A/N: I'm the writer and I can't wait to read what's coming up next.

No copyright infringement is intended. All recognizable characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. I own the plot and the mistakes.

ENJOY!

7/01/2023

Cherry Pies and Backwards Baseball Hats

Chapter FIVE

BPOV

"For an Asian guy, he's hung, Bella. I mean, He. Is. Hung."

I hadn't spoken to Tanya since the party and that was almost a week ago. "You said that he's Mason's cousin?"

Mason and I had only sent a few texts since I saw him as a patient the day before. I knew he was getting frustrated with me because I kept dodging his date question. I didn't think he was serious and that's why I haven't answered him. It's not that I'm scared, I'm not. It's the fact that it isn't normal for me to have a hot guy like Mason to be interested in me. Any guy as good looking as he is, has to be after only one thing, and considering he knows I'm a virgin, that has to be his only reason.

"Yeah. Eric's mom is Mason's aunt; his mom's sister, and his boss is his uncle, and his uncle is his deceased dad's brother. He died when Mason was like seven in some freak accident."

"T, why are you telling me all this?" I sighed heavily, and gripped my hands tightly together in my lap.

"Well," she stressed. "Apparently, Mason's been talking to Eric about you."

"What's he saying? And why are you two even talking about me and Mason? Do you not have better things to talk about." I was a little irritated over the whole subject of their conversations.

"We have lots to talk about, but right now, I'm needed to find out how much you think about Mason and if you talk about him." I knew she was smiling, but I didn't want to look at her. She could change a priest into a gang thug with just one look.

I put my hand on my forehead in consternation. "Is this actually a 'he said, she said' conversation?"

"Yeah. Mason asked Eric last night to ask me to ask you what you thought about him because you keep ignoring him." My head was starting to spin from all the back and forth.

"You know damn well why I'm avoiding answering him. I don't believe his advances. I think he just wants me for my cherry pie." Then I sighed incredulously. "You tell me why I should say yes." I growled at my friend. "T, how the hell can I ask him to prove it to me?"

"Bella, honey," she started. "You only live once unless you believe in reincarnation. Otherwise, life is way too short to keep putting judgment on people before you really and truly have the right to question their motives. He very well could be speaking the truth of what he thinks of you."

I wasn't sure what else to say. Tanya may be a leggy blonde, but she was definitely not the typical blonde. She knew what she was talking about, and she's right. "I don't know, T. He seems nice enough." We were quiet for a minute. "I honestly don't know what to do."

"All right. Answer this question for me. You know the kind of person I am, correct?"

"Yes. You're no holds barred; you go for what you want, and you definitely always say the truth even though it's not what they want to hear."

I wasn't sure where she was taking this, but if I needed to listen to reason, she was the one who needed to get me to listen to what she or anyone else has to say.

"Exactly, and you know how I am with men; what my type is. Something changed my mind about the twerp Saturday night. He called me last night around eight and we talked for hours. I'm giving him a chance. If Jacob was home, he'd be telling you the same thing. Give the guy a chance, Bella. Stop being so worried about giving up your cookie because it's bound to happen one day or you'll end up an old cat lady."

"I really think I should be in love first before he becomes my hymen breaker."

Tanya laughed and put her hands up. "You're a nut." She shook her head. "I honestly don't know what else to say."

We were sitting in the common area of her dorm. It was Thursday and I went to see her right after I got off of work so we could see each other and go out to eat. I tried to visit her at least two times a week.

"No one is asking you to fall in love with him overnight. Go out and have some fun. You don't ever have to have sex with him if that's what you choose." Tanya took my hand in hers and gave me a pouty look.

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "I know, I know. Not all men are alike. Mason could be the only man on earth that has patience with someone like me. He could've given up before it even got started."

"Have you been talking to him or just texting?"

"Texting, for now," I admitted.

"You haven't told him where you live, have you?" Her brows were raised in wonder.

