Page 15 of Give Me a Chance
When the treadmill’s display reads an hour and ten minutes, I hit stop. I’m done with the gym with still plenty of time left before work. After taking a shower, I call my mom, knowing she’s looking forward to hearing about my first day yesterday.
“Mattie! I was hoping you’d call! Going to the gym today?” Her voice is kind and sincere.
I’m a momma’s boy. It wasn’t much of a choice since my father left us when I was three. She was my everything. Raising two kids as a single mom wasn’t easy, but she made it happen. She made sure we had everything we needed and ensured we felt loved and cared for equally.
“I just got back, and I wanted to hear from you before I head to work.”
“Couldn’t sleep?”
“Yeah, guess so.”
“You know I’m proud of what you’re doing, right? I was proud either way, but it makes me so happy to know you’re making changes to feel more fulfilled.” Without a non-profit, not much unlike the BYC, I would never have had a chance to play hockey. Hockey equipment is notoriously expensive, and a single mom of two could hardly afford it.
“Thanks, Mom. I’m feeling pretty good about it, too.” She probably thinks I’m too excited to sleep. Rather, what was keeping me up is the question of how long I have to work there before they could forgive me if I poisoned Natalie’s coffee.
“Have you spoken to Sarah?” she asks.
“I called them on Sunday. Benji’s getting bigger by the day.” Benjamin, my nephew, is one-year-old and just took his first steps.
“He is.” She sighs wistfully.
Sarah, her husband Adam, and baby Ben live in Sacramento, meaning we get to see them just a few times a year. It hurts her to be so far away from her first grandchild, but her work is here in Seattle. She’s been a secretary at the same law firm ever since Sarah and I were little kids. There were times she didn’t have a choice but to bring us to work with her, and it’s where I decided to become a lawyer.
She’s an incredible grandma, and I’d love to give her more grandkids, but unfortunately, I’m missing a couple of key puzzle pieces.
“Will I see you Saturday? I want to hear all about the new job,” she asks.
“Sure, Mom. I’ll be there around noon.”
The workout and talking with my mom helped me relax, so I walk into the office with a smile on my face. Today, after yesterday’s fiasco, I’m dressed appropriately in dark blue slacks and a light blue shirt with a few top buttons undone.
Just my luck. The first thing I see walking in isher,and my pulse picks up immediately. My dick and brain battle to solve the dilemma of whether I’m horny or angry. She’s telling a story to a few coworkers, and they laugh, infatuated by her. My brain wins.
How does nobody see her as anything other than perfect?
“Good morning,” I say politely, walking to my desk.
“Good morning, Matt,” the two girls talking to Natalie respond in unison, while she shoots me a fake smile.
Anne walks up to me, following me to my desk.
“Morning, Mattie.”
“Morning, Annie.” We both hate the nicknames, so it’s a running joke between us.
“Want to grab lunch later?”
“Sure, I haven’t brought anything.”
“Great, let me show you the best lunch place around.” She bows theatrically, eliciting a chuckle.
“Thankyou so much for helping us,” a teary-eyed mother says, holding her baby boy on her hip.
“Save your ‘thanks’ for when I actually do that,” I joke, shaking her trembling hand.
“You good?” Kiara asks when the mom leaves our office.
I exhale a long breath.
