Page 16 of Pucking Matt
I nod, already feeling overwhelmed. “Got it, Mr. Robinson. Anything else?”
He pauses, looking at me over his glasses. “Yes, actually. I need you to draft a motion for the Hernandez case. Think you can handle it?”
“Absolutely.”
He nods curtly and walks away, leaving me staring at the mountain of work in front of me. I take a deep breath, reminding myself that this is what I've always wanted. Busy enough to forget all my problems. This is my future.
I dive into the files, losing myself in the legal jargon and case precedents. This is where I belong, not serving food and drinks to annoying hockey players and their equally annoying friends. Maybe I should quit myfunjob and find something else, maybe a retail store. I can fold clothes and organize all day. That sounds relaxing and cozy, and maybe it’s my out. I don’t need this issue with Matt turning up at this law firm. Can you imagine what Mr.Robinson would do with me if he found out I was in a domestic abuse case in high school, and I was the one doing the beating? Matt really needs to back off. I don’t know how many people he’s told about what I’ve done, but I don’t need my past haunting my future. This is why I need to figure out how to get Matt to leave me alone.
Hours pass in a blur of highlighters and sticky notes. By the time I look up, it's past my bedtime and my stomach is growling loudly. I check my watch and groan.
Mr. Robinson is doing a late night here too.
“Good work today, Amber. That motion draft was surprisingly competent.”
Coming from him, that's practically a glowing review. I beam with pride as I hurry out of the office.
The next evening, I'm back at The Grind Stone, trying to balance the stress of being a paralegal with the monotony of sandwich-making. I'm in the middle of lathering toasted bread with mayonnaise when the bell above the door chimes.
I look up, and my heart stops.
Matt saunters in, looking infuriatingly handsome in his Honey Badgers hoodie. And right behind him? Harvey.
Oh, you have got to be kidding me.
Matt's eyes lock with mine, and a slow, predatory grin spreads across his face. “Miss me?”
I scowl and then finish what I’m doing.
At this point, I shouldn’t even be surprised that Matt comes into every shift I’m working to harass me. This is my karma for being such a bitch.
Matt laughs, the sound grating on my every last nerve. He says to Harvey, “I knew Nixon had a thing for her.”
I hand the customer their meal and then turn to Matt and Harvey. “What are you doing here?”
“Aw, come on now. Is that any way to treat your favorite customer?”
I plaster on my fakest smile. “Welcome to The Grind Stone. What can I get for you today?”
“I get the same thing every time. The grow-the-fuck-up sandwich, remember?”
“Oh, right. How could I ever forget?”
Harvey, who's been watching this exchange with a mixture of amusement and horror, finally pipes up. “Maybe just some coffee?”
My eyes dart to him, and I almost feel bad about how mortified he is. “Perhaps a tall glass of mind your own business?”
Matt chuckles, knocking on the counter. “What did he ever do to you?”
“I don’t know, ask me to a party this weekend and pretending as if you’re not behind it.”
Matt leans in, so I don’t have a chance to see Harvey’s expression. “I’ll tell you a little secret, Amby.” My blood boils at that nickname. “Harvey doesn’t work for me. He’s a genuine guy. If he had the balls to ask you out to a party, it had nothing to do with me. I would never let him do something that stupid.”
I search Matt’s face for any sign of insincerity but he’s clean. My stomach is filled with butterflies at Matt’s genuine expression. I swallow and glance at Harvey, but he’s staring at his phone, staying out of this.
The door chimes in as more customers roll in.
Matt chuckles. “Make that protein shake. Extra protein. A coffee for him. And hold the attitude, if you can manage it. He’s a softie.”
