Masquerade

Murray

Fresh out my shower I get ready to go to see Murray. I decide to keep it casual and just put on my new skinny blue jeans, long sleeved white top with turquoise sleeves and my white vans. I don't feel up to getting all dressed up and he said it was just movies at his.

I can't seem to stop the butterflies that are having a fight in my stomach at the thought of seeing him again. He was so sweet and thinking back on it now I kind of liked his honesty although it was quite abrupt to begin with. I straighten my hair and put on some make up and get ready to leave. I pick up the three boxes of cakes for us. I managed to make mini carrot cakes, chocolate fudge muffins, Oreo cupcakes and toffee cups. I hope he likes one of them.

I stop to look around the room to make sure everything is off. I get paranoid that I leave something on and it burns the place down. I have already turned everything off in the girls rooms so I don't need to bother going back in them and my own so do a sweep of the living room and kitchen.

Satisfied everything that should be off is, I head out the door and down to the garage. The drive over is nice. I don't usually come into the suburban areas and it makes a nice change to pass trees and greenery instead of buildings upon buildings.

Pulling down Bolton's Landing I look for number 200. The street has lots of beautiful houses on it with a wooden and brick work look to them with pristine gardens out front.

"196, 198,200" I count to myself. I pull up outside a cream version of the houses but this one is bigger with two maybe even three levels. It has a balcony to the side of the house above the porch and brickwork mixed into the wooden look down the side. It has a long driveway that runs the length of the house heading around the back and from what I can see from here due to the empty drive a fenced area is set up and a small shed that matches the look of the house sits. It's gorgeous but looks far too big for one person. I think they must all live together.

Oh my god! I wasn't expecting to see them all again. I thought I would be coming over to just see Murray. My stomach starts to cramp up and I can feel sweat start to break out on my forehead and the back of my neck causing me to feel too warm. I roll down my window and lean my head on the steering wheel and try to slow my breathing. If this was a job I wouldn't even be thinking about things like this I would just head in and do what needs to be done so why can't I do that in my personal life?

Stop overthinking things Lottie! I tell myself over and over like Mr Duncan told me to and I can begin to feel myself calming. Murray was a gentleman, they all were and I need to start to give people chances. I sit up straight and check my face in the mirror. With one last deep breath I grab the cake boxes, roll up the window and climb out the car and lock it.

Walking up to the door I can see that the garden is immaculate, there are little bushes around the bottom of the front window providing a variety of different colours. The front door has a circular frosted window with 200 printed on it and there is a carved wooden figure of a wolf below the bell and it is stunning. The detail in the face is fantastic and I gently let my hand roam over it feeling every dent and line within the wood. To the left of the door leaning against the railing are some push bikes and work boots. It's beautiful here and that's only the outside.

Taking one last deep breath I raise my finger and push the bell. "Coming!" I hear a male shout from behind the door and some heavy footsteps fast approaching me. I flatten down my top and fix my hair and make sure I take slow steady breaths.

The door is pulled open and Murray is standing there with a huge smile on his face. "Wow! You're even more beautiful without the mask" he says in awe and I feel myself heat up to boiling. I look to the ground unsure how to respond to that but when he doesn't say anything else I look back up at him.