the other side of us | ✓

1.15 | give love a bad name

Mason had been avoiding Charlotte, as much as you could avoid the person that you worked for.

He'd been leaving work as soon as his shift was over, finding excuses not to sit with then for lunch, and he'd been acting strangely since Monday, ever since the Ian debacle, and Charlotte couldn't for the life of her figure out what was wrong.

"Mason texted," Devin said then, causing Charlotte to perk up. "Can't make his shift."

"Really?"

Devin shrugged. "Maybe he's going through a family thing? He wouldn't be the first person who went through one while working here."

Charlotte sighed. As much as she hated to admit, she missed having him around the shop. His easy smiles and carefree jokes had become something that she looked forward too when coming to work.

And as much as she tried to deny it, her feelings were a little hurt.

Crush, indeed.

"Our friend from across the pond may not be here but look at who is," Devin said, pointing her scone towards a table in the corner.

Sitting in Charlotte's favorite corner booth were Ian and his father. Ted was studying his newspaper while Ian stared ahead. Straight at her.

Charlotte groaned.

"Can you take their table? I don't want to deal with him right now."

"Still mad?" Devin asked, already picking up her notepad and retying her apron.

"More irritated than anything."

Which was true. Ian knew almost everything about her.

And he ran his big mouth off anyways. Mason was right. He was an Idiot.

Devin walked off to deal with their new pest, and Charlotte busied herself with fixing the coffee machine. Again. Mason had taken to fixing the machine when it was down, and Charlotte knew it would take her double the time to fix it with him gone.

It was one thing for Mason to stop staying later like he had been, but he'd thrown off Charlotte's whole schedule by not coming in at all. And even worse was that she didn't know why.

"Charlie! Do we have anymore scones in the back?" Devin called from across the shop, slowly making her way back to the counter.

Charlotte turned to check as her phone beeped.

"We've got a tray left. I'll make more tonight," she said as she pulled her phone out of her pocket.

It was Mason.

I can still make training tomorrow.

There was no mention of his absence today, and even though this was the first time he'd bothered to contact her at all, Charlotte smiled as she shot back a reply. Mason was a good guy, even if he didn't like her, and he probably did have something going on. She was just being paranoid.

The rest of her night was slow. Ian and his family hung around for a few hours, reading and doing the crosswords—during most of which Charlotte hid safely behind the counter and in the kitchen while Devin served them—and they sold all of the baked goods that Charlotte had made that morning.

It wasn't until she and Devin were closing up that she realized why Mason had been upset, and it was Devin who had to point it out.

"Mason's coming tomorrow? That's great!" she said as they put their coats on.

"Yeah. I'm relieved. Honestly, I don't know what we'd have done if he'd backed out," Charlotte said, grabbing her keys and flicking off the light switch. "I feel bad for thinking that he would though, he's such a nice guy. We're lucky to have him as a friend."