Page 132 of Pucking Matt
My mom nods.
Amber hasn’t said a single word yet. When I look at her, she has her game face on. The nervous Amber from a few minutes ago is gone. This girl means business.
“Are you okay?”
I nod. “Fine.”
“How was the drive over, Matt?” James asks. My mom is sitting across from me. Amber is to my left and James is to my right.
“It was good.”
“Can I see the damage?” my mom asks. She wants me to remove the bandage.
“Maybe after,” I offer. “Amber just put a new bandage on.”
We sit in silence, and I’m fucking loving how awkward this is. For once in my life, my mom finally knows how it feels to be me every time she finds a new guy and forces me to get to know him.
I grab Amber’s thigh under the table. She acknowledges my touch by looking my way. She is ready to play whatever game this is now. Hell yeah. She’s hot when she’s mad. I’m attracted to this side of her. God, she’s cute. Our eye contact lingers for a moment, and I’m grateful to see her in this situation because I’m starting to know her better. She is uncomfortable, which is obvious in how she holds her expression and her posture. Her eyes are blazing, but I get it. My mom hasn’t looked at her yet.Amber is going head-to-head with another dominant woman, and it is quite the sight to witness.
The waiter comes to our table to save us from reading the menu for the tenth time. We place our orders as each of our eyes linger around the restaurant. The waiter comes back with complimentary bread and says that lunch is minutes away from being done.
“That’s fast service,” James acknowledges.
The waiter leaves as I reach for a piece of bread.
“Want one, babe?” I say to Amber.
Her eyes flick to mine and they harden. “Sure.”
I hand her the piece I’m holding and grab another one.
“So, Amber,” James says. “Are you in college as well?”
She shakes her head. “No. I am a paralegal and working towards getting into law school.”
“Wow,” James says, impressed as he looks at my mom. My mom is eating her bread, acting as if nothing was said. This is hard to watch. “What do you do as a paralegal?”
“I work in family law.”
“I am a Mortgage Loan Officer. I first got into it when I was a little older than you two.”
Amber forces a smile. This confirms that her smile around me is genuine. “When I buy a house, you’ll be the guy to call.”
James nods.
Amber adds, “And if you ever need a divorce, I’m the one to call.”
My mom shoots her eyes at Amber. Fuck, I can barely believe my ears. When I told Amber to be a bitch, I didn’t mean it to this extent. I glance at my mom who is fuming. Oh, well. It’s already said.
Amber says, “I – I’m sorry. I am not insinuating a divorce here. We’re talking about work. That is what I specialize in.”
My mom’s eyes are wide like she could Superman Amber down the stairs herself.
James replies, “That’s an interesting line of work for someone your age.”
The waiter saves the day with our lunch. He calls out each of our plates and places them in front of us. We start eating right away to avoid this awkward tension.
Amber looks at me, so I meet her eyes. I can tell she’s extremely uncomfortable.
