Mase slaps a hand across his chest with a smile that makes my heart melt. “Darlin’, would I go to a place like that?”
“I’m sure you would, but I asked if youdid.”
“Would that bother you?”
“It really shouldn’t, since I happily went on stage.”
Mase smirks. “Happily, was it? I’d pay money to see that.”
“Well, I was happy doing it, and you should pay money because I was thinking of you, actually.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing!”
I take his hand and lead him away from the wall. “I’ll let you decide. We can talk later. Dance with me?”
Mase doesn’t leave my side all night.
I see Emelia and her horde of bitter women staring at Mase, and I smile and smile because he’s mine for the night. He was mine last night and tonight, and tomorrow we’ll figure things out.
Tonight, we laugh and dance, and I make sure he doesn’t drink as much champagne as he did last night. I know he said the nerves made him throw up, but I think the litres of champagne couldn’t have helped.
And I don’t want anything to spoil tonight.
It’s a good night for everyone.
Bexley is so happy with Grayson. The way she smiles, the way he touches her makes me hopeful they can make it.
They found love on a reality show. And because of that, Biba and David—two opposites, if there ever were—fell in love. Is it so unheard of that the same thing could happen to Mase and me?
Is that what I want?
Do I want to fall for the billionaire ball player and have my life turned upside down? Last night, Mase was a dream and I had no idea what reality would be like. Reality will be his family thinking I’m after his money and other women assuming the same thing. It will be pictures in the tabloids and people sliding into my DMs and going through my trash.
I have a quiet life. Boring, some might say, but it’s my life. It’s a good life. I like my life. It doesn’t need to be turned upside down.
And then Mase smiles at me and my heart does a gold medal flip off the high beam. For the first time in so long, I don’t feel left out.
There’s always been a secret society full of women who have good men in their lives. I’ve never been part of that. I’ve had the “B” bunch; the only men in my life who lasted long enough to be considered an actual relationship but it was never a good one for me.
I don’t know if Mase will turn out to be a good decision, or if he will suck out all my energy and leave me a hollow shell, but right now, at this moment, I’m happy.
I’m going to hold on to this feeling.
Mase
Ikeepthedrinkingto a minimum tonight as I keep pace with Fiona on the dance floor. It’s hard to keep my hands off her because all I want to do is pull her close and claim her as my own.
And kiss her. I really want to kiss her.
But we promised to keep this away from Grayson and Bexley until tomorrow, and I’m going to try really hard to keep my promise to Fiona.
Because she matters.
And I really think I’m in love with her.
Love has always been a far-away concept for me. I’ve said I loved women, but I never really meant it. Never really felt it—felt the soul of the other person embody my own.
That’s the Alabama Slammer Grayson bought me talking.