His One Request

Chapter 23 - Smooth Talker

He begins to tell a story about a boy that was lost and alone in a crowd. "Many people surrounded him, and he was busy with activities and school, but he was heartbroken and alone. With no real friends, because he was the new kid at school, he spent time trying to find his place. Until one day, a girl appeared on his doorstep. She was shy and kind of quiet, but very pretty. Unlike most girls her age, she didn't see the boy as a prize she wanted to win. In fact, the girl was a little bit lonely, too."

"Mr. Cahill, would you like refreshments?" the attendant asks, after Mason noticed that she was patiently waiting for him to finish the story.

"Yes, thank you." She brings over a tray with chocolate covered strawberries and assorted gourmet chocolates and two glasses of zinfandel. Mason takes one strawberry, placing it near my lips, as he offers it to me. I watch the desire flash in his eyes as he watches me take a bite, and he kisses me with just as much passion.

"Where was I? Oh, yeah," he focuses back on his story.

"It didn't take long for the little boy to know that he and the little girl had a lot in common. Even though she was shy, she would talk to him. They shared interests in sports and music. They gravitated to the same movies and books, and there was nothing they wouldn't share. Well, maybe just one thing," Mason says.

"It just so happens about the time the boy and girl were becoming adults, they developed feelings that were more than friendship. Because they were too afraid they would loose the close bond they have, each one suppressed their feelings to shield their hearts from being broken. Neither one was convinced the other would reciprocate, if their true feelings were ever known."

He stops his tale to feed me another strawberry. His thumb traces my lower lip, after the second bite. His eyes flick to my eyes once as he watches me eat. Again, the passion of his kiss matches his expression. After a few minutes, he continues his story.

"The boy and girl became a man and a woman, and even though college and life separated them, they were still very close. Each took time to visit the other, or at least return home at the same time to visit family. If they were in the same state it didn't take long before they were side by side.

"It was a comfortable friendship that could've lasted forever," Mason says with a melancholy tone to his voice. He tucks a strand of hair, and gives me a quick smile. "But, thankfully that is not the case anymore.

"One day, the man's sister needed help, and he raced to be by her side. And, in the true nature of their friendship, the woman, also, within hours was by the man's side. He needed her in a way that he had never imagined, and in that tiny moment when his need registered, his guard was down. The love he had felt from friendship, and the love he dared not pursue became bigger than he could fight."

"Don't get me wrong, he did try to fight it. It didn't last long, because a wise old man told him to figure out what he wanted before he continued with his quest."

"Old wise man?" I smile, and he winks.

"Don't interrupt." He laughs, and feeds me a dark chocolate truffle. His expression is loving as places a gentle kiss on my lips. "Even with the words, the younger man struggled. There were many days of 'what if', running through his head. Because of circumstances, he lacked his usual confidence. There were times when worry took over, and he felt lost. Which was ironic since he was supposed to be the strength his sister could lean on, but without the woman, he lacked strength."

I rub his arm as he becomes emotional, fending off the fear and stress that he has dealt with.

"Thankfully, one day the man decided to take a chance. He laid out his heart to the woman in a way that saved his dignity if his feelings were not reciprocated, and much to his dismay, she felt the same way."