Chapter Fourteen
Mason
The strangest feeling washed over me as I stood there and watched my brother and his wife hold their new baby. The look of happiness they wore caused an ache in my chest I didn’t recognize. I tried to shake it off, but couldn’t. My mind kept coming back to one thing.
Saylor.
I’d called her back three times and each time she had sent it to voice mail. She was pissed, and I couldn’t blame her. I had pulled a dick move asking for the ad’s only to brush it off when she sent them. I knew she had worked all night on them.
A small smile moved across my face. If she worked on the ad, that meant she either was alone last night, or her date with Joshua had been so awful she needed to work to take her mind off of the memory of it.
The priest’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Godparents, are you ready to help them in their duty of Christian parents?”
I, along with my sister-in-law’s sister Kate, both said, “Yes.”
For a brief moment, I panicked yet again with the thought of being my niece’s godfather. When my brother asked me, I almost said no. What example could I possibly be? Hell, the same priest standing in front of me caught me screwing Releigh Long in the back of the church when we were both home from college.
Reaching over, I made the sign of the cross and tried to push my thoughts out of my head.
The ceremony continued and I soon found myself tearing up as Kris held Maddie and the priest poured the holy water over her. When Maddie let out a loud shriek, we all laughed.
“Makes you want one, huh?” Kate whispered.
Turning to her, my head was screaming, “Fuck no!”, but what I whispered back shocked the shit out of me.
“Yeah, kind of.”
True to my memories of our Catholic upbringing, the christening was long. When it was over, we took a few pictures, and I couldn’t help but notice how Kate kept brushing up against me or touching me any chance she got.
“Well, you ready for number two?” I asked as I slapped my brother on the side of the arm.
He smiled, and his eyes lit up. “Maybe let us settle into a routine with this one first.”
Laughing, I watched him as he held Maddie.
“You want to hold her?”
My stomach dropped. I’d only held her one other time—right after she was born—and I only did it because the hot nurse was the one who helped put her in my arms.
Fuck. That makes me shallow as hell.
“Yeah, I’d love to hold my favorite little girl.”
When Rich placed Maddie in my arms and those bright blue eyes looked up at me, something happened. No words could really ever explain what exactly it was, but in that moment I knew I wanted what my brother had already found.
Love and a family.
My heartbeat raced as I smiled down at my niece. It was the most amazing feeling I’d ever experienced, holding this little life in my arms.
I couldn’t pull my gaze away from her. It was like she was looking deep into my soul and waking me up for the first time in my life.
“All right. You’re getting that dreamy look in your eyes, Mason. Wouldn’t want anyone thinking you want a family,” Rich said with a chuckle as he took Maddie back.
Not saying a word, I simply grinned. When I looked at Kris, she gave me a knowing look.
“So, what do we do now?” I asked clapping my hands together.
Rich laughed. “We do another video for mom and dad, and then we go get drunk.”
Kris hit my brother on the arm then made her way over to me. Lacing her arm around my waist, I did the same to her. “No, we planned a small get together at Carmine’s. Late lunch early dinner kind of thing. Please say you can make it, Mason.”
Smiling down at her, I winked, “Of course, I’ve cleared my whole day today for this.”
“Mason, maybe we can share a taxi together,” Kate said as she attempted to walk down the church steps.
Leaning closer to Kris, I whispered, “Your sister scares me, Kris. She practically grabbed my junk in the church.”
Kris tossed her head back in full on laughter mode before finally letting out a long sigh. “She’s my sister and I love her, but she’s got the hots for you Mason, so unless you’re interested, I’d nip it in the bud.”
Walking Kris to their car, I opened the door while Rich slipped a sleeping Maddie into the car seat. “You want to drive over with us? Not sure how the parking will be.”
“Nah, I’ll hop in a cab and get us on the list.”
“We have reservations,” Kris said as she worked at getting her daughter buckled up.
I lightly hit my brother on the back and said, “You married a smart one.”
“Tell me about it. I’d be lost without her.”
Taking a step back, I watched them get into their Honda Pilot and pull out into traffic. I continued to watch them until I couldn’t see them any longer. Needing to clear my head, I turned on my heels and started walking.
“Mason! Mason! I thought we would share a cab!” Kate called out.
Glancing over my shoulder, I shouted back, “I’ll meet you there Kate. I need to take care of something.”
***
My keys rattled as I threw them onto the side table at my front door. Ripping my tie off, I tossed it onto the love seat and made my way over to the bar. Grabbing the bottle of Jameson, I opened it and took a drink right from the fucking bottle.
Six times. I’d called Saylor six times today only to be sent to her voicemail each time. I finally left a message asking her to call me back. She didn’t call. She sent a text.
Saylor: Mr. Quinn, it is Saturday, and unless you have a work emergency, I am unavailable.
Grunting, I hit reply. She had sent the text two hours ago, and I’d had enough alcohol in me to not give a shit.
Me: Are you with Jameson?
Saylor: Is this a work related question?
Me: Saylor stop being a bitch and let me tell you why I had to go.
When I didn’t get a reply, I closed my eyes. The bitch comment had probably been the wrong thing to say.
Me: I’ve had a lot to drink, I’m sorry. Please call me.
My phone buzzed with her response.
Saylor: What’s wrong? Are you already finished with the girl you were with today? Looking for some afternoon fun and can’t find anyone so you figured you would insult me. You are so good at that after all.
I stared at her text. Everything about it made me angry. I hit her number and walked briskly out to my balcony that overlooked the city.
“I’m busy, Mason.”
“With who and if you’re so busy why did you answer your phone?”
She let out a bitter laugh. “None of your business. Is this a work emergency?”
I thought about lying. Telling her I needed her at work, and that I would meet her there. Then I would strip her bare and fuck her over my desk.
No. That wasn’t what I wanted to do at all. Well, it was a fantasy I prayed like hell would happen in the future. But it wasn’t what I wanted now.
“Can you meet me at my place?” I said the words before my head caught up with my heart.
The line was silent.
“Saylor?”
She cleared her throat. “I, um, I can’t. I’ve made plans for this evening.”
My heart sank. “Right. I’ll see you at work on Monday.”
Hitting ‘End,’ I turned my cell phone off and headed to the shower. After taking a hot shower, I wrapped my towel around my waist and face planted onto my bed. It didn’t take long for the alcohol to finally kick in and I passed out until late Sunday morning.