You Were Meant for Me
Chapter 4: A Kiss Is Just a Kiss
It was a beautiful day out for a picnic. Matthew had texted her this morning, asking her what she thought about doing a picnic. Of course she had agreed. A picnic with Matthew sounded amazing. She loved being out in the sun. It always cheered her mood. Spending the time in the sun with Matthew would make it doubly great. They were going to go out to the Hamptons for the day, and have a picnic on the beach. She was really excited for it.
She checked herself in the mirror, making sure her outfit looked perfect.
She wore white Capri pants, a navy blue and white striped shirt that had three-quarter-inch sleeves, and her white Navajo sandals. She had her hair in a ponytail, and neutral makeup on except for the pop of color on her lips, which was a fun cherry red shade. Sure red lipstick was usually for the nighttime, but she never was one to follow the rules. She didn't believe fashion or beauty should have limits.
She spritzed on some rose-scented perfume, grabbed her tan leather satchel from her own line, and her beach bag, then headed out. Matthew was going to be meeting her in the lobby.
She smiled when she arrived down in the lobby and saw Matthew sitting there, waiting for her. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."
Matthew smiled up at her upon hearing her voice. She shook his head. "Not at all! You're right on time. I got here like two minutes ago, so it's all good." He stood up. "You look great!"
She walked over to him and kissed his cheek since her lipstick was kiss-proof. "Thank you, my Darling. So do you." He was wearing medium-wash jean shorts that went to the top of his knees, and a sky blue polo. He wore brown sandals on his feet.
"Thanks!" he said, kissing her cheek in return.
They headed out of the apartment complex, and got into the car. They took Matthew's car, so he drove.
"I'm so glad it's a nice day out. As soon as I heard it was supposed to be warm out, I figured it was the perfect day to go to the Hamptons," he explained.
Kelly nodded. "It definitely is. I love the Hamptons anyway, so I was all for it when you suggested it. I'm glad you thought of it."
"I figured we'd do something special instead of just a local restaurant." He glanced at Kelly for a brief moment before putting his eyes back on the road. "After all, we spent two plus years apart. We have a lot of getting together to make up for."
Kelly nodded. "I agree."
Matthew glanced at Kelly again. "I really am sorry, you know. I never should have let so much time go without contact between us."
Kelly smiled at him. "All is forgiven. But please, put your eyes back on the road. Otherwise, our time together will be over for good. At least on Earth." She winked at him.
Matthew obediently looked back at the road. "I guess it only takes a second for an accident to occur."
"That it does," Kelly agreed. She cranked down her window, then turned on the radio. She messed around with the stations until an old Adel song came on the radio. "Oo, I love this song!"
Matthew crinkled his eyebrows at her. "I don't get how you can like Adel. Yuck! I can't stand her music."
Kelly looked at him in surprise. "Are you serious? How can you not love Adel?
"Easily!" Matthew quipped. He grinned.
Kelly stuck her tongue out at him even though she knew he probably couldn't see it with his eyes on the road. "In case your wondering, I just stuck my tongue out at you. Adel is an amazing singer!" She turned the radio up, then began singing along. She wasn't much of a singer at all, but she wasn't embarrassed. She was comfortable with Matthew. Besides, she really loved this song. "We could have had it a-a-all. Rolling in the dee-e-eep! You had my heart inside of your hand, and you played it to the beat."
Matthew smiled as she sang, but didn't interrupt her, nor did he take is eyes of the road. When the song ended, however, he turned the station. This time, Coldplay came on the radio. "Now this is more like it!" He was the one to sing this time. Only, of course, his voice was worlds better than hers. It wasn't one of Kelly's favorite songs, nor was Coldplay one of her favorite bands, but she still enjoyed hearing him sing.
"For some reason I can't explain, once you'd gone, it was never, never an honest word. That was when I ruled the world!" he sang loudly.
