A bet that changed their lives

Part 23 - Someone\'s Jealous

"Where the f**k were you, Arya? Do you even know for how long you were gone? I was starting to get worried. Are you okay? Were you in some trouble? Did... anyone hurt you?" Mason was about to reveal if that guy who had followed her hurt her, but he stopped himself in the nick of time. Of course, she wasn't hurt, she looked way too normal and genuinely happy to have been in some trouble. And he couldn't really directly ask her who that guy was and what it is that they were doing to have made her so happy. He had to be sneaky to get the information from her. And for that, he had to wait for the right moment. After all, patience was a virtue.

"Calm down, Mason. I am alright. The atmosphere was getting too stifling for me, I just wanted some fresh air," Arya responded, leaving out all the details of her boss. She didn't know why she didn't just say that she was out with him, that he had actually saved her from an extremely uncomfortable situation. Maybe because she didn't want her friends to read too much into this? Or maybe because it would tarnish his reputation... or hers? She couldn't exactly pinpoint the reason. Maybe it was a bit of everything.

"Fresh air, huh? For more than two freaking hours?" Came Mason's annoyed response.

"Oh about that! I went to a small diner that is at some distance from here. It is so quaint, and the food there is delicious! You know what, we three should go over there some day instead of this place," she cheerily replied, hoping to calm his anger.

"Yeah, some day," he grumbled. So she went to a diner with that man, and she wasn't even being forthcoming about it. Just what sort of spell did that man cast on her to make her behave like this? His frown deepened as he looked around. "Where the f**k is Lana, now? What the hell, man! Am I your guardian? No, just who do you think I am? I have come to have some fun too, not look after the two of you," he almost yelled at her.

Arya was stunned by his behaviour. What was wrong with him? What happened during those two hours when she wasn't here? Did he have a fight with someone? His appearance was still fine so maybe a verbal fight? Or was it something to do with the phone call that he had received then?

"Guyssss," Lana slurred as she made her towards them and almost tripped.

"And where did you go off to? Didn't I tell you to stay over here? Who the hell do you think I am? Your nanny to run after you?" responded a pissed off Mason.

"Ooooh someone is cranky because he isn't getting laid tonight. Are you jealous that I found someone to have fun with but you didn't? But this girl is also alone," Lana slurred as she pointed towards Arya. "Why don't the both of you try to work things out?"

"Just zip it okay? Let's leave." Mason was beyond angry now.

"Whyyyy, the night is still young and so are you! Wait, if you don't like Arya, I will find a girl for you," and Lana tried to make her way to some blonde who was looking around, sipping on her drink and looking a bit bored. Before Arya and Mason could even realise what was happening and try to stop her, she was almost nearing that blonde. Mason grit his teeth while Arya tried to control her laughter, having forgotten that just a few seconds ago, Lana was trying to hook her up with Mason.

"Let loose, will you? I am sorry that you had to search for me and maybe panicked when you couldn't see me around. Honestly, I wouldn't even have done it, but..."

"Then why did you? Why did you leave?" Mason immediately cut her off. Annoyance, worry, and love almost surfacing in his tone.

"I told you, I had to get out of here, it was stifling. I am not liking this place."

Mason scoffed at her reason. He didn't know what made him more mad - knowing that Arya went out with some guy and spend two hours with him or that she was hiding the fact that she had gone out with someone. "You know what, you both stay. I am going to leave," and Mason started walking towards the exit.

"Hey," Arya caught his wrist. "Please, don't leave. I am sorry okay, on behalf of Lana too." She stepped closer to him, with her hand still holding his wrist while her another hand moved to his shoulder, to comfort him. Though she felt a bit awkward, her priority right now was to make Mason feel better. "It was wrong on my part to just disappear when we all had decided on a friends' night out. Forgive us, please?" She had a small smile on her face, eyes boring into his, asking for forgiveness.

Those eyes! Ordinary but not so ordinary. Those lips, her touch, her smile... of course Mason was having a hard time staying angry with her. "Fine, apology accepted. But this is the last time something like this happens." The words were out of his mouth before he could even comprehend anything.

"I promise," her small smile now broke into a full-fledged grin. They stayed still, smiling and looking at each other, unaware of the position they were in. Mason was liking this feeling, this serene feeling that he could sense only with her. He wondered if somewhere, she felt something for him too, something more than just being friends.

"I swear they aren't together. This Mason guy is really, actually single." They broke out of their bubble and immediately created some distance between them when they heard Lana's screechy voice. After a moment's shock, the two burst out laughing as Lana stared at them in confusion, while the blonde who had accompanied her left in a huff.