Page 15 of Anchored Love
“So what’s our cover story for when people ask questions? I’m assuming they’ll ask how we got together and all that,” Mason asked on the drive to the airport.
“I told my mother that our relationship was new, and we met through something work related. I tried to keep it vague as possible, but you’ve met my mother.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll sell it.” He winked, and somehow I managed to relax and when we arrived at the airport my hands finally stopped shaking. This was one instance where Mason knowing how my mother was came at an advantage.
I handed my bag off, starting it down the conveyor to pass through the scanner. I had put everything inside my bag, so I knew nothing on me would set off the alarms.
The tube. One thing I didn’t care for. The TSA agent waved me forward. Arms in the air, feet spread apart, the machine made its noises as it went around me. Today was not my day as the buzzer went off, signaling I had something metal on me.
The thing was, my bra didn’t even have a wire, and I had no idea what it could be. I’d chosen this outfit just for that purpose. I planned ahead for travel to go as smoothly as possible.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Yep, it just got better… The conveyer belt computer started sounding off as my bag went through, alerting the security agents and bringing all eyes on me.
This couldn’t be happening. It was wrong on so many levels. My gaze stayed averted away from Mason, not wanting to let him see the embarrassment on my face of being called out.
“Ma’am, please step aside,” the agent told me, wearing this weird half-smile on his face. The way he stared at me made me uncomfortable, like he knew a secret I wasn’t privy to.
A woman TSA agent began patting me down; all the while, out of the corner of my eye I saw Mason watching. Heat fanned up my spine as I stood there, having my body patted like a criminal or some sort of domestic terrorist. After not finding anything on me, they swabbed my hands and put the cotton into a machine that luckily flashed green, coming back clean.
“You can move over there,” the woman said, her finger pointing to the end of the conveyer belt, and I moved.
At my arrival, the male agent unzipped my bag and smiled, pulling out my BOB. Hot pink ribbed silicone with a special button for my ultimate enjoyment.
Yeah, this was a mistake. Had to be. This couldn’t be my life.
My cheeks turned bright apple red, and sweat filtered all over my body. Mason coughed, reminding me he was there for this, and I vowed to kill Samantha next time I saw her. She had to have done it. There wasn’t anyone else, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have packed it.
“I didn’t pack that,” I swore, turning to Mason and feeling utter embarrassment. “Samantha came over to pick up my dog, and she must have...” I shook my head, not even able to say it as Mason chuckled.
She was as good as dead. The surprise in my bag, while juvenile, was totally Samantha. She loved to get one over on people, but this time she had gone above and beyond to punk me. I should’ve known. She was all too excited to zip up my bag.
“It’s okay. No explanation needed,” he offered.
I could only imagine what he thought I had planned for the rest of our trip, and we hadn’t even left Boise yet.
“If you tell anyone about this, I will have to kill you after I kill Samantha,” I growled low as the wonderful man held my vibrator up for the entire TSA line to see. I prayed my family wasn’t behind us. Some things just couldn’t be lived down.
“Your secret is safe with me.” He grinned even wider, his gaze softening on me. Yeah, Samantha was a dead woman. Maybe in a few years I’d look back and find this funny, but today wasn’t that day. Today I wanted to flee the airport and wring her neck.
After being everyone’s amusement, the wonderful TSA agents finally let me through, tossing my BOB in the suitcase. It would be thrown away as soon as we got to our destination.
“Don’t,” I said, holding my hand up to Mason, knowing with the smirk on his face that he wanted to razz me about it. I wanted to pretend like it never happened. Ignorance was bliss.
Mason stood by me as I sat and put my shoes on and then gathered my things. It wasn’t until I rose from my seat that he got right in my space, causing me to look up at him.
“Don’t be embarrassed, Ev. Just remember—everything happens for a reason.” He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to him. I swore he leaned down and smelled my hair, but he said nothing. His embrace was comforting, and I decided to suck it in and be selfish for a bit. His scent wrapped around me like my favorite sweater.
“Ev!” my mother screamed like we were in a football stadium, arms up in the air and ready to come in for a hug. Mason let me go, and I instantly wanted his embrace back, but it was time to meet the parents.
Doing this while actually dating someone sucked. Doing it while pretending to date someone sucked worse. Nothing prepared me for this.
Mom halted before she reached me, her laser focus going straight to Mason.
Her brow arched. “Mason Jones?” she asked him, surprise evident.Show time, Everly.
He held out his hand to her. “Mrs. Clement. So nice to see you again.” She took his hand, a wide smile spreading across her lips.
“Well, haven’t you grown up.” Her eyes darted between the two of us. “You two are together? This is the Mason you were talking about? Why didn’t you just say so?” She shook her head and gave me the all-knowing mom look that I hated. The one where her eyes lasered right through me, sniffing out all dishonesty. If she suspected it was all a ruse, she didn’t say so thankfully. I hoped she kept it that way.