Kelly smiled, glancing over at him occasionally, and trying not to think any forbidden thoughts like how sexy he looked when he sang. Or about how tightly his polo was clinging to his body.
When the song ended, she turned off the radio. "Great singing, but I really don't like Coldplay."
"What kind of music do you like then?" he asked.
"Well, I love, love, love Rihanna. I also love Bruno Mars, The Beatles, Alicia Keys, Madonna, and Katy Perry, just to name a few. Oh, and of course as you know, Adel," Kelly answered. She looked at him to see his reaction.
Matthew crinkled his nose. "You like all those girly singers that sing about love and heartbreak."
"What's wrong with that?" Kelly asked.
Matthew shrugged. "Nothing I guess if you're a girl."
"Well, last time I checked, I was a girl," Kelly joked.
Matthew grinned. "If you want, I can pull over and double check for you."
Kelly gasped at his joke, then laughed. She playfully swatted his shoulder. "You behave!" Of course if he had meant it, she might just go for it. But that was another one of those forbidden thoughts. So, instead, she changed the subject to something a lot more safe. "So, besides Coldplay, who do you like to listen to?"
"I love a variety of things. I like Sinatra, Radiohead, and Cee-Lo Beatles are a good one, I'll agree with that," he replied.
"Sinatra's all right, but I'm not sure about the others aside from our mutual love for the Beatles," Kelly said.
Matthew nodded toward the radio. "Turn it back on. I'm sure we can find something we both like."
Kelly did as told, slowly flipping the stations. "Britney?" she asked with a smile.
Matthew made a buzzer sound to indicate it was a negative.
"Backstreet Boys?" she asked.
Matthew looked at here for a split second. "Really?" Then he looked back at the road, shaking his head.
Kelly rolled her eyes. "I'll take that as a no."
Chris Brown came on the radio, and Kelly made a face. "Yuck!"
"Hey, it's a good one!" Matthew protested.
"Uh, no. He beat Rihanna," Kelly said, changing the station.
"His music's still good," Matthew mumbled.
"It's actually crap," Kelly said simply.
Matthew rolled his eyes.
Kelly then stopped on Justin Timberlake. "J.T.?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.
Matthew shrugged. "I suppose he's more tolerable than your other picks."
Kelly took that as a yes, and kept in on the current station.
They listened in silence for a moment, then soon, Matthew actually began to sing along. "You see these shackles, Baby I'm your slave. I'll let you whip me if I misbehave. It's just that no one makes me feel this way."
Kelly smirked. "For the song being just 'more tolerable,' you sure know the lyrics pretty well."
He shrugged, and grinned at her. "I guess I'm a closet J.T. fan. Oops!"
She shook her head and grinned. "Eyes on the road!"
He did as told, then she cranked the radio up, and they both began to sing, Matthew even louder than her. "I'm bringing sexy back! Them other boys don't know how to act! Girl, let me make up for all the things you lack! Because you're burning up, I got to get it fast!"
They sang the song the whole way through, then burst out laughing when the song was done.
"That was fun," Kelly said, switching the radio off.
Matthew grinned. "Yeah, it was. At least we have some music tastes in common. We have the Beatles, Sinatra, and J.T. Maybe more."
Kelly nodded. "Besides, even if we don't have all the same music tastes, we have a lot of other things in common, and that is what really counts."
Matthew nodded. "Exactly! So, I was thinking that when we get there, we can just pick up some sandwiches, drinks, and chips from the deli, then head right over to the beach. I brought a blanket." He nodded toward the back.
"Sounds good! We both love the beach, and we both love to eat. There's two things right there that we have in common," she said with a smile.
"And we're both hot as hell," Matthew quipped.
"I am anyway," Kelly said, her tone serious.
Matthew gasped. "Thanks a lot!" He play-pouted.
"Aw, I'm just messing with you. You're the sexiest man alive, and you know it!" She smiled at him, and reached over to him and gently rubbed his thigh. She had meant is as a friendly gesture, but realized how it must have looked. She blushed, removed her hand, then looked out the window.
