Page 97 of Happenstance
A camel with an eye patch? Uh huh?
I was about to ask if he was high again when a cooing whistle assailed my ears. We all turned to see a peacock. Tailfeathers spread out in all their majestic glory as it pranced back and forth in front of Mason, moving it’s neck while calling out a song.
Well, you don’t see that everyday.
Mase cocked a brow and leaned over. “Is there a peacock flirting with me, or am I still in rehab?”
Not quite believing what I was seeing, my gaze shifted from the bird to Mase, and back again. The bird lifted its feet in a proud march and bent over, shaking its ass and tail.
I’d seen girls hit on Mason, and a couple of guys, but this was a first.
Mase waved his hands at the peacock, “Go away, bird.”
It responded by clucking out a shrill coo and shuffling closer.
“Any of you fuckers know how to turn down a peacock?” Mason asked, while keeping his eyes on his unwanted admirer.
“Shoot it,” Silas suggested. “I got a gun in the house.”
“I can’t shoot it?!”
Silas cocked a brow at Mase, “Why not?”
“Dude,” I don’t think I’d ever seen Mase look more insulted, “It’s a bird.”
“Exactly. Bird is good eating.”
Mase’s mouth dropped. “You can’t eat it. You wouldn’t eat someone’s dog!”
“If it was running around unattended I would.”
And by unattended, Silas meant wandering around making noise and screwing up his hyper organized life.
“Bloody hell, Roger,” a girl yelled while running up to grab the bird’s leash. Yup, the peacock had a leash. Along with a tiny pink collar. “I’m sorry about that, he’s used to having room to run.”
The girl was British, the accent was a dead give away. She wasn’t bad to look at, either. A tiny thing, with platinum blonde hair and dark, almost black eyes. Mase seemed to notice her looks too, because he immediately perked up, plastering a charming smile on his face.
“Hey,” he stepped forward and held out his hand, “I’m Mason.”
She accepted his hand with a smile. “Star.”
“Star isn’t a name,” Silas barked out, making both Mase and I arch a brow, “It’s a thing.”
Normally, he was a pretty quiet guy. Didn’t speak unless he had to. It was completely out of character for him to snap at someone like that. Unless it was Mase, of course. Even more interesting was the deep red flush that flooded the girl’s face when she looked at him.
“The grumpy fucker here,” Mason threw his arm around Silas and flashed him a smile, “Is Silas.”
Star walked over and held out her hand, “It’s nice to meet you.”
Silas took one look at her outstretched hand, and promptly turned around and walked into the house, slamming the door behind him.
“Well, he’s a bit of a cunt, isn’t he?” Star muttered.
Mason and I were both staring at Silas’s door. While I was confused as to what the grumpy prick had up his ass this time, there was a sly grin on Mason’s face.
“You have no idea,” he sang as the grin grew.
And just like that, Mason Kessler had a new goal in life.
