Chapter Ten

Mason

I didn’t even want to start to think about why Missy ran out on me the night before. I thought we were having a hell of a time, and I was really looking forward to taking her to bed and showing her the night of her life. However, right in the middle of it all, a cloud came over her and she left, claiming she wasn’t feeling well. I knew something was up, and seeing that she lied about it, I figured it was personal, so I didn’t push her, and instead rubbed her back, showed her that I cared, and called her a car to take her home. To make things even more confusing, I got a sniffling phone call several hours later where she apologized and invited me to her place for dinner tonight. Normally this kind of behavior would set off major alarms in the crazy department, causing me to duck and run. But not with Missy—I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was definitely bothering her, and I wanted her to feel comfortable enough to let me know what it was.

It was pretty ironic, though, that she was the runner, and I was the one standing by steadfast and ready, considering I’m usually the one bolting from the door and not looking back. Instead, I was sitting at my desk staring at a pile of papers, just trying to make it to noon when I could go sit with her and have my session. I looked down at my watch and decided to go ahead and leave for yoga since it was nearly eleven anyway and there weren’t any meetings the rest of the day.

When I got there, Missy was standing up front with a guilty look on her face and piles of papers on her desk. I smiled at her like normal, walked up to the desk, and pulled her in close for a big kiss on the lips. I wanted her to know there was nothing wrong. I wanted her to know that whatever was going on, I was okay with it. She smiled at me, catching her breath and laughing.

“I’m really sorry for last night,” she whispered.

“Water under the bridge,” I said, smiling.

The rest of the class was business as usual, and I actually really enjoyed seeing Missy in action. I hadn’t realized it before because I was so busy trying to think of ways to get into her pants, but she was actually a really amazing yoga teacher. Her voice was calming and sound, and she knew every move like the back of her hand. When the class was over, I pulled her in close and kissed her forehead.

“I’m excited for tonight,” I said with honesty.

“Me too,” she said, smiling up at me.

When I got back to the office I just couldn’t seem to get my mind off her, but now it was different. It wasn’t only different in my feelings toward her; it was different in that I had never had these types of feelings for another woman before. It was no longer just her ass and tits flashing through my mind, though they did do that, but it was her smile, her laugh, and the way she would wink at me across the room. By the end of the day, I was counting down the time until I could go home and get ready.

Just as I started packing up my things, Chris walked in and sat down. He looked at his fingernails and everything around my office except for me. I raised my eyebrows at him as I packed my bag.

“Oh,” he said. “You finally noticed I existed.”

“Are you feeling left out again?”

“No,” he said, pouting. “Yes. You haven’t been out with me in weeks. Let’s go grab some beers.”

“I can’t, man.” I chuckled. “I’m going over to Missy’s for dinner.”

“Oh, yeah, the yoga instructor.” He smiled. “You’re seeing an awful lot of each other.”

“Yeah,” I said with a confused face. “But last night was weird.”

“Why? Did she want you to, like, meditate standing on your dick or something?”

“No, asshole,” I said, shaking my head. “We had a great night eating and talking. I got up to use the bathroom, and when I got back she looked terrified. She made an excuse about not feeling good and bolted. Then a couple hours later I got a call apologizing, and she invited me over to her place for dinner.”

“Maybe she had to poop,” Chris said, laughing. “I know when you cook for me I want to do more than poop.”

“You are so much help,” I said.

“Honestly, dude, she is from somewhere other than here,” he replied. “She probably got freaked-out by your perfect bachelor pad, your boatloads of money, and your rich family. I mean, it all seems normal to us, but to someone outside of the circle, it’s probably overwhelming. I’m sure that’s all it was, especially since she invited you to her house this time. She would feel more comfortable.”

“Maybe,” I said, shaking my head. “Either way, I’m on my way there now.”

Chris walked me to the elevator, and I took it downstairs, where I jumped in a car. Realizing it was probably too late for me to go home first, I took off my tie and jacket and rolled up my sleeves, trying to look a bit more casual. I stopped at one of my favorite dessert spots and picked up some cheesecake for dessert, not wanting to come empty-handed. From there I grabbed a dozen roses from the florist on the corner and headed over to Missy’s apartment. I walked up the stairs to her front door and rang the doorbell. She opened the door with a big smile and invited me in.

