Page 39 of Fun and Games

Why wouldn't it be?I wrote back.

You ran out of the burger place pretty quick.

I winced. I'd just up and left Mason with no explanation. At least I'd already paid and hadn't shafted him with the bill.

But his text only served to remind me of the reason I'd run out on him — my sister relaying a message from David's mom.

And now my mind was back to wondering what on earth she could have found after all those years.

It was a temporary issue,I wrote to Mason.You don't have to worry. But thank you.

I should have reached out to him before now, but I'd been caught up in my own world. I hadn't thought about how it must have looked to Mason, me taking off so quickly after getting a text.

I had an idea, if you're up for it,Mason wrote, letting the subject drop.

More trivia?I asked.

Better,he wrote.

More Disney?

Better.

Wow, now you've got my hopes up.

How would you like to go on an African safari?

I blinked.

Um…? What?was all I could think to type.

Not a real one,he said.But there's that safari park a couple hours away. It's the closest to an African safari you can get without leaving the continent. Roving around in Jeeps with the animals roaming free, all that stuff. You wanna go?

I went to immediately type yes, but stopped.

Mason and I had been spending a lot of time together. More time than friends with benefits usually did, surely.

My heart thudded a quick beat. We'd agreed to keep things casual. Was this Mason's way of trying to deepen our relationship? If that was what he was looking for, if that was where he hoped things were going between us, I couldn't lead him on.

I was still thinking of a response when Mason messaged again.

Connor and Quinn are thinking of maybe tagging along. They're still on my back about taking time off work. They think I need a social life.

I gnawed on my lip. Was that better or worse? With other people there it was less likely to seem intimate. But going with another couple was essentially like a double date, wasn't it?

If you're not free, it's cool,Mason wrote after long minutes of silence from me.I haven't bought the tickets yet.

I'd love to go,I found myself writing back.

Awesome. Let me know which days you're free and I'll work around that.

I would have to pass on some of the odd jobs I'd planned to take on during my weekends, but that was okay.

Make sure to bring a good camera if you have one,Mason wrote.You'll be able to take lots of cool photos. It won't be exactly like taking an African safari, but I'm sure it'll be fun.

I'm not a very good photographer,I wrote back. As much as I loved writing in my blog, I'd never been very good at taking really great photos. Mine were average at best. Maybe that was why I had so few followers.

Let me take the pictures, then,he said.I'm pretty handy with a camera.