Katrina Johnson

It took me a moment to gather all I had in me and push him away. I stared at him wide-eyed not believing he actually kissed me like that in the middle of the street after he promised we were just friends.

"Mason!" I frowned at his grinning figure and punched him in the chest harder than I intended to.

"Ouch!"

"Why did you do that?"

Eloise cleared her throat making us realize she was still standing just inches away from Mason. "I'm gonna go Mason, it was nice meeting you and I hope to see you again." She pecked his cheek with a smile "Thank you for coffee."

She didn't even glance at me or acknowledged me. She just turned and left as if I wasn't even there. "She's so rude."

"She is?" Mason asked looking after her "I thought she was a nice girl. Anyway, did you have breakfast?"

I glared at him shaking my head "You are impossible! I don't want to have breakfast with you! I'm leaving!" I stomped my foot like a four-year-old, very unladylike, and was about to leave when he softly gripped my hand.

"Friends have breakfast together Kat, it's a normal thing to do."

"Yeah? Well, friends don't kiss and you just did that!"

"Friends with benefits do."

" Just leave me alone Mason."

"I can't leave you alone Kat! You consume my thoughts, you're everywhere and I said I wanted to be your friend because it's way better than not having you at all!" he ran a hand in his hair and looked away not wanting me to see the clear desperation in them.

I bit my lower lip looking down at my feet not knowing what to do. I wanted him to be in my life as much as he wanted it. Our relationship changed from what it was and I loved it. I just didn't want him to be hopeful of having me completely. I couldn't do that to myself, and he didn't seem to understand that.

"So you have coffee with every girl your mother introduces you to?" I surprised both of us.

His frown slowly turned into a grin and he fixed my gaze with his, "Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?"

"Pft, why would I be jealous! I'm just curious. That's all."

"Curious, I see." He was still grinning and I would just smack off that grin if I could.

"We're friends are we not? Friends know these things about each other."

"No, Kat. I don't have coffee with random girls because my mother introduced them to me. I was kind of forced to have coffee with her. We coincidentally ran into her in CP... It's all my mom's doing."

"She wants you to settle..." I said more to myself than to him and the thought of Mason settling down and being in love with someone scared me to death.

"I guess that's her way of... I don't know making sure I'm not lonely." He let out a sigh "But I don't care about all of that. Right now I care about you, and only you."

I played with the tips of my hair looking into his eyes feeling like I was falling deep and deeper by the second. Oh and that smirk of his!

"So, breakfast?"

"Don't you have to go to the office?"

"I'm already late. Maybe I can take a sick day, I've never done that before and my boss won't mind." He chuckled and I followed suit.

"Would you like to go to the farmer's market with me? It's in Tompkins Square Park."

He looked uncertain at first, and I was sure he wouldn't agree to it but I just wanted to see how far he'd go to spend time with me.

"I don't think I'm dressed for the occasion."

I looked at his navy suit and almost drooled "It's okay, I can go on my own." I smiled and turned to leave. This time he didn't hold me back, instead, he walked by my side.

"My car is the other way though."

"We could take a bus?"

"Don't push it Kat" I laughed and nodded following him to his car. "What do you want to get from there?"

"Nothing, just breakfast. They make the best sandwiches, and there is a dog park and playground and everything. I just love it there. It's not just vegetables and farm products."

"Wait, dog park?"

I nodded with a frown "We don't have to go through it if you don't like dogs."

He chuckled turning the car on and driving away. I looked out the window and was pretty sure he missed the turn we should have taken.

"Where are you going, Mason?"

"I'd prefer not to be in a suit all day when I take a sick day." He winked and took a turn into his street "I won't take long, I'll quickly change I promise."

He parked the car in front of the building and opened my door helping me out before he led me inside. The lobby was spacious and decorated with bamboo plants and mirrors. It was elegant but too cold for my taste with the black marble tiles. The elevator was huge, probably able to fit more than ten people, and it was fast. We walked out as the doors opened and I was shocked to see how clean and tedious his place was.

The flooring was white, as were the walls except for one in the far end that was painted in black. The furniture along with the decorative items was either black or white forming a beautiful harmony. The only coloring in the apartment came from the paintings hanging on the walls. Some were signed by E. James and others by T. Banks.

"Kat," his voice came from a room in the far corridor "Come meet Max!"

