I got overwhelming awesome feedback from the last chapter. It seems like we all need a little Mash right now, so I am sharing another chapter early.
Kenna and Greer had decided that the best way to search would be to fan out and go to all the likely places. To that end, they made assignments, based on the widen search perimeter with the discovery that Mary's red BMW convertible was missing.
Greer and Leith would take his car and drive to the beach, since the surf had always been comforting and reminded her of happy times in her childhood.
Kenna would go to the park where she and Mary went jogging weekly.
Lola would go to the USC library, since getting lost in the law textbooks there was Mary's inspiration for attending the school in the fall. She opted to take Benjamin with her.
Aylee was tasked of going to the girls' favorite late night hangouts, mainly coffee shops and pizza places.
But unbeknownst to the girls, Bash had his own plans. It had taken him all of ten seconds to pause the video game he was testing, grab his keys, and jump in his truck. He drove straight to "their" spot by the lake. He used to think of it as his spot, but ever since their evening there it had been their spot to him. As his truck swung into the parking lot he noticed that the only other vehicle there was a red BMW convertible. He was willing to bet that it belonged to Mary; it would be highly unlikely that another rich person was hanging out here this late. He parked next to her car and glanced around. She was strolling along the lakeshore in a floor length gown. He took a moment to shoot a quick text to Leith, "I've got her."
Then he strolled calmly down to the water's edge. She noticed him when she turned around and gasped. He had startled her. She was not expecting anyone to be here. He had told her himself that this spot was normally empty at this time. "What are you doing here?" she said somewhat accusingly when she caught her breath.
"Your friends are worried about you. I thought I might find you here," he stated matter of factly.
"I don't want to be around people tonight," she whispered.
He smiled and reached out to tuck some wayward strands of hair behind her ear. "Don't worry I didn't tell them where you were or promise to take you anywhere. I just let them know that you were safe."
She smiled up at him, continually amazed by his absolute understanding of her. He took her hand and led her back towards their vehicles. Arriving at his truck he opened the door, leaned in and turned on the bed lights. Then he slid through his iPhone playlist, plugged it in to his stereo and selected a song. As the slow melody of Paramore's Only Exception started to filter into the warm spring air he extended his hand to her, "May I have this dance?"
Her face lit up, and she took his hand. His free hand slipped around her delicate waist, and hers slid over his shoulder to wrap around his neck. The dance started off formal and proper with a significant amount of space between them, and her staring up at his smiling eyes. But as the song drew to a close she was resting her head on his chest. They held each other a beat longer than the song. She felt complete. For her this was prom, not losing her virginity in the bedroom of some too rough high school boy. She sighed contentedly.
"I don't think you have to go home and be around everyone, but it seems unwise to stay here much longer considering what happened the last time," he whispered into her hair with a smirk.
She snickered. "Bash, I'm starving," she said slightly embarrassed.
"Well, how do you feel about checking out one of my favorite pizza places?"
"I can't go into a pizza joint dressed like this," she said horrified at the idea.
"Well, I think you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and I'd love to take you out and show you off," he said sincerely. "But I'd look like an absolute bum next to you, so you can borrow some of my clothes."
"I'm in."
-While Bash and Mary were enjoying their time together, her friends were anxiously awaiting news of her whereabouts. They had all stopped the frantic search and headed to Mary's house (her parents were once again out of town) after Greer had told them that Sebastian had located her.
Aylee had picked up a pizza from their favorite place since she happened to be there when the text came in. So now, they all set around the formal dining table eating waiting for one of their phones to buzz. Leith had, at Greer's request, asked Bash where they were and requested that they rendezvous at Mary's parent's house. All of the girls had been texting Mary all night long, but to no avail. No one was getting any response from the pair.
"Think they're in jail again?" Leith asked with a grin. Everyone smirked.
After an hour had passed with no sign of them, Lola decided it was time to disband. "We can meet up with her in the morning. Her parents come back tomorrow, so we know she won't stay gone forever."
Aylee and Kenna got in Lola's car to head over to her place, since they had ditched their respective dates at various points during the night's events it made sense to have a slumber party and discuss. Leith helped Greer into his car to take her home.