Matthew smiled, but didn't say anything.
She wondered what was going through his mind. She continued looking out the window, and they drove in silence for a little bit after that. She was a little embarrassed, but still, she didn't regret what she had done. After all, she had just been being friendly. Also, his body was amazing. Why not touch it? She smirked. She supposed that was another forbidden thought. But really, who cared? After all, looking had never hurt anyone, so what was the harm in looking? There was no harm at all. She smiled at the thought.
~You Were Meant For Me~
They made small talk the rest of the way to the Hamptons, then when they finally arrived, they went to a nearby sandwich shop to get their lunch. After that, they headed out to the beach, and found a nice area to lay down their blanket, and have some lunch. The spot they chose was right in the middle of the beach, about five yards away from the rest of the beach goers.
"This all looks really good. I'm so glad it's such a nice day out, even though it's only May. Not all Mays are quite as nice. At least, not in the state of New York," Kelly said as she slipped her sandals off, and stretched her legs off to the side.
Matthew handed her her sandwich. "Yeah, I was really glad to see the weather report today. You know, I was thinking, after we're done with the beach, maybe we could go paddle boating for a bit. Have you ever been?"
Kelly thought about it for a moment. "I think once a long time ago with Anthony. Gosh, I must have been in my twenties at the time. So, it's been a while. But, yeah, I'd love to go paddle boating with you. It will be something fun and different to do." She grinned at hm.
Matthew grinned back. "Great! I figure we can eat lunch, spend an hour or so just enjoying the beach, then go rent the paddle boat."
"Sounds like a plan," Kelly agreed. She took a bite of her egg salad sandwich, then closed her eyes. "Mm, this is so good."
Matthew took a bite of his BLT. "Mm, this one is good too."
"A bite for a bite?" Kelly asked, holding out her sandwich to Matthew's lips.
Matthew smiled. "All right." He held out his sandwich to her lips, and they fed each other a bit of their sandwiches.
They then both sat back, and chewed thoughtfully.
Kelly licked her lips. "Mmm! I'm usually not one for BLTs, but I have to admit, that is good." She took another bite of her egg salad sandwich.
"And I'm not usually one for egg salad, but that was delicious!" Matthew said, taking another bite of his BLT.
Kelly offered him another bite of her sandwich, and he in return, offered her another bite of his.
"Mmm!" They both said in unison. They swallowed the bite that was in their mouth, then grinned at each other.
They then continued to take turns biting into their own sandwiches, and then feeding each other, alternating between the two sandwiches. Of course, they also sipped their drinks in-between as well.
"Those were really good. Thank you for sharing yours with me," Kelly said once they had finished both sandwiches.
"And thank you for sharing yours with me!" Matthew said.
"It was my pleasure," Kelly said.
"Ditto," Matthew said.
They then dug into their chips and cookies they had also bought at the shop. Then, once they were done, they tossed out their garbage, then prepared to go for a dip in the water.
Kelly had her suit on underneath her clothes, so she stripped right on the blanket.
Matthew grinned. "Oo! I didn't know today came with a free strip show!" he teased. "Now I'm really glad it's such a nice day out!"
Kelly rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "Haha," he said sarcastically.
"I have to change. My trunks are in the car. Unlike you, I don't strip in public," he joked, grinning cockily.
Kelly decided to wipe the cocky grin right off his face. "That's because you have nothing that people would want to see."
"You're so mean today!" Matthew play-whined.
"And you're so perverted today!" Kelly joked back.
"Just today?" Matthew asked, an eyebrow raised.
Kelly smirked. "Good point!"
Matthew grinned, then kissed her cheek, his hand momentarily resting over her back. "I'll be right back." He then left to go get his swim trunks and change.
Kelly took that opportunity to grab her sunblock from her beach bag, and apply it to her face, neck, shoulders, arms, legs, feet, and stomach. She tried to get her back, but was having a heck of a time trying to get every area that needed to be covered. "Next time, maybe I should just stick with a one-piece," she quipped.
