Distance Page 5

  Once we stepped inside, my eyes searched for Mason and Tate. It didn’t take me long to find them. The sight of Mason took my breath away. He was even more beautiful in the light of day.

  I stood there a little longer than was necessary because I couldn’t take my eyes off him. His brown hair was tousled and sexy. He was joking around with Tate, his smile enough to melt my insides. Then he turned so that his green eyes found me.

  A bigger smile, reserved just for me, broke out on his face as he made his way toward Elena and me. Elena bumped shoulders with me and quirked a smile, knowing just how much I was affected by him.

  “Hey, I’m glad you both made it. We already got a lane, you just need to go to the desk and pick out your shoes. They’re already paid for.”

  “You didn’t have to do that, Mason,” I said.

  “What kind of gentleman would I be if I invited you ladies out and didn’t pay? Come on, Tate is ready to start and he’s sort of driving me crazy.”

  He turned and headed back to the lane while we got our shoes. I put them on and boy, were they obnoxious. I turned to Elena. “These shoes are ridiculously ugly. What a way to make a fashion statement.”

  “Yeah, they’re sexy, maybe Bozo the clown might hit on me,” she giggled.

  Once we made it to the lane, Mason and Tate turned their attention to us. Mason instructed us to pick out a bowling ball. “It’s guys against girls.”

  Elena and I smiled widely. We used to be on a league freshman year in high school. This would be a piece of cake and we were going to hand their asses to them.

  “Sounds good, but girls go first,” I said.

  They smirked, like they knew they would win, so Mason and Tate nodded. I went first. Grabbing the blue ball that I picked out, I made my way up to the lane and got in form. I landed a perfect strike. Turning around and shimmying, I stuck my tongue out at the guys.

  Both of them busted out laughing at my antics. Mason got up and moved forward toward the lane before I had a chance to move out of the way. He brushed up against me and I swear my heart skipped a beat. The more time I spent with Mason, the more I had a feeling that I was in big trouble.

  Mason also threw a strike. He turned and bowed, pleased with himself. Both Elena and I frowned. We expected to beat them, no problem. It looked like the competition had just started.

  He came and sat down next to me while Elena was taking her turn. I was unfamiliar with the feelings Mason invoked in me. Jameson didn’t even make me feel this way. It made me wonder if I had really ever truly loved him in our three-year relationship. Shaking it off, I watched Tate take his turn and only miss two pins.

  The game progressed and I noticed Tate and Elena getting cozy with each other, which made things slightly awkward between Mason and me. It was obvious we had a connection, but I couldn’t allow myself to act on it.

  When the game was finally over, Elena and I beat the boys by ten points. We did a victory dance and bumped hips, smiling widely.

  “Great game, ladies, do you think us losers could buy you some lunch?”

  Elena was obviously into Tate and gave me a pleading look. I gave in. “Sure, what did you have in mind?”

  Tate chimed in. “There’s an awesome little Italian restaurant just down the coast about twenty minutes from here.”

  I perked up. “Wait, is it Juno’s on the beach?”

  He smiled widely. It was the biggest response I had gotten from Tate. “Yeah, that’s the place. Do you want to ride with us and we can drop you back off after lunch?”

  Elena didn’t even give me time to respond. “That sounds great.”

  We all returned our clown shoes in and stepped outside into the humid summer afternoon. Mason pulled out a set of keys that unlocked a newer blue Mustang. I was in love with it instantly. I had a thing for all years and models of Mustangs, as proven by my love of Polly.

  “I call shotgun! Elena gets to sit in the back with Tate,” I declared.

  Without a peep, they pushed the seats forward and got in. I pushed the passenger seat back before settling in the front seat.

  Mason started the car up and some alternative music was blaring out of the speakers. It was a great song, I had to admit, but playing entirely too loud. I thought the sound was going to burst my eardrums.

  He looked bashful and apologized after turning it down low. At least he had good taste in music.

  WHEN WE ARRIVED at the restaurant, Mason was nice enough to come around and open the door for me. I was beginning to think he was one of those elusive gentlemen I always dreamed about from my fairytales.

