Chapter 11
“There’s so many people,” Jamie whispered to Jeff as they entered the catering room. You couldn’t turn around without seeing a superstar.
“Relax,” Jeff said, taking her hand and squeezing it, “they’re just people like you and me.”
“Maybe like you…” Jamie sighed, looking up at Jeff.
Jeff laughed and squeezed her hand again, “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
Jeff led Jamie to a table where a redhead sat, she looked up and smiled as she saw them approaching.
“Hey Ames,” Jeff said.
“Hey,” Amy said standing up and taking Jamie’s hand, “You must be Jamie, I’ve heard so much about you.”
“I’ve been hearing that a lot,” Jamie said with a laugh, “it’s great to meet you. I’ve actually heard a lot about you too.”
“Grab some chairs,” Amy urged, “Matt will be here in a few minutes and I know he can’t wait to meet you.”
“Great,” Jeff said, forcing a smile as he pulled a chair out for Jamie.
“So it’s so great you decided to come with Jeff,” Amy said with a friendly smile.
“I’m really glad I decided to come,” Jamie answered, looking at the smiling Amy. She suddenly felt more comfortable as Amy smiled warmly at her; maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad.
Jamie looked to her left as she watched Adam and Jason walk up with trays full of food and another brown haired man engrossed in a conversation. Jamie immediately recognized the man as Matt Hardy, Jeff’s brother. Jamie looked over at Jeff with a small smile.
“Don’t worry,” Jeff mouthed with a grin and squeezed her hand.
“Hey guys,” Matt said, placing his tray on the table and sitting in a chair next to Amy. As soon as he sat down, he looked across the table at the blonde woman next to Jeff; his warm smile was replaced with a fake one as he looked at the girl.
“Hi,” Jamie said softly, feeling uncomfortable at the way Matt’s expression had changed, “I’m Jamie.”
“Matt,” he replied coolly.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Jamie said with a small smile.
“Yeah, you too,” Matt answered absent minded with a nod, then turned to Amy, “so I was thinking that maybe…”
Jamie turned her head away from looking at Matt so she was facing Jeff. He smiled weakly as he once again squeezed her hand. It definitely wasn’t the introduction they had wanted, but the one they both expected.
“So how did you two meet?” Amy asked, turning her attention away from Matt and looking at Jeff and Jamie.
“This is gonna be good,” Matt mumbled to himself. Then flinched as Amy kicked him under the table.
“At a party actually,” Jamie answered taking a sip of her drink, “then we went out to a bar.”
“And how long did you guys know each other?” Matt asked with a smug smile, “5 minutes, 10 minutes…”
Jamie felt her cheeks go red as she looked down at the table, Jeff glared at Matt, in disbelief that he’d do that. Amy looked at Matt and shook her head. He shrugged his shoulders, his smile growing wider.
“So what do you do for a living?” Jason asked, changing the subject.
“I work for an advertising agency,” Jamie answered, the red draining out of her cheeks.
“What’s your family like?” Matt asked, leaning his elbow on the table and staring intently at Jamie.
“Um.. well, the only family I really have is my dad; my mom left us when I was little,” Jamie answered.
“So you’re a daddy’s girl?” Matt asked with a smirk, “We all know that type huh?”
Jamie bit her lip and once again looked down at the table. The sudden tension at the table was unbearable as everyone sat in silence.
“Matt? Can we talk?” Amy asked, standing up and taking Matt’s hand. Matt shrugged his shoulders and stood up.
Amy smiled at the table as she walked away with Matt following behind her. Jason and Adam seemed to relax in their chairs, Jamie looked at Jeff, his face looked relieved.
“Don’t mind Matt,” Adam said after a few seconds, breaking the silence, “He gets kind of cranky when he and Amy don’t ever couple hours…”
Everyone laughed as Jamie relaxed back into her chair more, a small smile now on her lips feeling more comfortable. Adam turned to Jason, and started talking about an upcoming match.
“Jamie,” Jeff said softly, leaning towards her cheek, “I’m sorry about Matt. I’ll talk to him later.”
Jamie smiled weakly at Jeff and patted his upper leg, “Thanks Jeff. But I think it’ll take time for him to just get to know me.”
Jeff shrugged and kissed Jamie’s cheek quickly, before turning and getting involved in the conversation with Jason and Adam. Jamie slouched in her chair a little more.
“He just needs to get to know me,” Jamie thought, biting her lower lip. But she knew in her heart, that no matter what she did. Matt wouldn’t ever accept her and Jeff’s relationship the way either would like.
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“What was that?” Amy asked Matt, as they stood in the empty hallway outside the catering room.
“What?” Matt asked innocently with a shrug.
“No Matt, don’t play innocent,” Amy said angrily, “That was so rude. You had no right to treat that girl that way.”
“And Jeff had no reason to bring that gold digger along with him!” Matt snapped back at Amy, crossing his arms in front of him.
“That’s ridiculous Matt!” Amy argued, “she’s a nice girl, she makes Jeff happy. Anyone can see that!”
“Well he won’t be so happy after she uses him and dumps him,” Matt mumbled.
“Matt, why can’t you just accept the fact that she’s not going to use him, she cares about him, and get to know her?” Amy asked, getting frustrated.
“Because I don’t want to see my baby brother get hurt, I don’t want to see him get used,” Matt yelled.
“I just don’t think you want to see Jeff happy!” Amy said, the words pouring out of her mouth before she even had time to think about it.
“Is that what you think?” Matt asked, his eyes gleaming with hurt and anger, “I can’t believe you can even think I’d be that selfish Ames!”
“You know what,” Amy said, throwing her arms in the air frustrated, “I don’t know what I think anymore. All I know is that I don’t want to talk to you until you fix that attitude of yours Matthew!”
Matt flinched at hearing Amy use his full name. She only used Matthew when she was really upset. He watched her turn around and walk down the empty hallway.
“Amy, don’t be like that!” Matt called at her retreating back.
Amy didn’t even bother to acknowledge that she heard him as she continued to walk down the hall, he groaned as he watched her turn the corner. Matt kicked the wall next to him hard, then cringed at the pain. His relationship with his brother, and his relationship with his girlfriend were both in danger here, and, in his opinion, he had no one to blame but Jamie.
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Chapter 12
Chapter 10