"I don't know, some of those one-pieces still expose your whole back," Matthew said from behind her.
"True. And that was quick!" Kelly said.
Matthew sat down behind her, and took the sun block bottle from her. "I only had to pull off my clothes and slip on some shorts. It doesn't take an hour to do that," he teased. He squeezed a big glob of sun block into his palms, then gently rubbed it into her back, making sure not to miss even an inch of her back. Her skin was so soft. He enjoyed running his hands over her back. Any excuse to touch her was a good thing. And, if the thigh touch in the car earlier had been any indication, he knew that she apparently liked to touch him as well. He certainly wasn't complaining.
"Shut up, you know what I mean," Kelly said dryly. She then closed her eyes. "Mm, you could seriously be a masseuse."
"I try," Matthew said with a grin as he recapped the bottle, then handed it back to her "All covered!"
"Thanks! Are you wearing sun block?" she asked.
He stood up, and shook his head. "No, I never really burn. I don't need it."
Kelly pat the blanket beside her. "Sit! You're putting some on. It doesn't matter if you burn or not. Too much sun is bad for your skin."
Matthew sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mother."
Kelly stuck her tongue out at him, and handed him the bottle back. She then watched as he covered his body, sans his back. When he was done, she took the bottle from him, sat behind him, and began applying the sun block to his back.
"Mm, your hands feel amazing. You could be a masseuse too," Matthew informed her. He wasn't just returning a compliment. He was really enjoying her hands on him—more so than he should, he knew.
Kelly finished before he was ready for her to. She made no reference to his compliment other than as smile that he wasn't even sure was because of his compliment. "We're all set to go in the water now."
Matthew stood up, then held out his hand to her, and helped her up as well. "You really look amazing in your suit," he said, eyeing her red bikini. The top half was made to look like a big, red bow. The bottom half was the same shade of red, and had heart-shaped holes on the sides, the outlines of the hearts being where the side laces laced through. They tied at the bottom top point of the heart.
"Thanks! It's new. I liked your swim shorts too," she winked and smirked.
Matthew blushed, looking down at his tight black Speedo type shorts that looked like women's underwear in boyshorts form. "Thanks. I keep meaning to get regular swim trunks. I bought these when I was dating Maria. She thought they were hot, so it was a phase I went through. I have like five pairs of these, and tossed out my old swim trunks. Now, I'm sorry I did. These are way too tight and short, but I never got to replacing them. I guess I haven't really been in the water enough, or had any one to impress enough to go buy some regular ones."
"They work okay on you. You're tiny down there, so you don't have to worry about showing too much." She smiled and winked at him.
His mouth dropped open in shock.
She then laughed loudly, and quickly ran off to the water.
"Oh, you are so dead!" he called after her with a laugh. He then quickly ran after her, smiling to himself. He liked them feisty!
~And I Was Meant For You~
Once in the water, Kelly kept walking until it was deep enough for her to crouch down and get her shoulders wet. She grinned as Matthew caught up to her a half minuet later. "Who's the old one now?" she asked.
"You had a head start!" he defended himself.
She rolled her eyes. "Only by five seconds! You took thirty seconds later than I did. Admit it, you're getting old and slowing down." She was only teasing him. She just wanted to get back at him for always pointing out that she was ten months older than he was. How did he like it?
Suddenly, a big splash of water landed on her face. She gasped in surprise, but before she could register what had just happened, another big splash of water hit her face. "Stop it!" she gasped, figuring that Matthew had just splashed her.
"That first one was implying that I had nothing down there to see, and the second splash was for you implying that I am old and immobile," Matthew said simply.
Kelly narrowed her eyes.
"Don't even think about it! We're even now!" Matthew said, sensing what she had in mind. He quickly started to swim away.