  It was hard to remind myself that this wasn’t a fairytale and he couldn’t be my prince charming. School was only a month away and I would be leaving life here in Florida.

  Almost as if Mason could tell I was thinking about him, he leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Did I mention how sexy you look today?”

  I sucked in a breath as his gorgeous lips brushed against my ear. It made me shiver and he noticed. “You know, Lexi, I like spending time with you.”

  He pulled away and, just like that, we were being led to our table. My heart was pounding and I was speechless. We definitely had chemistry, I wouldn’t deny that fact. He was worming his way into my heart and I wasn’t sure what to think anymore.

  I ended up sitting on the side of the booth with Mason since Tate and Elena were practically glued together. He seemed like a nice guy, I just hoped Elena didn’t break his heart. She was only looking for a short summer fling and Tate just happened to be her target.

  A blonde waitress came by and asked for our drink orders. I noticed her eyeing Mason the entire time she was at our table. It was weird. I felt slightly possessive of him, although I had no reason to be. He was just my friend.

  After the waitress left, Mason smiled and yet again I wanted to melt. He was seriously testing my resolve… brat. “So, how do you two know each other?”

  Elena loved to talk, especially about herself. “I met Lexi May our freshman year in high school. We bonded over our dislike of history. The first day, she fell asleep in class and her books fell onto the floor with a loud crash, effectively making a huge scene. It was hilarious! I just knew I would like her and we have been inseparable ever since.”

  Our drinks were finally delivered to our table and I grabbed my straw. Mom always told me it was good luck if you tied your wrapper, pulled, and the knot broke. I’ve done it ever since I was a kid.

  I put the straw in my soda and went about tying my knot. When I pulled, the unthinkable happened. Apparently, Mason’s drink was within hitting distance and I managed to knock it over.

  His soda poured out all over his lap. My eyes went as wide as quarters. “Oh no, I’m so sorry, Mason.”

  Running on pure embarrassment, I grabbed a stack of napkins and began to clean it up. Once the table was safe, I started soaking up the liquid from his lap. It wasn’t until I felt his pants tighten that I realized my second mistake.

  I pulled away and blushed. Placing my hands in his crotch was probably not the best move. I was so embarrassed. Mason just laughed. “It’s no big deal, Lexi, really.”

  Then Mason excused himself to go clean up. There was no way I was turning to look at him. I had just given him a hard-on in a restaurant with all eyes on us. Elena and Tate weren’t helping. They were howling with laughter. Just shoot me now.

  He returned and gave me a reassuring smile. He still had a wet spot, but I tried not to look. After that, we ate, but I spent most of the time pushing my food around the plate. I was still embarrassed even though Mason seemed completely over it. Elena didn’t have a problem teasing me about it, though.

  After the guys paid for our meals, Mason grasped my hand and pulled me outside ahead of the other two. We stopped in front of the car and I looked down at the ground. Ugh, this was going to be awkward.

  Mason put his hand under my chin and brought my face level with his. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about, it was just a littl
e soda. As for the other thing that happened, I’m just a guy and you’re an incredibly sexy girl. It couldn’t be helped.”

  He curled the corner of his lip up in a half smile and I wanted to melt, yet again. It was adorable. I was still at a loss for words, so I just nodded. Elena and Tate approached and Mason winked at me before opening the door for us.

  Once we were on our way back, I rolled my eyes when I noticed Elena and Tate making out in the backseat. He had his hands wrapped in her chocolate-brown hair and it looked a little intense. I looked over at Mason and he just laughed.

  It didn’t seem like much got to Mason. Could he be tied down? The guy was gorgeous and had an awesome personality. Tied down, hmm … All sorts of thoughts ran through my head as I imagined Mason in very compromising positions.

  Shaking myself out of the most inappropriate thoughts, I knew my skin would betray me by its bright pink color. Turning my head, I looked out the window the rest of the drive back to the bowling alley.

