Page 47 of Fun and Games
"I've got to get back to the bar. Have fun!" Lizzy chirped. She practically pranced out of the office, her stylish skater dress twirling behind her. Then the two of us were alone together.
"What's up?" Mason asked.
"You're Rogue!" I blurted, not having planned what I was going to say, but feeling the need to jump right into it. "You're Rogue on the Road."
His whole body twitched subtly. He blinked twice.
"You know what that is?" he asked.
"It's your travel blog," I said. "I've been following it for years."
"Really?" he asked. "I don't know anyone in my real life who reads stuff like that."
"I do," I said. "I've read every one of your posts. You're amazing."
"Uh…" He looked oddly bewildered. "Thanks. I'm glad you like it."
"You don't get it," I said insistently. I had to make him see. He needed to understand. "I have my own travel blog, and so do lots of other people. But you're nothing like me or them. You'reamazing.The kind of stuff you write, the sort of insights you have… Your perspective on life is inspiring. There are so few people who think the way you do. I didn't even know I was looking for that until I stumbled across your blog, and then I started reading everything you've written, and it just blew me away. You reminded me so much of—"
I halted abruptly, nearly biting my tongue.
Mason's expression had gone from puzzled to flustered.
"I just started the blog for fun," he said. "I didn't realize the stuff I wrote meant anything to anyone except myself."
"You have thousands and thousands of followers," I told him. "People love your work. You've got something really special."
"Thanks," he said quietly. He looked vaguely discomfited.
"I'm sorry." I took a few steps back. "I didn't mean to unload all this on you. I saw that Rogue updated for the first time in months, and I was so excited. It's been so long since you've written anything. I missed it. I've missed you." My cheeks flushed at the admission, but I powered on. "And then I recognized the photo of that giraffe, and I nearly stopped breathing. I couldn't believe it. That the guy who had given me such inspiration and comfort over all these years, was someone I actually knew…" I stopped, beginning to get overwhelmed.
"The only person who knows I have this travel blog is Connor," Mason said. "And even then I don't think he knows much beyond me posting some pictures every once in a while."
"I was really sad when you stopped updating," I said. "Everyone online was wondering what had happened to you."
Mason lifted a shoulder.
"I stopped touring with Connor," he said. "I didn't have the opportunity to travel anymore."
"You could have still continued writing," I said. "It wasn't because of all the different cities and locations you visited that people read your blog. Anyone can visit Austin or Vancouver and write about it. It's the way you write, the things you observe. You've got a gift. I think you could write about inventory and budgets and people would still hang off your every word."
He let out a short laugh.
"I don't know about that," he said. "Connor's the creative one, not me. I'm the business and numbers guy. My blog is just for fun."
"For you it might be just for fun, but it means a lot to a whole bunch of people. Including me. I wasn't exaggerating when I said your words brought me comfort. A few years ago I…" My throat closed up. I swallowed around the heavy lump. "I lost someone close to me."
Mason's eyes turned soft. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
"It was hard," I said. "We had all these plans for the future, and then all of a sudden, everything changed. I thought for a while I'd never be able to find joy in anything ever again. I gave up on all our plans." The backs of my eyes pricked with the beginnings of tears. "Then I found you. I started to realize that I couldn't wallow in my own misery forever. There was so much out there in the world to see, to do, to explore. I don't want to say I followed in your footsteps, exactly, but reading about your experiences made me realize how much I was going to miss out on." My breath hitched. "It reminded me how much I want to live."
Mason cupped my face, which had turned hot with both embarrassment and zeal as I confessed my feelings.
"I had no idea my writing could mean so much to someone," he said.
I met his eyes straight on.
"It did to me."
