As soon as Ellen and Aubrey disappeared into the restroom, Mason shifted slightly in his seat, aware of the silence hanging between him and Gerald.
Mason reached for his drink, taking a slow sip while his eyes drifted to the conveyor belt of sushi that circled lazily around the room. Gerald, seated across from him, did the same, but there was a serious look on his face.
They sat in silence for a moment, then Gerald cleared his throat, breaking the awkward stillness. "So," he began casually, leaning back in his chair, "how’s work going? Still buried in that new project?"
Mason nodded, his mind easily slipping into the comfort of familiar topics. "Yeah, it’s been keeping me busy. Long hours, but we’re making progress. You know how it is."
"Tell me about it," Gerald replied with a chuckle. "Seems like the pile of work never gets smaller, no matter how much you try to break it down." His mind, however, didn’t quite stay focused on work. There was something else on his mind, and Mason could tell that the topic was about to switch.
Gerald tapped his fingers on the table, a slight smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth before he finally spoke again, this time in a more serious tone. "I’ve been hearing some things, though," he said. He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice like they were about to share a secret. "Word is, you asked Aubrey to meet up tomorrow. Is that true?"
Mason raised an eyebrow, surprised but not entirely caught off guard. He knew word about his personal life usually leaked out—especially when it involved Aubrey. He let out a small, dry laugh and leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. "Didn’t realize my business was public consumption now."
Gerald grinned. "Come on, man. You know there’s no secret between us." He shrugged, as if the matter was casual, but the curiosity in his eyes was clear. "So, what’s the deal? What’s the plan with that little meeting of yours?"
Mason let out a long sigh, his eyes drifting toward the empty chairs where the women had been sitting moments before. He could feel Gerald’s gaze boring into him, but he wasn’t ready to spill everything just yet. "I think you don’t really need to know that."
Gerald frowned, not ready to give up so easily. He leaned in a little more, lowering his voice further as if they were the only ones in the room. "Just tell me if it’s something good or bad," he urged. "That’s all I’m asking."
Mason hesitated for a moment, considering the question. He could see that Gerald wasn’t going to let it go, at least not without some kind of answer. "It’s... good and bad," he said slowly. "Depends on the perspective, I guess."
Gerald raised an eyebrow at that, clearly not satisfied with the vague response. "Good and bad?" he repeated. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
Before Mason could respond, the door to the restroom opened, and Aubrey appeared. She wore a faint smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Not long after, Ellen followed behind, her face relaxed.
As the two women approached, Mason leaned back in his seat, glancing at both of them. "You guys sure took your time," he remarked.
Ellen gave a small laugh, brushing her hair back as she slid into her seat beside him. "We did a little gossiping," she replied with a playful smile. "You know how women are."
Mason smirked, but his eyes flicked toward Ellen’s, looking for any hint of what went down during their little ’gossip session.’ Ellen seemed calm, though, her expression light and unbothered.
Aubrey, on the other hand, settled back into her seat with a slightly tighter smile, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap. Her gaze flitted between Mason and Ellen, and though she tried to keep her expression neutral, Mason caught the brief flicker of something bitter in her eyes.
Gerald, too, seemed to sense that it was time to wrap things up, tossing his napkin onto his empty plate and stretching his arms with a tired sigh.
"Well," Gerald said, breaking the awkward silence that had settled over them, "I guess that’s that."
Aubrey didn’t say anything at first, her expression was carefully neutral. Ellen was the first to stand, offering Mason a soft smile as she waited for him to join her. He rose, following her lead, though his gaze flicked briefly to Aubrey, wondering what was going through her mind.
The four of them stepped outside into into the nice, cool evening air. Ellen slipped her arm through Mason’s, her touch feeling warm and comforting. She smiled up at him, as if trying to shake off the heaviness of the dinner they had just endured.
"Good sushi," Ellen whispered with a soft laugh. "We need to come back."
Mason chuckled, nodding. "Of course."
They walked over to their car after the goodbyes, a bit ahead of Gerald and Aubrey, who were lingering behind them. But Mason couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. As they reached the car, Ellen was just about to open the door when a voice called out from behind them.
"Mason!" Aubrey called out.
Mason turned to see her standing a few steps away, her eyes were on him, intense in a way he hadn’t anticipated. Her smile was big and bright, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. It felt a bit forced, like she was trying too hard.
"See you tomorrow," Aubrey said, her tone light and almost too casual. She flashed him another bright smile, but the moment she finished speaking, her gaze slid to Ellen, as if daring her to respond.
Ellen’s hand froze on the car door for just a fraction of a second. Mason noticed Ellen tilt her head a bit to look at Aubrey, her eyes narrowing slightly, but her lips still curved into a gentle smile.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."