Read 3 Buried Leads for Free Online Page B
Authors: Amanda M. Lee
responsible for directing her daughter, Lexie, towards rehab, she warmed to him considerably.
The bell above the front door dinged and I looked up to see my mom entering. She hadn’t seen me yet. I braced myself. Eliot had settled back in the booth next to me. “My mom is here.”
Eliot looked up at the door, taking in my mom’s blonde hair and blue eyes, and smiled. “You look like her.”
“I do not.”
“You do, too.”
“If you want to get into her pants, I wouldn’t keep saying that,” Derrick warned Eliot sternly.
“Why?”
“Let’s just say that’s not the way to her heart,” Derrick laughed. “It might be the way to her future ulcer, though.”
Eliot regarded me for a second. “You guys should have your own reality show.”
My mom froze when she got to the table and her eyes found Eliot. She met my gaze for a second and I plastered my patented fake smile on my face. “Hi, mom! This is Eliot.”
I practically yelled the statement. I have no idea why. I guess I was nervous, too.
“The pawnshop owner?”
Eliot got to his feet again and extended his hand to my mom. She took it stiffly. Even though I could tell she was freaked out by his looks, she was nothing if not polite. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You, too.” If Eliot was nervous, he didn’t show it. He sat down next to me again, but his gaze never left my mom’s face.
For her part, my mom was stoic. She slid into the booth and positioned herself at the middle table. “I’m glad you could come,” she said. “I assume you’re the reason my daughter missed the last two dinners. She was afraid to introduce you to us? Was that the reason?”
“No ma’am,” Eliot said amiably. “This is our first date.”
I couldn’t help but snicker to myself. Eliot was utilizing my own defense mechanism. He was poking the mommy bear with a stick to see if she would bite.
To her credit, my mom didn’t take the bait. “I’m just glad she finally brought a man – even if he does have long hair. I was starting to think she was a lesbian.”
Derrick barked out a laugh beside me. I elbowed him sharply. “ Ow.” He rubbed his ribcage and shot me a dark look. “This is why she thinks you’re a lesbian. You hit when you should be using your words. A proper lady would use words instead of fists.”
“Shut up.”
“He has a point,” my mom chided me.
Dinner had a more relaxed feel after that. We ordered. I opted for my grandpa’s famous vegetable soup and a BLT, while Eliot stuck to a burger and fries like Derrick. I don’t think he wanted to rock the boat.
“This is really good,” Eliot said after we’d been eating in silence for a few minutes.
“I’m glad to see you’re not a vegetarian,” my mom said.
“Nope, not a vegetarian,” Eliot replied.
“I wasn’t sure because of your tattoos.”
“Why would his tattoos mean he was a vegetarian?” I asked irritably.
“You know, that’s how people are these days.”
“Avery has two tattoos and she’s not a vegetarian.” This time, Derrick managed to shift and avoid the blow I aimed at his mid-section.
My mom was eying me incredulously. “You have tattoos?”
“No,” I lied.
“Yes she does,” Derrick said. “She’s got a turtle and some Lord of the Rings thing.”
“You have a Lord of the Rings tattoo?” Eliot looked interested. “Where?”
“On my shoulder blade,” I muttered.
“Sounds hot,” he laughed.
I could tell he was making fun of me, so I ignored him.
Thankfully, the conversation at the table turned to Sally’s new living arrangements. “Why did you leave Steve?”
My mom gave me a dirty look. She vacillates between the belief that you shouldn’t air your dirty laundry in public to garrulous gossip.
“He’s obnoxious,” Sally answered.
He was obnoxious when she married him. “So, what else is new?”
“He told me he doesn’t think women should work.”
“What should we do? Clean the house and pop out babies?” I was
The bell above the front door dinged and I looked up to see my mom entering. She hadn’t seen me yet. I braced myself. Eliot had settled back in the booth next to me. “My mom is here.”
Eliot looked up at the door, taking in my mom’s blonde hair and blue eyes, and smiled. “You look like her.”
“I do not.”
“You do, too.”
“If you want to get into her pants, I wouldn’t keep saying that,” Derrick warned Eliot sternly.
“Why?”
“Let’s just say that’s not the way to her heart,” Derrick laughed. “It might be the way to her future ulcer, though.”
Eliot regarded me for a second. “You guys should have your own reality show.”
My mom froze when she got to the table and her eyes found Eliot. She met my gaze for a second and I plastered my patented fake smile on my face. “Hi, mom! This is Eliot.”
I practically yelled the statement. I have no idea why. I guess I was nervous, too.
“The pawnshop owner?”
Eliot got to his feet again and extended his hand to my mom. She took it stiffly. Even though I could tell she was freaked out by his looks, she was nothing if not polite. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You, too.” If Eliot was nervous, he didn’t show it. He sat down next to me again, but his gaze never left my mom’s face.
For her part, my mom was stoic. She slid into the booth and positioned herself at the middle table. “I’m glad you could come,” she said. “I assume you’re the reason my daughter missed the last two dinners. She was afraid to introduce you to us? Was that the reason?”
“No ma’am,” Eliot said amiably. “This is our first date.”
I couldn’t help but snicker to myself. Eliot was utilizing my own defense mechanism. He was poking the mommy bear with a stick to see if she would bite.
To her credit, my mom didn’t take the bait. “I’m just glad she finally brought a man – even if he does have long hair. I was starting to think she was a lesbian.”
Derrick barked out a laugh beside me. I elbowed him sharply. “ Ow.” He rubbed his ribcage and shot me a dark look. “This is why she thinks you’re a lesbian. You hit when you should be using your words. A proper lady would use words instead of fists.”
“Shut up.”
“He has a point,” my mom chided me.
Dinner had a more relaxed feel after that. We ordered. I opted for my grandpa’s famous vegetable soup and a BLT, while Eliot stuck to a burger and fries like Derrick. I don’t think he wanted to rock the boat.
“This is really good,” Eliot said after we’d been eating in silence for a few minutes.
“I’m glad to see you’re not a vegetarian,” my mom said.
“Nope, not a vegetarian,” Eliot replied.
“I wasn’t sure because of your tattoos.”
“Why would his tattoos mean he was a vegetarian?” I asked irritably.
“You know, that’s how people are these days.”
“Avery has two tattoos and she’s not a vegetarian.” This time, Derrick managed to shift and avoid the blow I aimed at his mid-section.
My mom was eying me incredulously. “You have tattoos?”
“No,” I lied.
“Yes she does,” Derrick said. “She’s got a turtle and some Lord of the Rings thing.”
“You have a Lord of the Rings tattoo?” Eliot looked interested. “Where?”
“On my shoulder blade,” I muttered.
“Sounds hot,” he laughed.
I could tell he was making fun of me, so I ignored him.
Thankfully, the conversation at the table turned to Sally’s new living arrangements. “Why did you leave Steve?”
My mom gave me a dirty look. She vacillates between the belief that you shouldn’t air your dirty laundry in public to garrulous gossip.
“He’s obnoxious,” Sally answered.
He was obnoxious when she married him. “So, what else is new?”
“He told me he doesn’t think women should work.”
“What should we do? Clean the house and pop out babies?” I was