"Oh, we're far from even, Matthew!" Kelly said, chasing after him, and cursing the water for making it feel like her legs had five pound weights attached to them. "I had only been teasing you, as you always tease me. Splashing salt water on my face is so not cool!" She kicked her legs harder.
Matthew tried his best to get away, but she caught his leg, and pulled it down, then toward her, causing him to face plummet into the water.
She kept pulling him for a few seconds more, then she let go of his leg.
He resurfaced, gasping for air.
However, Kelly wasn't quite done with him yet. She scooped up a big section of water, then splashed him hard in the face at close range before he even had a chance to recover from being pulled under water.
He gasped, and shook his head. Then, he cried out, and grabbed his eyes. "You got some of the salt water in my eyes!" he cried.
Kelly crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "Now we're even."
"And to think, we're friends," Matthew grumbled. He walked over to Kelly, tugged her bikini top out a bit, then rubbed his eyes on it.
"Hey! Don't expose me!" She quickly pulled her top away from him, and readjusted it, making sure nothing was seen that should not be seen.
Matthew shrugged. "I needed something to get the salt out of my eyes."
Kelly grinned, her arms over her chest again. "Well, then take your swim trunks off and wipe them with those."
Matthew raised an eyebrow, and crossed his own arms over his chest. "Now who's the perverted one?"
Kelly shrugged. "It's better than you pulling my top off."
Matthew licked his lips and smirked. "I beg to differ!"
Kelly had a mischievous glint in her eyes again.
"What?" Matthew asked.
Kelly knew she had to act fast, so she did. In an instant, she reached her hands out under the water, grabbed the waistband of his swim shorts, and yanked them down in one quick tug.
"Kelly!" Matthew cried out in shock.
Kelly cackled, then quickly swam off before he could retaliate.
He quickly pulled his shorts back up, then swam after her as fast as he could. "You're going to get it!" he yelled.
"There's not much to get!" she called back.
"You are such a bitch!" he called back.
Kelly smirked. She knew he didn't mean it. His tone said it all. And she knew that deep down, he was enjoying this little game of cat and mouse just as much as she was.
He finally caught her. He probably thought he was a fast swimmer, Kelly knew. But the trust was, she had let him catch her.
He untied the back of her suit, but she turned around before he could get to the top tie that tied around her neck. She took him in her arms, and pulled him close. "So, what are you going to do now that you got my top half untied, hm?" she purred into his left ear. She couldn't believe the nerve she had with him, but she couldn't help it. It was all so much fun!
He licked his lips, his eyes lowering a bit. "I don't know. What do you want me to do?" He placed his arms over her back.
"Well, I have a little something in mind," she purred.
"And what would that be?" he asked.
She brushed her lips up against his left ear. "Well, what I want, what I really, really, want," she began, sounding like a Spice Girl, "is for you to tie my top back up."
She smirked at the instant look of disappointment on his face. She wondered what he had hoped she was going to say. Whatever it was, she knew he was just being a pervert. He had always loved to flirt with women even when he thought nothing of them. Now was no different, she knew.
"Sure," he said simply. "Turn around."
She did as told, but placed her hands over the back of her neck just in case he got any ideas of untying that one too. However, he was the perfect gentleman this time, tying it up, and not trying anything funny.
She turned around to face him. "Thank you. Now, what do you say we call it a truce, and just enjoy swimming together?"
He smiled, and nodded. "Sounds good!"
Kelly smiled to, and kissed his cheek. Then, she started swimming, though slower this time, which allowed him to swim right beside her.
Together, they swam for a good ten minutes, enjoying the water, and laughing together. At one point, they even held hands while swimming together. Kelly couldn't even remember who was the first to grab the other's hand, but one of them did. Then, they found that swimming that way worked, and ensured that they stayed by each other's side. It was a nice, enjoyable time.
Eventually, Kelly tired of swimming. "I want to head back to the blanket now. Do you want to go back too, or are you still gonna swim for a bit?"
"I'll come back with you. I'm done too," Matthew said.
So, they headed back to the blanket.
