Full Court Press (14 page)

“Funny Jack, he’s not here.”

“He’s here. He’s over by the patio.”

I turned to look and even with three drinks in my system I could clearly see Mason.

Oh God ! Oh God! Oh my God! I can’t believe this is really happening. Jack was serious, Mason is here. I never even noticed him sitting at the table by the patio. Bolingcreek is not that big. I guess one day I was going to run into Mason on the street somewhere. I never imagined it would be when I was with Jack. There was only one Mason. I had just seen him up close and personal when I had his dick in my mouth and when he was holding my legs and ramming his dick in me. That was just a few hours ago.

My heart was beating out of control. I tried not to look over at his table. I only focused on Jack.

“There’s your ex. He’s coming this way? Are you going to speak to him?”

I wasn’t sure if Jack was being sarcastic or not. “I’m going to follow your lead.” I hope that worked for him. I refused to bail anybody out of jail tonight. This little rivalry was getting old. I prayed that Jack would just ignore Mason and let him leave this bar without incident.

I could tell Mason was approaching because Jack moved all his attention from me. He had to be following Mason with his eyes and Mason had to be getting closer to our table. Mason had to pass our table to exit the bar.

I hoped Jack would just let Mason walk on by.
Jack may think he’s tough because of those kickboxing classes he takes with my brother. I kept my eyes focused on Jack. I had no idea how to read him. I got a glimpse of Mason’s jeans in my peripheral vision. Oh shit. My life is a movie. This couldn’t really be happening. My boyfriend and my lover inches apart, I can’t breathe.

“Mason!” Jack yelled over the music to get Mason’s attention. Is this really happening?

Mason stopped only inches from our table. There was no way Mason would keep it moving. He is not that kind of guy. Mason’s nephew RJ was a step behind him. Mason focused his eyes on Jack but RJ was staring me down to the ground.

“Jack.” Mason calmly added. “How you been?”
He warmly smiled.

Jack looked at me and I had both my eyes trained on my man.
Well Jack, I guess both of these men were mine to some degree or another.

“I’ve been great. How’s Tess?”
Jack finally answered. I think he was stunned by Mason’s pleasantness. He wasn’t the only one.

Oh shit! Why is Jack fucking with Mason?
Why would he ask about Mason’s wife? He knows Mason’s mother died a few months ago. Give him a break already.

I
couldn’t help but glance up at Mason and so did Jack. I guess we were both waiting for his response.

Mason was cool as the breeze. He paused and smiled down at Jack. “Tess is great. My entire family is great. I see you and Kari are still going strong.” There was a
frostiness in Mason’s voice that made me nervous.

Jack caught me looking up at Mason and he was on ten. I could see it in his eyes.
I wasn’t looking at Mason all lovey-dovey. I was only trying to plead to Mason with my eyes. I was trying to tell Mason not to put me on blast. Clearly Mason didn’t have to one up Jack. He had sexed me hard, long and strong just a few hours ago. I didn’t want him to rat me out to my boyfriend. I wasn’t breaking up any fights.

Jack forced a smile.
“Me and Kari are solid. I love her enough to prove it.”

“Really?” Mason smirked. I had no idea what Jack was getting at.

“Really, I had the balls to leave my wife for the woman I love. Some of us are all talk and no action.” Oh God! Jack was on some bullshit. He had consulted with an attorney months before we went on our first date. He was never divorcing his wife for me. He was getting a divorce regardless.

There was this long scary pause where Mason glared at Jack and Jack glared right back at him. I was afraid to speak.
I wasn’t going to interfere with this grown man bullshit. I was silently praying to myself. I prayed for Mason to keep his cool. Jack would never strike first but Mafia Mason was hot to ball his fists.

I could read Mason’s face and I knew he was two seconds off opening that
supersized can of whoop ass he carried around in his back pocket.

“Uncle Mace, it’s time we jet.” RJ broke the thick ass silence.
Damn! I forgot that kid was even standing there.

Mason grinned. “Nice to see you again Kari.” Mason smiled at me and give no indication that he had pumped me full of his lead pipe a few hours ago.
He turned his absent eyes to Jack. “And Jack it’s always a pleasure.”

Mason walked away like he was some big time gangster for the old country. RJ was right in line behind him. Mason had obviously taught him something because RJ didn’t give anything away. That kid knew Mason had me s
creaming like a banshee at least three times a week. RJ was like an apprentice gangster in training.

Once Mason asked me why I scream so loud during sex. No one’s ever asked me that before. I didn’t even know I was that loud. It’s not like I was ever around when other woman were having sex so how the hell would I know what sounds the other chicks were making. I told him the truth. I told him his dick felt so good that it made me scream like a banshee. Although he had heard of the saying he wanted to know what a banshee was.

I pretended not to know and he said he didn’t believe me. Mason refused to let me play dumb. He told me I have too many books in my house and anyone with that many books was smart. He said anyone with half a brain could see that. He told me not every person has the complete works of Shakespeare. He said I say things the average person wouldn’t say.

Men have always looked at my outsides. They never listen to the words that come out
of my mouth. Mason was different. He listened to me. He could recite my words back to me verbatim. He couldn’t be fooled by me and I loved him for it.

I had no choice but to tell Mason what a banshee is. He listened intently as I told him in Irish Mythology a banshee was a fairy woman that wails when someone is close to death.
I told him the banshee is seen as an omen of death and the deliverer from the spirit world. How fitting I work at FedEx and we deliver packages.

