Ella Frank - Exquisite

Catherine patted her hand. “Oh don’t you worry. I’m very proud of him and I’m grateful to you.”

Lena tilted her head and asked, “Grateful? Why”

“You came along at the perfect time Lena. He was ready to settle down he just hadn’t met anyone worth doing that with, and especially not that silly red headed twit.”

Lena’s eyebrow rose. “Trisha?”

“Yes her. I met her once and I have to tell you, if he’d chosen her I would’ve done my best, but Lena I’ve never been so happy to see him leave a woman.”

Laughing Lena watched as Mason looked over to her and smiled a slow sexy grin that showed his dimples off and made his eyes twinkle. She felt her heart kick up and do double time then he looked back at Wendy and Lena turned back to Catherine.

“I guess it was right place right time?”

Nodding Catherine agreed then said softly, “But I’m grateful you opened to him Lena. I was worried at first.”

“Worried? “ she asked, “About me?”

“No. I was worried about him.”

Lena sat back at that. “Oh.”

“Not because you aren’t a wonderful person dear.” she paused and scooted closer to Lena. “Because you were so closed. I knew you were scared to open your heart to someone. I watched you grow from a young girl to this amazing woman sitting beside me, and I never saw you relax and smile until a few months ago.”

Lena felt tears welling in her eyes and she reached up to brush them away.

“I’m glad my Mason did that for you and I’m glad you let him.” she smiled and leaned in kissing Lena’s cheek. “You two need to look after one another, promise me.”

Nodding Lena looked over to Mason, where he sat watching her with his mother, then she turned back and smiled at Catherine.

“I promise.”

The following week flew by. Mason had been working non stop on a new promotion for the restaurant and he’d only seen Lena twice. He missed her. She’d told him she was extremely busy this week with two seminars and she had a new intern following her. They’d met up on Tuesday for dinner and fallen asleep on his couch and Thursday night he’d gone by her house and they’d gone for a run around the park then they’d come home and crawled into bed. They were both exhausted.

He knew they needed to discuss moving in together soon, he wanted her with him all the time. Not just when they could fit each other in, but first he needed to sit her down and talk to her, tell her how he felt. Finally tell her that he was completely in love with her. He was planning to do that tonight. She’d told him she had the weekend off and they were going to meet down at O’Malley’s for a drink when she got off work, then they were going back to his place for the weekend. It was had just turned 7.23pm when his phone rang. He put his pen down and picked it up cradling it between his shoulder and ear.

“Hello.”

“Hi there.”

Mason beamed at the voice on the other end. He felt his heart start to beat just a little faster when Lena’s voice floated over the line. “Hey yourself. You better not be calling to cancel.”

He heard her laugh and could imagine her smiling. “No. I’m looking forward to spending some quality time in your condo this weekend.”

“Oh are you? So it has nothing to do with me then?”

“Hmm. Well maybe a little bit.”

Mason rocked back on his chair and lowered his voice. “Good because I’m looking forward to spending some quality time in you this weekend.”

He heard her take a deep breath. “I can’t wait. Sure you don’t want to just skip O’Malley’s?”

Mason saw his phone light up with a second call coming through. He noticed it was his mother’s shop and figured he’d call her back after he hung up.

“Now why would we skip O’Malley’s? You know I love it there. We first danced there.”

Lena chuckled, “You first groped me there.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

“Wow, really mature doctor.” Mason replied with a laugh.

“Ok then. If I must I’ll met you there at 8.”

Mason watched his phone light up again, wow his mother was really wanting to talk to him about something. “Ok sounds like a plan. I can’t wait to see you Lena.”

“And I can’t wait to be seen Langley. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Mason hung up and sat forward dialing his mother’s number. He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face as he sat back rocking his chair. This weekend was going to be amazing, he could feel it. He was still thinking about Lena when he heard a man on the other end of the line.

“Hello? Is this Mason?”

Mason sat up and looked at the phone, yep he’d dialed the right number, so who the heck was this? “Yes, who’s this?”

“Mason, my name’s Edward Scott. I’m the shop owner across the street from your mother’s.” he paused and what came out of his mouth next would forever change Mason’s life.

Lena sat at O’Malley’s with a beer in front of her checking her watch. It’d just turned 8pm. She’d got there a little early and gone in to get a drink. Taking a sip she thought about what she wanted out of this weekend. Oh it was a given there would be a lot of good food, good company and hot hot sex and she wanted it all, but this weekend she planned to lay it on the line for him. Lena was ready to open her heart, let down every defense she had and invite him in. She was going to tell him she loved him.

Looking up at the clock she noticed it was now 8.15pm and he still wasn’t there. She grabbed her cell phone and called him. It went straight to voicemail. Reaching for her beer she told herself not to worry, he was probably just held up , but there was something niggling at the back of her neck and she couldn’t seem to shake it. 8.30pm and still nothing, she picked her phone up and dialed again, this time it was answered.

“Hello, Mason’s phone.”

Lena frowned, it sounded like Wendy, but she was speaking funny so Lena asked. “Wendy?”

“Oh god. Lena! Is that you?” she asked on a frantic cry.

Lena’s breathing froze and she felt herself go rigid. She made herself answer. “Yes. What’s going on Wendy? Mason was supposed to meet me here half and hour ago. Why are you answering his phone?”

There was another sob at the other end and Lena could feel her heart clenching getting ready to crack open at whatever tragedy was about to be hurled her way. Please God, don’t let him be sick, or hurt . Or worse, dead.

“He’s just left the hospital Lena, it’s terrible.” she paused and Lena gripped the bar with her free hand.

“What happened to him?”

“Oh.” Wendy sobbed hard now, “No not him Lena.” she heard her swallow. “It’s Catherine. She had a heart attack in her shop this afternoon.”

Lena’s hand flew to her mouth and she gasped loudly. She knew people were staring at her and she could feel the tears gathering in her eyes. “Is she?” she couldn’t even say it. “Is she going to be ok? Where did they take her?”

Lena heard Wendy let go of her tears now, “She died Lena. She died at the scene. Mason just left the hospital after going to down to identify her.”

Tears rolled in twin streams down her cheeks as she sat in the crowded pub looking at the happy people smiling and dancing without a care in the world. She hit the end button on the call and numbly got off the stool and made her way through the crowd and out the door. Her first instinct was to run, to leave it behind her and not go to him. He would have Rachel and Wendy to comfort him, she just couldn’t deal with this, but she didn’t run she did what her battered heart told her too and made her way to Mason’s.