Cowboy: The Mathesons - Book 2 Page 5

  Mason deserved much of the credit for the expansion of Matheson and Greene’s client base back in L.A. over the past three years. He knew how to hustle for business, and all of the clients loved him. His recent move to Shady Valley to be with Kyle was almost like a very early retirement, or at the least a pause in the upward trajectory of his career. Mason didn’t mind. He was head over heels for Kyle.

  The move left Lily Greene as the leader of the younger generation of the business in Los Angeles. She was more than capable of slowly taking the reins as our fathers grew older. That left big expectations for me in New York, and the first stage of climbing through the ranks of East Coast advertising firms was the move into our new offices. Examining our new suite of offices was the technical reason for Mason’s trip, but I knew he was worried about me on a personal level after my outburst about Simon at the wedding.

  Dressed in a stylish leather jacket, Mason threw his arms around me with such force that he nearly knocked me to the floor. I was taller and had a larger frame than my brother, but Mason’s energy for life was a miraculous force of nature. If he could bottle it, he’d make more than all of the branches of Matheson and Greene combined.

  “Little brother! Great to see you away from all those prying eyes of the rest of the family. This already feels like when we were kids hanging out in a blanket fort in the attic with the ladder pulled up.”

  “Oh, man, I’d forgotten about that. Those were great days. What was I, about six?”

  “Probably.” Mason stepped back for a moment and checked me out from head to foot. I waited patiently for his assessment. “You’re wearing glasses again. What gives?”

  “I decided to make a change. Was it a bad choice?”

  Mason rubbed his chin. “No, not at all. I think it softens the big hulk vibe.” He grinned. “Keep ‘em for now.”

  “Your opinion isn’t the only important one.” Mason sometimes needed reminders that he wasn’t the only inhabitant of planet Earth.

  Mason wrapped an arm around my shoulders and began leading us through the terminal. He chuckled and asked, “By the way, which way to the luggage retrieval? I don’t know where I’m going.”

  I pointed him in the right direction. “After we leave here, do you want to go to my apartment and relax, or stop by the offices? I don’t know how tired you are from your flight.”

  “It’s amazing how quick a cross-country flight goes when you sack out for most of the trip. Offices first?”

  I drove us back into Manhattan. I asked about everyone out in California, and Mason spent most of the drive catching me up. I said, “I miss the chance to see little Tilda. Babies are great.”

  “And Lily is such a phenomenal mother even while she works. She reminds me of Dad’s superhuman powers as a father.”

  We both chuckled. I said, “I doubt Guy and Lily want six kids, though. She’ll be more than busy enough with one.”

  “Guy doesn’t, but you never know about Lily. They are such a good couple. Who would have thought it after the way they got started?”

  As I pulled the car into the parking garage across the street from Matheson and Greene, I said, “I park the car here overnight, and then I take the subway home. I rarely ever drive anywhere within the city. Fortunately, it’s a lot cheaper to essentially treat it like a company car. Parking is so outrageously expensive in the city.”

  “Why don’t you get rid of it?”

  “I did go without a car for three months shortly after I moved, and it drove me crazy. I guess I want to feel like I can drive to the mountains or something when the next attack comes.”

  Madison turned his head toward me. “You really are a New Yorker now, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t worry about earthquakes, so, yeah, I guess so. I’ve learned about new concerns.”

  Five minutes after stepping into the new office space, Mason sighed heavily. I knew that he was unlikely to appreciate our new digs. The offices in California were bright, sunny, and loaded with bright colors all over the place. The East Coast branch was different.

  Mason groaned. “It’s like fifty shades of beige in here. Meetings are boring enough without you helping them out.”

  I didn’t think it was that bad, so once we moved in, I put the decorating on the back burner. I knew that we’d need to do it sometime.

  “Yep, it’s not the best. We haven’t done much since we moved in, but that wasn’t long ago. We might need a little extra funding if we’re going to do something big. Can we justify that?”

