Page 38 of Raised On It

His head tilts to the side just like Lou’s does when you ask him if he wants a treat.

“Mason, I have to say as happy as it makes me that I could make you feel what you’re feeling today, it hurts my heart to hear you say you can’t remember the last time you felt like this. Darlin’, you deserve a lot more out of life than that.”

He’s right.

He’s always right.

What do I even say to that?

“This is great cheese; what kind is it?”

Seriously, you’re asking him about his cheese right now?

“It’s cheese, Mason. Tell me, who do you spend most of your time with back in New York?”

“Friends.”

“Tell me about them.”

“Tell you about my friends? You mean, besides my journal?”

“Why not? You’ve met plenty of mine. We’ll get to the journal later.”

Is he for real?

“Let’s see…um…well, as you know, most of the friends I grew up with or that I thought were closest to me screwed me over. I still have a couple of trustworthy girlfriends from my old life, and I see them from time to time.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Thanks,” I reply shyly before continuing. “I have a really great group of friends I met through work. A lot of them work in publishing, and even though I’m an author and they are actual publishers and editors or work in some other capacity in the publishing world, we all hit it off. We have a standing date every Thursday night. Whoever is in town and available shows up, and we have drinks and dinner, and we talk for hours at a time. It’s a pretty great group of ladies. I feel like I’ve found my tribe with them.”

“Do I even want to know what you all talk about for hours on end every single week?”

“Probably not. But let’s see, we talk about books, men, royal weddings, work, how much we love them, but don’t need men to be happy…”

Miles interrupts me after my last comment. “Wait a second, go back a tick. So, are you one of the ones who loves men but doesn’t need one to be happy?”

Well, at least I know he’s listening.

“Yes and no. I mean, I would love to build a life with a man who is my best friend and who sets me on fire between the sheets. A man I can share beers with on the EBC dock when I’m old. Who doesn’t want that?”

Tearing my gaze from the splendor in front of me, I chance a look at an even more breathtaking landscape when our eyes meet.

He lifts an eyebrow in intrigue. “Go on.”

“But, let’s face it. I don’t need a man to take care of me or to make me happy. I’ve made my own money. I have a kick-ass career and an apartment in one of the greatest cities in the world. I’ve created my own brand and have succeeded in an industry that is oversaturated, yet I’ve found a way to stand out and make my own path. I’m strong on my own, Miles. A lot of men find myconfidenceto be a little off-putting, you know?”

“Actually, I don’t. I think your confidence looks pretty damn good on you.”

Be still my thunderous heart and the butterflies fluttering to life inside my chest.

“Any man can say that, but when it comes to being in a relationship with a strong woman, it may not be quite so appealing.”

“This is just another example of where I’m different from the other men in your life. Your confidence and independence are sexy as hell, if you ask me.”

He throws a cracker in his mouth as though there is nothing else to be said.

Visions of clearing the tailgate of our lunch and mounting him in the bed of the truck speed through my brain. I know it’s a bad decision, so I don’t act upon it, but damn, I want him in the worst way.

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