I followed his voice and found him crouching on the floor petting a beautiful golden retriever. I knelt down beside him and petted his dog's belly.

"Awww, he's so cute! I didn't know you had a dog."

"Now you do. This is Max." Max lifted his head licked her hand and went back to napping.

Mason disappeared inside his closet and I took a moment to look around his room. Books were everywhere, on shelves, on his nightstand, even in a corner of the room next to a loveseat. There were framed photos of him and his family making the room more personal than the living room. I noticed a wooden board with tons of thank you cards pinned on it. I moved closer and realized they were mostly from Emily, Adam's daughter. But a few were from Roxana, Elaine's daughter. I smiled at things they wrote for him, and the fact that he kept them made me realize what a big softie he was.

I blushed as I saw him walking out in a light grey jogger with a fitted white t-shirt. Does he have to look good in everything? My mind was screaming inside as I noticed the endpoints of a tattoo peeking from under his sleeve. I got curious and wanted to ask him what his tattoo was but noticed him looking at me funny. He caught me staring. He was gloating in his head. Oh my God, why do I have to be so stupid?

I pointed to Max "Are we taking him?" Nice save Kat! I mentally patted myself on the shoulder.

"Of course we are, I had to take him out this morning but woke up late and his walker beat me to it." He opened a drawer flexing his muscles in the process making me swoon and he pulled out a leash, "Come on boy!" Max jumped on his feet and Mason fastened the leash easily "That's my good boy! Did you meet Kat?" Max looked at me and barked a couple of times wiggling his tail.

"He likes you." Mason smiled leading the way out. "Amy?" Mason called out and a petite young woman in a maid uniform emerged from what I assumed was the kitchen.

"Good morning Mr. Walton, good morning Mam."

I smiled at her and looked at Mason as he spoke to her. "Amy, I'm taking Max out, if his walker comes by tell him to come back in the evening please."

"Of course sir."

We walked out of his apartment and Amy locked the door behind us. "She seems so young!"

"She's 21 I think, I don't remember. But she started very young, she's an orphan and was looking for a job, I gave her the job here and a scholarship so she could finish her studies. She's on a busy schedule and still manages to get great grades."

"Is she the only maid you have?"

"Yes, before I moved here I had four employees in the house and two in the gardens, but here I don't need that many. Just someone to clean up the house and she occasionally cooks my dinner."

"It must be lonely to eat alone every night..." I felt sad for him. I lived on my own but always had dinner with Pablo or my friends from work, I never ate alone. I hated eating alone to be honest.

"I barely eat here. Most nights I'm with Helena and Adam, and the others I'm out with Jason and Tara or having dinner with clients, or..." He paused changing the song.

Max was in the backseat with his head outside the window, he seemed happy. I glanced at Mason waiting for him to finish his sentence but he didn't. "Or when you're with girls." I finished for him and he smirked looking ahead of him silently. It saddened me a little that he didn't even deny it, meaning Noah was right. Mason was a playboy. So even if I overcome my fears and insecurities, I still have to worry about him seeking or falling for someone else.

I kept quiet for a minute but missed his voice already, that wasn't good. Not good at all. My heart was sinking. Mason played 'Unity' and I smiled looking at him. I was drunk that night but remembered singing it out loud. I loved this song.

"You remember!"

Mason smiled nodding "I remember every little moment I spent with you. Except for the night I showed up drunk on your doorstep." We both chuckled and I smiled goofily but quickly recomposed myself.

"Why did you move houses?"

"It was a big villa... Celine picked it and I didn't really like it. I don't like big houses even though I grew up in one."

"So you didn't change it because of her? And your memories of her?"

Mason shook his head and we both fell into a comfortable silence. I was still upset that Noah was right about him being a womanizer, but I couldn't hold it against him. I was nothing but his friend. That's what I wanted right? Even though deep down, I knew that I wanted more. And I wasn't sure how long I could keep repressing my feelings for him.

"I need you to know something. I made it seem to the world that I was the biggest playboy, when in fact, I barely took those girls home. I mean, I'm not a saint, but didn't have a girl in my bed every night."

"Why do you want them to believe you did?"

"Because I was trying to prove to them and myself, that I was over Celine."

"Are you? Over her I mean..." My heart was beating so fast I thought it would burst out of my chest.