Page 83 of I Heart Mason Cartwright
Mason
I knock lightlyon my mom’s door. Worried that maybe she won’t be awake yet. If that’s the case, I’ll just go grab coffee and come back later. The door swings open a moment later. Her face registers surprise when she realizes it’s me.
“Mason! What are you doing here? What a wonderful surprise. I wasn’t expecting you. Are you okay?” She rattles off questions faster than I can answer them.
“I’m good. Just wanted to see if I could take you to breakfast.”
“I just had some toast, but I could eat something light,” she says.
We walk to the Biscuit Bitch on First Ave. Not exactly light fare, but damn good.
Once we’ve ordered and found a seat, she begins with her questions.
“So, what’s going on, Mason?”
“Nothing. Why?”
“Because you have that look about you. You want to talk about something, but you don’t know how to start, and you’re afraid I’m going to be disappointed once you do.”
“How do you do that?”
“It’s a mother’s gift. Now spill it.”
I sigh. “I met a girl in Leavenworth.”
“At the party?”
“No, but at the same hotel.”
“She must be some girl if you’re telling me about her.”
“She is, but not in the way you’re thinking. I don’t want you getting all excited until you hear the entire story, because it’s not going in the direction you’re visualizing.”
She nods. “Okay.”
I tell her about meeting AshLynn in the hotel bar, and about the crazy days that follow. More about Willow’s house than she probably found interesting, and finally the dinner at the club. I leave nothing out.
I pause as our food arrives and take a break to dig in. I ordered a Hot Mess Bitch which mirrors my life right about now. It does not disappoint. My mom ordered a Buttered-Up Bitch, which just has butter and jam. We finish at the same time even though mine is close to three times bigger than hers.
“So, you’re wondering how to see Willow again?” she asks.
“Willow is the sister,” I say for no good reason, knowing that she knows that.
“Let’s walk.”
We walk back toward her condo, but she waits a block or so to continue talking.
“It’s obvious Willow is the one you’re attracted to.”
“How is that obvious?”
“By the way your voice changes when you say her name. The words you choose when describing her. The way she dominated the story even though it wasn’t about her.”
“Will I get this same crazy intuitive talent if I’m ever a father?”
“I can only say for certain with mothers.” She smiles.
“Well, I can’t do anything about it, anyway.”
