The F-Word

“Mom. You’re reading stuff into this.”

“Matt, I love you—but like all men, you’re dense when it comes to women.”

That hurts. I pride myself on my relationships with my mother and my sister.

“Not with your sister and me,” my mother says. Did I mention she’s good at mind-reading? “You just don’t think like a woman.”

How can I argue with that?

“You don’t see into them. And before you tell me I’m wrong, let me clarify my meaning.”

Jesus. Mom’s in teaching mode. If it’s possible, things are about to go from bad to worse.

“I’m sure you can tell when a woman is trying to impress you. Or turn your head. But when it comes to reading a real woman’s real emotions…”

“Mom. Do us both a favor. Just say it, okay?”

My mother sighs. “There’s no artifice about Bailey, son. What you see is what you get.”

“I know that.”

“She has feelings for you, Matt. Deep feelings.”

That’s ridiculous. It’s drama-laden. It’s overblown. It’s typically female…

If you knew anything at all about me, you’d know I’ve wanted you forever.

I blink. I can hear Bailey saying those words as if she were in the room with me.

Yeah, but we were talking about sex. About fucking.

“Matt?” Mom’s voice softens. “I’m sorry things turned out the way they did.”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

After the call ends I realize how bad things really are. What I should have said was So am I, but I didn’t. And my mother didn’t correct me.

Shit.

I reach for the phone to try to call Bailey again, but it rings. This time, I glance at the caller ID.

It’s my sister.

Better to take the call or not?

Or not.

Four rings, and it goes to voice mail. “Matt, you big fat turd…”

Man. News travels fast.

Casey finishes leaving her sisterly message. And the damn phone rings again.

It’s Coop. I decide to play it safe and let him go to voice mail too.

“Hey, dude,” he says cheerfully, “I hear your weekend bombed.” He chuckles. “I can almost hear you saying ‘How does he know that?’ Well, you remember my cousin Shirley? Her brother-in-law plays cards with a guy named Simms and Simms has an aunt Jessica…” Coop’s tone softens. “Dude. You need a shoulder, gimme a call.”

I need more than a shoulder. I need a payloader to dig out from the mess I’ve made. Not for me. For Bailey. I’ll deal with the gossip, but I can’t stand by and let her get hurt.