Bittersweet Deceit (8 page)

“Thank you,” I said, still shaky on my feet.

Once we stepped out into the hall, I saw Mason sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. “Mason? Give me a minute to get settled and then come see me.” He didn’t look well himself. When he glanced up I noticed the pronounced lines on his forehead and his five o’clock shadow. He just nodded.

Stayman continued to baffle me with his kindness. He helped me get into bed and placed the cool
washcloth on my forehead. I had never let a man take care of me before. Stay seemed so natural at it.

“Try to drink a few sips of water,” he said, holding out the glass to me. “You don’t want to get dehydrated.”

I did as directed and then asked Stay to go get Mason. Feeling ill, exposed, and vulnerable I willed myself to keep it together.
No more tears, girl.

Mason came into the room, shoulders down, looking dejected. “Baby, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. I’d be the one caring for you instead of...” He paused momentarily. “the boy.”

“I don’t know what to say. You hurt me, Mason. It’s bad enough I have to deal with canceled plans, rescheduling, waiting, but not even calling to let me know? What the hell?”

“I won’t let it happen again,” he said, taking my hand in his and kissing it like he did that first night.

“Make sure it doesn’t.” I didn’t have the energy to fight so I let it go. Brushing my hand across his cheek, I said, “I like you needing a shave.”

“
I’ll have to remember that.” He gave me a slight smile and it boosted my energy. “I have to go soon. I wish I could stay and spoon you to sleep with my hand across your belly.”

We stared at each
other in silence and I could see the pain underneath. He had placed himself between two
women he could never fully satisfy. My heart thawed a bit.

“Le
t me make it up to you on Friday.” Mason took a strand of my hair and looped it behind my ear.

“I thought you
had a long day with a new CEO.”

“I’ll leave earlier than I originally planned.”
He came onto the bed and cuddled me against him.

“I can’t—” I shifted uncomforta
bly, trying to sit up.

“What do you mean you can’t?”
He increased the space between us.

“I have plans and they can’t be changed. How about
Saturday?”

“With who? The boy?”

“His name is Stayman and the answer is yes. He had an extra ticket to see Ed Sheeran and I said I’d go. Of course that assumes I stop throwing up and feel well enough to go into work tomorrow and Friday.”

“Baby going with him isn’t a good idea. He already likes you. Do you really want to lead him on?”

I sat for a moment with my brow scrunched together, feeling the tension in my forehead. I tried to wrap my head around what he said. Not the part that Stay was interested, I’d have to be dead not to realize that, but because Mason had an expectation of monogamy from me.

What came out of my mouth was, “What makes you think he likes me?”

“Aside from the fact that he blatantly told me that he does? What man takes care of woman he’s not into?”

“Uh, how about a friend? What did he say?”

“Really, Lainie? I have to run and that’s what you want to talk about?”

“No, you’re
right.” I lay back and he hugged me to him. I tilted my head up and said, “Let me know about Saturday.”

“What time do you think you’ll be home
Friday?”

“Late, I
have to assume. The show doesn’t start until eight and it’s in West Palm Beach.”

“What about before that?”
He sat up and moved toward the edge of the bed.

“We’re going to dinner.”

He stood up and said, “I’m not happy about this.”

“Don’t expect me to stay at home being a hermit between our visits.”

“Clearly. I’ve got to go.” His stare seared my skin, as did his displeasure.

“Mason,” I said, holding out my hand to him.

He took my hand and said, “Don’t have sex with him.”

I peered up at him and said, “I don’t plan to.”

“I love you, Lainie. Don’t forget that,” he said and then he left.

Holy mother of god, what the
hell?
I took a few sips of water and then rested my head down on the pillow. That lasted a few seconds until my stomach protested. I pulled myself back up into a sitting position.

“He didn’t look happy,” Stay said as he entered my bedroom
carrying two plates. “Do you think you could handle eating a cracker? By the way this is a very ingenious way, albeit unconventional, to woo a man to your place. The smoked Gouda is excellent on the rosemary crackers.”

“Very funny. I’m scared to eat anything at the moment.”

“I’ll put this on your side table in case you changed your mind. Here, put this on your forehead,” he said, handing me the washcloth. “Do you want to be alone?”

“No. I can’t sleep yet. My stomach is still too
upset, but if you need to get up early for work—”

“I work freelance and set my own schedule,” he said as he settled himself on the bed facing me.

“Must be nice. I think I recall you saying something about working with computers?”

“Game animation.”
He placed a slice of cheese on top of a cracker and tossed it into his mouth.

“Get the fuck out of town, really?”

“Really, really.”

“Well that’s cool.
Not that I’m into gaming but I’m awed by the creativity. Probably because I don’t have a lick of it myself.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true.” The way he said it made me blush.

“Well, all creativity should have its admirers.”

“Most definitely,” he said and winked.

“Stop that.”

“Stop what?” he asked, affecting an innocent expression.

“Flirting.”

“That’s an impossible request when I’m around you so you’ll just have to learn to tolerate it.”

“You come across as this mild mannered man, but I can tell you’re a handful.”

“You think so?”

“A very caring handful, but yes.”

“Hopefully you
’ll find out.” And he winked again.

I laughed. I practically wanted to hug him for taking my mind off my nausea.

“So Mason’s an interesting man. Clearly married.”

