“You have got to try this place,” Wyatt gushes. “Sevilla used to pick up a bucket for me every Saturday. I still get those late night cravings if you know what I mean.”
Oh, I know what he means. I used to get them myself, only, in my case, it wasn’t my housekeeper playing delivery boy—it was my mother.
He gets out, and I hesitate to follow. I could make up an excuse—tell him that I need to write a paper, that I’m dying of menstrual cramps, that I have a severe allergy to poultry or, I could woman up and stomach the entire situation. What are the odds that my mother is working a shift right now anyway? She doesn’t usually start until four, and it’s still early afternoon. What the hell. I hop out and join him.
“Everything okay?” He presses his hand in the small of my back as he holds the door open for me.
“I’m with you—everything is great.” No lie there. Wyatt has been the bright spot of my day ever since we’ve met.
The familiar thick scent of deep-fried goodness hits me, and just as I’m about to take in a lungful, a familiar, abnormally tall bleached blonde gets my attention from behind the counter.
“Cat Alice,” I whisper mostly to myself.
“The one from the bar?”
“The one and only.”
Cat Alice lets out an exasperated breath as we head over. Her eyes slit to mine in a moment of both embarrassment and surprise.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” she smirks. “Oh, wait, you didn’t come to see me, did you? Debbie!” She shouts to the back, and I freeze.
My mother is here? Gah! This just gets worse.
Mom comes out from the back with her wiry hair poking out in every direction. She has it in a bun, but it’s too wild to tame and likes to make its escape on a regular basis, giving her the appeal of a psychotic bag lady. She’s lost a tooth on either side of her canines which also adds a special touch of homeless, but my mother is kind and tenderhearted, even if she does have a slight addiction to reefer.
“Mommy.” I lean over the counter and pull her in. There isn’t one hint of anything illegal on her today. Most days the scent clings to her hair, her clothes. Honestly, it’s the little things. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
“Told you she had a boyfriend.” Cat Alice scoots into my mother as if they had some united front against me.
“Um, he’s just a friend, actually. He’s my boss and newly minted business partner.” I dip a little when I say it. “Wyatt James.”
Wyatt’s face looks pale for a brief second before that warm smile of his takes over, and he extends his hand to both my mother and Cat Alice.
“What are you doing here?” I ask at Cat. Last I heard she was working as a secretary at a car dealership downtown.
“Lost my job. The economy is a real bitch, so Aunt Deb took me under her wing.”
Her chicken wing. Normally I’d say that, but I’d hate for Wyatt to think I was insulting my mother. My mom and I can say anything to each other. We have that kind of a relationship. I doubt I could even make her a little bit angry with me and vise versa.
“You’re a saint, Mom,” I say, pulling her cold hands to mine. She’s so thin, you can number the bones in her fingers. “Oh, by the way, did you know that Cat Alice is dating the dildo that left me?”
Mom’s mouth drops open.
“We’re not dating.” Cat is quick to correct. “Trust me, I wouldn’t want your sloppy seconds.” She slides over to Wyatt. “Now your business partner slash boss is another story altogether. Anything you want, sweetheart—I’ll even give you my employee discount.”
Wyatt’s smile opens to a silent laugh. “That’s okay. I would never want to get you fired.”
“Don’t be silly.” Mom pulls out her manager key. “This meal is on me.”
We put in our orders and take a seat in the booth furthest from the cash registers. It doesn’t matter, I can still feel Cat Alice’s radiating beams of hatred penetrating my back.
“So, surprise,” I say without the proper enthusiasm. “I guess you’ve accidently met my mother.”
“You didn’t say anything when we drove up.” He looks slightly disappointed.
“I didn’t have a chance. But you’re right. The chicken can’t be beat. I wasn’t about to stop you. Believe me, I’m the last woman on the planet who’d keep a good bucket away from a man.” I bite my lower lip with nervous intent. “Um, I grew up in this neighborhood. Things weren’t always champagne and ramen for me. I sort of made it my mission to escape as soon as I had the chance, and school seemed like the only way out.”