Page 57 of Pucking Matt
She turns to James. “Matthew doesn’t date much, so it’s a big deal he has a girlfriend. I raised him to only date seriously. I think this girl might be the luckiest girl out there.”
The way she’s speaking has my gut twisting. Contrary to how my mom is acting these days, she instilled morals in me. She wantedme to be a better man than what she attracted. She said that if I date, I date for marriage and kids. She said that I will never regret loving my wife. And that is why I only sleep around, ladies and gentlemen. This mother has scared the shit out of me when it comes to women. In the end, they might just want one thing from me: clout, fame, reputation. I thought I could end up with Maddie, and I made the stupid mistake by telling my mom I got a girlfriend. Now I can’t disappoint her. She’ll be worried about me, bugging me nonstop.
“Girlfriend,” I repeat. I nod, thinking about Amber. Why am I thinking about her? My mom would recognize her in a crowd. She’ll never forget the face of the girl who kicked my ass in high school. That would be quite the scene though, wouldn’t it? Showing up to my mother’s elopement with Amber on my arm. That would make my life. God, why does it feel so good to be an asshole?
She nods. “We need two witnesses, and I would love it if it could be you and possibly your future wife.”
I ignore the pit in my stomach. “Sure thing, Mom.” I kiss her cheek again. “I love you. See you later.”
As I walk out of the restaurant, I feel a mix of relief and… Sadness? Disappointment? Excitement? Happiness? Mischievous?
One thing's for sure, though. I'd take Amber's open hostility over Mom's fake niceties any day of the week. At least with Amber, I always know where I stand.
Shaking my head, I head home, already looking forward to seeing Amber again. I wonder what she’ll say if I invite her to my mom’s elopement. That sounds like a hardno, and I’m smiling because of it. Who would've thought that my high school bully would end up being the most honest and favorite relationship?
Chapter 15
I'm wiping down the counter for what feels like the millionth time when I hear the back door swing open. I brace myself for another round of verbal sparring with Matt, but to my surprise, it's Jen who walks in, all smiles and bouncy energy.
“Hey, girl,” she hollers, already moving in for a hug.
“Hi!” I say, genuinely happy to see her. It's been too long since we've worked together and had a chance to catch up.
As we pull apart, Jen's eyes are sparkling with that look she gets when she is fishing for gossip. “Why does it feel like it's been too long?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Because it has been. But how are you?”
She grins, raising an eyebrow in that 'I know you're deflecting' way of hers. “I'm good. How are you?”
“I'm good,” I say.
“Really?” she questions, her tone making it clear she's not buying it. “Because the last I knew you and Matt hated eachother, and I'm surprised every time I walk in here when everything is still intact.”
I roll my eyes, but I can feel a smile tugging at my lips. “You and me both, but we control ourselves. We keep it professional.”
“Right,” she drawls, stretching out the word like it's made of elastic. “And how’s the law firm?”
I shrug, suddenly very interested in reorganizing the sugar packets. “It's fine.”
Jen's about to press further - because she can smell avoidance like a bloodhound - when the bell over the door chimes. Saved by the customer.
As I turn to take their order, I’m happy to be working with Jen. I glance over my shoulder and remember that she takes the orders and I’m the sandwich bitch. She’ll have to make it for this customer, and then we can switch roles.
A tiny piece of me is bummed that Matt isn’t here. I assumed he would ask me to the party again, and rejecting him is too much fun.
But that's ridiculous, right? I mean, this is what I wanted. Peace. Professionalism. I did not want him working here, and now I look forward to this job because of him? Damn, my mind needs to stop this.
I shake off the thought as the customer pays with cash. Math is like my second language, so I already know what change to give back.
I help Jen with making the order. My mind must be playing tricks on me. I mean I am tired. Yeah, that’s it. There's no way I could actually be missing Matt Pearson. That would be insane.
When the customers stop flowing in and all orders are out, Jen leans against the counter and says, “How are things really going with Matt?”
I laugh, rolling my eyes. “I guess I’ll spill the beans because I know you won’t stop, Miss Jennifer.”
She blushes, shrugging.
“Yeah, so I apologized to him.”
