Morning Messages 4

 Caught After The Action 

Shelia grabbed her phone, dialing her mom while still searching for her keys and trying to straighten out her hair.

"Hey, Mom," she said, her voice slightly breathless. "I'm on my way right now."

Her mother's voice came through restless and impatient. "You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago. Did you have car trouble again?"

While Shelia was on the phone with her mother, Matt was quietly trying to tiptoe out of the apartment. In his attempt to sneak away, he hit his toe on the end of the coffee table. "Shit!" he yelled, then quickly covered his mouth.

"Who was that?" Shelia's mom demanded.

"Oh, um," Shelia hesitated, "that's Matt."

"Matt? What Matt?" her mother sounding upset.

"Yes, that Matt," Shelia responded, her voice rising slightly.

Matt, was caught between embarrassment and amusement, yelled out, "hey Ms. Anderson."

There was a pause, and then Ms. Anderson responded in a flat tone, "Hey, Matt."

Shelia quickly tried to redirect the conversation. "Really. I'm on my way now, Mother."

"Oh, are you on your way now?" her mother repeated, clearly unconvinced.

Mother's Intervention

Shelia pulled up to her mother's place, Ms. Anderson sliding into the passenger seat.  Immediately, her mother noticed Shelia's distracted smile.

"Why are you looking at your phone and smiling like that? Is that Matt?" she asked pointedly.

"Yes," Shelia replied.

Her mother looking at her with suspicion. "When did y'all start back talking to each other? I see y'all can't leave each other alone. And I clearly see he must makes you happy enough to be late picking me up. I know what y'all was doing. I'm not crazy."

Shelia attempted to play innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Just then, a text from Matt popped up on her phone: "Damn you beautiful."

Shelia couldn't help but smile again.

Her mother caught the smile instantly. 

"That's him again, isn't it?" Before Shelia could respond, Ms. Anderson snatched the phone.

Another text from Matt came through at the same time she snatched her phone: "I want to kiss you all over again."

Ms. Anderson's eyes widened. She was stunned for the moment, then quickly texted a response. Shelia looked at her mother “What are serious. You are going to text him back? “Could keep your eyes on the road," she told Shelia, while texting Matt back.

Her message read: "That’s probably why my daughter was late picking me up." This is Ms. Anderson. Shelia can’t text you back right now because she is busy right now ttyl.