  “You need something huge. I can talk to Dad about the cost. Clients should be excited when they walk in here. Simon did such a nice job with the old place even though it was too small. One of our clients told me he was happy the entire time he spent in our offices after Simon spruced things up.”

  I didn’t want to hear more about Simon, and I was already depressed standing in the offices that I operated while listening to my older brother’s complaints. “How about we take your luggage to my apartment, and then we can go out to dinner. I think a glass of wine might cheer us both up.”

  I was happy to see Mason smile. He said, “Food is one of the big things I was looking forward to out here. Oh, and seeing my brother of course.”

  * * *

  I consulted Ted about the best place to take Mason for dinner. He suggested a small family-owned Italian place named Reggio’s only two blocks from my apartment. To check it out, I had lunch with Ted there three days before Mason’s arrival. We both indulged and turned it into a night at Sagebrush to work off the extra calories.

  As we sat at a table near the storefront window of Reggio’s, Mason was bubbling over with the need to tell me more about his romantic bliss. It was like the honeymoon never ended with Kyle. He said, “We’re even thinking about the possibility of adopting a baby. Can you see me as a Dad? I laugh every time I think about it. Would it work?”

  “Well, not for the Mason I knew when I was in L.A., but you’ve changed.”

  “Oh, hell yeah. I doubt I work more than one evening a week, and we go hiking every Saturday and Sunday in the summer. Come out in August when it’s hot out here. You can get away from the city to the crisp mountain air. Climb on the rocks with us.”

  “Rocks?”

  “Kyle’s teaching me. I haven’t gone up anything that rough yet, but I’d love to race my little brother up Co-Pilot Rock.”

  It sounded like an odd name to me, so I asked. “And how’d it get the name Co-Pilot Rock.”

  “‘’Cause Pilot Rock’s twice as high, and I haven’t worked up the guts for it yet.”

  I laughed. Mason’s ego was big enough that he was assigning his own names to geographical features.

  We put in our orders, and after the server brought us wine and salads, Mason led the conversation to Simon once again. I wanted to cut it off by bellowing, “I don’t want to talk about him,” for what felt like it would be the 25th time, but I didn’t. Mason did care, and he deserved to hear answers to his questions.

  “You still love him; don’t you?”

  “Yeah, but I guess a lot of us will live with the one that got away owning a corner of our hearts.”

  Mason was silent for a few moments as he stabbed at the salad with his fork. “You know, I hate seeing my little brother in pain. I don’t handle that well with anybody in the family. Even Benji’s injury skiing at Kyle’s place was hard to take.”

  “It’s not constant pain. It’s more like that old weak spot in a joint that hurts if you push on it just right.”

  “What I don’t understand is—why don’t you just call him? Apologize and get everything out in the open. Simon’s a good man. We all know that.”

  “And I’m the loser. I know that, too.”

  Mason dropped his fork and frowned. “I didn’t say that. Why can’t you both be good men with a…speed bump? Isn’t that what you called it? I thought that was a good description.”

  “Eh, I think he’s already on the detour. I saw him with Hamis
h the other night. That guy’s a leech, but maybe he’s better than me. He doesn’t suffer from a family disease. At least as far as I know.”

  “Family disease?”

  “The world’s worst workaholics. It sounds like you might have finally made it into recovery. Is there a 12-step program for it?”

  Mason laughed, but he knew that I was serious. Somehow, Kyle was the master genie who cast a spell and turned Mason into a warm human being instead of a taskmaster with a one-track mind.

  I said, “Simon left. I didn’t ask him to, but he was right when he told me it was my fault. I didn’t pay enough attention to him other than in bed. I understand now. There’s a whole human being there—not just a cowboy or the sexiest damn man I’ve ever met.” With a growl under my voice, I leaned back in my chair and bellowed, “Fuck!” just a little too loud.