Kelly dug into her beach bag, and dug out her towel. She laid it down on the sand, then stepped back a couple feet, and took out her ponytail. She used the elastic band as a bracelet, then shook the water out of her hair. Then, she got onto her towel, and laid down on her stomach.
"I forgot to bring a towel. Duh! How could I forget a towel?" Matthew asked. "I'm so stupid!"
Kelly smiled. "Don't be so hard on yourself. We all forget things." She pat the spot beside her. "I have a double towel anyway. I thought it was so cute when I saw they now made towels for two, so I bought one, figuring it would come in handy with the kids."
Matthew grinned. "Or your sexy male costar." He winked at her, then walked over to her towel, and lay down on his stomach beside her.
Kelly looked around. "Ed's here? Where?"
Matthew laughed, and playfully swatted her shoulder. "Shut up!"
Kelly grinned. "Oh, don't worry. You're sexy and you know it!"
"Am I dead sexy?" he asked, holding his head at a model angle.
"Are you kidding? I can hardly contain myself!" Kelly joked. Well, she made him think that she was joking at least.
He grinned, then kissed her forehead. "Back at ya!" He then moved so that he was now lying on his back.
Kelly followed suit. "The sun feels so good," she said, now lying on her back beside him.
He closed his eyes. "It sure does."
Kelly watched him for a moment. He really did have an amazing body. It especially looked amazing with the sun beating down on it. She resisted the urge to kiss his well-defined chest.
"So, they're giving Rufus a new woman. I can't believe it! I thought for sure they'd fix Rufus and Lily for the movie," Kelly said. She got up just long enough to grab her sunglasses from her bag and put them on. Then, she went back to lying on her back next to Matthew,
Matthew nodded. "Tell me about it!" He grabbed his own sun glasses that were lying on the blanket. He slipped them on. All of this he did without sitting up. "I don't think I want another love interest for Rufus. Besides, Lily deserves so much better than William. She deserves to be with her soulmate."
"Rufus and Lily really are soulmates, aren't they?" Kelly asked, kind of sad now at the thought of their beloved characters not ending up together.
"They really are," Matthew agreed.
They laid in silence for a bit then.
Kelly quietly sighed. Why did she feel like she and Matthew were soulmates too? It was weird. They had never even dated, but Kelly just had a feeling deep down that, if she and Matthew were to date, if they were to give it a real try, they could be amazing. They could be soulmates. But, it wasn't up to her. So, instead, she rolled over to her side that wasn't facing Matthew, close her eyes, and just enjoyed listening to the sounds of the beach while relaxing.
~You Were Meant For Me~
For a good fifteen minutes, Matthew laid on the beach towel beside Kelly, soaking up the sun, and thinking about how sexy she had looked when she shook the water from her hair. Her body was absolutely perfect. She was driving him crazy, and she didn't even know it. And what was up with that little tease in the water, asking him what he wanted to do next?
He rolled to his side and faced Kelly, who had her back turned toward him. He was pretty sure she was asleep. He couldn't sleep. Not when she was lying beside him looking the sexiest he had seen her look since their bedroom scenes in Gossip Girl.
He sighed. He would be lying if he said he had never thought of her as anything more than a friend. He was just so worried about them dating, it ending badly, and then losing the friendship. He knew that bad breakups were something one never really recovered from. Sure he had gone two years without seeing Kelly, but he had known deep down that he could see her any time he wanted, and it would be like nothing had happened between them. If he had dated her and something went bad between them, he knew it wouldn't be easy to get her back, that is, if he could at all. And even then, things would never be the same between them.
Then there was also the fact that a young girl always wanted him. Naama had wanted him at one point, then it was Leyla, and then Maria. Dating someone young had made him feel young and desirable. He felt that, if someone young was happy in a relationship with him, that meant that he was young and youthful. Plus, Kelly was right. He was a little bit of a pervert. He liked having a young chick in his bed. Plus, he was a bit immature at times, so it worked, being with younger women. It worked for a while anyway.
