Page 140 of Pucking Matt
“We do not talk about you, and like I said, my clients are private information. I’m not going to discuss anything with anyone, including you.”
“Okay then. That’s that.”
I nod, watching her.
“But I’m not done. Do not think for one moment that I do not recall what you did to my son in high school because I remember exactly who you are and where you come from. I do not know what Matthew is thinking, but I can see right through this professional façade you are playing.”
“Do you know how Matt and I reconnected, Ms. Pearson?”
“I don’t. He did not tell me he was dating you. Now I know why he didn’t bother to mention your name.”
“We hated each other. He pretended he didn’t remember me, but he kept coming into my second job to mess with me. And when I say mess with me, he was doing things that could get me into trouble. Possibly fired. So, we were both on a revenge streak against each other. And you know what that taught the both of us?”
Her mouth is twisted in disgust.
I continue, “That it would never end. So, I did what was right and I apologized. Matt is so cool. It’s like nothing’s ever bothering him. The mask he puts on is a very tough one, but once I realized it was there, I had to right my wrong. I know that the high school me is not someone you want with your son, but I am not her anymore. Matt knows it, and now we laugh about what happened. He tells me that he’s happy about our complicated past because of where we are today.”
She folds her arms, exhaling. Her mouth is finally loosening up from that tight pursed lip.
I continue, “I know it doesn’t seem like a good idea, but somehow, we work. It’s deeper than I can explain. Matt said that you care about seeing him happy, and Ms. Pearson, you know your son better than anyone, so please respect our happiness, even if it doesn’t make sense to you.”
She’s staring at the ground. When she readjusts her posture, her hands land on her hips.
“I am sorry for what I did to him in high school. It was a terrible thing I did that I’m not proud of. I hope you can forgive me so that we can move on. And I hope you see through a clear lens that your son is happy with me.”
After a moment of silence, she says, “Okay.”
I watch as her eyes slowly meet mine.
“I have no say in whatever is in my son’s heart. If he was ashamed, he would not have brought you here for my big day, so okay. I accept your apology. You are more than welcome to use this hotel room to get ready. I will be leaving to get my hair done.”
“Oh, but I thought–”
“Be on the beach at 4:30.”
“Okay,” I say, watching her grab her bag and leave the hotel room. She rearranged all of this so that she could get me alone to intimidate me? It’s a good thing I know how to talk to adults now because I think that went well.
That game was easy to win, Ms. Pearson. Maybe her son doesn’t take after her after all.
I walk to the balcony where it overlooks the beach. It’s beautiful here. I take a seat and enjoy the view because I have more than an hour until I need to be downstairs.
Chapter 32
When I’m walking through the lobby with James, I notice Amber sitting at the bar with a woman. She’s wearing the white outfit she picked out from Target, hair long behind her. Her posture is straight, causing the skirt to ride up her thigh. My mind is fucking spinning at the sight. I glance around to look for my mom, but she’s not in here.
I turn to James and say, “I’ll meet you down there in a minute.”
He nods and walks off.
As I approach Amber, my attention is glued to her bare legs. No pants to hide the skin I want to caress. And then I catch the martini glass in her hands. That’s the second red flag. My stomach twists. Amber laughs with a woman I don’t recognize, and I’m wondering what the hell is going on. I swallow my anger before I overreact.
“Who’s your friend?” I ask, leaning on the bar where Amber’s back is turned. I am on the verge of getting pissed off, but a part of me is afraid of Amber. She has that confidence in her right now, and it’s the Amber I know not to fuck with.
She places the martini glass down as her new friend says, “Hi, I’m Lindy. Who are you?”
I keep my eyes on Amber, not paying any attention to Lindy. Amber’s lips are glossy and her eyes are shimmering. All the works to look hot and sexy. I hope it’s all for me.
“This is him,” Amber says, meeting my eye. “This is Matt,” she says.
