Page 42 of Housekeeping

22

Mason

Laura hadn't come out of the bedroom when I received a text on my phone. I pulled it out of my pocket and unlocked the screen, frowning at the text that had come from my sister.

She wanted me to come home and it was something urgent.

“Again?”

The question escaped from my mouth. There was always something fucking urgent and it would have to ruin this moment. I wondered if I could be like Laura. Just go and work and get away from all this fucking drama. It was doing my head in. I didn’t know what was wrong this time, but I had some idea. I went to the bedroom door and knocked lightly.

“Laura, something’s come up at home and I have to head back. Do you think you can come to the hotel, meet me in my room later? Maybe lunch?”

It was as if she was thinking about it. I was about to say something to her, about the fact she said that she’d at least try, when she blurted out, “Okay. Sounds nice.”

I smiled to myself, pulling away from the door.

“I’ll see you later,” I called out to her. “Hurry up and lock the front door behind me, all right?”

“Okay!”

I hesitated a bit, wanting her to lock it immediately, but stepped out anyway. I dialed my sister’s number as I made my way downstairs. She answered just as I stepped out of the building.

“Hey, Emily. What’s going—?”

“Don’t come home,” she said, cutting me off. “Just go to your room back at the hotel, okay? Not back to the mansion.”

I frowned, wanting more detail, but she hung up before I could ask for any. I just shrugged and went to my car where I’d parked it a few blocks from Laura’s place. I’d walked all the way to the supermarket and carried the stuff I bought for her, plus the food I cooked, all the way to her house, but there wasn’t anywhere near her building with a free parking space.

The trek wasn’t enough to tire me out. If anything, I nearly skipped the whole way there, but I had my pride and my image to uphold, so I behaved myself.

I made it to my car and jumped in, putting one of my CDs in the player. The drive wasn’t that long, but I enjoyed the music for as long as it lasted. I was whistling along as I parked the car at the hotel and jumped out to head inside. I went all the way up to my room, let myself in, and went to take a shower.

Was Emily going to come to my room? I frowned, wondering if she even knew my room number, before shrugging the thought off. It wasn’t like she couldn’t find out.

Because I hadn’t showered yet or brushed my teeth, I stripped down and jumped into the shower. I was done and out, toweling my hair dry in ten minutes. I didn’t know how long Emily would take to arrive, so I hurriedly put on some clothes.

By the time I was back in the front room, there was a knock on the door.

“Just in time,” I muttered to myself, stepping toward the door to unlock it.

Only the person I expected, was not the person standing there.

“Dad?” I said, incredulous.

“Hello there, Mason,” he said casually as if nothing was wrong, but when it came to him everything was wrong.

He was dressed in a suit as per usual, with his hands casually tucked into his pockets. He walked past me into my room, and all I could do was stand and gape at him.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked.

“Watch your language,” he retorted in warning. “I am your father, you know. And I also happen to own this hotel, so I have every right to be here.”

That was enough to break me out of my stupor, and I glared at him. That high handedness right there, I technically had it too, but I’d learned it from him, and it was his one trait that I hated.

“I thought you had a heart attack or were on your death bed?” I said sarcastically. “It hasn’t been nearly long enough for you to make a miraculous recovery, Dad. So what are you doing here? The truth, please. If you’re worried I’m going to skip town, you don’t have to... yet.”

I added that ‘yet’ just to annoy him. For the moment, I couldn’t imagine leaving unless Laura agreed to go with me, and I somehow doubted that she would. Dad turned to look at me with this curious expression on his face but he didn’t ask.