Chapter 6: Storm Ride
1696 Words
A black Ford Mustang pulled over where she was standing hugging her backpack tightly. The car splashed water on her already soaking wet lower extremity. From it, alighted Mason with an umbrella, Audrey was still frozen in the storm with her eyes shut, when the rain stopped she opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was his smiley face.
"Hi there, we meet again. You want a ride?"
"Sorry but no"
"I know what's going on through your smart brain but trust me, am too famous to abduct you besides you look like you need the help"
For real there was no one around. Mason was the only option and not that she didn't want her rescuer to be him. As a matter of fact, she did, it was time to put into practice the non-verbal cues she had learned. She shrugged and Mason opened the door for, shotgun. Lucas would have been mad if he saw that. Audrey froze for a minute there looking at him for clarity.
"Come on, I can't shove you at the back and miss seeing your pretty face"
Speak of melting one's heart with mere words, Mason was perfect at that. Despite their surrounding she didn't feel the cold, or the humid wind brush across her face, her gaze was fixed on him with her lips separating to a perfect smile.
"You're gonna get in?"
"Yes"
Mason joined her later, threw the umbrella in the back seat and wiped his face and hands with a towel from his bag. The engine was still running, he adjusted the AC and drove off the compound carefully at full light with the wipers smearing away the very last drop of water that hit the windscreen.
"You care for some music?"
"Anything country"
"Your address?"
"Woodley street, house number 42"
He silently changed the music from a hip-hop playlist to country music. Luckily, he had a few Dolly Parton’s and Kenny Rogers hits in there. They were playing at a favorable volume and with the AC Audrey was back to feeling warm and comfortable, shaking her head while mumbling along the songs her gaze fixed outside to the rain and the shaking trees her heart pounding in her chest. Seated next to her was the hottest boy in school and there was a chance he liked her, if it was true then it was going to be her ticket out of her lonely miserable life. A chance to fit in. But she just didn't know how to be sure that indeed he liked her and how.
"Why were you all alone back there?"
"Technical hitch maybe, the family butler was supposed to pick me up but he didn't"
"I thought you ride with your brother"
"Not anymore"
"Why?"
"A long story. Thank you, I don't know what I'd have done without you"
"You're welcome beautiful"
She looked at him and the pretended as though he had not just flirted with her. Merely a day into accidentally bumping each other and they already had this rapport that as hard to explain even to the pretending Mason.
"Any problem?"
"None"
"You don't talk a lot, don't you?"
"I'm always alone" she said going for her snacks, the crackling sound made Mason steal a quick glance at her and she froze, once again her annoying habits were going to cost her comfort and peace, "I'm so sorry"
"You don't have to apologize being you"
"It's annoying being me"
"No, it's not. That's just the fear, what you choose to believe because everyone else around is saying it"
"Why can't you just see it"
"I'm stubborn..."
"And arrogant, classy"
"Yeah all that. You seem nicer than what people make you look like"
"You barely know me"
"I can feel it" he pulled over in front of the huge black iron gates, behind them a white magnificent Miller manor, "here you go"
"Thank you. How can I repay you back?"
The rain had stopped and they were just mere drizzles outside. Audrey was already feeling warm as though she hadn't been rained on. Thank god her bag pack was rain proof or else she would have ad to deal with wet books.
"No need for payback, consider it a kind gesture"
"I don't get favors often"
"Get used to it. I'm not going to stay away"
"I'll get a restraining order" she teased leaving the car, Mason gave her the umbrella.
"Goodnight Miller, you're amazing always remember that" he winked and smiled biting his lower lip and she felt her n*****s erect and tingly feeling throughout her body, a confusing mixture of lust and adrenaline. As far as non-verbal cues were concerned he liked her and that gave her wings, just another girl on fire falling for his charm. Audrey watched as he sped off, she waved until his car disappeared, the hawk-eyed guards were already surrounding her.
