In Between

Mason was absorbed in reading the report on his laptop, his brow furrowed in concentration. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he made notes and highlighted key points in the document. The quiet hum of the air conditioner was the only sound in the room until a knock at the door broke the silence.

"Come in," Mason called out without looking up, his eyes still glued to the screen.

The door opened, and Philip walked in, holding a folder. "The revisions you asked for are done," Philip announced, placing the folder on Mason's desk.

"Okay," Mason replied curtly, still focused on his laptop.

Philip lingered, a big grin plastered on his face as he watched Mason. Mason finally looked up, noticing Philip's expectant expression. "Is there anything else?" Mason asked, his tone tinged with impatience.

Philip's grin widened. "Aren't you going to share any stories about your passionate honeymoon?" he teased.

Mason's face stayed blank. "Nothing to share. Nothing to tell," he said flatly.

"Come on, just a little bit," Philip urged, clearly enjoying the moment.

Mason's gaze hardened. "If you have time to pry into your boss's life, why don't you use it to work instead?"

Philip chuckled, shaking his head. "You're no fun, Mr. Coldwell," he said, turning to leave. Just as he reached the door, Mason's voice stopped him.

"Philip."

Philip turned back, a hopeful look on his face. "Did you change your mind? Ready to share?"

Mason pointed to a table in the corner of his office. On the table sat a shopping bag. "That's for you," Mason said, holding a pen in his hand as he pointed.

Philip's eyes lit up with intrigue. He walked over to the table, picked up the shopping bag, and looked inside. He pulled out a handcrafted leather wallet, admiring its fine craftsmanship. "I can't believe you got me something," Philip said, clearly touched.

Mason quickly corrected him, "Ellen insisted on getting souvenirs for you."

Philip's face softened with appreciation. "Well, tell her thank you for me."

Mason merely responded with a noncommittal "Hmm," his attention already shifting back to his laptop. 

Philip, still holding the wallet, walked back towards Mason's desk. "You know, you could at least pretend to be excited about this," he said with a laugh.

Mason glanced up briefly. "I have work to do, Philip."

Philip shook his head, the grin never leaving his face. "You really need to loosen up, Mason."

Mason didn't respond, his focus back on his laptop. Philip took the hint and left the office, closing the door softly behind him. Mason continued working, his fingers flew across the keyboard as he tackled emails and reviewed more reports.

When it hit noon, Mason stood up and stretched, his muscles aching from sitting too long. He stepped out of his office and found Philip already out of his chair, waiting for him.

"Ready?" Philip asked with a knowing smile.

Mason nodded. "Yes. Let's go."

They left the office and headed to a nearby restaurant where they had a lunch meeting with a client. The lunch was productive, filled with discussions about future collaborations and business strategies. Mason was his usual composed self, focused entirely on the conversation at hand. Philip, ever the social butterfly, handled the lighter aspects of the meeting, making small talk and keeping the atmosphere pleasant.

After lunch, they headed back to the office. As they approached the entrance, a familiar voice called out, "Mason!"

Both Mason and Philip turned around to see Aubrey standing there, a big smile on her face. She was wearing a light blue sundress that hugged her figure perfectly, her hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled with a mix of determination and something else Mason couldn't quite place.

Mason's expression remained neutral. He didn't seem happy, shocked, mad, or anything. Philip looked at both Mason and Aubrey, his eyes darting nervously from one to the other. He seemed more nervous for Mason than Mason himself.

Philip, sensing the tension, quickly said, "I need to get back to work." He smiled at Aubrey, who returned his smile with equal warmth before he left them there. 

Aubrey stepped closer to Mason, her smile never wavering. "Hi, Maze," she greeted him, using the nickname she'd always called him by.

Mason's face remained impassive. "Aubrey."

She continued, undeterred by his lack of enthusiasm. "You didn't reply to my messages."

"I've been busy," Mason answered shortly.

Aubrey's smile faltered slightly but she pressed on. "It's been a while since we spent time together. I was wondering if we could go get ice cream at that place near our high school. Remember? Our favorite place."

Mason didn't answer. He neither refused nor accepted. They both just stood there, locked in an uncomfortable silence. People walked past them, some glancing curiously at the pair, whispering among themselves. But Mason and Aubrey seemed oblivious to the passing crowd, their focus entirely on each other.

Aubrey took a deep breath, her eyes searching Mason's face for any sign of emotion. "Just because you're married now, it doesn't mean we can't be friends," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Hanging out with me won't make you cheat on your wife."

Aubrey bit her lip so hard it almost drew blood. Friend? What friend? She didn't want to be friends with Mason. She wanted more.