“What’s with all the accusatory questions?” I ask.
Piper lets a sly smile slip. “Sounds to me like you might have a thing for your brother’s best friend.”
“Are you kidding? Absolutely not!”
How could she think I have a thing for Mason? She doesn’t understand the dynamics between us. Mason and Ihave completely opposite personalities, and when two asteroids collide, they clash with each other. Which is exactly what happens between us.
“Maybe you don’t have the hots for him, but there’s definitely some sexual tension between the two of you.”
“That’s not what it is. You don’t know our history,” I say, trying to defend myself.
She laughs. “If you say so, Bailey.”
Chapter Four
Bailey
Iarrive at my parents’ house to pick up Luca around dinner time. Because of my schedule, Luca has spent almost as much of his life here as he has at our condo.
I found out I was pregnant with Luca three days after Tyler was taken away by ambulance, which was the same week that I officially broke up with him. The summer after graduation, I moved back in with my parents during my pregnancy. It was after I had him that I decided to apply to be a flight attendant.
I think it was my desire for freedom and control that led me down this unexpected path. Luca and I lived with my parents while I attended flight attendant training. It was difficult to be away from him for those weeks, but in the end, it was well worth it.
It was there that I met two of my best friends, Piper and Lina. I eventually convinced Avery, one of my closest friends from college, to join us and she did. The four of us now work for the same airline, live within fifteen minutes of each other, and are as close as ever.
Jess, the fifth member of our friend group, did not see a future in the skies and instead accepted a position with a local marketing firm. She was my brother’s college sweetheart and now is his fiancée. It was hard for me when they began dating, but he was completely obsessed with her, so I learned to accept it.
“Hi, I’m here,” I announce, walking into the house. My dad is doing a puzzle on the floor with Luca, and my mom is sitting on the couch watching some weird game show.
“You know, Fred, we really need to start locking the front door,” my mom murmurs to my father without acknowledging me.
“Mommy!” Luca yells, popping up off the floor and running into my arms.
“Hi, honey,” my dad says, glancing in my direction. “And we don’t need to lock it, Mary. No one is going to want to steal anything in here and plus you made me install that heavy gate in the courtyard anyway,” he answers my mom.
“Hello, family,” I repeat, a little louder this time.
“Oh. Hi, dear. How was work?” Taking a break from bickering with my dad, she finally greets me.
Kneeling down to grab Luca’s overnight bag, I think about why I continue to bring extra stuff over, as he has everything he needs in the room he has here. It was the room we used to share when we lived with my parents. Our new place is only about eight minutes from my mom and dad’s and ten from my brother and Jess.
“It was a good, busy few days, but I’m glad to be home,” I say, stuffing his dinosaur into the bag and zipping it up.
“That’s nice,” my mom says, still halfway distracted by her game show.
“Actually, I ran into Harry’s friend, Mason, at the Burbank airport this afternoon,” I say.
My mom cocks her head in my direction. “Really?”
Why does she have that look on her face? “Yes. He was on the flight too.”
“Was he alone?”
“Interesting you ask that because, no, he wasn’t. He had some tall blonde with him,” I tell her.
She lifts from her recliner then walks over to give Luca a hug. “Mason has always been a ladies’ man, hasn’t he?”
“Yes, he has.” I agree. “Also, did you know Harry suggested my building for him to rent until he’s ready to move into his house?”