  When we pulled up to Polly, Mason put the car in park. “Today was fun. Let’s do something again soon.”

  I smiled and nodded, just wanting to put some distance between us before I did or said anything else embarrassing. After I got out, I watched Elena kiss Tate goodbye and then shut the door behind her.

  We got in my car, watching them drive away. I was utterly speechless. There were no words for what kinds of thoughts had been running through my head. It was so unlike me and definitely new territory.

  The minute I started Polly and turned out of the parking lot, Elena started. “No freaking way, Lexi May! You totally want Mason! Don’t think I missed what happened, either. The look on your face was priceless.”

  “Don’t remind me; that was so embarrassing!”

  Elena raised one brow, eyeing me in suspicion. “Stop avoiding the point. You like Mason.”

  “It doesn’t matter, we’re just friends. Nothing more can happen. What about you and Tate? Things seem to be getting steamy between the two of you.”

  “I think Tate is going to be my end-of-summer fling. He’s hot and I love the surfer boy type. Besides, I work most nights, so it’s not like it can get too intense.”

  “He seems nice, so please, don’t break his heart. I don’t want Mason to stop talking to me over you and Tate,” I pleaded.

  “Oh, once again, it’s about Mason. I’ll tell you what, let’s place a wee bet. If you get together with Mason this summer, I will gladly take the top bunk bed and suck it up.”

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Elena was so persistent sometimes. “I’m not getting together with him, and you have to take the top bunk anyways. I hate being that close to the ceiling, i’ll always be afraid of hitting my head.”

  “Nope, you will be getting it if you don’t get together with him. I don’t know why you’re fighting it so much, it’s obvious you guys have some hot chemistry.”

  “Why do you want me to hook up with him so much? It’s not like it’s going to affect you.”

  Elena grinned deviously. “I hated that dum-dum who cheated on you and think you deserve better. Mason is like a knight in shining armor, not to mention the way he looks at you.”

  “What way does he look at me? He just wants to be friends too.”

  “No way, girl, he wants you. The way he looks at you makes me want to throw myself at him. I’m telling you, he isn’t thinking about being your friend.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I can’t just have a fling like you. I’ll get attached and then college will happen. I’ll have a broken heart all over again and there’s no way I’m putting myself through that.”

  “Well then, I hope you enjoy the top bunk.”

  Gah, she was obnoxious sometimes. I needed him as a friend or I would be ready to climb the walls by the end of the summer. With Elena working all the time at night and having a fling with Tate, there wouldn’t be much time for me since I worked days.

  I loved her, and I would miss her, but I still needed someone in my life. I wasn’t good at being alone and Mom was always gone too. Hanging out with Mason was the perfect solution now that I had been cheated on and was currently boyfriend-less. It needed to stay simple, I needed uncomplicated in my life.

  The only reason spoiled Elena was working, as I was this summer, was because her parents refused to pay for her to join a sorority and we really wanted to. Plus, the money we were making would come in handy for alcohol. I’m pretty sure our parents didn’t put that in the budget.

  “Fine, bet all you want, but I doubt we will get together. I know you say he likes me, but I still don’t think it matters. Besides, you know I won’t take the top bunk no matter what.”

  “Hmm … I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what the rest of the summer brings.”

  Our conversation thankfully came to an end, when I pulled up to her house. “What are we doing tomorrow?”

  “Oh, nothing I guess. I start work around four and need to catch up on my sleep. I work the rest of the week, so we’ll have to see. I’ll call you when I get a chance, though.”

  “Have fun at the bar!” I hollered as she shut the door and headed up the driveway.

  She nodded and waved before I pulled away. There were too many errant thoughts running through my head, so I made sure to remain in silence with only the sounds of nature filling the car.

  Could I really hook up with Mason? No, the answer came instantly. I wouldn’t suffer a broken heart again and Mason seemed like the kind of guy I could really fall for. I was sticking to the original plan.