"Mum"
"It's Audrey!" She snapped out of it and turned around wearing a smile, "Good evening"
"Evening" they said in unison, one opened the gate and she walked in with her umbrella looking all happy, girl she was in cloud nine after that chat and ride with Mason. So overjoyed that she didn't remember to confront the butler for doing her dirty instead she walked upstairs to the surprise of Lucas who was enjoying a movie downstairs. Poor girl didn't even realize she was already in the house and there was no need for an umbrella. All of a sudden, out of the blue, two people had shown care and made her realize that she wasn't alone after all.
In her room she had a change of clothes and hit the shower for her typical end-of-week long shower in the bathtub with music. There was roughly an hour and a half to dinner, perfect for a good read in warm soapy water. On her shelf of books, she picked up the iconic Dr. Ben Carson's "Gifted Hands" filled up the tab added some soap and slid in there flipping the pages. On the antique music player, the orchestra, weird for a girl her age, right? Was there really a standard for a perfect teen? Probably, Mason Klein.
*****
After dropping off Audrey Mason used the short cut to get back to the ring road and take the road that led to Hillside which was another posh estate to the west of Woodley. Driving fast, the music blaring in the car, his phone was constantly buzzing and he didn't bother to pick it up because he knew, they were his party comrades. It was Friday and there was no party like a Mason Klein party. When he got to his gate a number of his schoolmates and friends were waiting. Leading the bunch was the team captain with whom they had a bet.
"Where have you been mate? Almost thought you got swept away by the flush flood"
"Nah" he said shaking their hands, "I was caught up with something"
"What's something?" Someone asked from the back.
"No need to go into details. What's up?"
"We came to fetch you, there's a party at my place" the Captain said.
"I'm in but I got change, as you can see am still in my kit"
"The rest of you wait here. MK and I will go in"
Mason knew the captain was requesting for a private audience with him, it was time for the progress report and he was glad she was catching the bait...which was just him and a few compliments here and there. So far so good, looked like the mysterious girl’s advice worked perfectly even though you and I have no idea what it was.
"I know you want to know when am getting my ass embarrassed" he said the two of them driving inside the Klein compound, a Portland stone seventeen century manor was standing in the middle. Surrounded by pines along a tarmacked road that led to the entrance. Beautiful evergreen lawns screamed serenity and class.
"You read my mind"
"There is beauty in the struggle and ugliness in success"
"Slow down there Hippocrates, any progress?"
"Relax, I got this I still have time. Where do you think I've been?"
"Kissing her thick lips" he smelt around like a bulldog, "this car smells like sex..."
"f**k you man. The bet was to get her to say she loves me in a months’ time. No kissing or s*x, you think I can stoop that low?"
"I'd wonder. Meet your end of the deal I'll meet mine"
"Looks to me like you'll be enjoying this"
"You grooving with the ugliest b***h in school leaves me with all the pretty ladies"
"She is not ugly" Mason said pulling over in the parking lot. The Captain had his dropped gaze fixed on him as though he was a UFO. Was he just sticking to the script or he was being serious about finding her not to be ugly? It couldn't be the script, there was no sign of Audrey around.
"Are you being serious right now?"
"Just sticking to the script dumb ass, gotcha" he laughed through it and now the captain looked like the i***t.
"You got me there. I'll wait here, don't take long"
"Come on in, grab a drink or something"
"If you insist"
"We both know your drunkard ass wanted a drink" he mocked as the two left the car for the entrance.
Although the Captain had bought that idea of Mason sticking to the script, he was at war with his very own conscience. Being forced to act like she was not beautiful when deep down he knew she was beautiful both physically and at heart. She just needed a slight push to change her wardrobe and cut weight. But how could he tell her that when he was not interested in how she looked? She was just a means to an end and he needed to stick to the mission. The next few weeks would prove decisive as he would keep pampering her with attention like she never imagined and she would fall deep in that web, although she wouldn’t be the only one.
- Writer
