Moon God Mates

Love at first sight?

IRIS’ POV:

“Iris, go help those two at the end.” My coworker, Jay, calls over to me; gesturing towards him. The him I have done well at avoiding thus far.

I meet Jay's brown eyes, “What? No. I should be out at the tables.”

It’s been two weeks, to be exact, that I have become crazily obsessed with the new guy that has been coming in; Mason.

Note to self: this is something he can NEVER know!

I can’t explain it, I feel so safe yet so insecure at the same time around him. I don’t even know anything about the guy, other than his name. Which I only know because of his blonde friend yelling it at him from across the bar.

I jump when Mason’s fists hit the counter, after reacting to something his friend says, but I don’t dare look back at him. I can’t, not when every time his inhumanely gray eyes catch mine they pull me in like a moth to a flame.

“Come on! I’m busy over here.” Jay gestures towards his full bar.

I groan and dry my sweaty hands on the top of my jeans.

Here goes nothing… Or everything… I can’t tell by the way he looks at me.

How can one man be this good-looking? In the first few days, I never caught on to how tall he was. I only just noticed that when he came in today; he must be about six feet. He also has the dirtiest of blonde hair that matches his smokey eyes perfectly. I've never seen a man more captivating.

I approach him and he seems lost in a daze while running his fingers through his hair. “Can I get you anything?” I stutter out.

He has a messy, yet sexy, hairstyle currently. The top three buttons of his white-pressed; collared shirt are open, making him look undone. Yet, something tells me that he isn’t an easily disheveled man. I take him as more of a man who is always tidy and in control. He gives off that vibe with how easily he controls the room, and the dominating aura that he resonates.

I haven't even had a full-on conversation with the guy, and I know that makes me sound even crazier. I can't explain what I’m feeling and I can't promise that I won’t act on it. My cheeks are burning red at just the thought.

I clear my throat this time, hoping to break his daze.“Can I get you anything else?”

Please just say no and send me away, I plead inwardly.

“No. No, thank you.” He finally answers, scooting his glass closer to the edge. I take it quickly and almost run full-on away from him. My body ignites in a cold sweat from being within a six-foot proximity of the Greek God himself.

I internally groan and try to keep my distance from him for the rest of the night. Yet weirdly, I don't hate working here as much anymore.

I have been waiting tables at Aces’ Bar since I turned twenty-one; two years ago. Working swing sucks, almost as much as the cold finger foods we serve, but I desperately need this job.

I am the only one keeping a roof over our heads. I know that if it were left up to my mother, my son and I would be living on the streets. I hand a customer a pitcher of beer for his table and make my way to wipe down another, now vacant, table.

Upon graduating college, my immediate plan is to leave this seemingly forgotten town nestled deep in the heart of the woods—a place that appears frozen in time. In this tranquil haven, nothing of great excitement unfolds, aside from retirees weaving tales about lurking secrets in our woods and the mystical aura enveloping the town.

Their narratives, however, label them as eccentrics, almost as senile as my mother. Regardless of where my journey takes me, one certainty remains—I will leave her, my mother.

She's not someone I want my son, James, to look up to. It's not that she's a bad person, but her drinking habits are uncontrollable. I doubt she's ever fully recovered from my father leaving her. There are moments when she's too intoxicated, and I find myself cleaning the aftermath. During those times, she mumbles to me about him—saying things like, "he loved her more than me," or "If he comes back, it won't be for me."

Acknowledging that I might sound harsh, I've come to the realization that I can't live like this indefinitely. Nor can I let my son continue in this environment. I believe I am destined for more—much more. I aspire to be a leader, strong and brilliant, with a mission to help people. As this determination fills me, I can't help but smile.

“Iris, the tables aren’t going to wipe themselves!” Jay calls over again, and I respond by rolling my eyes. I swear he wouldn’t own this bar if it weren’t for his dad giving it to him. He's a good guy and all, but God is he entitled.

I head towards the bar to get another rag. I can feel Mason's eyes on me, and this time I don’t avoid them. Our eyes meet and I gaze at him with a challenge in mine, because I know I will never let it happen. I’m a single mother, I don’t have time for a man in my life. Could a man like him ever accept me and my son anyway?

I block these thoughts out of my head because the answer to them doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t let anything happen. But… What if just for this moment he was mine and I were his?

Mine?