Cash In Now Honey

I stayed at Mason’s while the guys dispersed, all of them thanking me for breakfast. Well, I thought everyone had left until I rounded the couch and was scared shitless by Luke Mitrani for the second time today. He looked over at me and smiled.

“Make it more evident you’re here, good Lord,” I said as I sat beside him on the couch.

“Sorry, I thought you knew I was here,” he said. I shook my head no. “Why didn’t you go with everyone else?”

“Why didn’t you?” I asked, looking over him.

“I asked first,” he retorted.

“I felt like being lazy. I’m really busy during the week with work and online classes, it’s hard to find down time,” I told him. “How about you?”

“My knee hurts like a bitch. Landed wrong off a box yesterday,” he told me. “You’re enrolled in online classes?”

“Yep, fifteen credits,” I told him.

“What for?” he asked.

“Business management,” I replied. “I’m getting my associates first then going for my bachelor’s so I don’t have to take the bullshit classes at a university.”

“Solid plan there. Some of those places are ridiculous,” he said. I nodded my head and looked at the TV. We watched TV and talked the whole morning and into early afternoon. I fell asleep with my head resting against Luke’s shoulder and his head resting against the top of mine. I felt someone nudging my leg and opened my eyes. I looked up and saw Scotty looking down at Luke and I. I nudged Luke, who sat up and looked up at Scotty.

“What’s up?” I asked Scotty.

“Do you need me to take you to your house so you can change?” he asked me.

“Yeah, that’d be great,” I said as I stood. I stood and stretched, raising my hands over my head and arched my back. Scotty reached over and slapped my stomach, rather hard might I add.

“Dick,” I yelled as I lifted up my shirt and exposed the perfect hand print on my stomach.

“Shit. Sorry Ki, I didn’t realize I hit you that hard,” Scotty said.

“Ki?” Luke questioned.

“Short for Kiwi,” I replied with an eye roll. Luke looked confused still.

“We went to New Zealand once and Carson loved it. So at home,” Scotty told him. “So, I
named her Kiwi.” Luke no longer looked confused.

“Spread it around Squid. That’s Carson’s new name. Kiwi,” Scotty said.

“Lago, you’re a dick today, you realize that right?” I asked him, making Luke laugh. “Come on, let’s go.” I pulled Scotty out of the house but once we got outside, I turned around and went
back inside.

“Barrett,” I yelled for my dog as I walked into the living room, grabbed Luke’s hands, and pulled him up off the couch. Barrett sprinted outside and was stopped by Scotty while I pulled Luke behind me.

“I can just chill here,” Luke said to me.

“Or, you can come with Scotty and me,” I told him, looking back at him with a smile. Luke grinned and climbed into Scotty’s truck beside me. I got stuck in the middle, as usual.

“Just like old times huh Carson?” Scotty said.

“Yeah. It’s oddly kinda nice,” I replied with a grin. “So, uh, when are you heading back
home?” Scotty looked over at me and gave me a small grin, knowing from my expression that I wasn’t looking forward to it.

“I’m going to go up to Mammoth with you guys next week then I’m gonna head back,” he told me. I turned to Luke.

“Okay, so I never really found out where you and Jack actually live. I know Danny lives around Truckee but what about you?” I asked him.

“I live in Truckee with Dan and Jack goes between Mammoth and Truckee,” Luke told me. I nodded and looked out of the windshield in front of me. The drive to my house was filled with endless chatter and me being made fun of.

“You can park in the garage,” I told Scotty.

“Can you get the remote out?” he asked me. I reached in front of Luke and opened the glove compartment and pulled out the garage door opener.

“You’re the person who lives next to Kevin?” Luke asked.

“I guess so. I never knew until Mason told me,” I told him as I hit the button on the opener and tossed it back into the glove compartment. Scotty pulled into my garage and got out of his truck, grabbed my hand, and pulled me out behind him.

“Barrett, come on,” I said to my puppy, who jumped out of the back of Scotty’s truck and followed Luke towards the interior door.