  It turns out, I was right. It was Wednesday and I hadn’t heard anything from Mason. He probably realized I wasn’t going to hook up with him and dropped me as soon as he could, politely. Really, who could blame him? I was an emotionally unavailable girl with an impenetrable shield up.

  I blamed Jameson for that. He was always pressuring me to have sex. It was “baby, please” and “I want you so bad right now,” coming out of his mouth anytime we were alone. He just made me want to push back more.

  The closest we ever came was senior prom. He rented us a hotel room and sleeping wasn’t what he had in mind. I thought I was ready, but when the time came, it didn’t feel right. Suddenly, I couldn’t imagine giving myself to him. Instead, I freaked out and called Mom to come pick me up. She never said a word about it and, for that, I was grateful.

  After that, I pulled back from our relationship a bit. We still went out and he still tried all the time, but it didn’t feel the same anymore. Truthfully, that tramp stealing him was probably for the best. That didn’t mean the betrayal didn’t hurt, but I was finally seeing that our breakup needed to take place.

  Yes, it would have happened at the end of the summer anyways, but I don’t regret the end of our relationship anymore. I thought Mason would be the one to save me from the rest of my end of summer solitude, but no, he hadn’t called or texted me.

  I worked earlier, but my job was extremely part time and it was just enough to feed my savings. Feeling lonely, I decided to text Elena anyways and see what she was up to.

  Me: Hey girl, what are you up to?

  It took a few minutes to get a response.

  Elena: Getting ready to go to work. How r u?

  Me: Mason hasn’t called and I need to get out of here. I’m bored as hell

  Elena: You can come up to the club tonight if you want. I’ll get Brady to hook you up with drinks.

  Me: No, I would feel like a total loser going to a club alone. Thanks anyways. How r things w Tate?

  Elena: GREAT! He’s a lot of fun to hang out with. R u sure u don’t want to come up tonight?

  Me: I’m sure, but that’s g8t about Tate. I’m happy 4 u. Gotta go, ttyl

  Elena: Later

  When our conversation was finished, I tossed the phone across the couch and sighed. What was I going to do? I was so bored. I didn’t want to hook up with Mason anyways, but damn it if him not calling me wasn’t making me constantly think about him.

 
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him. His smile made me want to melt. The sexy hair, expressive eyes, and perfect body were etched into my mind. I told myself I didn’t want anything more than friendship, but not hearing from him only made me think about him in very un-friend-like ways.

  My train of thought was broken when the phone rang. It was probably Elena calling me back.

  “Hello?”

  Silence.

  “Hello?” I asked once again.

  There was silence and then a dial tone. Weird, this was becoming somewhat of a habit. It made me wonder if Jameson was calling because he missed the sound of my voice. Maybe it was a very pissed off Christy, since he broke up with her to get back together with me. Either way, I wasn’t too happy about it.

  By the time Mom got home, I had resorted to watching reality television, something I hated. She took one look at the TV and then me, frowning.

  “Why are you watching this crap, Lexi? Are you okay? Is this about breaking up with Jameson?”

  “No, it’s not about Jameson. I’m just so bored. There haven’t been a lot of hours at work and Elena is working like crazy. Mason hasn’t called me since we went out Sunday and I embarrassed myself by spilling his drink in his lap. This summer isn’t ending how I wanted it to.”

  “I want you to enjoy your last summer before college. I’m sure Elena is finding out working that much isn’t fun. It’s called work for a reason. As for Mason, it sounds like his loss. You’re a gorgeous girl and he must be blind if he can’t see that.”

  “He called me sexy, but I don’t know why he isn’t calling me. It is more disappointing than I expected it to be. What am I going to do with myself?”

  “Well, it’s not much, but I had a graduation surprise for you. With work being so hectic, I wasn’t sure when we could do it, but it sounds like now is that time.”

  “Don’t keep me in suspense, Mom, spill.”

  “How does five days in Key West sound to you? You could shop, work on your tan, relax, and even hit up the Dry Tortugas for some snorkeling and exploring. I can do as much or as little with you that you want. Of course there would be two days’ worth of driving also, so it would be all week long.”