7: In Which She Meets Momma Bear

7: In Which She Meets Momma Bear

************

“As your friend and producer, I’d like you to listen to me for five seconds.” Rox followed me into the bathroom, running a hand through her perfect mane of hair. “Amor? What’s come over you?”

“Forgive me for not wanting to attend yet another idiotic fancy dinner party, Roxy,” I told her, applying a quick coat of black nail polish on my left hand. “And forgive me for trying to enjoy my life.” I quickly blew on my fingernails, trying to get them to dry as quickly as possible.

“But…you love those dinner parties. What are you talking about?”

I looked up at her for the first time that morning. “I prefer being an agony aunt. I want to quit the Ask Amor Show.”

Rox’s eyebrows were now buried somewhere along her hairline. “What?”

I shrugged, pushing past her and returning to my bedroom. “I hate the sound of my voice over the radio. And everyone’s so ungrateful. Besides, I’m just…bored of it.” Spinning around, I flopped back down onto my unmade bed. “Who knew I could write, Rox? Me, Amor Page. Granted, it’s just a couple of responses to e-mails but I sound so…eloquent.”

Rox folded her arms across her chest, standing over me. “Who are you and what have you done with Amor Page?”

I rolled my eyes and sat up. “Very funny. Listen, I’ve been thinking about that book –”

“And you want to write it?” Roxanne cut in, her eyes bright with excitement. “Shall I call Lesner? Set up a meeting? Talk to agents?”

Laughing, I shakily got to my feet. “Would you let me finish, please?” I took a deep breath, placing my hands on her shoulders. “I want to write a book. About sex. Sex in all kinds of places. Sex in all kinds of positions. I’ll call it…the Amor Sutra.”

Her eyes were wide. “Pull my other leg, too. I don’t want a limp.”

“I’m not joking here. OK, well, maybe about the title.”

She pulled away from me. “You’re not a qualified sex therapist, number one. Number two, that requires creativity and -”

“I’m not creative enough.” My voice was steely, even to my own ears. “Firstly, I won’t be advising anyone. I’ll just be… sharing some friendly suggestions.”

“Friendly suggestions? What, your sex life with that…that tattooed giant?”

I threw her a dirty look. “That’s none of your business.”

“I’m going to leave before I say something I’ll regret.” Roxanne pushed past me, head held high. I heard the sound of my front door slamming shut ten seconds later.

Sighing heavily, I shrugged out of my bathrobe and getting dressed. I had a lot to do today.

***

“Victor?”

I tapped his back, startling him in the non-perishables aisle of Morgan’s.

“Er, Amor?” He choked on saliva, hacking like a cat with a fur ball lodged in its throat. “How…how can I help you?”

Victor looked surprisingly good. He was in crutches, the cast on his left leg bearing few scribbled signatures in black magic marker. In a faded orange T and khaki shorts, he looked at peace with himself. A jagged scar ran across one cheek under one chocolate-brown eye, making this unassuming man look a little rugged. However, the receding hairline told of stress.

“I heard you’ve left Monty’s,” I said, setting my empty basket on the ground and pasting a smile on my face.

Victor nodded. “I’m involved in my church’s outreach programme now. We help underprivileged kids find God.”

“That’s…that’s good.”

“Amor,” he began, a wry smile on his face, “are you Christian?”

“Um…” I bit my bottom lip. “Yes.”

“You don’t sound so sure.”

“Are you, a former male escort, preaching at me?” I asked in disbelief, my tone surprising him.

He reddened, glancing around. “That’s in my past.” He paused, his eyes flickering momentarily. “We all have pasts. Don’t we, Amor?” The way he said it made me feel like he knew. I took a step back.

“I…I should go. Nice seeing you again.” I turned on my heel and left, leaving my basket at his feet.

“Take care,” Victor called after me. “And God bless!”

I wandered into the liquor section of the store, grabbing the nearest thing – a large bottle of Jack Daniels. I was going to forget about my shopping and end up leaving with alcohol alone. Then I was probably going to cry and drink and drink some more.

