What about you? - 12

Chapter 12

Mason didn’t as much wake up as come around. The last hour...he glanced at his bedside table, make that two hours had been out of this world. Kate was in a similar catatonic state draped around him. He loved the feel of her long legs entwined with his, her perfect pert breasts nuzzled into his own chest, and her silky head tucked under his chin. Nope as he leaned back against the pillows, he couldn’t remember ever feeling that things were so...idyllic.

But there was that nagging voice, telling him he’d been the lowest form of cad, letting the last two hours happen without telling her who he was. Without trying to explain about Peter.

He tried to slide out from under her, but she shook her head, “oh no Mr Fitzgerald! I think you’ll find that you can’t leave this bed until you untangle our limbs, and I’m not ready for that!”

                                                                                                                                               
To emphasise the point she moved one arm around him to cup his naked buttock, her arm joining the legs that were curled amongst his. Her remaining arm she slid between them until she found the past of him that proved her words and actions were having the desired effect.

It was dark when Mason finally pleaded dehydration. Leaving her curled under the duvet, he crossed the apartment to find an ice cold bottle of wine he’d left in the fridge, perfect. They drank a couple of glasses each, lounging there still naked half under the duvet, until they were interrupted by Mason’s phone.

Glancing at the caller id he recognised the hospital number and swore under his breath, “Shit, I forgot about my mother!”

Kate watched him quizzically as he quickly connected, “Mason Fitzgerald.” His face paled as he listened to the voice on the phone. Kate sensing his distress placed a hand on his thigh in support. He smiled at her but it wasn’t a natural happy smile. When he hung up he turned to her.

                “I’ve been in bed this afternoon because I spent all night at the hospital. My mother had heart surgery overnight, an emergency. That was the hospital saying she’s woken up...”

Kate sighed, “And you were meant to be there, but I tempted you away from your duty?”

Reaching out he cupped his hand around her jaw and smiled, “I’d take the temptation any day. Will you stay here? Can we talk a bit later?” Suddenly the need to tell her who he was, to explain his past was priority, but he had to dash to the hospital.

Kate watched him pull on jeans, then a clean t-shirt from the cupboard, dragging his hands through his hair he came towards her and stooped to kiss her. As her tongue flicked out and met his he groaned against her lips, “you are a minx, do you know that?”

She chuckled, “I just want to make sure you come back!”

                “No danger of that not happening,” he sighed looking down at her the duvet barely covering her nakedness, he’d give anything to throw off his clothes and explore her all over again, but his poor mother had come around from her operation and he wasn’t there. “I am so tempted again!”

She grinned then ran her hands down her body covering every curve, “promise I’ll wait for you, ok?”

He nodded, unable to believe he was actually closing the door behind him.

Kate had plenty of time to think as she moved around the apartment dressed in just his shirt, and now that she’d made the conscious decision to come here, to contemplate more with Mason, her mind was wild with activity. She was still worried about how she managed Peter, how she changed things with him, and she knew she had to speak to his mother Clarissa the next day. It wasn’t a conversation she was looking forward to, but at least it would lift some of the burden she had. She could never not be there for Peter, that wasn’t an option, but she finally realised that she deserved a life outside of him.

Smiling, despite her apprehension, she made for the kitchen, ravenous. There was very little in the refrigerator, so she searched the kitchen drawers for some take away menus. She fancied Chinese, but there were none anywhere. She thought of her phone, after flicking on a Black Keys album that she found in the lounge, she perched on the arm of the sofa and Googled Chinese take-aways within a five mile radius.

By the time Mason called her, to tell her he was on his way home, she’d narrowed her search to one.

                “Any preferences?” she asked once she’d told him about her plans.

                “None really, but get lots, I’m starving!”

The food arrived five minutes after he got back. On seeing him at the door, Kate’s initial instinct had been to throw herself at him again, but he’d just visited his mother as she recovered from major surgery, the last thing he needed was her dragging him back to bed, but for some reason, now that she’d made her decision, chosen Mason, she was desperate for more of him. A voice at the back of her head warned her that he lived overseas, that this was unlikely to be the perfect fairytale, but as she watched him spread the cartons of rice, noodles across the table between them, she blocked those fears. Suddenly she was optimistic, for the first time in years she had something to look forward to.

                “So how was your mother?” she asked as she scooped some rice into her mouth, her eyes on him.

He shrugged, “she was sleepy, her doctor is happy. I need to go back in the morning though.”

When she nodded, he added, “Kate, we need to talk, there are things...important things we need to discuss.”

Kate shook her head vehemently, “can’t we just ignore that tonight. We have tomorrow to talk, tomorrow to be serious. It’s been a long time since I’ve had so much fun. Can’t we just...be?”

Despite agreeing, Mason felt torn, half of him wanted more of her, wanted to spend the night with her. The other half knew that he sooner he came clean, the better the chance that she’d understand, forgive. Instead he asked questions about her work, the projects she was involved with, her housemates, the friend he’d spoken to on the phone. Anything personal but not leading, he was so aware that they both had such large areas of their lives that were taboo.