I gave her a guilty smile. "No and I had to bite my tongue when we walked outside to get in his truck on Sunday. I can clearly see my house from his. I'm lucky he leaves before I do for work so he doesn't see my car."

Tanya laughed. "That's priceless." She bounced in her seat and pulled me into a hug. "Don't worry. I didn't tell Eric. We seriously try not to talk about you two idiots if we can help it."

My phone chirped with a new message and we pulled apart. I pulled it from the side pocket of my purse. It was Mason. "If you really and truly don't want to date me, at least have the balls to tell me so I can stop hoping."

I shoved my phone at Tanya so she could read what he said. "See, to him, you're not giving him a chance, and he's on the verge of giving up trying. Do you seriously not want to date him?"

There was no hesitation with my answer. "I think maybe that I'm playing a little too hard to get."

Tanya turned to face me on the couch. "Go get some take-out and pull into his driveway instead of yours." She pulled me into another hug. "Call me when you get home."

I did as Tanya suggested and stopped at What-a-burger on my way. Mason literally lives right across the street from me, and I'm pretty sure the reason we have never seen each other before is because I park my car in my garage, and he leaves at the butt crack of dawn to go to work.

I saw his truck as soon as I turned onto our street. It had already been close to two hours since he sent his last text. I hadn't replied because I was surprising him. I hoped he let me in after avoiding him for so long.

As soon I put my car in park, I sent him a text as I stepped up to his door. "Peace offering."

He responded. "Depends."

"What-a-burger?" I waited a few seconds then texted, "Love the wrought iron bench by your front door."

In a matter of seconds, his door was yanked open and he stood before me in a pair of basketball shorts and no shirt; just the way I saw him for the first time as sober me.

We stood staring at each other for far too long. "Are you gonna invite me in or what?"

The food was yanked from my hands before I could protest, and my back was being pressed against his closed front door. His mouth was on mine with no hesitation.

I had never seen a man like to kiss so much in my life. I wasn't complaining at all because the man had me praying to the heavens that he never stopped kissing me the way he was. My toes curled, and areas of my body that has laid dormant longer than necessary had started to wake up and beg for more.

Once I was thoroughly kissed, he pressed his forehead to mine. "You freaked me out."

"How?" I slid my arms around his naked waist; enjoying the feel of his warm, smooth skin.

"You didn't answer me back, and I really, seriously thought you didn't want anything to do with me."

I gave his chest a light push so I could look up to his face. "Let's eat and talk."

He nodded. "Sure." Then turned to walk towards the kitchen. "Want something to drink? I have Dr. Pepper, beer, water, and milk."

"A Dr. Pepper would be great." I took the food from the table by the front door and made my way into his kitchen. I started pulling out the burgers, onion rings, and fries that I ordered. "I wasn't sure how you liked your burger so I got one with cheese and one without."

"Good. I can't stand American cheese on my food." I turned and he was right behind me. We stared at each other a few seconds before he lowered his head and pressed his lips to mine. It was soft, nice and gentle. "Our food is going to get cold if you don't stop kissing me."

"I'll kiss you all damn night if you'll let me." Lucky for him, I don't work on Friday's leaving me with a three day weekend.

I gave him a seductive smile. "Let's eat; I haven't had dinner yet." I was still wearing my scrubs.

We got settled at the table with me sitting right next to him. As we ate, we couldn't stop looking at each other. Then my brain spoke before my mouth could stop her. "I have been trying to avoid you," I sadly admitted.

His facial features didn't change when he asked, "Why?"

"I honestly didn't think you were serious enough about me until your last text. I've never really had time for dating or even a relationship. You're the only one that has shown me the most interest since I was in college. I'm pretty sure I'm not a favorite for most men."

