Slowly, I approach as though she’s a wild bunny who might hop away if I get too close, too fast. She puts her cup on the table in front of her and there it is, her name.
Mason.
Not what I expected, but I like it. It fits her.
Taking the seat across from her, I don’t say a word as I wait for her to notice my presence. And when she does, it was more than worth the wait. When she sees it’s me, her dark eyes light up, and her lips start to curve upward, but then she stops herself, putting her armor in place.
A challenge. I like it.
Pulling out her earbuds, she looks at me but waits for me to speak.
The hours of recalling her face didn’t do her justice.
I stare back.
It looks as though we have a good old-fashioned standoff going on. Not how I usually make my move, but there isn’t anything usual happening here.
I guess the game goes on a little too long for her liking because she starts to put her earbuds back in, ready to ignore me, but I do win in the end because she speaks first.
“Nice to see you too, Miles.”
“Whatcha up to, Mason?”
“How did you…?”
Nodding to her cup where her name is scribbled in black marker, I answer her question before she gets it out.
“Well played.”
Instead of putting her earbuds in, she untwists the cord nervously.
“So are you writing about the charming local stud you met at The Verdict the other night? Or are you already writing about the wedding day?”
“You are so stupid.”
My intelligence is being questioned for the second time this morning, and it’s still early. Damn.
“You kinda like it, though, don’t you?” I reply.
“If that’s what you need to tell yourself.”
“It will happen, Mason. There are forces in the universe that cannot be explained and, more importantly, cannot be denied. There isn’t anything either one of us can do about it.”
“What are you doing here this time of day on a Monday? Unemployed?”
She ignores my declaration. That’s fine. I’ll give her a break for now.
“Nope. Been at the farm since sunup. It’s just a few miles out of town. Thought I would take a little break.”
“Oh, that’s cool.”
“So, Mason, why did you leave New York City for our humble little town? I can’t believe it’s solely for book inspiration.”
“I just needed a change of pace and yes, a little bit of inspiration.”
“Seems like there are a lot of places you could have gone for inspiration.”
“Sure, but Eastlyn is just what I needed. My next series is going to be set in a small town, and I can’t think of a better place to find my muse.”