At the till, I added a slab of Cadbury’s to my bill and left, marching to my car. A familiar voice caused me to pause at my door and peek at the car parked two away from me.

“I’m in the parking lot,” Ashton said, chuckling. He was leaning against the door of his silver Mercedes sports car. “Yes, Teddy Bear. There’s more than enough room for your dumb flowerpots.” He craned his neck, gazing at the entrance of Morgan’s. “No, I don’t see you. Hold on, I’ll be at the door. Coming.” He hung up and shoved his phone into the pocket of his shorts.

Fast as lightning, I headed back to my own car but it was too late.

“Stalking me, Miss Page?” he taunted, patting the boot of my car. “I’d be flattered if I wasn’t a little creeped out.”

I held the trademark blue-and-white Morgan’s plastic bag up. “I was shopping. Don’t flatter yourself.”

His eyes zoned in on it. “Having a little party, are we?” Sidling up to me, he fingered the bag. “What’s a little girl like you doing with a bottle of whiskey? Didn’t learn your lesson the last time?”

“I’m heading home, thank you very much.”

He shrugged. “You do that.” Stepping between my car and me, he tugged at a lock of my hair. “I haven’t heard from you in quite a while. No public events?” He leaned in. “No special…needs?”

I swallowed thickly. “Not right now.”

His breath tickled my earlobe. “The functions or your needs?”

“Both. Goodbye.” My voice broke on the last word as his mouth latched onto my skin. A surge of heat rushed through me, from the crown of my head to the balls of my heels.

“Sure about that?”

My grip on my plastic bag was loosening. I pulled away from him, shaking him out of my head.

“I’m quite busy, actually, so if you don’t mind…”

He shoved his hands into his pockets, grinning devilishly. “Of course, babe.”

“Ashton, honestly,” a voice said from in front of my car.

A dark-haired woman with an armful of potted plants was giving Ashton a funny look.

“Teddy!” Ashton exclaimed, grinning. “My bad. Here, let me take these from you.” He strode over to her and relieved her of the plants.

“I see you were occupied,” she said, giving me the once-over as she approached me. “Hello, I’m Teddy West.”

Now that we were close-up, I could see the crow’s feet around her eyes and faint laughing lines around her mouth. She must have been in her late forties or so but the dark head of hair and dazzling hazel-brown eyes belied it.

“Amor Page.” I took her proffered hand and shook it.

Her face lit up. “Amor? 94.6?” She was referring to the Radio One’s frequency. “I listen to your show every afternoon!”

“Mom, don’t tell me you’re a fan of that garbage,” Ashton muttered, rolling his eyes.

“Mom?” I was willing to push aside the fact that Ashton had just called my work rubbish.

Teddy laughed. “Hard to believe I could ever spawn such a brute, right?” But the way she looked at Ashton was full of nothing but pure adoration. Likewise with him. He was staring at his mother like she was a goddess.

“It’s not that,” I said. “It’s just that…you’re so…”

“Young?” Teddy stole the word right out my mouth. “Blame it on the hormones of a sixteen-year-old.”

“Teddy,” Ashton said plaintively. “We should go.”

“Teen pregnancy?” I pressed.

She nodded. “But why are we discussing all this in a parking lot? Amor, it would be an honour to invite you over for Sunday pot roast.” She took my hands in hers. “What do you say?”

Ashton was mouthing the word ‘no’ behind her back. I smiled at his mother.

“I would love to, Ms. West.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Ashton growled into my ear when his mother left the dining room in search of a bottle opener.

“What do you mean?” I asked casually, spearing a salad tomato with my fork and slowly teasing it into my mouth. I felt Ashton’s eyes on me.

“Teddy doesn’t know what I do and I’d like to keep it that way. Got that?”

I turned in my seat, arching a brow. “Do you think I’m an idiot? Of course your mother doesn’t know about you selling yourself.”

