right, I’m Cole. Did I introduce myself yet? I’m freezing my butt off here, I don’t recall it.” Cole chuckled hoarsely while Mason’s eyes escaped lower when he mentioned his butt.
That must’ve been a fine ass. Not that he could see it.
Cole offered him his hand.
Mason was a bit hesitant to accept it at first, and Cole must’ve figured that out.
“Come on, I don’t bite! Well, I can, but only if you ask me to!” He winked at Mason.
Oh. Oh no. Was Cole flirting with him? Was that possible? No, no. Couldn’t be. He was getting flustered, and his face felt hot. Was he blushing again? Could Cole tell?
“I’m joking!” Cole laughed and shook his head. “You’re a shy little fox, aren’t you?” He grinned, and Mason coughed to clear his throat.
“No. Yes? No. No, stop that.” He bit his lip. “I’m Mason,” he said and reached for Cole’s hand. He just wanted to shake it and let go, but Cole captured it in a firm handshake.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mason.” His smile was warm. Mason couldn’t help but wonder whether he’d still be pleased if he knew the truth. Cole ended up freezing and standing outside in his underwear, and Mason was the one to blame. He also enjoyed the view a bit too much. So he just nodded.
“I’m just sorry we met like this,” Mason blurted out. So much about him feeling guilty. His words sounded sincere, and he even made the effort to put a warm smile on his face. “Sometimes I wonder if people even think about what they’re doing, you know?” He read somewhere that the easiest way for people to bond was to dislike a common object, or in this case, subject. In his defense, he liked Cole a lot. He gave him an odd feeling he couldn’t quite name, and he felt hurricanes in his insides when Cole smiled. It had to be something, even if Mason was always awfully awkward in these situations.
His sister once said he was like a baby deer, stumbling around. Confused and lost, but also adorable. Mason disliked the comparison. He told her he wanted to be graceful and elegant, not clumsy and disoriented. She just laughed at him because they both knew she had a point.
Mason could generally be described as a lost person. He had the ability to lose himself even in the places that were known to him, and he always misplaced something. He got distracted often, and most of the things he said were long and complicated because he got perplexed again and again. And sometimes he’d forget what he wanted to say midsentence.
But Mason refused to acknowledge those things. He chose to ignore everything he didn’t like anyway. It turned out to be easier that way, even if he didn’t like it when things were easy. He read tons of books, and he loved the idea of leading an adventurous life. So far his adventures included skinny-dipping—but that didn’t count because he did it on his own—and baking at midnight—and that clearly didn’t end well. He was starting to think that he simply wasn’t the type of person to live dangerously….
But now Mason found himself standing in front of a building in the middle of the night. The firefighters were inside, putting out the fire he started. And he was talking—flirting?—with an attractive stranger who could be described as almost naked. Well, wearing only his briefs. And, of course, Mason’s scarf—he couldn’t just forget that! It filled him with something new. Excitement? He usually got excited over new books and cake. This felt like a different kind of excitement, and he loved it. It also made him feel like the worst person ever for liking the situation, since it was quite obvious Cole was cold.
“Well, people are idiots. It’s what I always said. My ex-boyfriend told me I should be more optimistic about it. Then again, people always disappoint. Wow, I’m sorry, that was dark.” Cole chuckled again, and Mason couldn’t help but smile. He had to admit that for someone who claimed he said dark things, Cole sure liked
That must’ve been a fine ass. Not that he could see it.
Cole offered him his hand.
Mason was a bit hesitant to accept it at first, and Cole must’ve figured that out.
“Come on, I don’t bite! Well, I can, but only if you ask me to!” He winked at Mason.
Oh. Oh no. Was Cole flirting with him? Was that possible? No, no. Couldn’t be. He was getting flustered, and his face felt hot. Was he blushing again? Could Cole tell?
“I’m joking!” Cole laughed and shook his head. “You’re a shy little fox, aren’t you?” He grinned, and Mason coughed to clear his throat.
“No. Yes? No. No, stop that.” He bit his lip. “I’m Mason,” he said and reached for Cole’s hand. He just wanted to shake it and let go, but Cole captured it in a firm handshake.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mason.” His smile was warm. Mason couldn’t help but wonder whether he’d still be pleased if he knew the truth. Cole ended up freezing and standing outside in his underwear, and Mason was the one to blame. He also enjoyed the view a bit too much. So he just nodded.
“I’m just sorry we met like this,” Mason blurted out. So much about him feeling guilty. His words sounded sincere, and he even made the effort to put a warm smile on his face. “Sometimes I wonder if people even think about what they’re doing, you know?” He read somewhere that the easiest way for people to bond was to dislike a common object, or in this case, subject. In his defense, he liked Cole a lot. He gave him an odd feeling he couldn’t quite name, and he felt hurricanes in his insides when Cole smiled. It had to be something, even if Mason was always awfully awkward in these situations.
His sister once said he was like a baby deer, stumbling around. Confused and lost, but also adorable. Mason disliked the comparison. He told her he wanted to be graceful and elegant, not clumsy and disoriented. She just laughed at him because they both knew she had a point.
Mason could generally be described as a lost person. He had the ability to lose himself even in the places that were known to him, and he always misplaced something. He got distracted often, and most of the things he said were long and complicated because he got perplexed again and again. And sometimes he’d forget what he wanted to say midsentence.
But Mason refused to acknowledge those things. He chose to ignore everything he didn’t like anyway. It turned out to be easier that way, even if he didn’t like it when things were easy. He read tons of books, and he loved the idea of leading an adventurous life. So far his adventures included skinny-dipping—but that didn’t count because he did it on his own—and baking at midnight—and that clearly didn’t end well. He was starting to think that he simply wasn’t the type of person to live dangerously….
But now Mason found himself standing in front of a building in the middle of the night. The firefighters were inside, putting out the fire he started. And he was talking—flirting?—with an attractive stranger who could be described as almost naked. Well, wearing only his briefs. And, of course, Mason’s scarf—he couldn’t just forget that! It filled him with something new. Excitement? He usually got excited over new books and cake. This felt like a different kind of excitement, and he loved it. It also made him feel like the worst person ever for liking the situation, since it was quite obvious Cole was cold.
“Well, people are idiots. It’s what I always said. My ex-boyfriend told me I should be more optimistic about it. Then again, people always disappoint. Wow, I’m sorry, that was dark.” Cole chuckled again, and Mason couldn’t help but smile. He had to admit that for someone who claimed he said dark things, Cole sure liked
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