bubble—beach vibes, blueberry treats, and floating in the pool—popped. She was back to reality.