I joked that metaphorically in the case of me screaming, it was probably because he was stabbing me with his dick and my screams were because he was killing my p
ussy. He got a kick out of that. He even laughed about it. I love to see Mason laugh.

Jack was watching me with every bit of his being.
I didn’t speak until I was sure Mason had exited the building.

“That was unnecessary.”  I kept my tone
balanced. I wasn’t sure if I should pretend to be mad or just play it cool. I decided to roll with option cool.

“I thought it was necessary.”

Why? He could have just ignored Mason. It’s a public sportsbar. Dumb shit like this causes problems. I guess cheating causes problems.

“Jack would it be okay if we just forget about running into him and just enjoy being here alone together without the kids.”

Jack was giving me his silent routine. He was so good at it. “Fine, I just hate him so much. He thinks he’s so cool. He’s an arrogant bastard. How did you ever stomach him?”

Huh? “You want me to answer that?”

“Yes, I want to no.”

“He was giving me money and although I’m not a call girl. It was nice to not have to worry about bills. It was strictly a financial agreement on my part.” Damn, that lie just came right out my mouth.

Jack shook his head. “That makes sense.”

If you say so. I successfully was able to change the topic. We talked about Jack’s favorite topic, advertisement
. He pulled up the AT & T faster commercials with the little kids and the nerdy guy. We watched them on his iPhone. They were really funny with the alcohol in my system. We watched the one with the cute little black girl who wanted a puppy brother five times. Jack told me he wished he came up with that add campaign. He thought the creative team that made those commercials were geniuses. I agreed.

I survived the night with Jack and Mason. I need a t-shirt that says it. I feel like I won the lottery. There was no blood shed. Like Ice Cube said,
today was a good day
. We went home. Jack undressed me and put me in my Kanye West concert t-shirt. We crawled into bed together. I was out as soon as my head the pillow.

CHA
PTER 9

MASON

I arrived at home that night but I was far from tired and sleepy. It was so hard for me to use restraint. I had to practice restraint. It didn’t come natural to me. I was a beast. I was an animal. They called me Mafia Mason for a reason.

Jack could have just let me walk by his table. He could have ignored me. My plan was to ignore him. I had no choice but to pass their fucking table. First I have to see them out together all cozy on a date. Then he wants to start some bullshit with me. What was he trying to prove?

I wanted to clock him when he brought Tess into the conversation. Kari just sat there. If I punched that prick out his chair what would she have done? I could have wiped that goofy grin off his pale pasty ass face in two seconds flat. He was sitting at his table staring at me trying to make me feel uncomfortable.

He doesn’t
understand that I could put a bullet in their entire relationship? He doesn’t understand that Kari has never been faithful to him? Maybe he knows and that’s why he has his panties in a bunch. I don’t know. I don’t care. He has one more time to look at me. I did beat his ass once and I have no qualms about a second go ‘round.

I entered the
bedroom and Tess was in bed, pretending to be sleep. I removed my clothes and got into bed and I pretended to be sleep. I was too pissed to do anything but sleep. I could box. I really need to hit something. I need to put a punching bag in my basement.

I laid my head on the pillow and the bed moved.
Tess was fidgeting around under the cover next to me.

“Mason.”

“Yes.”

“Where were you tonight?”

“I went to Bar Louie with my nephew.” I was so not in the mood for this conversation.

“RJ?”

“Yes.” Of course. I didn’t have seven year old Brandon out at a bar at night.

“Is that the truth?”

“Yes.” I sat up in the bed and Tess did the same. I switched on the lamp on the bedside table. “If you have something on your mind please speak.”

“You were with RJ?
”

I looked her dead in her eyes. I wasn’t in the mood
for twenty thousand questions but I owed her this. “Yes I was with RJ. Would you like to call him? I’m sure he’s still up. Or I could just show you the receipt. It’s in my wallet.”

“The receipt may say where you were but
it will not say who you were with?”

“This is true but that is why I asked you if you would like to talk to RJ.”

“Why were you with him?”

“He wanted to talk to me about some young stupid bullshit that is of no concern of mine. I am his favorite uncle so I took
him out for a drink so he could say whatever it was he wanted to say.”

“What did he say?”

“I can’t tell you because it was for my ears only.”

“How convenient.”

“No it was very inconvenient. I wished I would have blown him off and just came home and crashed but I didn’t. So that’s that.” I wished I never ran into them, Kari and Malibu Ken. That shit feels like a bee sting. It hurts long after it’s over.

“When you’re out at night I think you’re with her.”

“I’m not with anybody. That is over Tess.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you cheat?”
Oh God this again. Would someone just blow my brains out already?

“Didn’t we resolve all these issues in therapy?”

“What is it about her that made you do it?”

“Do what?” It’s hard to keep my focus on a conversation that I’m not interested in having.

“Cheat.”

“I don’t know.”

“You do know. Was ten years with the same person too boring for you? Was she prettier than me? Was she better in bed? Tell me.”

“You
don’t want the answers to those questions. No matter what I say you will not believe me.”

“
No I do. Even if the answers hurt me. I want to understand.”

“Listen, I will never be able to explain it.
It’s the past. Let’s just leave it there. The woman was married. She went back to her husband. She’s not thinking about me and I’m not thinking about her.” I had to remember the lie I told Tess.

“How do I know that it won’t happen in the future?”

I took a deep breath. “Honestly, you don’t know. I’m not a fortune teller. I don’t know what the future holds.”

“Your answers are always bullshit.”

“I’m back home. I don’t know what you want from me. I don’t know how many I’m sorries will be enough.”