My beautiful date

Invitation

Steve's big hand shot out from underneath the covers. He placed it on the polished wooden nightstand by the side of the bed as he fumbled around for the offending object. Eventually his fingers wrapped around the cordless phone. With his eyes still closed and his head still half underneath the pillows he brought it to his ear."What?" he barked into the receiver. Steve was a morning person but when he sleep late at night after working hard he certainly didn't appreciate being woken especially on the weekends.

"That's not a very nice way to greet your mother. I had hoped I'd brought you up better than that."

Steve groaned at the sound of his mother's voice as he threw the large cream pillow to his side and rolled onto his back.

The mattress creaked underneath him and the sheets tangled between his legs as he attempted to open his eyes. The bright sunlight instantly burned them and he immediately snapped them shut as he brushed the loose strands of hair from his face.

"Hey Mom." he replied, his voice thick with sleep. His mouth felt dry and he licked his lips to wet them as he slowly opened one eye again, letting it adjust to the light.

"Your lazy ass should be out of bed by now, you know." his mother scolded.
"Why? What time is it?" he mumbled as he looked towards the alarm clock beside him. He peered bleary eyed at the green digits in front of him and his brow crinkled with his scowl as soon as the eight and two threes came into focus."Ma! What the hell are you doing calling me at eight thirty on a Saturday morning?"

Sarah's tone was bright and breezy as she tried to feign innocence at the other end. "Is that really the time? I could have sworn it was later than that."

"Don't tell me you're going senile on me already." Steve joked, smiling. He shifted his body as he pushed himself up the bed and his head rested back against the soft pillows as he let out a yawn, lifting his hand to rub at his eye.
"Why? Are you worried you'll have to look after your old mother?"
"Nah. I'm rich, Mom. I can employ plenty of other people to look after you for me."
"Smart ass." she retorted.
Steve chuckled as his hand fell to rest against the crisp cotton sheets. "So to what do I owe the pleasure of your early morning wake-up call?"
"Where were you last night? I tried calling you but you weren't home."
"I had a business dinner."
"Business? You work way too hard, you know."
Steve smiled fondly as he shifted the phone to his other ear, scratching his head absently. "Well I have to work hard especially if I'm going to have to pay for someone to look after you in your old senile age."
But his teasing fell on deaf, concerned ears."I'm being serious, Steve. You're young. You should be out there enjoying yourself instead of working yourself into the ground."
Steve sighed in frustration knowing his mother meant well but it was the same thing every time she called and it was starting to wear extremely thin. "I'm fine, Mom. Honestly. "

Sarah frowned at the other end but knew better than to pursue the subject for now. She didn't want her son getting mad at her which he seemed to do every time she pushed him about his social life. It wasn't that she wasn't proud of him for working hard. She was. She was so proud of him at times she could burst. But she worried about him like any normal mother would. She hated the thought of him rattling around all alone in that big house with no-one to go home to at night. There was no-one to share his day or cook him a nice meal. Her son was a wonderful man. He deserved to be happy. He deserved to be loved although she knew he was wary of relationships after being hurt in the past. His past was also the reason for her early morning call. She wanted to warn Steve before he saw the invitation that had arrived in the mail. She had received hers today and she had no doubt his was on the way.