  At least ten people around us turned their heads. Mason shook his head and held up a hand to try and signal there was nothing more for them to see. Turning his attention back to me, he sipped his wine and slowly swallowed. I saw the gears turning in his mind. Mason wanted to solve everyone’s problems.

  Finally, he decided that he had something to say. “I’m not going to let you give up. Not yet at least.”

  I was happy to hear his confidence even if I didn’t share it. My big brother always stepped up for me, but I didn’t think there was much he could do. Still, I knew that he had some plan.

  “I’m going to have a drink with Simon. No matter what you fucked up with him, he’s still my friend.” Mason smirked at me.

  My voice grew louder again. “No, man, no. Why would you do that to me?”

  I knew Mason well. He wouldn’t let the fact that his idea made me squirm stop him. “And you don’t have an interior designer hired yet. I know one of the best ones in New York City. I’ll discuss the job with him.”

  I knew that my voice sounded whiny, but I spoke up anyway. “He’s got a boyfriend. He’s got Hamish. I thought you were here to help me move on.”

  Mason leaned across the table, and the light from the candle in the center of the table glistened in his dark brown eyes. “I’m here to help you move forward. That’s not necessarily moving on. There’s a difference. I’ll see if I can help you lasso your cowboy. You gave him three years of your life. It’s worth one more try.”

  I was ready to change the topic entirely. “And have you heard anything from our little brothers? I know Benji misses Jamie, and I’m trying to convince him to come down here for a weekend. I worry that he just sits there alone in his room with only a computer and books for company. It’s only a four hour trip on the train.”

  “The twins are tough. They have our genes. Right now, you’re the emergency room case, and they’re clinic cases looking for a flu shot. Don’t distract me, Tate. I’ve got a job here in Manhattan to do. And I want to see the city, too. I want you to show me what you love here.”

  I wanted to whine again. I knew what I loved most. The city was great from the Statue of Liberty to the Bronx Zoo, but I loved Simon. He was better than all of the landmarks put together.

  6

  Simon

  I was hesitant to answer the call. It was from Mason Matheson, Tate’s older brother. The last time he called me, I was still living with Tate. We’d exchanged email a few times since, and we were still friends on social media, but I built an invisible fence around myself to maintain some distance from the rest of the family out of respect for what I once had with Tate.

  I offered a tentative “Hello…” on my phone.

  Tate’s, “Simon! So great to hear your voice, buddy!” was the equivalent of a hearty slap on the back and a hug in person. I tensed uncomfortably, but it was difficult to resist smiling.

  “How are you? I have to say I’m surprised at the call.”

  “I’m in New York, Simon. Matheson and Greene sent me to check out the new offices. I don’t know if you heard about them or not. We’re moving up and getting ready to challenge the big guys.”

  I did know about the new offices. The company leased an entire floor in the old Struck and Kasowitz building. I’d already seen the M&G logo twice on the door when I was on my way to meet clients in Midtown. It was not a surprise that Mason would want to check everything out in person, but I also knew that a flight to New York wouldn’t be only a business trip.

  I said, “Yes, I know the building, and I’ve walked past the door. I think it sounds like a good step forward. I assume there’s a lot more space.”

  “Almost double. A couple of our new contracts out in L.A. helped fund it. Now that we’re in Midtown, Tate has more of the tools that he needs to make it a fair competition. I’m looking forward to his broad shoulders pushing their way into the circle.”

  It didn’t take him long. He already brought Tate into the conversation. We were both silent for a few moments. I finally added a hesitant, “That’s a good thing, I guess.”

  Mason quickly revealed the specific reason for his call. “I wanted to ask you out for a drink, Simon. There’s so much to catch up on. We all missed you at Guy’s wedding, and I have to tell you about Kyle. I don’t think you’ve ever met him. He’s Lily’s brother. You did see her one year out in L.A.”