He sighed. But of course he always had that longing for Kelly.
He sat up. He couldn't do this anymore. He could lie there and think dangerous thoughts, so he gently shook Kelly awake. "Kel, let's get going. I'm eager to ride those paddle boats."
Kelly slowly reached up and took her glasses off. "Sheesh, I slept with these on? How on earth did I do that?" She sat up, and rubbed her eyes Then, she tossed her glasses into her bag. She then yawned and stretched. "All right. Let's go."
So, they both stood up and gathered their things, then they headed back to the car. The paddle boat place wasn't far from the beach at all, so they were there and had their paddle boat within fifteen minutes.
Five minutes after that, they had heard their safety instructions, they had put their life vests on, and they were off, paddling their little blue paddle boat further into the water. The sun was still shining, and the water was glistening. It was certainly a beautiful day to paddle boat.
For an hour they paddled, and sometimes they just stayed in the middle of the water, just talking, and enjoying each other's company.
They were just about to head back when they heard a splash, and then someone screaming for help.
"My baby! Please save my baby!" cried an elderly woman. She was with a young man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He was just sitting there beside her in their little red paddle boat, looking helplessly into the water.
Matthew and Kelly both looked towards where he and the elderly lady were looking, and they saw a little pomeranian treading the water, crying out as if he knew he couldn't hold himself up for much longer.
Without thinking, Matthew quickly paddled toward the dog.
Kelly followed suit, and within a minute, they were beside the dog.
Kelly reached down, and pulled the little dog up into their paddle boat, holding him close to her chest.
By now, the other paddle boat had caught up to them, and the elderly lady reached over and took the dog from Kelly. "Thank you so much! Thank you for saving my little Pomegranate!" she cried.
Matthew smirked. "You mean pomeranian?"
The young man shook his head. "No, she named him Pomegranate."
"Oh," Matthew said, trying not to laugh.
"I told you not to bring him with us, Grandmother," the son said to the elderly lady.
"He enjoys the ride!" his grandmother insisted.
"Then why did he jump out?" the grandson asked.
"He wanted to go for a swim. He forgot he doesn't know how to swim that well," the elderly lady said. She took her shirt off, and wrapped the shivering wet dog in it.
"Grandmother! Don't do that!" the grandson complained.
"What? I'm not going to let him freeze. He's all wet! He needs to be dry," the grandmother insisted.
Matthew didn't know about Kelly, but he was trying so hard not to laugh. He didn't dare look at Kelly for fear of bursting out laughing if he did.
The grandson sighed. "We should have just taken the yacht." He then pulled out his wallet from his pants, took out a crisp one-hundred dollar bill, and handed it to Kelly. "This is for you guys for saving my grandmother's dog."
"I appreciate it, but you don't need to pay us a hundred dollars. It was really no trouble at all!" Kelly said.
Matthew nodded. "Yeah, we can't accept that. We're just happy we could help the little guy."
"Take the money. You saved my son!" the grandmother said. "I won't take no for an answer. You must take the money."
Kelly looked confused.
"By son, she means the dog," the grandson said, both sounding and looking embarrassed. He blushed.
Kelly nodded in understanding. "Ah."
"Please, just take it. Trust me, there's plenty more where this came from. We can afford a measly hundred dollar bill. My grandmother won't rest until you take it. Believe me, you're saving us both a lot of time by just accepting it," the grandson insisted.
Kelly reluctantly took the money. "Well, thank you so much. We appreciate it."
Matthew nodded. "It is very generous of you. Thanks so much."
"Thank you for saving my son!" the grandmother said.
"And for saving me a year of my grandmother's sobbing. Actually, I can assure you, it would go on much longer than a year. I sometimes think she loves that dog more than she loves me," the grandson mumbled.
"I sometimes do!" the grandmother said.
Matthew couldn't tell if the grandmother was joking or not. He had a sick feeling she probably wasn't.
