Page 2 of Mason

“Fuck me,” I growl, rubbing my hands over my face. I’m looking forward to tonight where me and my boys can let off some steam.

TWO

CARLIE MEADOWS

The final bellrings and my shoulders sag with relief. It’s been tough trying to fake it ’til I make it today. It’s been a few weeks since my boyfriend of two years broke up with me through a text. I frickin’ text message, where he practically told me I wasn’t good enough for him. He needed someone who was more fun to be around. That one hurt for so many reasons.

I begin to tidy up the chaos left behind by my students. It’s Friday afternoon and it’s time to go home and relax. There’s a bottle of wine and a season of Bridgerton on my to do list.

Buzz. Buzz.

"Jenny" flashes on the screen of my phone, nestled between the mess of graded assignments. Swiping the message open, I brace for her latest scheme.

Jenny: No more moping around. We’re going out tonight!

Me: Out where? I’m exhausted. All I want to do is crawl into bed.

Jenny: How about crawling onto one of the guys at Perdition?

Perdition. The very name sends a shiver down my spine, a mix of curiosity and fear. It's the kind of place Marcus would have laughed at me for even considering, his sneer still fresh in my mind. But he’s history now, and Jenny... she sees the cracks in my armor I try so hard to hide.

Me: Isn’t that a biker bar?

Jenny: Yup! Trust me, it'll be fun ??

Fun. I hate that word. Can I really step into that world—a world of leather and loud engines, of smoky air and hardened eyes? I’m not one for bars and getting crazy. I’m the homebody who sits at home and reads or bakes cookies. When I’m not working on things for my classroom, I’m resting. I’m not someone you would call‘fun.’

Me: You’re crazy. Could you imagine me in a place like that? I’ll be eaten alive.

Jenny: ROFL. I’m serious Car, we need to go have some fun. Stop thinking about that douche bag Marcus and woman up!

My classroom feels too small all of a sudden, the walls closing in, judging me just like Marcus used to. Always telling me I thought I was better than everyone else. I grab my backpack and stuff it full of the papers I need to grade then leave this world behind, for the weekend anyway.

By the time I make it to my SUV, Jenny is calling me. I sigh when I answer my best friend. “Yes?”

"Come on, Carlie, it'll be epic," Jenny urges. “Perdition is nothing like you've ever seen before."

My heart thumps against my ribcage. "Jenny, I don't know. It's not really my scene, you know?"

"Exactly! Since when has 'your scene' gotten you anything but heartache? It's time to shake things up a bit."

I think of him, the ex who labeled me predictable and my cheeks burn at the memory. Maybe she's right. Maybe it's time to prove I'm not just the sweet schoolteacher everyone thinks I am.

Tonight, I'm not just Carlie Meadows, the heartbroken school teacher. Tonight, I am a woman on the brink of something wild—and it thrills me while also scaring the crap out of me.

"Let's see what Perdition has to offer then."

“Yes!” She cheers loudly on the other end of the line. “I’ll be at your house at eight. Wear something sexy!” She says, then hangs up.

“Sexy? She does know me, right?” I groan loudly.

A couple of hours later I’m standing in my closet in a bra and a pair of dark skintight jeans. I have no idea what I’m supposed to wear. I don’t ever go to places like this. What are you supposed to wear to a biker bar? It’s not like I own any leather or a Harley tee. All of my clothes are too… nice for a biker bar. Frustrated, I’m about to call Jenny to cancel tonight’s plans when I hear a knock at the door.

I pull it open only to find my best friend looking gorgeous with a huge smile on her face. “You’re here early,” I muse.

She cocks one of her eyebrows as she walks in. “If that’s what you’re wearing tonight, I approve,” she laughs.

I shake my head and shut the door behind her. “I can’t do this, Jen. I have nothing to wear tonight.”

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