Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 59849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
We debate how fast you can fall into “real love” but not even ten minutes later, someone knocks on my door. Violet runs over, barking, and I check my Ring camera before opening the door. It’s Mason—already.
“That was fast,” I tell him when I let him inside.
“I told you I was in the neighborhood. I meant it.”
“You did. Come in.”
“Oh, hey, ladies.” He gives a wave to my friends, who are way too obviously gawking at him.
“Hi, again,” Elsie says back with a smile. “Want some tea?”
“Uh, sure. Why not?” Mason takes off his shoes and pets Violet before coming over to the table. “They know everything, don’t they?”
“Whatever you tell one of us, you tell the others,” Kat informs him with a smirk. “We’re kind of a package deal.”
“Okay then.” Mason chuckles and takes an ID out of his wallet. “Here you go, Mya.”
“Wow,” I say, holding up the fake ID. “It looks legit.”
“It should. There’s a chance you’ll end up getting carded and now there’s no chance you’ll be Mira Martin.”
“Too bad,” Zara sighs. “I like Mira Martin.”
Mason’s eyes are on me. “I do too.”
“Okay, if you don’t marry him, I will.” Zara raises her eyebrows. “Purely for the fact that the’s tall, muscular and has tattoos.”
“Guys,” I say, but I’m struggling to keep the smile off my face as well as shove the floaty feelings away. “We’re just coworkers in a sense.”
“Sure you are,” Kat teases. Mason spend the last half an hour here and it was almost unnerving how well he fit in, giving Zara a male’s perspective on the guy she’s been flirting with at work. Being with him feels natural, and it’s just easy.
Relationships shouldn’t be hard.
It’s something I tell my clients. Of course, relationships take work and it’s a choice you have to make every single day to choose to be with your partner, but it shouldn’t be hard. Trust me, I know. I’ve lived through several relationships I had to force, and like that famous internet saying goes, a relationship is like a fart: if you have to force it, it’s probably shit.
After my last relationship crashed and burned and I suffered the most intense heartbreak of my life—even more than filing for divorce—I promised myself I’d never even consider being with someone if it didn’t just flow.
“You know it’s okay to like him,” Kat goes on, nudging me with her elbow.
I know it’s okay to like him. Hell, I know it’s okay for me to hookup, fall in love, and start planning my dream wedding. But if things crash and burn then I won’t be okay.
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
MASON
“Are you smiling at a text?” Sam throws an empty Pepsi can at me. Both my brothers are here for the day. Chloe, Sam’s wife, is helping Josie, Jacob’s wife, go prom dress shopping for Josie’s teenage daughter. They let her skip school and everything to be here, and we have plans to go to dinner tonight.
“No,” I reply without looking up.
“For someone who goes undercover for a living, you’re a fucking terrible lair.” Jacob crosses his arms and stares at me.
“Whoever it is,” Sam starts. “Should I pretend to want to date her?”
I cock an eyebrow and just give him a you’re fucking stupid look. He’s trying to poke fun at me but is failing miserably. It wasn’t that long ago he was denying his feelings for Chloe and I said if he didn’t like her, I’d make a move just to force him into action. “And what would Chloe think about that?”
“Rory’s roped her into her little match making schemes so I think she’d be fine with it.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “It’s just this chick I’ve been working with. She’s undercover, not me. And I can’t say more than that.”
“That was not a I’m just texting a coworker smirk,” Jason goes on.
“Okay fine. She’s hot. And feisty.”
“You got it bad for her,” Jason goes on and it’s like we never left middle school.
“I don’t,” I retort, glad I’m able to keep a poker face. Because I do have feelings for Mira. After meeting her friends a few days ago, the lines have blurred even more. Enzo hasn’t really texted her much, making me think this well may have run dry. “I’m going to turn her down tonight anyway. We got plans.”
“Invite her to come with us.”
“I don’t know if she’d like that.”
“Why not?” Sam asks. “We’re awesome. Though I can pretty much promise you the conversation is going to be all about Chloe’s new horse.” He rolls his eyes and Jason laughs, mostly at the fact that he’s annoyed but because he’ll be talking about hosers too.
“She has a horse,” I say and almost regret it.
“She’d fit right in.” Sam holds up his hands. “Dude, you gotta invite her. Or at least let me see what she looks like.”