  I knew that there was a risk of having to deal with an aching heart for the entire time I sat with Mason, but I did want to hear about the rest of the family. They’d welcomed me with open arms. For a man who grew up as an only child, the energy of the big Matheson family was fun and exciting. The twins demolished me in video games, and Di couldn’t wait to tell me about her work with impoverished immigrant families on the border. She was only in high school then. I calculated that she was nearly a college graduate as I listened to Mason.

  “I guess that’ll be okay. I can tell you about my new business plan, too. I secured funding, and now it’s full steam ahead. It’s scary as hell, but maybe you can give me some business pointers. I wouldn’t ask an advertising guy to promote me, but a little networking never hurt anyone.”

  * * *

  We could see the bright lights of Times Square from the windows of the wine bar I suggested to Mason. They blazed even during the daytime. Enjoying a sunny, breezy summer day, tourists passed by in droves.

  After a quick hug, Mason said, “I have a little bit of culture shock out here. I didn’t think I’d been away from the city life in L.A. that long, but everything feels so busy.” He rubbed his arms. “I kinda find myself looking for the exit to the nearest meadow or rocky stream.”

  “Uh, that’s called Vermont, and it’s six hours away.”

  A gentle laugh rolled out of his mouth before he asked, “But you like it in New York?”

  “I wouldn’t be anywhere else. This is home. I was born and raised here. My moms plucked me out of the care of a foster family down in the Village. Visiting other places is great, but Manhattan is always home.”

  “The cowboy in the city.”

  I said, “Yeah, you do know about that, don’t you? There was always something almost romantic about seeing myself as the lonesome cowboy even with millions of people around. Then someone lassoed me, I guess.”

  “Tate’s told me the story a dozen times at least.”

  I walked right into the trap. I didn’t want to bring up Tate. At least I didn’t want to use his name. Every time I said his name out loud or heard it from someone else, I missed him more, and the separation was bitterly real.

  Instead, I wanted to talk about the twins, Di, the newlyweds, or even Mason’s parents, John and Petra. I let Mason lead me right into the trap.

  I didn’t have a response. I sipped my glass of merlot and struggled with figuring out a way to change the subject.

  “At least some of the feelings are still there, aren’t they? It’s not gone.”

  I didn’t answer. I forcefully changed the topic and asked, “How are the twins?”

  Mason grinned and, to my surprise, he played along. “I think they’re doing great, but I worry a little. Benji went
to Boston to work on a graduate degree, and Jamie went right into a job in Dallas. He’s in the advertising business, but he insisted that Matheson and Greene was already crowded with too many Mathesons. Jamie’s flying high already, but Benji’s such a bookworm when he’s alone.”

  “That all sounds great. Why do you worry?”

  I’ll quote Benji on the phone. “I feel like a blooming idiot, but I miss Jamie. Like, bad. It’s stupid to feel that way about your brother, isn’t it, Mason?”

  “Is it?”

  Mason stared across the table. “Sometimes I miss Tate quite a bit, too, but I don’t think it’s the same for twins. There’s a different dynamic there.”

  There it was again. We’d barely talked for ten minutes, and Tate already came up in conversation twice. I wanted to kick myself. Tate’s handsome face with that square jaw was starting to come into focus in the back of my mind, and I didn’t want it there. I was moving on. I was starting a new life at last.

  Mason nibbled at the little bowl of salty snacks on the table, and then he leaned back slightly in his chair. “I’m not just here to talk about family. This isn’t completely a social call. I have some business in mind, too.”

  “You wouldn’t be Mason Matheson if you didn’t, would you? You’re always working on the next business move in your head.”

  I didn’t know for sure what he had in mind, but I steeled myself. I was ready for a lucrative offer that would somehow involve seeing Tate again. Mason was a fan of us together. That much was obvious. I appreciated the sentiment, but Mason wasn’t in New York the past eighteen months.

  He said, “I think you would be a little disturbed if you saw the inside of the new offices. I know I was.”

  “Disturbed?”

  “Here, let me show you.”