“Them?” Mason’s laughter came through the phone. “What did I miss?”
“Too much to talk about over the phone. Wanna meet for breakfast?”
“Sure. Want to meet at the diner where Sindy works?”
“No.” Lucas jerked his head back. That’s the last place he wanted to go this morning. “Why do you want to go there?”
“Because she’s usually working whenever we don’t have something scheduled with the band, and I thought we’d get good service. At least an extra slice of bacon.”
“Meet me at the Laurel Diner.”
“See you in 40 minutes.”
Lucas was on his second cup of coffee as he waited for Mason to arrive. He used the alone time to process his feelings and clear his head, but it wouldn’t clear. He couldn’t get Sindy out of his system. From the moment he saw her, he was drawn to her. Time bonded them together and then ripped them apart. It wasn’t fair.
“Sorry. Late again.” Mason slipped into the booth across from Lucas. “Traffic sucks.”
The lighthearted ease of Mason’s demeanor was naturally soothing and brightened Lucas’ mood enough so that a small smile formed on his lips. “Maybe you should think about moving to Long Island.”
Mason chuckled. “Not a chance.”
Mason grew up in the City, which was too congested for Lucas. He preferred the sand and the beach, the open air and the grass and the trees, while Mason loved the bustling nightlife and constant action of the City that Never Sleeps. It was one area where they were vastly different.
Noticing Mason’s arrival, the waitress returned to take their order and a busboy placed another cup of coffee on the table. He waited until they placed their breakfast orders and they were alone before he asked the question Lucas knew he was dying to ask. “So, two chicks? Tell me all about this wild night you passed up.”
Lucas shrugged one shoulder. “There’s not much to tell. I wasn’t into it.”
“Why not? I don’t know any single guy who’d pass up a threesome.”
Lucas let out a long sigh, suddenly drained. This whole thing with Sindy robbed him of his spirit and he felt deflated. He played with his spoon, turning it over in his hand, trying to figure out how much to say. He was tired of keeping everything bottled up inside. Mason was his best friend, and best friends didn’t keep secrets from one another. Plus, he really needed someone to talk to. His soul was broken. “I have a little confession to make. I wasn’t purposely keeping it from you. It’s just that . . . it’s complicated.” He slumped down in his chair. “Me and Sindy had a thing going on.”
“I was waiting for you to tell me, man. Why do you think I gave you that great opening line just now?”
“You knew?”
“Are you kidding? I see the way she looks at you. She pretends she’s talking to me, but I see her looking over my shoulder at you. Watching your every move with those big gray eyes. Like she wants to eat you for dinner. And I’m not even gonna mention the way you leer after her.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“You know me. I don’t stick my nose in other people’s business. I figured if you wanted me to know, you’d tell me.”
“Does Tessa know?”
“I don’t think so. She would’ve said something. She’s not one to pull punches. If she’s got something to say, she says it. I think she’s been concentrating on the band too much to notice.”
“It’s not like I was keeping it a secret. Sindy didn’t want . . .” Lucas didn’t bother to finish his sentence. None of the reasons mattered and he didn’t want to dredge up the pain that each one inflicted. In reality, there was no reason for them not to be together, except that it’s what Sindy wanted. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over.”
“I figured that out after the sad faces at rehearsal lately. What happened?”
Lucas fiddled with his napkin, picking small pieces off the corner and depositing them onto the table, purposely averting Mason’s stare. “It was the wrong time for us to start something. The band is taking off. We’re about to embark on a tour. We can’t screw that up. That’s what Sindy kept saying, and she made me understand that she was right. It’s the wrong time. I’m not screwing up our chance to make it big. Prodigy is too important.”
“And she isn’t?”
“Of course she is.” He dropped the napkin and looked directly at his best friend. “I really care about her. But there’s too much pressure on us right now. Too much responsibility. If it didn’t work out between me and Sindy, things could go really bad really fast for Prodigy. Chances are she’d split. And then where would Prodigy be? I couldn’t do that to Tessa. Or to you. Or to Sindy. She deserves this chance more than any of us. She’s the one who has the most to lose. So . . . it’s over.”
“You sure? You look like shit, man.”
“To be honest, my fucking heart is broken. But there’s nothing I can do about it. She doesn’t want me anymore.”