“I’ll be like fifteen minutes,” I told the two as I headed for my room. I changed into different, more suitable clothes before going into my bathroom. I glanced over by my front door and grinned when I saw Luke looking at all of the pictures I had up on my walls, a majority of Scotty and I. I did my hair and put on a little makeup before going back into my room and putting on shoes and grabbing my purse.

“You two ready?” I asked. I saw Scotty lounging on my couch but Luke was still kind of wandering around. Scotty looked over the back of the couch at me and nodded.

“You look nice,” he said to me with a grin.

“Thank you,” I replied with a grin of my own. I went over to Luke to see what he was looking at. It was a picture of Scotty and I at my graduation. That had been a really good day. After everyone had left, Scotty and I went into my room and he gave me a pearl ring. It completely surprised me and I think that’s what made it so exciting.

“I do not miss high school,” I said as I stood beside Luke. He looked over at me and smiled.

“I didn’t finish so I wouldn’t know,” he said to me.

“Scotty didn’t either,” I whispered to him.

“Don’t make fun of me,” Scotty yelled at me, making me laugh.

“Hey Carson. If you don’t mind me asking, what are these two rooms?” Luke asked, pointing to the two doors closest to the front door. I opened the door beside us and showed him
my office.

“Wow, Billabong much?” he asked, referring to the huge Billabong mural on my wall.

“I work for them,” I told him. I led him to the other door, which was just an empty room. “This is supposed to be the guest room but I’ve never known what to do with it.” Luke, Scotty,
and I left and went out. I crashed at their hotel room with them and Scotty took me home the following morning. I was dragging ass when Mason came over at 4.

“You okay?” he asked me. “You seem tired.” I was currently sprawled out in the middle of my house on the cool wood floors. Mason had just walked in and started laughing when he saw me.

“Can’t move....too tired,” I replied, my eyes closed like they had been since he’d shown up.

“Well, you need to wake up. We’re supposed to be at my family’s house at 6,” he told me. I nodded and tried to get up but just fell limp.

“Ugh, I’m never hanging out with Scotty and Luke again. They are way too insane,” I said. Mason chuckled and I felt him move so he was standing over me, feet on either side of me. He reached down and wrapped his arms around my stomach and hoisted me over his shoulder. I grunted at the movement and felt him begin walking. He opened a door and then I felt sunshine on me.

“Mason, no,” I exclaimed as my eyes shot open and I began fighting him.

“Too late,” he replied but I wrapped my arms around him tightly so I wouldn’t move. He
didn’t expect it and the jolt sent us both tumbling into the deeper end of my pool. We both came back up, sputtering water. I looked over at him and saw him grinning as we both tread water.

“I hate you right now,” I said to him but couldn’t help but grin. Mason swam to the side and got out. I followed and he pulled me out of the pool. “I hope you brought extra clothes.”

“I’ve got some in my car,” he told me as he pulled me against him.

“You also owe me a new air boot. I think this one is done for,” I said to him as I put my arms around his neck and leaned up and kissed him. He leaned down a little so I could stand flat footed and pulled me in even more. We shared a breath before returning to our activity.

“GET A ROOM!” someone yelled from next door. We pulled apart and looked over to see Danny standing on Kevin’s patio. I grinned and waved at him.

“Don’t be jealous Davis,” I yelled back. He grinned and shook his head a little. “I need to shower.”

“Mmm, me too,” Mason replied with a grin.

“Nope, not with me,” I replied. Mason pouted and I gave in. “So what am I supposed to wear?”

“Whatever. Nothing fancy,” he said. “Plus, you look beautiful in anything.” I blushed a little and looked up at him.

“Complements like that are welcome but are not helpful right now,” I told him.

“Like a simple dress would be good. I liked when you wore that dress when we went to Hyde Lounge,” he told me.

“Alright,” I replied.

“See problem solved,” he replied.

“Not so fast, Aguirre,” I said as I took his hand and led him into the door that led into my room and went over to half of my closet and opened the door. “Please, take your pick.” Mason’s eyes bugged out a little at my massive dress collection.