Her apartment was cute, and it was decorated like the studio downstairs. She had old Buddhist sayings hung on the walls, India-themed tapestries hanging across the windows, and a large colorful throw over her couch. Her place was literally the epitome of comfortable and inviting. I looked up and smiled at her as she stood in front of her table, food spread out across. She had made vegetable sushi, rice, hand-rolled egg rolls, and wontons stuffed with an amazing balsamic-glazed carrot mixture. I was literally in awe of the amazing amount of food that she had created. We sat down and dug in, laughing and talking over a light wine and amazing food. She told me about her day and the upcoming convention she was hoping to go to. I talked about Chris and the new artist we might be signing next week. It was good, chill, comfortable conversation.

When we were done eating, I helped clean up the dishes and grabbed the cheesecake. I placed it gingerly on two plates and sat hers down in front of her before sitting down with mine. I tasted it and shook my head, having a foodgasm at what I was tasting. I looked at her as she pushed it around on her plate, smiling. That’s when it all started to come together for me: the all-vegetable-based dinner, the polite return of her meal at lunch the other day because it wasn’t supposed to have any meat, and her career as a whole. Missy was a damn vegan and I had bought her cheesecake.

“I’m an idiot.” I laughed. “You’re vegan and I am bringing you cheesecake.”

“It’s okay.” She laughed with me. “It’s a sore subject for a lot of people, so I just go with the flow.”

“I wish you would have told me, I am a complete idiot when it comes to stuff like this,” I said, shaking my head.

“It’s really okay. Not like I’m going to call the cheese police on you.”

“They should have those,” I said, continuing to eat. “Like you get a ticket if you don’t buy good cheese.”

“I’d be in the clear.” She giggled. “I don’t buy cheese at all.”

We looked at each other for a moment with serious faces before bursting into laughter. There it was, that childish charm that we managed to create every time we were around each other. It was like she could read me and I could read her again.

“Come on,” she said, standing and grabbing her wine. “Bring your cow-juice cake and let’s watch a movie.”

I swallowed hard at the thought and pushed the plate back, shaking my head as I walked toward her. She tilted her head back and laughed, and I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her sweet smile. I reached up and kissed her lips softly before plopping down on the couch next to her. She clicked on the television and surfed the channels before landing on the original Independence Day. I loved that damn movie, no matter what anyone else said.

“This movie has, hands down, the best monologue ever,” she said before taking a sip of her wine. “The president kills it.”

“I thought I was the only person in the world that thought that,” I said in shock.

“Nope, I’m right there with you,” she said, looking up at me.

I pulled her closer, and we watched the movie, cheering at certain parts and watching intently as the president rallied the troops. We both were mouthing his words, and we burst out in laughter when we realized it. I was having such a good time, and it was a bit surprising. As the movie shifted into the space scenes, I looked down to find Missy asleep, her head leaning against my shoulder. Slowly I picked up my arm and let her head hit my chest. She snuggled in and I smiled, watching the rest of the movie.

When it was over, I slowly leaned forward and clicked the television off with the remote before standing quietly, trying not to wake her. I leaned down and picked her up, cradling her in my arms. I walked her back to her room and gently lay her down on the bed. I pulled her shoes off her feet and pulled the blanket up over her. She was so sweet asleep like that, and I couldn’t help myself from bending over her and kissing her gently on the cheek. She moaned softly and smiled, pulling the blanket up and snuggling back into a deep sleep. I turned the lights off and made my way out of the apartment, making sure to lock the door behind me.

At that moment I was conflicted. On the one hand, I felt like the richest man in the world, and I didn’t mean financially. I felt like I had this beautiful woman who wanted to be around me, and I was lucky enough to be there. On the other hand, I thought about my freedom, all the women I’d slept with, life without the drama of a relationship. In the end, I realized, I was more miserable when she bolted in my apartment than I was when my high school sweetheart cheated with the football captain. I didn’t know what to think really, so I closed my eyes on the car ride home and let myself relish the excitement. Because sadly, I didn’t know how long it would last. Missy had a secret that was really affecting her, and that meant I would have to wonder if she was going to continue to have me in her life or run screaming, ending the one good thing I had.