"Well, we better get going before Pomegranate tries to escape again. See you," said the grandson.
"Bye!" Matthew and Kelly both said with a wave as they watched the grandson and his grandmother paddle off, Pomegranate in tow.
"I told you, he wasn't escaping; he was swimming!" the grandmother said as she and her grandson paddled off.
Matthew and Kelly looked at each other, then burst out laughing.
"Oh my gosh, that was the most bizarre thing ever!" Kelly said.
"I feel sorry for her grandson!" Matthew said.
Kelly laughed. "I know, right?" She then shook the hundred dollar bill at him. "Well, this will buy us dinner before we leave at least."
"And dessert!" Matthew added, a big grin on his face.
Kelly grinned in return. "But we still have an hour or so before dinner. Why don't we head back and look around the shops first? Then we can eat and head home."
Matthew nodded. "Sounds like a plan!"
As they started paddling back, Matthew couldn't help but feel happy that he and Kelly still had some time together before driving home. He had spent two years away from her, and now that he was reunited with her, he was happier than he'd been in quite some time. And quite frankly, he wasn't keen on ending their time together anytime soon.
~And I Was Meant For You~
For the next hour, they shopped around the area, and enjoyed walking together. Then, they both found a restaurant they liked, and sat down to eat. They were able to eat at an outdoor table, and had a great time talking about their kids, and talking about how they were excited for the movie, and to be working together with everybody again.
After dinner, instead of opting for dessert, they decided to get ice cream cones from an ice cream stand, and walk some more together while they ate. They both had such a good time that Kelly couldn't help but be sad as they finished their ice creams, and got in the car to go home.
However, they didn't listen to the radio this time. Instead, the whole way back, they talked some more. As much as they had talked already during the day, Kelly was worried they'd run out of things to talk about, but they hadn't. In fact, she could talk with him all night if it weren't for her being so exhausted from the long day.
When they arrived at her place, Matthew offered to walk her to her door.
"It's all right. You don't have to. I'll be fine. But thank you," Kelly said. "Not just for the offer to walk me to my door, but for everything. I had so much fun today."
Matthew smiled. "I did too. 'Save my baby!'" he then said, flailing his arms in the air, and doing his best impression of the elderly woman.
They both burst into laughter.
"Seriously though, I had more fun today than I've had in a very long time."
"I did too," Kelly said with a smile as she gently pushed some hair out of Matthew's eyes.
He gently stroked her cheek, and for a moment, they stared into each other's eyes. Then, they slowly leaned in, and before Kelly knew what was happening, or at least before she could register what it meant, their lips touched, and they were kissing. It was a gentle kiss, and it only lasted for about five seconds, but it was a kiss nonetheless. A very good kiss at that.
Matthew pulled back, then looked forward. "Well, I'm getting tired. I guess I better head back before I fall asleep on the road." He grinned at her. "Have a good night! I'll see you on Monday for our first day of filming."
Kelly was a little surprised, but if he wasn't going to reference the kiss, than neither was she. She smiled. "Thanks again for everything."
"Thank you!" he said.
She then got out of the car. "Goodnight," she said.
"Goodnight. Sweet dreams," Matthew replied.
"Sweet dreams," Kelly said. She then shut the door, and headed into her apartment, being aware of the sound of Matthew driving away right before she got in the door to her apartment complex.
She greeted the doorman, then headed up to her apartment. She then unlocked the door, stepped in, then relocked the door. Then, she headed over to her couch, plopped herself down, and sighed. She wasn't going to let the kiss affect her in any way. It meant nothing. Matthew was just being his flirty self, and she had just been caught up in the moment. Matthew hadn't mentioned it, so neither would she. They had had a dun day together as friends, and that was it.
She sighed, then got up off the couch, and headed to her room to get ready for bed. Her mind knew the kiss had meant nothing. Now, if only her heart would get the memo, she's be all set. Sadly, she wasn't holding her breath.