“Holy shit,” he said as he looked at them.

“I like dresses a lot. They’re easy and good for wearing over a bathing suit to the beach or just out,” I told him. Mason opened my other closet and smiled a little. He pulled out my pink Abbey Road t-shirt and handed it to me.

“Find something to wear with this,” he told me. I nodded and looked through my skirts. I pulled out a graphic patterned skirt that hit mid thigh when on. I grabbed a black flower
applique cardigan, some flats, and some jewelry and laid it out on my bed.

“Done. Shower time,” I said, leaving my room. An hour later, Mason and I were walking out of my house, heading to his parents’ place in Temecula. Danny followed us there with Kevin in tow. Mason said that Jack, Luke, and Scotty were meeting us there.

“So, do you know who all is going to be there?” I asked him.

“Um, my dad called this morning and said my mom got called off for work so it’ll just be him and my siblings,” he told me.

“Molly, Maddy, Tyler, and Treyton right?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Mason replied with a smile.

“It’s weird that we have the same number of siblings,” I said to him.

“Yeah, but you’re the baby, I’m not,” he said with a smirk. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked out the window. “I was joking.” Mason’s hand slipped onto my bare leg and up towards the hem of my skirt a few inches. I looked over at him and smirked.

“How does your family feel about PDA?” I asked him.

“Uh, depends on what it is,” he told me, a little perplexed. I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “That’s okay.” I kissed his neck. “Pushing it a little.” I turned his head towards me for a second and quickly kissed him. “That’s definitely okay.” I bit my lip and placed my hand on his knee.

“How about this?” I asked him.

“Not a problem,” he replied. My hand slipped a little higher. “Still acceptable.” I let my hand drift up to his upper thigh. “Not so much, unless it’s under the table or something.” My hand slipped down onto his inner thigh and I felt Mason jolt a little. He looked over at me and smirked. “That’s not acceptable anywhere but when we’re alone.”

“Well, we’re alone now,” I said beside his ear.

“Carson, I’m gonna wreck,” he said, though he couldn’t hide his grin, as he swerved back into his lane after getting a little distracted and letting the car go into the other lane. I smirked and pulled my hand back and clasped my hands together and let them rest on my lap. Mason pulled into the driveway of a large traditional Southern California home, cut the engine to his car, and climbed out. I sat and took deep breaths. I was freaking out. I had known Scotty’s parents long before ever dating him but this was a different ball game. I was meeting Mason’s family as his girlfriend, not his best friend. Mason came around and opened my door for me but when I didn’t get out, he bent down beside the car and peered in at me.

“What’s wrong?” he asked me, placing his hand on my knee.

“I’m not ready for this. I mean, we haven’t even been together that long. What if they hate me? It’s not like I’m that great or anything. Family is really important and this is a big deal, you know? A big step,” I managed to stumble.

“Carson, chill. They’re going to love you,” he said to me as he pried my hands apart and took one of them in his. He pulled me out of the car and I had a death grip on his hand. He pulled me into a hug and I held onto him tightly.

“Wow, you really are worked up,” he commented when he noticed I was shacking. I gripped him tighter and didn’t really want to let go. Danny pulled into the driveway and parked behind Mason. He and Kevin got out and gave us an odd look. As they walked by, Kevin gave my back a comforting pat. They went into the house and Mason and I remained outside.

“You ready to go in?” Mason asked. I shook my head no. Scotty pulled up then and he and the Mitrani brothers got out and walked up the driveway.

“Carson, chill,” Scotty said to me. “Seriously, they’re not fucking Nazis.” He knew that right now, though nurturing seemed good, being a hard ass would help me a little more. I tensed up a little and pulled back from Mason a bit. The three that had just arrived went inside and I looked up at Mason after receiving a reassuring smile from Luke who then followed his brother and Scotty into the house.

“You gonna be alright?” he asked me. I nodded and kissed him. Mason took my hand and led me into the house. I fixed my skirt on the way up the walk way and gripped Mason’s hand.