Building Friction (Part 11)

We opted to get coffee before the movie started, and sat out on the patio, smoking and sipping at our iced mochas. Our conversation started out slowly, talking about Zoe and then the snakes that Matt owned. He had apparently adopted a snake as well, a albino python named Pandora. I laughed when he talked about having to let her out of her box from time to time.

"I want to eventually own my own business," Matt admitted. "I'm not entirely sure what type of store just yet, but I do have a business degree and I'd like to put that to good use some day. I don't see myself working at a pet store forever. What do you see yourself doing?"

"Well, I work as a substitute teacher. I just signed on for a 6 week gig at the high school teaching World Civics, but I pretty much hate it." I sighed deeply, thinking about how aggressive teenagers had become since I was in school.

"That sounds challenging. But is there anything else that you'd like to do?" Matt's interest in what I had to say was warmly genuine.

"I write for an online magazine. Mostly relationship stuff, things that have happened to me over the years. There's a good reader base and I have my regular fans. I guess I'd like to be published one day."

"A book, perhaps?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. I've been writing since I was a little kid. I often think it's the one thing that I could do in my sleep." I laughed easily at this.

"I admire that. It's good to set goals." He leaned across the table and took one of my hands between his. The were strong, yet gentle. I let him hold my hand for what seemed like the longest time. I was really getting caught up in being with him.

I glanced at my watch. "It's about time for the movie to start."

We wandered over to the box office and bought tickets to see the new Eli Roth. It was guaranteed to be gory, something that I always got a kick out of. I went to use the restroom as Matt got in line to buy snacks. My phone chimed and I discovered that Steph had sent me a text message, asking if everything was going well. I texted her back that it was going great and then rejoined Matt in the lobby.

He picked seats towards the back of the theater, in one of the rows with the love seats. We raised the armrest between us and settled in for the flick. It was as bloody and intense as I suspected it would be, and midway through, Matt reached over and took my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. I angled my body towards his and got comfortable in the crook of his arm. It felt like we'd been doing this for years.

After the movie was over, we drove down to the harbor and went for a walk. The boats in the marina were lighted for the evening and we could just make out the people moving about within them. Matt put his arm around me when I shivered and we walked in silence for 20 minutes. The air was thick with the smell of the ocean and the water was musical as it lapped along the sides of the boats.

"It's been a long time since I felt so comfortable with someone," I said, surprised that I was being so revealing.

"I'll take that as a good thing," Matt said. "You don't strike me as the kind of person who gets comfortable very easily. Hell, it took you almost 2 months before you started making direct eye contact with me when you'd come into the store."

"Jeez, I didn't think it was that long." I pondered it for a while. "You made me feel comfortable pretty much right away."

"Well, thanks. I try." I could see him smiling in the dim light. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. In fact, I think we're at the point where you don't have to ask if you can ask. Just speak up."

"What was up with that guy from the Good Bar the other night? He kept looking at you the entire time we were there. He was starting to even make ME feel uncomfortable." We stopped walking and faced the water.

"He's a co-worker of one of my friends. I'd met him over the weekend and let's just say that that didn't go over very well." I gritted my teeth, thinking about the kiss and the dreams I'd had since then.

"He seemed a little obsessed with you. I mean, I don't know the guy, but I can tell when one has got an idea in his head and has it in a stranglehold."

"He's been reading my stuff online for a while. I think he felt like he'd known me even before he'd even met me. A lot of my readers seem to follow along those lines. The cost of fame, no matter how insignificant, I suppose." I sighed. Matt reached down and took my hand again. I glanced over and saw him smiling at me.

"Well, I've never read your stuff, but after almost a year of coming into my store, I almost feel like I know you a little. But I'd really like to turn that into knowing you better." He reached up and pushed a hair back from my face that had been dancing in the light breeze.

"Oh," I hesitated. "You know, I would be totally OK with that. I mean, if you're suggesting.."

"Seeing you again, yes." He grinned. "I'd like to see you as much as you're willing to allow me to."

I smiled back at him. "That would be really great. I've enjoyed spending time with you tonight. How many times can I say that you make me feel comfortable before I officially qualify as sounding like a broken record?"

Matt laughed. "Oh, I think it's five. So you've got a couple more before I have to cut you off."