He was quiet as he processed what I said. He was probably contemplating on what he should say next. He then took his last bite of his burger before he leaned back in his chair. "I've only ever had three, maybe four serious girlfriends since I even started noticing girls. The one I lost my virginity to was the longest relationship I had ever been in. We were together almost three years. The other few were only a few months give or take. They couldn't handle my schedule." He rubbed his one good hand over his face. "I work a lot. There are times I don't get home till midnight, and there's times I go in before six. That's why I've only had casual hook-ups. It's not something that's normal for me; it's only been once in a while, and no, I don't have a little black book that I keep all their names and numbers for a quick, easy lay, and honestly, there isn't one damn thing wrong with you. As far as I'm concerned, you're perfect. I like a girl with a little meat on her bones. "

I picked at my fries as he talked. I was starting to feel bad for the way I had treated him. "When my cousin Eric called me Saturday night, I went to have a beer or two then take his ass home, but then I saw you. I watched you for a bit before I got that guy away from you." He smiled and nodded his head. "I was definitely going to ask for your number, but then you started upchucking all over the place."

"Thank you, by the way." I was done eating, so I rolled up my wrapper and stuffed it into the bag in front of me.

"You're welcome. And that night, just so you know, I felt lucky when you couldn't remember where you lived."

I chuckled at him. "Yeah, that." I was completely embarrassed, but I needed to be honest with him. "That's not entirely true."

Surprise crossed his face. "Care to elaborate?"

"I live across the street; five houses down. The only house on that side with a garage."

Mason stood up from the table. "Are you fucking kidding me, right now?" He started walking to the front door. "Let's go. Show me."

I got up and walked over to him. "Aren't you gonna put a shirt on or at least some shoes?"

"Shoes? Yes, shoes." He ran to his room, I assumed, and came back wearing a pair of Under Armour slip-ons. "Let's go."

My keys were in the front pocket of my scrub shirt, so I gave him a satisfied smile and headed for the door, but a few steps outside, and he stopped me. "How long have you lived over there?"

"A year, I guess. My grandparents used to live there until they got a place in Surprise. It's still theirs; I just pay the property tax and pay for any maintenance."

Mason looked at me weird. "Old man Higgenbotham is your grandfather?"

I gave him a huge smile "The one and only."

"What a fucking small world. That man is the funniest and most outgoing old man I know." He took my hand. "I've already been in your house, but I wanna see how you have it set up."

We held hands the whole three minutes it took to get to my house. It was dark out and thankfully the street lights were on so I could see to unlock my door. "I moved in about a week after they moved out. My two best friends came over to help me paint and clean real good before I brought all my brand new furniture in."

He shook his head as I pushed the door open. "I can't believe I never noticed. How freakin' bizarre."

We stepped into my foyer which was much the same as his except I had tile and his is hardwood. "You're always working, so I'm not surprised." I flipped on a few lights ad my cat came running to greet me. "Hello my little man." I picked him up and he immediately snuggled under my chin. "This is Winchester. He's been the only man in my life since he was a kitten. He's about eight years old, now."

Mason scratched behind Winchester's ears. "Hey, buddy."

Winchester purred louder the more Mason paid attention to him. "I've always loved this house." I started walking towards the back patio door. "Ever since I was a kid, I always daydreamed that I would live here when I was older and raise my family here."

"Well," Mason said as we stepped out onto the back patio. "At least half of it has come true." He looked around then stepped back through the door and headed towards the living room. "This has always been my favorite." He walked into my living room and pointed to where there's a fireplace. "It's very intimate."

"I love it, too." I looked at him and imagined us laying together by the fire after we just made love. "Um...have you seen the rest of the house?"

"No, actually." He turned to look at me. "This is as far as I've been and the kitchen."

I put Winchester on the floor then held my hand out to him. "Come. I'll show you." I guided him to a staircase going down. "Did you know that there's a basement?"

"You're kidding?" He followed behind me as I started down the stairs.

"No. When my grandparents had this house built, they had to pay an extra $10,000 to have the basement added in. My grandpa wanted all the girls downstairs with their own rooms and bathroom, so there's three bedrooms and a kitchenette area. It could be a completely different apartment, but there's only this entrance."

