Mama's Boy

Star Struck

Nathan watched as his mother buzzed around his apartment, cleaning and fussing. These were pastimes of Shelly's. Nathan had learned to tune this out. No one could fuss over nothing like Shelly. She was a worrier by nature. If she so much as thought her son needed anything, she wouldn't hesitate to be at his side.

"What are you wearing for your shoot tomorrow, Nathan?" she asked, a basket of laundry on her hip.

Nathan, eating a bag of potato chips and watching Jaws glanced over at his mother in disinterest. "I'm watching TV. I'm going to wear clothes to the photo shoot, Ma."

Mumbling to herself, Shelly made her way down the stairs and Nathan continued with his movie.

When Shelly came back up, she took the remote from her son and stood in front of the television, turning it off. "We need to find you something presentable to wear," she told him, no room for debate.

Nathan stared up at his mother, not saying a word or moving a muscle for a few seconds before he shrugged and got up. "If that's gon make you happy, Mama," he told her.

"You are the star of a World Cup winning baseball team. I will not have you going on the cover and being featured in a magazine looking like some regular Joe. I want you to look like the man of the year."

Nathan scratched his head, his forehead wrinkling as his brows came in, looking down at his mother. He didn't bother to tell her the World Cup was soccer and what he had won was the World Series. He let her be right.

He tried to understand her deal about clothes, but he didn't. He was simply going along to make her happy. If it was a big deal for her that he had his suit already picked instead of wearing what the resident stylist wanted him to wear, whatever.

The moment Nathan's foot reached the first step, his wrist was in his mother's tight grip. "Where are you going?"

"To find something to wear for tomorrow."

Shelly held her head, releasing a weary sigh. "What do you think you're going to find in your closet, son?"

"Usually, I keep clothes there," he told her.

"Don't you get sarcastic with me. We're going shopping."

Shaking his head, Nathan followed his mother out to his car, allowing her to drive. He sat back and relaxed, looking out the window as the city passed him by.

He had plenty of suits upstairs that were sent to him and he had yet to wear. But if it would make Mama happy to pick out his suit, Mama got what Mama wanted.

"What do you want for dinner tonight?" Shelly wondered, getting on the highway, glancing over at her son. He shrugged.

"We can go out."

"Every time we go out to have a meal, you attract too much attention. I want to enjoy a nice meal with my son without having to turn away flocks of horny, money hungry, whores. We never get to just eat in peace unless we're home. I'm cooking. What do you want?"

Nathan shrugged. "Jambalaya sounds good."

"I'm not making jambalaya tonight, Nathan."

"You just asked what I wanted. I told you. So you're either going to make it or we're going out."

Shelly glanced over at her son and rolled her eyes, huffing out an irritated breath. "I don't want to go out, Nathan. Why can't you just want something else? I've been busy fixing everything up for you and I'm tired. Every time we go out, you are always recognized."