We stood in silence and looked over the water for a few minutes more before turning around and heading back to the car. It was getting late and I was supposed to be up early to teach again and then was due to be at that rapid dating set-up that the website wanted me to attend at one of the local hotels.

Matt drove me home and walked me to the door. I stood awkwardly for the first time that entire night and contemplated how to say good-bye without testing his personal limits. As I extended my hand, he chuckled softly.

"How about something a little more than that?" And with that, he pulled me into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around me and drawing me in tightly. I rested my head on his shoulder and breathed him in deeply. He smelled like Hugo Boss with a faint tinge of cigarette smoke. I found myself not wanting to let go of him. Finally I drew back.

"So, I assume you'll call me?" It was the first time that I'd nervously asked that question in I didn't know how many years.

"I would love to call you. And see you. Preferably as soon as possible. In fact, I think I'll just drive around the corner and then come knock on your door again in about 20 minutes." We both broke out in loud giggles at that. "Seriously though. I'm really enjoying spending time with you and would like to do it as often as you'll let me."

"Maybe something on Sunday then? I've got to do a little assignment for my website tomorrow night and Saturdays are usually devoted to spending time with the punkasses I call friends, but Sunday is wide open as far as I know now." I mentally crossed my fingers that it would be a good day for him.

"I'm working in the day, but maybe we could get coffee and hit the bookstore in the evening?" he offered.

"Sounds great. So call me, OK?" I started to unlock and open the front door.

"Yeah. And Chloe?" I turned around and saw him biting his lip.

"Yes?" I asked, brow furled in confusion.

"I don't know how this will sound, but DAMN. I really had to hold myself back from kissing you until your lips were raw." He paused, then smacked himself on the forehead."Alright, that was uber-lame."

A stream of giggles flew out of me. "No. It wasn't lame at all." I leaned towards him and planted a kiss on his cheek the way he had done to me last Monday. "It was really sweet. I liked it."

Matt grinned and turned away from the door, glancing back once to make sure I was inside. I closed the door and leaned against it on the inside. My heart was fluttering. I shook my head at myself. I hadn't felt this way since I was in Jr High. My insides were roiling with a giddiness that I'd long since forgotten about. The possibilities of what was to come were heady.

I went to check my e-mail and saw that Sean was on messenger. I logged on to briefly apologize for not going to his show at San Souci that night. He asked the obligatory questions about how my evening went and did his little guilt-trip song and dance about how the show sucked and he didn't know anyone that was there. I was just about finished stroking his bruised ego when Geoff's chat window popped up.

"Just to let you know, I've got plans to be dreaming about you in a toga, ala that hot blonde in Clash of the Titans."

"That's fabulous. Do whatever you want with me in your dreams, it's the only time you'll get that opportunity."

"What? Pet Store Boy already laid claim to you? Are you officially off the market now?"

"His name is Matt. And what I do is no concern of yours."

"I know what his name is, I like calling him Pet Store Boy to tangle up those panties of yours. And no worries on not telling me now. I'm sure I'll read about it in the column soon enough, along with the rest of the peasants."

"I'm too tired to verbally spar with you tonight. I've got to get up early tomorrow."

"Too tired? What have you been up to? Making nice with Pet Store Boy's trouser snake."

"Oh, fuck off, will you?"

"If you really weren't interested in having conversations with me, why did you add me to your contact list?"

I paused. There really was no reason to keep him on since I had satisfied my curiosity in finding out why he was messenging me the first night. "I don't know why anymore. Perhaps it's a good time to remove you from it."

"Look, Chloe. If you would just have a normal conversation with me, I wouldn't have to keep lobbing all these insults at you and your new beau. I just figured that it wouldn't kill us to be sociable. We might end up in the same room again one day, and for everyone else's sake at least we could pretend to get along."

"Well, let's deal with that when the time comes. Right now, I'm just not in the mood for this."

"Fine enough. Pleasant dreams."

"Har Har."

I bade Sean good night and then signed off. I went to my bedroom, removed my clothes and then climbed into bed. I cursed myself for not being a religious person in a time when a prayer to not dream about Geoff would have come in handy if I believed such things might work. Instead I focused on the memory of how Matt's hands felt around mine when we were sitting and drinking coffee. I grabbed hold of the vision of him laughing, the dimple in his cheek popping into place. I breathed in and pretended that I could still smell his cologne.

I drifted off to sleep and into a dreamworld full of visions of Geoff and his accursed smirk.