Mason's eyes grew wide when he looked in the bathroom. "There's even a washer and dryer down here."

"Grandpa said he was cursed when he only had girls. After my mom was born, they didn't want to take anymore chances, so my grandpa got snipped and grandma tied."

Mason chuckled. "I can imagine your grandpa complaining about being the only man in the house."

"Yeah, he seems grumpy all the time, but he's the most lovable man I know." We walked towards the small living room area where there's a couch, love seat, two end tables, and a flat screen TV up on the wall. "He loves his girls, though."

I sat down on the couch and Mason joined me. "I think I'm in love with this house, too."

"Grandpa says the house is mine as soon as he keels over. He says my cousins are ungrateful shits and I'm the only one who's ever amounted to anything and works for what I want."

Mason turned to face me. "That's too bad about your cousins." He reached over and took my hand. "I think you're amazing." He slipped his fingers through mine. "I really do wanna get to know you. I'm not a dick or a womanizer. Everything I own I've earned. My truck is paid for, I have a mortgage, two credit cards and a mom who prays for me every day. I do work a lot, but working on trucks is what I know. I don't have a whole lot to offer, but I do wanna offer you dates full of great food, movies, or whatever our hearts desire."

He adjusted himself so he could get real close to me. "And the best is this..." He pressed his lips to mine softly a few times before we opened our mouths to one another.

I raised my hand to ease behind his head and laced my fingers into his hair. He wasn't close enough, so I pulled him tighter against me. Our kiss was slow and sensual, sending warmth over my entire body. His naked chest was pressed against me, making me want to feel how smooth his skin is. I wanted to trace the tattoos that decorated him with my fingertips, then my tongue.

My body seemed to have a mind of her own when I ended up straddling Mason's lap as we continued to kiss. My hands were in his hair and his were on my hips pulling me hard and close to him. I could feel his erection through the thin material of my scrubs.

He felt enormous below me and it was hard to keep my mind on what we were doing. I wanted to touch him, but it was like my hand was being held back by a brick until I found myself grinding over him. I was seeking more friction where his erection rested between us. I'm not a complete prude; I've pressed and massaged my button more times than I can count.

Mason ended the kiss just as our breathing became escalated. "We need to stop before I do something you're not ready for."

"Sorry," I said and moved to get off of his lap, but he stopped me.

"Just stay right here for a minute." He raised his hand to my face and traced across my bottom lip. "You have beautiful lips." Then he placed his palm on my cheek. "Are we gonna try? I mean date and all that boyfriend, girlfriend stuff."

I giggled at his use of words. "Stuff? Slow stuff?"

He gave me his beautiful smile that in a short amount of time I have grown to love. "I'm almost 30 years old and I've never been more interested in a woman than you. Even my first love."

I fawned surprise as I placed my hand against my chest. "I feel privileged." Then I moved it to his cheek when he lowered his from mine. I mimicked him by tracing around his bottom lip with my thumb then placed a soft, chaste kiss over the area I just touched.

"I hope so because I really, truly wanna give us a shot and hopefully eventually, I'd like to earn your cherry pie."

I laughed a good belly laugh then kissed him. "And defile my pole hole; vandalize my uterine walls?"

"Fill your oven with a cream filled..."

I pressed my finger over his lips. "I get the picture. My hymen may be intact, but the gutter in my head is just as dirty as the best of them."

"Mmm...I like dirty." Then he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me tight against him making sure his hardened member was pressed against my heated center. "One day at a time."

"I'll be ready for our first date at seven on Saturday night. I don't care where we go or what we do, but I request that you let me know what kind of attire I need to wear beforehand."

Have I mentioned how much I love his smile as he pulled my face to his and said, "Here's to a future of delicious cherry pie," before leading us into another make-out frenzy.

Thank you!

RTB