“I’ll send you the contact information for my buddy out here. He’ll make sure you guys are still taken care of,” I say, starting to walk away. A friend of mine from Los Angeles now runs a trendy little speakeasy hidden on the strip and has helped me plan the entire guys’ itinerary. Some things the girls will be joining them for, others the guys will be separated.
“Cool. Thanks, man,” Harry yells, but I barely hear him as I’m already walking out the doors.
Two rideshares, a last-minute flight out of Las Vegas, and a little over three hours later, I’m landing back in Phoenix. The flight attendants on our flight reminded me of Bailey. I’ve been on thousands of flights in my lifetime, and I never thought that uniform was sexy before. But seeing it on Bailey, taking it off her to expose those perky tits, sliding her skirt up her legs,and rolling her stockings off to see her hot-pink-colored toes. It changed everything.
I thought about sending her a quick text, letting her know that I was flying home and planning to come straight to her place, but then I decided against it.
When I grab my car from self-parking, I drive straight toThe Poppyfirst. As soon as I enter the restaurant, the hostesses up front straighten, trying to look busy. They need to relax; I’m not here to work.
“Hi, Mason, I thought you all were in Vegas this weekend?” Christie asks the moment I breeze by.
Giving her my back, I wave her off. “Plans changed. You all are doing fabulous. Get back to work.”
Making a quick straight line right for the kitchen, I almost run into two separate runners with hot plates in their hands, then I forget to saycorneras I turn into the back, almost slamming into one of the bussers.
“Travis, can you get me two orders of chicken noodle soup and two grilled cheeses ready to go?” I call out over the commotion of the bustling kitchen.
Travis is on the line plating the orders. He’s busy wiping the side of the plates with a white towel, ensuring a clean presentation of the dinner items but still answers my request. “Sure. Give us about ten minutes and we’ll have it ready for you,” he yells, throwing the rag over his shoulder.
I knock my fist on the top of the stainless steel hood above the counter. “You’re the best, man!”
A part of me wants to be pissed that no one told me, but then I have to remind myself that they have no idea about Bailey and me, so why would anyone even think to mention it?
I wheel out the black leather office chair then scoot myself all the way in, glancing at the security cameras as I anxiously wait for Bailey’s food.
Exactly ten minutes later, Travis walks into the office, setting the bag of food down next to my elbow on the table. “I’ve never seen you eat grilled cheese before, Mason. New diet?” He leans against the door frame while his arms are crossed at his chest, barely covering the food stains that paint his white apron like a piece of abstract art.
I roll the chair out, bending my leg and resting it on my knee. “It isn’t for me.” The corner of my lip curves up.
“Is it for your flight attendant?”
My heart leaps into my throat, stunned that he guessed it was for her. “Why would you guess it was for Bailey?”
He smirks. “Come on, dude. I see the way you look at her and how you’re always texting her. I totally saw you guys sneak off together at Harry’s wedding. Don’t you think I don’t know that you’re hooking up with her?”
I drop my leg, planting both feet on the ground. Then lean forward, making sure I heard him. I believe that he just said he saw me and Bailey sneak off during Harry’s wedding. I’m sure I heard that correctly, but I could swear no one saw us. I checked before following her into the bridal suite. I must not have been careful enough. Regardless, I can’t say anything to Travis. If what we’re doing gets out, it might scare her off, and that’s the last thing I want. The thought of not being with Bailey anymore sends a sinking feeling right to the pit of my stomach.
“What do you mean you saw us sneak off together? And we’re not hooking up.”
“I’m sure every single guest could have picked up on the awkwardness between the two of you.” He raises his hand up. “And I’m not talking about you both hating each other kind ofawkward. I’m talking like it looked like you both wanted to jump each other the first second you’d get.”
My jaw twitches, but I remain silent for a minute. It’s the truth.
Travis continues, “I was coming out of the bathroom when I saw Bailey head into that bridal suite, and I didn’t think much of it until I saw you sneak in right behind her. Look, if you’re happy, you’re happy. You can tell me.”
I stand up quickly, sending the chair back to hit the desk behind me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Clearly, a failed attempt to deny it. I hook my fingers through the top of the brown take-out bag and head out before he can respond.
“Thanks for the food,” I call out over my shoulder as I move back through the restaurant and toward the exit.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mason
The elevator dings, and the doors open. My palms are sweaty with anticipation, and my dick tents my pants. I can’t wait to see her. To smell her. To touch her. We haven’t seen each other all week, and I am ready to hump the corner of the wall. Fuck, I wish that my head and my dick were on the same page. I adjust my pants, so it’s not obvious that I’m standing at attention the minute she opens the door.
I quietly knock, just enough for her to hear but not loud enough to startle Luca if he’s sleeping. I slowly pace back and forth in the hallway like a lion ready to pounce on its prey. Even though the restaurant is not too far from her condo, I drove as fast as I could to get here. It was either for the food or my sheer excitement—I’m not quite sure.
The moment she opens the door and I see her, my mouth runs dry. Bailey’s almond-brown hair is pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head. She has no makeup on, but her lips still have a pink tint to them. She’s wearing very short black athletic shorts with a white pinstripe down the sides and a college hoodie.
