Page 35 of Starfish and Coffee
“Do you mean that?”
Alex grabbed his helmet off the seat of his bike, then met Matt’s penetrating gaze. “No.” He sighed. “We just gotta work at being less obvious. My brother’s been saying shit too. I can’t keep spending the night at your place.”
“Fine.” Matt shrugged, not knowing why something in his chest stung from Alex’s harsh attitude. His pride, his feelings; he wasn’t really sure, but he knew it made him defensive. “I got things to do tonight anyway. I’ve been promising my mother I’d take her up to the club.”
“Good plan,” Alex agreed as he walked to the back door. “We’ll hang out this weekend.”
Considering it was Tuesday, the blow-off was obvious. They were just fuck buddies. Matt had no reason to be pissed off about it, but it still rubbed him the wrong way.
It was one of those days that started off bad and went steadily down hill—for both of them.
* * * *
“They said the hollandaise sauce is too thin.” Holly placed two plates of eggs Benedict on the deck. “God, I could kick myself for switching shifts with Melissa.”
“I thought you were excited to work with us for once,” Matt asked to cut the tension, because Alex looked ready to strangle someone.
“Yeah, I thought so too, but we don’t have all these society ladies on the night shift.” Holly huffed, her usually perky demeanor more than frayed. “I swear they’re giving me shit on purpose.”
“Fucking rich, stuck-up bitches. This is the fourth time a plate has come back from that group.” Alex reached past Matt and grabbed the plates. “I should jerk off in the hollandaise to make it thicker.”
Alex very rarely threatened food quality, even in jest, but it’d been one of those mornings. Out of curiosity Matt followed Holly out of the kitchen and peeked into the dining room. His stomach dropped when he spotted his mother at the head of the long table.
The Mirabella Island Historical Society was having their meeting at Frank’s café this week, which was highly irregular. They usually met somewhere more formal.
His mother lifted her head, as if sensing him, and met his gaze. She arched a dark eyebrow in challenge, and Matt knew this was clearly some sort of sadistic retaliation at him for still working there.
Once the most-prized debutant at Northridge Girls Academy, his mama was born rich and beautiful. Then she managed tostayrich and beautiful for the span of her entire life, which created a very spoiled, selfish woman who truly believed she deserved to be placed on a pedestal above all others. She had the black hair and green eyes every Southern belle dreamed they had, and even in her fifties would still point out to anyone willing to listen that her father always thought she bore a striking resemblance to Scarlett O’Hara.
She was the head of every committee, historical society, or fund-raiser she’d ever participated in because the only authority she recognized was her own. A force to be reckoned with, the message she was sending to Matt was clear. If he didn’t quit, she was going to help him lose his job.
“I didn’t want to say it was her,” Holly whispered next to him.
“You didn’t have to. I know my mother’s MO.” Matt turned back to Holly, seeing how tense and frustrated she was. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugged and gave him a strained smile. “You didn’t do it.”
“Yeah, I did.” He sighed as he walked back into the kitchen. “But I’m going to fix it.”
Matt found Alex furiously stirring the hollandaise sauce, adding flour to it to make it thicker. His entire body was practically vibrating in fury as he snapped, “It was prefect the way it was. Now the flour is gonna make it taste bland, and they’re gonna send it back again.”
“No they won’t.”
Alex turned to glare at Matt. “You don’t know their type. They’ll send it back fourteen times ’cause they don’t got shit to do besides fuck with us. It’s a power trip or something.”
“I do know their type,” Matt assured him. “It’s my mother sending it back.”
Alex blanched. “She’s here?”
“Don’t worry about it. I got this,” Matt assured him. “Just replate it.”
“Why is she fucking with us?” Alex asked, his anger being replaced with blatant paranoia. “Does she know? Did you tell her? I know you’re missing that barrier between mouth and brain. You just say whatever the fuck comes to mind.”
“It’s not about us.” Matt looked behind him as he said it. Alex’s paranoia was catching. “It’s just like you said, a power trip.”
Alex went back to work on the plates that had been sent back, now working quickly but silently. When he replated both eggs Benedicts, Matt grabbed the orders before Holly could.
“What’re you doing?” Holly hissed as he walked past her.
