headed in his direction as soon as he walked through the door before her brain caught up and veered her toward a table where Mason was covering busboy duties. It may not have been her best idea. They were ‘friends’ now. She could have at least said hi. But hanging out with Mason helped distract her from the sharp ache that seeing Jay again had brought on. Plus, he was her ride.
It turned out Ashlyn didn’t have the market cornered on persistence. She seemed to share it with Mason. And when the two of them teamed up, Em found herself in over her head.
“I come bearing pizza. If you don’t let me in, Ash will kick you out.” Mason stood on the front step in jeans and a khaki colored coat that brought out the highlights in his dark, wind-mussed hair perfectly, holding a large cardboard box. If there were a fast food calendar, he’d definitely be on the cover. There was no denying he was good looking.
“It’s true!” Ashlyn’s voice carried from down the hall. “ Pizza is the magic word around here. Let the man in.”
Em stepped back to let him pass and Mason made himself right at home in Ash’s living r oom, setting the box on the coffee table.
“How’s the phone working out for ya?”
“Took a few days to figure it out, but I think I’ve got it now.”
“All that newfangled technology.” He winked at her with a laugh and pulled a book from an inside pocket of his coat. “I brought you something else.”
“What’s this?” Em glanced at the glossy cover.
“It’s a GED prep guide.”
“Mason, I can’t—”
“You can. You and Jay can do it together.”
Em stared back at him thoroughly confused. He was doing this for her and Jay ?
“Look, I know I don’t know much about you. Where you came from , or how the hell you ended up here.” Em’s gut clenched with fear that he was about to ask some unanswerable questions. He didn’t. “But I do know you’re a smart girl. I just don’t want to see you stuck at Bart’s for the rest of your life. You can do better than that, Em.”
Dammit, Ash was right. Mason was a good guy. And he was right. She’d always been a good student. She could do better than Bart’s, and waiting tables for the rest of her life didn’t sound all that appealing when she really thought about it.
“Um . . . I . . . I don’t know about Jay, but I’d like to give it a try. Do you think maybe . . . you could help me study? If you’re not too busy.” The last bit all came out in a rush of breath and Em wanted to smack herself. She sounded like a twelve-year-old trying to score her first date.
“Where’s the food?” Ashlyn plopped on the couch opposite them. She froze mid-reach as her gaze drifted back and forth between Em and Mason , and a sly grin spread across her face. “I’ll take mine to go. Thanks.” She snatched a slice from the box before scrambling back out of the room.
Way to be subtle, Ash. Em rolled her eyes at her friends retreating back and sank deeper into the couch cushions.
Mason chuckled, fishing out two more slices and passing one to Em. “Friday night?”
“Huh?”
“Studying. How’s Friday night? We work the same afternoon shift. We can go to the library for a bit afterward and then maybe hit up the movies to unwind?”
This was seriously happening. Em took a deep breath and responded with a smile, “Sure. It’s a date.”
Mason grinned back at her, and Em wondered for the billionth time if this was a terrible idea.
***
Mason was the whole package. Not just the looks, but the brains to go with them. Em had always been above average in terms of schoolwork, but trying to study for a high school degree after having been away from it for so long was difficult. Mason was an amazing help, patiently explaining formulas and problems for hours until the library announced it was closing time.
“You hungry?”
Em’s stomach answered for her at the mere mention of food, growling loudly enough to embarrass her in the quiet
It turned out Ashlyn didn’t have the market cornered on persistence. She seemed to share it with Mason. And when the two of them teamed up, Em found herself in over her head.
“I come bearing pizza. If you don’t let me in, Ash will kick you out.” Mason stood on the front step in jeans and a khaki colored coat that brought out the highlights in his dark, wind-mussed hair perfectly, holding a large cardboard box. If there were a fast food calendar, he’d definitely be on the cover. There was no denying he was good looking.
“It’s true!” Ashlyn’s voice carried from down the hall. “ Pizza is the magic word around here. Let the man in.”
Em stepped back to let him pass and Mason made himself right at home in Ash’s living r oom, setting the box on the coffee table.
“How’s the phone working out for ya?”
“Took a few days to figure it out, but I think I’ve got it now.”
“All that newfangled technology.” He winked at her with a laugh and pulled a book from an inside pocket of his coat. “I brought you something else.”
“What’s this?” Em glanced at the glossy cover.
“It’s a GED prep guide.”
“Mason, I can’t—”
“You can. You and Jay can do it together.”
Em stared back at him thoroughly confused. He was doing this for her and Jay ?
“Look, I know I don’t know much about you. Where you came from , or how the hell you ended up here.” Em’s gut clenched with fear that he was about to ask some unanswerable questions. He didn’t. “But I do know you’re a smart girl. I just don’t want to see you stuck at Bart’s for the rest of your life. You can do better than that, Em.”
Dammit, Ash was right. Mason was a good guy. And he was right. She’d always been a good student. She could do better than Bart’s, and waiting tables for the rest of her life didn’t sound all that appealing when she really thought about it.
“Um . . . I . . . I don’t know about Jay, but I’d like to give it a try. Do you think maybe . . . you could help me study? If you’re not too busy.” The last bit all came out in a rush of breath and Em wanted to smack herself. She sounded like a twelve-year-old trying to score her first date.
“Where’s the food?” Ashlyn plopped on the couch opposite them. She froze mid-reach as her gaze drifted back and forth between Em and Mason , and a sly grin spread across her face. “I’ll take mine to go. Thanks.” She snatched a slice from the box before scrambling back out of the room.
Way to be subtle, Ash. Em rolled her eyes at her friends retreating back and sank deeper into the couch cushions.
Mason chuckled, fishing out two more slices and passing one to Em. “Friday night?”
“Huh?”
“Studying. How’s Friday night? We work the same afternoon shift. We can go to the library for a bit afterward and then maybe hit up the movies to unwind?”
This was seriously happening. Em took a deep breath and responded with a smile, “Sure. It’s a date.”
Mason grinned back at her, and Em wondered for the billionth time if this was a terrible idea.
***
Mason was the whole package. Not just the looks, but the brains to go with them. Em had always been above average in terms of schoolwork, but trying to study for a high school degree after having been away from it for so long was difficult. Mason was an amazing help, patiently explaining formulas and problems for hours until the library announced it was closing time.
“You hungry?”
Em’s stomach answered for her at the mere mention of food, growling loudly enough to embarrass her in the quiet
Similar Books
