5. Chapter 4
~ Mason ~
Okay, maybe taking her out dancing where everyone else was checking her out was not the best idea, but it was the only one I could think of that would kill two birds with one stone. I had heard her mumbling about prices and how outrageous a delivery was.
Now, the bar doesn’t get a ton of food trucks, but it got some because Charlie, the owner, did sell some food.
So, he would know who Patty could talk to about getting some stuff cheaper.
And who even knew, it might actually benefit the both of them.
Maybe one delivery could be cheaper if they split the cost?
However, he didn’t come in for another hour. So, for the meantime, that left us to share a drink, some food, and some dances.
Which I didn’t mind. Because seeing this woman move was doing things to me it shouldn’t. Okay, add that up to everything else she was doing to me and shouldn’t be doing. She didn’t play fair, that was for sure.
Not that I truly thought she was doing any of this on purpose; I didn’t. But I also don’t think she understood her allure. And glancing around the bar at the various men who were lingering around and watching her, they caught on as well.
I didn’t like it, but I had no right to stand in the way of this either.
I was still in love with my past wife, I wished for her, wanted to be in her arms, and yet, I wanted to be with Patty too. I wanted to haul her off this dance floor and fuck her against the wall. Then kiss her so damn deeply she couldn’t think of anything else.
“You’re quiet,” she said, throwing a fry at me. I narrowed my eyes at her as I took a sip of my beer, making her laugh. “You are. It’s like you were thinking about something then you scowled, now you’re grinning, and you’re all quiet. So, what has you making all those faces?”
“You know all these men are staring at you, right?”
She looked around, glancing at the lonely men, then shrugged.
“Okay, what about them? Half of them have asked me out already too. What’s the point?”
That got my hackles up. I hadn’t known that men were already asking her. I also wish I could pinpoint why that fucking ticked me off when it shouldn’t.
“Well, none really.”
“Don’t like it?”
“I don’t want to hear someone moaning in my cabin, thank you.”
She grabbed her own beer bottle and tossed back a chug, all while her brow was lifted at me in confusion.
Which I did not blame on her on because that line sounded just as lame to my own ears.
“You’re funny, Mason, do you know that? You think I’m the type to take some stranger back to someone else’s house and screw them, while the owner is in the house? That’s funny. However, my mother did raise me better than that. Not to mention, that just kills the mood for me, no thanks.”
“To screw someone in someone else’s home?”
“No, to have sex when someone else is home. Okay, yes, and being in a friend’s home. There’s a lot of eww there and would never do’s.”
I tilted my head as I watched her. I was grateful for that, but then my own mind did a twist and it thought about the fact that she could go to any one of these guys' places because they all lived close. And that didn’t fuck do either.
Okay, yeah, I give. I was screwed. And shouldn’t go there, but I kind of thought I was. And I didn’t like the way that made me feel.
Even though my wife was dead, I felt like I was cheating on her. But I knew it wasn’t.
Was it possible to want two women in one lifetime?
And I didn’t mean just to screw around with.
~ Patty ~
Mason was acting odd to me. It’s like he had a problem with all the guys staring at me. Even had a problem with them asking me out.
I saw how he gripped the beer bottle.
But at the same point in time, he still had feelings for his late wife. Which was fine. I had no problem with that, but why get upset when other men might want me?
Welcome to the world of women, we overthink every little thing until something else pops up.
“Charlie is here,” Mason said, nodding his head to the man walking over. He did not look old enough to own a well-established bar around here. In fact, I had to say this man was probably in his late fifties and looked damn good for his age.
“Mason,” the man said, holding his hand out. “And Patty, a pleasure to have you in my bar,” he told me, taking my hand after shaking Mason’s. “No one mentioned how gorgeous the new owner of the diner was.”
I rolled my eyes at his obvious flirty nature, but I also couldn’t help the laugh that came out at Mason’s growl.
“Thanks, Charlie. And thanks for chatting with me. I just had some questions about your food deliveries.”
“Why not come back to my office and we can chat?” He leaned closer and nodded his head at Mason. “I also think that might piss him off a whole lot more and I kind of like that idea.”
“You’re evil,” I told him, jumping off the stool. “I’ll be back in a few, Mason. Just going to talk.”
“About whatever pops up,” Charlie hollered back, making Mason clench his hand again.
Twenty-five minutes later, I walked back to the stool, a game plan in mind for food and an ally behind me. Charlie was great, funny, but serious about his work and the bar. We came to a great agreement that would lower both our costs and should bring in even higher revenue for both of us.
“Did you two have fun?” Mason spat out and I slapped his arm.
“We talked business.”
“Sure,” the big man grumbled and I tugged on his arm.
“Swing me around the dance floor, maybe that will help with your sour mood.”
He rolled his eyes but took my hand and led me to the small area. I grabbed his arm, snaking it around my waist tightly and waited for him to lead us around the floor. Just moments later, he relaxed, a smile tugging on his lips.
“Sorry,” he muttered, making me shake my head.
“Nothing to be sorry about, Mason. Really, Charlie and I talked about the trucks, about how we could help each other. It was all business. He’s a great guy.” I bit my lip to stop from saying that he wasn’t my type.
He wasn’t, but he also wasn’t quite different from Mason. It’s just Mason I wanted, and no one right now was going to go do.
“I’m glad you both can. He did great when he took the bar over from his dad before the man passed.”
“Is it a family business?”
“I believe so. Think Charlie’s grandfather built it and started it. Great story if you ever get Charlie drunk enough to talk about it. Also, believe it’s been burned down once, too.”
I looked around the place, unable to see how fresh the wood was, but I could understand it. Buildings like this always had issues.
Rather surprised that there wasn’t much work that needed to be done for the diner. And that all the labor for that came cheaply, though I was planning on paying Mason more than he thought. He’s been such a sweet guy helping me with everything and he didn’t need to.
“This little town of ours has been around for ages,” he told me, spinning me out and then back in, making me laugh.
“Always attracts the rough and tough type too, I gather.”
“Maybe. It’s a quiet place to settle down. But it sucks when it rains or snows.”
“Which is going to be often. Guess those days I better be ready for.”
He grinned as he spun me again, pulling me back in tighter and closer. I stayed rooted, my eyes locked on his and our grins faded.
The music and noise died around us and the only two people were us.
His head slowly descended and I rose on my toes, not sure what was causing this rush between us, but I was here for it.
I was ready to feel his lips on mine.
I was ready to feel his hands and arms wrapped around my body.
I wasn’t ready, however, for the cat calls and the look of horror in his eyes at what he had been about to do.