How to Steal Mason's Heart

THREE

“We should better get this started if you want Mason to notice you,” Jason said for the nth time once I had arrived in his household. Mason was nowhere to be found to my disappointment. Jason had kept texting me ever since he had gotten my number with the same line he spoke when I set foot in his house.

His house was medium-sized that was good for five people. The place was clean compared to my bedroom which looked like a rat’s nest, not even an ounce of dust visible. Not even a stray shoelace was found on the floor and as my bare foot had stepped on the ground, it felt smooth on my soles.

“I’m not sure if I’m still the desperate one here,” I replied sarcastically as he let me sit down on the sofa, my weight dipping inside it. He was wearing a white apron with a lot of pink stains on it with a little bit of flour on his face. His hair was covered with a little bit of flour as well.

“It’s because you need to do the other part of the deal. I’m doing a good job while you’re such a lazy loser,” he answered, walking over the kitchen as the oven ticked. I simply heed no attention to what he just said. The smell of strawberry wafted to my senses as my stomach grumbled in response. It was loud enough for Jason to hear. He chuckled as he sliced the strawberry cake which he had placed on the kitchen counter, my mouth l*****g at the look of it.

He placed two slices of cakes on two small orange plates while he filled two transparent glasses of orange juice. I walked over to the kitchen and stood there, my mouth hanging, astonished with what he was doing. It was the first time I saw guy cook. My dad never cooked for the family because one time he had almost burned the house just by frying an egg.

“What?” he asked, his eyes filled wonder but his lips were smirking. “Haven’t you seen a guy cook before?”

I ignored his question. “Just give me that sexy piece of cake.”

He laughed, the crinkles visible on his eyes. His frame was lanky but a little bit built yet I was still worried if he could carry those two glasses of juice and two plates of cakes to the living room where I was recently.

“Let me help you,” I offered but he shook his head vehemently.

“I can manage,” he insisted, grabbing a black tray and placed the food he prepared on it, slowly walking towards the living room. I sat down back on the brown sofa.

He removed his apron that was tied around his waist and threw it at some random chair and sat beside me, saying, “Go ahead, and get that cake.”

I slowly grabbed the cake to my lap so that Jason would not think I was desperate enough to get a chunk of his deliciously baked cake. I could hear him chuckling beside me.

“So,” Jason started, his mouthed filled with strawberry cake, “the first thing Mason looks in a girl is that he likes girls with straight hair.”

I almost choked on the food I ate, my breathing uneven. Jason immediately handed me the orange juice and I gulped it immediately, gasping for air. I thought I died back there.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his tone laced with worry. His eyes looked concerned I thought he was going to laugh at my discomfort. He rubbed my back up and down, soothing my breathing a little. I arched my back straight once his hand made contact.

“I’m fine,” I answered, wiping the edges of my lips that had traces of the food he baked. It was delicious. The taste wasn’t too sweet nor too sour, it was a combination of both, balancing and contrasting as it reached my taste buds. I touched my curly hair consciously, looking away from his gaze, my posture crouching a little. I never liked my curly hair on me most especially my body was a little bit enormous than the normal size, never complementing the shape of my face and the contours of my body.

“His past relationships all had straight hairs,” Jason supplied and my brown eyes travelled back to him who was absentmindedly eating his cake, finishing the last bit of it. “He told me that, too.”

“So you’re going to straighten my hair?” I queried. What more could Jason do aside from cooking? I could not even cook a dish to save a life. I also didn’t know how to do girly things. In fact, I never owned any make-up materials. Even a lip balm was never part of my belongings.

“Nope,” he answered, “but my younger brother Greyson will.”

“You have a younger brother?” I asked, a surprised look filling on my features. “How old is he?”

“He’s fifteen,” Jason replied and stood up, placing the empty plates and empty glasses to the sink, applying dishwashing soap on them and rinsed it with water, placing it accordingly on a dishwasher.

“I just realized your names rhyme with each other,” I said out of the blue. “Like Mason, Jason and Greyson.” I laughed at the realization while Jason’s cheeks just flushed with a smile on his lips, a dimple marring his left cheek just like Mason every time he would smile.

“My parents… they’re kind of weird,” he said, walking over towards me, grabbing my hand softly which ignited an odd sensation on my chest. His hand was a little bit rough as if he had been doing a lot of work compared to my soft palm. We walked upstairs, leading me to Greyson’s room who was watching make-up tutorials and applying it to himself.

“Greyson,” Jason called in which his younger brother immediately shut the laptop off with a mortified look on his face. His eyelids were filled with eyeliners that were curved up at the edges while his lips were painted with light pink lipstick, his nose contoured. I almost mistook him for a girl. He was so good at putting make-up by himself.

“Jesus Christ you almost killed me,” he cursed as he placed the laptop somewhere safe. His bed was a single-sized bed with a Hello Kitty print bedsheet on it with matching Hello Kitty pillowcases covering the pillows. His room was organized just like any parts of the house. Jason’s hands were on my shoulders, pushing me inside the room as he walked towards Greyson’s desk which was filled with One Direction posters.

His room was painted with white but it looked lively and warm. A random Taylor Swift poster—a limited edition 1989 poster—was pasted on the wall. I almost screamed just by looking at it, my hands itching to steal the poster. I couldn’t even afford Taylor Swift’s latest album.

“So is this Alexa Sanchez?” Greyson gestured to his older brother Jason. Jason only nodded in response.

“Come sit on the bed,” he gestured towards me, offering his hand to me. I awkwardly sat on the bed, my body slouching. Greyson grabbed his straightening iron and blow dryer, a soothing smile curving on his lips. I peered over to Jason who was staring at the One Direction posters on his desk, a sickening look on his face.

“I thought you’re over the 1D phase,” Jason commented, making a puking sound on his throat. He tore the poster to pieces but Greyson dashed towards his brother and punched him in the face.

“Hey! Never ever touch my belongings!” he yelled, jabbing another punch to his other side of Jason’s face. Jason did not fight back but he raised his hands in the air, surrendering with a resigned look on his face. He stood up.

“Alright, alright, I won’t touch your gay boys,” Jason said as he marched out of Greyson’s room, leaving the two of us behind.

I only giggled at the scene. I thought Jason was all tough and mighty by bullying his younger brother but it was the other way around. Seeing Greyson all manly and throwing a punch at his brother, it was golden and priceless.

“That’s more like it,” Greyson said as he walked towards me, with a sweet smile on his pink lips. “Let’s go the bathroom and wet your hair. I won’t permanently change your hair into straight. Your curls are fetch.”

I blushed at his compliment as he guided me to the bathroom, the walls covered in navy blue. “You think my curls are nice?” I asked timidly, the blush resurfacing on my cheeks. I liked Greyson most especially he was the kind of person that could help me.

“It is! I just don’t understand why Mason likes girls with straight hair,” he answered, turning the shower on as he covered me in a towel, making me crouch down.

I froze once he mentioned his older brother’s name. “Jason told you?!? That monster. I would literally tear him to pieces once I get out of this bathroom.” The tone I held was murderous. I couldn’t wait to claw him with my nails. I thought he was never going to tell that to anyone.

Greyson laughed. “He did not tell Mason though. Trust me, Mason has no idea that you liked him.”

“Good,” I said, “Because if he knew that I liked him then the deal between Jason and me would be over without any second thoughts.”