Chapter 40

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Quinn

Everything was falling into place just as I had planned. The bar was being coated and sealed, protecting the wood from any spills. The crew I had organized weeks ago was busy shuttling old tables and chairs out of the truck, replacing them with shiny new ones. I carefully stacked the fresh glassware over the bar, while the old ones were wrapped up in newspaper, just in case Jim wanted to keep them.

As I reached up to place the last glass in its spot, I caught sight of Mason standing at the door, eyes wide with surprise.
"Mase! Over here!" I called out, waving him down. 

"Quinn, did you organise this?" He slowly made his way towards me, his gaze scanning the transformed room. A wave of apprehension washed over me. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea. Panic started to bubble up inside me.
"Um, sort of. Everybody wanted to help Jim out since he helped them over the years. Do you think he'll like it, or have I done something really, really stupid?" I nervously chewed on my lip, almost drawing blood, desperately trying to decipher his expression.

He circled the bar and stood over me, his presence overpowering. I had no choice but to look up at him. I swallowed hard as his gaze softened. His hands firmly gripped my waist, pulling me in so close that there was no space left between us. 

"It's perfect. You're so fucking perfect. You're such a beautiful person, I just cant wrap my head around it." he said, a smile gracing his lips, revealing those irresistible dimples. I felt my body go weak as he pulled away, leaving me feeling like a puddle of goo once again.
"Is it hot in here?" I blurted out, desperately searching for something to say, avoiding his gaze. He let out a deep, beautiful laugh. It was the most wonderful sound in the world, I decided.

"Hey Quinn, we're almost done." one of the furniture removalists called out as he packed up the trolley.
"Awesome. Thank you so much for your help guys. Here, take one of these." I said, handing them some plain flyers I had prepared, detailing the time and details of tonight's show.
"Thanks, we'll be here for sure, we wanna see Jim's face." they said, passing the flyers around to the other volunteers.

"So, do you want me to keep Jim occupied until it's time to open?" Mason asked, leaning his elbow on the bar.
"That'd be great. Just tell him we had a free afternoon so we set up all the drinks and stuff for him so he doesn't get suspicious."  I replied.

Mason nodded silently, leaning forward with his elbows still on the bar. The air between us crackled with electricity. I noticed his eyes darting down to my lips and back up to meet my gaze. I leaned in ever so slightly, and he lightly brushed his thumb against my chin, guiding my lips toward his. They met in a gentle, slow kiss before pulling away.

A slight smile formed on Mason's lips. "He's going to love it."

"

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