To wake again the next morning with Kate wrapped around him was bliss to Mason. He was glad at that moment that they’d not talked that he hadn’t blown it all. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was well after eight, he’d promised to take get some goodies for his mother, and had wanted to arrive by nine, so when Kate was still asleep after his shower, he placed a note on her pillow, begging her to not move an inch until he returned.

Kate awoke when a shaft of winter sunlight sneaking between the drawn curtains shone brightly on her eye. Reaching around her she could feel the dent where Mason had fallen asleep; opening her eyes and glancing to her left she spotted the folded paper sat on the pillow. Unfolding it, she glanced at the scrawl and smiled.

“You have NO idea how much I didn’t

want to leave. I’ll be home soon, I can

only visit for an hour. Keep my pillow

warm?”

Smiling to herself, Kate stretched luxuriously, like a starfish in the huge bed. Torn between more sleep and a shower, she rolled on to her front, closing her eyes and tried to catch a few more minutes sleep before the real harsh reality of morning hit her.

She must have drifted off, because she was woken by an incessant ringing. Realising immediately it wasn’t her phone. Normally she would have ignored it, but knowing that Mason’s mother had been so ill, she thought it may be an emergency. Jumping out of bed, she located the cordless handset which was in the bathroom.  Connecting the call she gasped a breathless “hello?” into the mouthpiece.

There was a pause then a disgruntled male voice snapped, “Fitzgerald? Is he there?”

Smarted at the rudeness emanating from the other man, she instantly got defensive, “no he’s visiting his very sick mother. Can I take a message?”

There was a groan, “he’s not answering his mobile phone...ah hospital! Ok, I need him to call Brandon asap. We’re having a MAJOR crisis at work; I need to speak to him yesterday. I can’t stress the urgency. Is there any chance you can get him to call me in the next twenty minutes?”

She instantly realised this was the latest addition to her family, the brother of her brother’s new wife. Because of the link to her family, she was immediately a little less angry at his aggressive manner, “Look I can try and contact the hospital,” she glanced across at the clock; it wasn’t quite nine am yet. “But I don’t think he can stay there that long anyway. He’s planning to be back soon.”

A sigh preceded the words, “time is one thing I don’t have. He has to call me now,” he added, “please,” as an afterthought.

It was a cold winter morning and Kate was more than reluctant to step outside, but after phoning his mobile repeatedly and getting his answer phone, she realised she needed to get to the hospital. She’d not normally make such an effort, but there had been the hint of desperation in the voice of Brandon. Wrapped up in her coat and woolly hat, she braved the cold.

It wasn’t far to the hospital, but there wasn’t great transport on a Sunday so she was grateful to see an empty cab approaching, its yellow ‘for hire’ light a welcome sight! Diving in she reeled off the hospital address then rubbed her hands warm.

The hospital was large and imposing, but she was easily directed to the cardiac unit. At the reception she suddenly realised she had no idea what Mason’s mother was called, despite sharing such intimacy on so many occasions, they knew virtually nothing about each other. ‘Mrs Fitzgerald’ got no recognition, and she was all out of other options. As she was about to leave she heard a voice deeper in the unit. Mason.

So she called out his name. As he turned and saw him she saw initially pleasure at seeing her, but that was immediately replaced by confusion, maybe anger. He obviously didn’t want her invading his family life, as her heart sank he rushed over.

                “Hey Kate! What are you doing here? I thought you were relaxing...”

She smiled apologetically, “I was fast asleep, but Brandon called, he needs you to speak to him in the next...” she glanced at her watch, “three minutes. He couldn’t get hold of you and he said he was desperate...so I came to find you!”

He sighed, “thank you so much, you didn’t have to do that!”

Digging in his pocket for his phone he finally smiled, “why don’t you head back? The doctors are due around in the next twenty minutes. I’ll come back via the supermarket, breakfast in bed?”

As she nodded in agreement, the call obviously connected and he lifted the phone to his ear, instantly deep in conversation. Suddenly relieved that he wasn’t repulsed by her being there, she made for the reception, a heavy weight lifted. But she’d only travelled a dozen steps when she came literally face-to-face with Clarissa Wightman...Peter’s mother.

Kate gasped in an instant panic, she’d planned on calling the woman later that day, to let her know she’d met someone else, to beg her to help her manage Peter. As it was she was here in the flesh.  Despite her panic she greeted her pleasantly, commenting on how well she was now looking after her recent illness.

                “What are you doing here?” She asked holding Kate at arm’s length.

                “Just passing on a message, it’s a long story. What about you?”

Clarissa dropped her hands, “visiting my cousin, she had heart surgery last night, and I’m desperate to know how it went. Oh!” She was suddenly distracted, “there’s Mason, I need to go and see how she is. It was lovely to see you!”

Kate felt the room start to spin, she slowly moved her eyes from Clarissa along the corridor to Mason who had paused in mid sentence and was watching her, a look of horror across his face. Guilt. That was that oh so familiar emotion she’d seen earlier when she arrived. Mason’s mother’s cousin was Peter’s mother...it was an unfathomable; indescribable...he’d played her. All that time, he...as he shook his head trying to end the call she turned and moved as quickly as she could, trying to place one foot in front of the other and get out of there whilst she still could, before the walls of her World caved in on her.