Katy gasped, laughing hard. ‘Wow, you’re a sicko! I love that!’
‘I ordered you a drink. It’s minty. I know you like a mojito!’ Mason pushed a cold cocktail glass towards Katy and lifted his own bottle of beer.
‘How did you know I liked them? And thank you.’ She smiled, immediately raising the delicious cocktail to her lips.
‘Agh, you got me!’ He blushed, taking a sip of his drink. ‘Is it bad if I say I’ve spent most of my day looking at your photographs?’
Katy shook her head. ‘Not bad. Slightly creepy, but not bad.’
They shared a laugh, then continued drinking and making small talk for a few more rounds. She found the time slipping away as his easy demeanour and generous personality shone through. There was something about him that made him so captivating. Katy wasn’t sure if it was his accent, his confidence or his masculine appearance, but she knew one thing for sure – there weren’t men like Mason kicking about the Barras.
‘So, where are you from anyway?’ Katy asked, enjoying another cocktail from the menu.
‘Pennsylvania, born and bred. Have you been?’
‘No! This is my first time in America, but I think Pennsylvania looks amazing. It must be cool at Halloween.’
Mason tilted his head. ‘Halloween?’
‘Do you not get a lot of tourists? With the whole Dracula side of it?’
Mason just about spat his drink across the table, making Katy jump in surprise.
‘What?’
Mason was regaining composure. ‘Sorry. Wrong continent. You’re thinking of Transylvania, but fuck living there – far too spooky!’
Katy blushed, feeling hideously embarrassed.
‘Pennsylvania isn’t too far from New York, but I only have to commute to HQ once a month, so I don’t spend a lot of time here. Have you always lived in Scotland?’ Mason asked, still chuckling.
Katy nodded. ‘Yeah, Glasgow. Have you ever been?’
‘I’ve been to St Andrews for a golf tournament but didn’t get to go to Glasgow.’ Mason smiled. ‘I loved St Andrews, though. The people and the views – it was a beautiful place.’
Katy agreed, smiling as she remembered the last time she visited St Andrews. She’d been thrown out of the caravan park for pissing against someone’s van after a crazy night out with Zola and Ella. No golf was involved.
‘And what do you think of New York?’ Mason asked, sipping his beer.
‘Honestly, I haven’t seen it yet. We arrived, went to the apartment, then I got ready to meet you. This is the first place I’ve come.’
‘Oh, you have got to be joking! How long are you visiting?’ he asked.
‘A few days, well, it depends on how our work goes out here. I don’t want to bore you with work chat, but we sort of have an interview tomorrow. We don’t really know what to expect, but they said we’d be here for at least a few days.’
Mason paused, deep in thought, biting his lip.
‘What? What have I said now?’ Katy laughed.
‘Fuck it, let’s go!’ He stood up, lifted his beer, began chugging it down.
Katy stood too, wondering what was going on, giggling with him. ‘What! What are we doing?’
Mason shook his head. ‘Katy, you have a couple of days in New York, and I’m honoured – truly honoured – that you’re spending your first night with me. But, in good faith, I can’t let you miss out on the greatest city in the world because of me. So, grab your purse, and let’s go sightseeing!’
Katy burst out laughing as Mason threw a pile of notes down on the table and grabbed her hand.
‘Come on, I’m serious, baby!’ He marched her back out of the bar, through the secret passage and into Lower Manhattan.