“I don’t like your condescending tone.”

“She invited me for lunch and here I am, Ashton. What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is that this is my mother’s house, Amor, and you and I both know that we’re overstepping some boundaries.” He shot me a glare as his mother returned into the room and took her place opposite the both of us.

“I can’t remember where I put that damn thing,” she said apologetically, pouring herself a glass of mango juice. “Looks like we’ll all have to do without a little wine.”

“That’s fine, Ms. West.” I flashed her a smile.

“Please. Call me Teddy.”

“Is that your real name? Or just a nickname?”

She smiled. “I’ve never been called Theodora in my life. In fact, my mother –”

“Does she really need to know our life history?” Ashton interjected sharply.

“She’s your girlfriend, Ash,” Teddy said calmly, and Ashton and I both choked on our salad. “Or am I missing something?” Teddy’s eyes were probing.

I recovered quickly. “We’re just friends.”

“Actually, Mom, we occasionally sleep with each other,” Ashton informed her.

My jaw dropped. It hung there like a painting.

“No strings attached?” Teddy grinned, taking another dainty sip of her juice.

“Zero,” Ashton confirmed. “Right, Amor babe?”

Between Teddy’s understanding smile, Ashton’s idiocy and Victor’s veiled threat, I couldn’t take anymore. Suddenly it felt like coming to Teddy’s spacious cottage was a big mistake and I wanted to cry.

I got to my feet abruptly and fled to the bathroom. Fortunately, Teddy had given me a mini tour before lunch and I didn’t have to guess which room the toilet was. Slamming the door behind me, I pinched myself in the mirror, trying to feel something. But I was numb.

We all have pasts – don’t we, Amor?

“Get it together, Page,” I chided my reflection, running the tap and sticking my hands under the cold water. “Grow a spine.”

“Amor?” Ashton’s voice floated into the room as he banged on the door.

“Go away.”

He always did the opposite of what I asked so why was I surprised when he slinked into the bathroom and gently closed the door behind him?

“You’re crying,” he observed, biting his bottom lip.

“No.” I quickly dried my hands with a lone hand towel and ran a finger across my eye. It came back wet. “I want to go home.”

“You’re crying because I told my mother we’re sleeping together?” He firmly pulled me into his chest. “She’s cool, Amor. It’s not such a big deal.”

“You’re so full of yourself.” I wrenched away from him. “If I were crying, do you think it’d be over something as trivial as that? The only thing you’ve succeeded in doing is further lowering yourself in my eyes.”

His face hardened. “And we all know how judgmental Amor Page’s eyes can be.”

“You’re a revolting piece of work, Ashton West. If publicizing our sex life is your way of finding a place in this world, I pity you.”

He snorted. “Our sex life? I pity you. You have no life and we sure as hell don’t have a sex life. You’re just a play thing to me. Let’s not get confused.”

I reached out and slapped him, the sound reverberating in the large bathroom. Ashton’s eyes were dark and menacing as he pounced on me, gripping my arms at my side. When his lips locked against mine, I melted against him, my anger dissipating. Ashton’s hands were in my hair, pulling it away from my face. Slowly, he pulled away from me.

“Why are you kissing me back again?” he said, faking confusion. “Oh, right. It’s because you like it. It’s because, despite whatever bullshit comes out that pretty dirty mouth of yours, you’re starting to look forward to it. Am I right, Dr. Page?”

“You couldn’t be any more wrong.”

He rubbed the ball of his thumb across my swollen lip. “You asked me why I do this.”

“Did I?”

“It’s because of Teddy,” he went on as if I hadn’t said a thing. His finger was still on my lips. “Because women deserve to be treated like queens. She certainly wasn’t.” He paused. “Every woman deserves to feel like they’re the best thing since sex tapes, Amor. Even if they’re paying for it.”

“And?”

“Let me make you feel that way,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around me. He pressed his nose into my hair.

I sure as hell didn't deserve to be treated that way. Not after what I'd done.