“How would you know that?”
I asked my volume louder than normal.

“I don’t think it makes me a genius to pick up the signs. I didn’t even have to use my stellar intuition to deduce that. For one, you never bring him to Red’s
; two, he hovered at your door but didn’t want me to see him; and three, he didn’t stay to take care of you. So he’s either an asshole or married. I went with married.”

“Well, I—”

“He wasn’t at all happy about my presence.” He coupled another slice of cheese between two crackers.

“He made that abundantly clear.”
I took another small sip of water.

“Did he? What else did he say?”

“That you professed your love for me and I was forbidden to have sex with you.” I pursed my lips, holding back a laugh. “I exaggerate but that was the general gist. What did you actually say? He wouldn’t tell me.”

“You asked him?” A bright smile lit up his face. “He must have loved that.”

“Don’t go puffing out your chest or anything. I’m ill and not thinking clearly. So...”

“I said that I’m very interested in getting to know you better
, and now I know what’s been getting in the way. I told him I planned to pursue you.” He ate more of his snack and washed it down with sweet tea that he must have found in the back of the refrigerator.

“You said that?”

“I’m not into men, but he certainly has it in the looks department. Even at his age, he’s genetically gifted. So instead of dazzling you with my good looks, I’ll have to win you over with my incredible wit and intelligence. If that fails, I’ll have to pull out my tantric tricks.”

“And if I said I wasn’t interested?”

“I would know you’re lying. You’re just distracted at the moment. I’m a patient man.”

“
I love him,” I said and sighed.

“I believe you, but you’re not happy.”

“That’s a bit presumptuous.”

He shrugged.
“Maybe it is, but it’s still true.”

“Are you always this way?”

“What way?” Stay took the washcloth off my forehead and shook it out, letting it get cool.

“So confident of your own ideas?”

“Not ideas, perceptions and yes.” He refolded the cloth.

“Well add this to your perceptions then, I’m open for friendship and nothing more. I know my relationship with Mason won’t last forever
, but I’m monogamous.”

“Even if he’s not?”

“Even.”

He
slanted his head and raised an eyebrow.

“
Well that’s not exactly true. If I found out he was sleeping with his wife or anyone else, I’d be livid.”

“Well then, I hope you don’t find out.” He replaced the washcloth on my forehead.

“Are you saying—never mind.” I didn’t want to know. “Why do you carry a handkerchief?”

“My grandmother said that all gentlemen used to carry them
, and it’s a shame that my generation didn’t. I started keeping one in my back pocket when I was eleven years old to please her. I found it very useful and never stopped. How often do you use a restroom that’s out of paper towels? Or have a flat tire that needs to be fixed but have nothing to wipe your hands on. Or to give to a damsel in distress, like yourself. I could go on listing examples, but I’ll spare you. I’m a handkerchief zealot.”

“That’s funny.” When I
fished out an ice chip from the water, the washcloth fell off in the process.

Stay shook it out again and said, “It feels really good on the back of the neck too.” I leaned forward and he wrapped it around the
nape of my neck.

“Thank you,” I said, making e
ye contact. I felt the positive, sexual energy he projected my way, but I dismissed it, convinced that being sick had made me unusually vulnerable. “Did your grandmother raise you?”

“Yes, from eleven on. My folks weren’t the reliable sort.
Alcohol was their poison, still is from what I’ve heard. Even before I lived with Granny permanently, I spent a lot of my time at her house.”

“Jacqs told me that you don’t drink alcohol. Is that because of your parents?”

“Yes and no. It was poison for me too. I didn’t like the person I was when I drank and neither would’ve you.
Bond and Red stuck by me. Especially Bond. He picked me up off the ground many a time and tried to talk sense into me, still loving me even when I was a flaming dick. Red stopped me from getting my ass kicked on several occasions.”

“What made you stop?”

“My grandmother. She had really sacrificed a lot to raise me, even her marriage with my grandfather. That’s a long story for another time. I was a real handful in my teens and early twenties. One night she needed me and I told her I would come and I didn’t show. I got shitfaced and passed out at Bond’s old apartment. It’s not like I hadn’t disappointed my grandmother before but that last time, I could literally feel her pain. She thought she’d failed again and that I had become another lost cause. She didn’t say those things, she didn’t need to. She was my only family and she loved me unconditionally for years. That night broke me, and I thank the universe every day for it. I never had a drink again.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I believe that everything in life shapes us into the people we are and I’m happy with myself. My grandmother is a truly wonderful woman and my parents are just people. They have a harder time coping with life than most.”

“That’s a healthy attitude.
You seem at ease with yourself. I’m definitely not there yet.”

“You’re also not as far away as you think.”

“Thanks for your vote of confidence.”

“Anytime. Ready to try to sleep?” He stood already expecting my answer.

“Yes. Stay, I ... I can’t thank you enough. How will I ever repay you?” I lay down and he pulled the sheet and blanket around me.

“I have several things in mind, but you need to rest up first,” he said with his cheeky smile.

I chuckled and tried not to show my real reaction. “Seriously, thank you for being such a good friend.”

“You’re welcome. Where should I sleep?” he said, stepping away from the side of the bed.

“The couch in the second bedroom becomes a bed. The sheets are in the closet.”

“I could sleep in here with you, just in case you need me during the night.”

“Tempting as it may be, I think it might be better if you take the couch.”