Chapter 14 #3
They all laugh, even Dylan, who only knows half the story. I shrug, playing it cool. “Yeah. We’re all good now.”
“Invite her to the party then,” Crew suggests, a sly grin on his face. “I need to see with my own two eyes.”
I shake my head, already prepared for this. “Already did. She can't make it.”
“Jen's coming,” Harvey adds, but he already told me.
“You told me.”
Crew asks Harvey, “Are you dating her now?"
I raise an eyebrow to hear what he’s going to say.
Harvey blows out a breath, shaking his head. “Hell no. She texted me to ask what's going on this weekend, and that's the best I could do for her.”
Dylan laughs. “Poor girl.”
Harvey shrugs, then turns to me with a smirk. “So, are you crushing on your hater now?”
I scoff, maybe a little too quickly. “Crushing? No.”
But as I say it, I can't help but think about Amber at work. The ease I feel every time we’re near each other, the way her eyes light up when she’s plotting her next move against me. No, it’s not a crush. It’s something fun.
“Sure, sure,” Crew says, his tone skeptical. “That's why you're working at the Grind Stone when you could be, I don't know, literally anywhere else.”
I roll my eyes, skating backwards from them. “Yeah. Have you seen the sticker on my truck? I couldn’t just let her get away with it.”
Dylan bursts into laughter. “Bro, I was wondering why the fuck you had that sticker on your truck.”
“Matt’s a player,” Crew adds.
I shrug. “Grind Stone chick put the sticker on my truck.”
Harvey says, “And you haven’t removed it.”
“Okay, fuckheads. Let’s do this!” I shout.
As we dive into our drills, a small part of me wonders if there might be some truth to their teasing. Not that I'd ever admit it, of course. After all, I've got a reputation to maintain.
And if I happen to be looking forward to my next shift with Amber? Well, that's just because I can't wait to see what will happen next. Yeah, that's definitely it.
I'm heading out of the locker room, still riding the high from our extra practice when my phone buzzes.
Great, a voicemail from my mom. Because that's exactly what I need right now.
I hit play, bracing myself for the inevitable guilt trip.
Here she goes.
“Matthew, you cannot continue to ignore your mother. I know you said you're busy, but you will be meeting me for dinner tomorrow. No ands, ifs, or buts. You will make the time for dinner tomorrow at our favorite Italian place, Victor’s, at 5 pm.”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. Looks like I’ll be meeting her new man after all. I’ve been trying to get out of it, but now that she’s made a reservation, she’s going to be pissed if I don’t make it.
The next day, I'm dialing Jen's number faster than you can say family drama.
“Hello?” Jen answers.
Perfect. I say, “What’s up, Jen? Any chance you can cover my shift tonight?”
“Sure. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Something came up.”
“Okay, no problem. I can’t wait to work with Amber. I miss her.”
“Thanks, Jen. I’ll see you at the party.”
“No problem. See you later.”
After slogging through classes and homework, I find myself standing outside Victor's, our "favorite" Italian place. My mom's favorite, not mine. I'd rather be eating raisins and serving sandwiches with Amber right now if I'm being honest.
I step inside, and there she is. My mom, looking like she's dressed for a red carpet instead of a family dinner, and her new boy toy, James. He's got "mortgage loan officer" written all over him, from his pressed khakis to his carefully gelled hair.
“Matthew, darling!” my mom trills, her voice hitting that pitch that always makes me want to run and hide. “I’m so glad you could make it. This is James Holmes.”
I nod, shaking James’s hand. His grip is about as firm as overcooked pasta. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Holmes.”
“Please call me James.”
“James,” I correct myself.
We sit down, and James immediately launches into Twenty Questions: Hockey Player Edition. “So, Matthew, how's the team doing this season? Any scouts showing interest yet?”
I answer on autopilot, my attention split between James's interrogation and my mom's behavior. She's laughing at everything James says, but it's that laugh – the one that's about as genuine as a three-dollar bill. I've heard it too many times not to recognize it.
“Oh, James,” she giggles, touching his arm in a way that's probably supposed to look affectionate but just comes off as calculated.
I watch as she accidentally knocks her napkin to the floor, giving James the perfect opportunity to pick it up and show off his chivalry. It's like watching a performance, and not a very good one at that.
“Matthew, honey, did I tell you about the new car James bought me?” my mom asks, her eyes sparkling with materialistic glee. “It's a Mercedes, absolutely divine to drive.” She turns to James. “My son has good taste just like his mom. He would appreciate the Mercedes.”
I nod, pushing my food around my plate. “That's great, Mom.”
James puffs up like a peacock. Only the best for your mother. She deserves it.”
Yeah, I'm sure that's why you bought it. Definitely not because she’s a trophy wife.
As the dinner drags on, I can't help but notice more and more of my mom's…
quirks I purposely forced myself to forget.
The way she name-drops her country club friends, the not-so-subtle hints about James's income, the constant preening and primping.
It's like watching a street cat with a platinum credit card.
“Matthew, you simply must join us at the club sometime,” she says, her voice dripping with faux concern. “You work so hard, you deserve a day of relaxation.”
Translation: You need to network with rich people if you want to succeed in life.
She wasn’t like this until she left Mr. Cress. None of this shit used to matter to her until lately. Thank God, I was out of the house for most of this. Once she got that freedom, she went off the rails. But inflation will make the gold digger’s claws sharpen, won’t it?
I force a smile. “Sure, Mom. When I have some free time.”
James nods approvingly. “That's the thing about success, Matthew. It's all about who you know.”
I bite back a retort about how it's actually about hard work and talent, but what's the point? They're not going to listen anyway.
As we're finishing up dessert (which Mom only picks at, of course), I find myself wishing I was back at the Grind Stone. At least there, the only fakeness I have to deal with is the occasional neutral attitude from Amber. I know I drive that woman wild and she has to hold herself back.
“Well, this has been great,” I say, standing up maybe a bit too eagerly. “But I've got an early practice tomorrow, so…”
My mom’s face falls. “Sit back down, Matthew.”
I do as she says because I haven’t seen much of her lately. “Okay,” I blink, clenching my jaw.
“I didn’t want to spring this on you, honey,” she says with a big smile.
Great. Just fucking great. I can tell by her grin exactly what’s going on, why we’re here, and why she’s dressed like this with makeup that ages her.
“James and I are engaged!” she squeals.
The restaurant claps for her as I nod, forcing a quick smile. I include myself in the clapping. “That’s great, Mom. Really. Congratulations.”
She’s tearing up, and I hold back my eye roll. James is waving at everyone clapping. This is annoying, and that’s an understatement.
“When’s the wedding?” I ask.
My mom smiles as James pulls her in for a kiss. “We’re eloping. You have to come.”
“Okay. When?”
“Soon. Yeah, very soon. There’s some work things to take care of, but I’ll let you know as soon as we do.”
“Okay, Mom. Sounds good.” I stand. I lean down to kiss her cheek, catching a whiff of her overpowering perfume. “Sorry I have to go. You know how it is. Gotta keep my eye on the prize.”
“No problem, honey. I’m so proud of you.”
“James,” I take his hand. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you, son.”
I blink at him. “Okay.”
Before I can turn away, my mom says, “Oh, honey, let your girlfriend know. I would love to meet her.”
I shake my head. “Uh, Mom.”
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 wanted me 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 hard no, 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?