Iris & Mason

10. Mason

"Wanna go for a walk now?" I asked.

Iris laughed. "It's so cold outside!"

"Is that a direct request for my jacket?" I raised my eyebrow. "Because I brought you one."

Her face lit up. "Is it that fuzzy black one I love?" Every time I wore that jacket in particular she always made a comment about how "cute" and "trendy" it was.

Within five minutes Iris had my jacket on as we walked hand in hand on our way to a Shell station.

"1.8 miles away according to my GPS." She sighed.

"We walk that every day. No complaining." I squeezed her hand.

"I think I want a cat." Iris said out of nowhere.

"Get a cat then." I shrugged.

"I think I will. It would be easy to take care of, I wouldn't have to walk it."

"What should we name it?" I asked, throwing my head back in laughter when I saw the look on her face.

"We?" She scoffed jokingly.

"You heard me. I'm thinking Mason II or if we wanted to get really creative, something like Darius."

If looks could kill, I would've been pronounced dead at that very moment. "Absolutely not."

"What about Frank?" I suggested.

"No."

"Maybe Patricia?"

"Nope."

"Oswald?"

"Absolutely not."

"What about Fluffy?

"No."

"Ric-"

"No!" She laughed, shaking her head.

"You didn't let me finish!" I argued.

"I don't want a cat anymore." This time Iris was the one squeezing my hand.

"Well I bet the cat didn't want you anymore either." I retorted.

We made it to the gas station pretty soon after that. The greasy haired guy behind the register  made a point to look Iris up and down as we walked up to the counter to pay. I couldn't help but smile as she immediately grabbed onto my arm and hid a behind me.

On our way back I learned that resisting Iris was going to be an issue for me.

"I feel like I deserve a piggy back ride." She suggested.

"What makes you feel like you deserve one?" I countered.

"I walked the whole way here." She acted like she was stating the obvious, as if walking was a new thing for her.

"You realize I just walked the same distance as you, right?"

"Yes but I'm wearing a dress." Iris attempted and failed to say with a straight face.

"One more reason not to give you a piggy back ride right now." I tried to reason with her. She gave me a sly look, knowing I probably wouldn't be able to resist her. She was right.

After a few minutes of playful banter, Iris hopped onto my back, squeezing my torso with her legs and wrapping her arms loosely around my neck. I had a feeling this would become a pattern. Not the piggy back rides necessarily, but not being able to resist this beautiful girl.

It took a little bit longer to get back to the car than it had taken us to get to the gas station because I started to get tired and sluggish with an extra person to carry, but we made it eventually.

"And now the date really begins." I grinned as I started the car again, continuing our route to the park. I tried to resist the urge to kiss Iris at every stoplight, but I found it nearly impossible once I knew what it was like to kiss her.

Fifteen minutes of driving later, we pulled up to the park I had originally planned for us to have our picnic in. I set a blanket out on the grass. It was pretty much empty aside from a few teenagers smoking on a hill across the way.

"This is beautiful." Iris sighed. I could see the reflection of the city lights in her eyes as she gazed out into the distance.

"So are you." I blurted out, regretting my cliche remark immediately.

"So are you." She repeated back to me.

She was so easy to like, always rolling with the punches, never critical, a little lazy, but that flaw paled in comparison to her good qualities.

"I'm sorry I fucked our first date up."

"You'll have lots of chances to make it up to me." Iris shrugged. "You're a good guy, Mason. And a good kisser."

I took that as a cue to pull her towards me and graze my thumb across her cheek. "So are you."

Can you fall in love with someone you don't really know?

With her everything felt possible.