Page 108 of Something Cheeky

“Mom,” he answered in surprise. She didn’t normally call on Thursdays. “Is everything okay?”

“I can’t call my son to see if he’s still alive?” Her face filled his entire phone screen.

Shit.He’d missed several weeks of Sunday calls. Yet another way he’d let someone close to him down.

“Sorry.T?m Cámhas been taking up all my time.”And Zoe,he added.

“I’m not important enough for you?”

Why were mothers so good at mom guilt? Did they get some kind of handbook?

“M?,” he said in exasperation. “You know that’s not true.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Are you eating a Lean Cuisine?” She tsked and shook her head. “You are in Washington, DC, and eating bad frozen food.”

“I’m too tired to fight, M?.”

“You look too skinny. Something is wrong.” It wasn’t a question but an observation.

“I’m fine,” he protested.

“Why are you sad?” The corners of her eyes crinkled in worry.

Had those wrinkles on her forehead always been there? He suddenly wished his mom was sitting next to him. Or that she was in the kitchen cooking a pot of bún riêu, his favorite spicy crab noodle soup.

“I’m not—” He sighed. After five days of not talking to Zoe, barely talking to Th?o, and spending his evenings all alone, the dam burst. “It’s been a bad week.”

Derek propped his phone on top of the couch cushions. Hefilled her in on everything that had happened since they last spoke. Well, not quite. He told her about Zoe but left all the sexy parts out. His cheeks grew hot as he told her about Greg and how his mentor had turned out to be a bully.

“I refuse to give up,” he finished. Derek was relieved to talk to someone about the pressure he’d been under since arriving at Prestige Rep.

Surprisingly, his mother was silent the entire time and listened intently to him.

“I’m proud of you, Sang.” She only used his Vietnamese name when she was angry with him, but she was smiling tonight.

Derek blinked in disbelief. “You are?”

“And it took you long enough to get together with Zoe!”

“Wait, you knew?” Derek didn’t know if he could take any more surprises from his mother.

“I saw the way you two looked at each other when she visited. She’s a smart and brave girl.”

“She is. I fu—messed things up with her.” He rubbed his temples. “She won’t return my texts or calls.”

“Do you love her?”

“Yes, I love her,” Derek replied without hesitation. The feelings he had for Zoe now were real love, unlike his infatuation from their college days. His heart had ached for her these past five days. Food no longer had flavor and sleep was elusive without Zoe in his life.

“Then make things right, because I need grandchildren before I die,” she teased, but he could tell she was serious about grandkids. Her phone shook as she set it down on her coffee table.

“Don’t talk like that. You’re still young. Wait, did you paint the walls blue?” Now it was his turn to peer into the screen. His childhood home was no longer drab and beige.

“I did. And bought a new couch.” She stood up and stepped to the side to show off a blue damask sectional.

“Now it’s my turn to ask if you’re okay.”

---