Chapter 10 Family Matters

"You're so beautiful..." he whispers in her ear as they kiss sensually. Their naked bodies rocked and swayed passionately. He was so deep within her that they felt they were one. They gasped as they reached their climax together.

Just a few moments later, Betty asks, "Are you OK, Matt?" slightly breathless, still worried for him.

"I'm so happy, Betty." he says catching his breath as he rolls over on his back. "Making love to you after so long has been my dream. You just don't know how happy you make me."

Betty smiles and says, "I'm very happy, too."

Matt pauses and looks at the clock on her bedside table. It says 10 am. "I called my parents early this morning before we left the hospital." he says.

"How is it that it was not quite 24 hours but they went ahead and discharged you?" Betty asked teasingly coy.

"While you were still asleep I went over to the Nurses' station and I told them that I was fine. No headache, no dizziness, no nausea, moving all my fingers and toes. I did a little dance with all my extremities then I went down on my knee and begged them to discharge me as soon as possible. The staff all laughed and teased me. I reassured them I had someone with me the next 24 hours to watch me.

"'Is it Betty?' one of the nurses' asked."

"I said, 'Betty who?'" They all laughed some more. The head nurse then said, OK and called my doctor to come and discharge me." Matt explains.

"So you charmed them, huh? Betty paused and tilted her head, eyed Matt then she smiles and tells him, "Yes, you are a charming man, Matthew Hartley."

"Betty, I hope you don't think of me too forward because I'm inviting myself to stay here in your apartment later tonight." he says smiling.

"What if I can't do it. I need my beauty sleep, you know. I have so much to do at work tomorrow. I really can't see my self going to work with out sleep." she rambles, teasing Matt. He makes a silly pout then with one fist pretends to rub his eye like he was crying.

"OK,OK! I'll watch you for another 24 hours, you handsome man! You've convinced me." she laughs. They both laugh and hug each other.

"Remember, we're meeting my parents at 1 pm at the Wolseley for lunch." Matt reminds her. That's where I was going to take you yesterday, you know." he continues. Betty crinkles her nose and Matt knew exactly what that meant. " I know it's with my parents... but tonight, I'll take you out to dinner just the two of us, OK?" Surprised, Betty's eyes grew wide and she nods in agreement. "The Wolseley isn't far from here. So, I told Gijs to be here at 1230 to take us to the restaurant." he informs her.

"Oh, I'd better get ready." Betty starts to say as she tries to get out from Matt's embrace and from under the sheets and comforter.

Matt pulls her back to bed, rolls on top of her, looks into her eyes and smiles. Betty was lost in his eyes AGAIN. She just loves it when he smiles at her. Matt was saying something but she didn't quite hear what he said. She was thinking, 'this twinkle in his eyes whenever he smiles and looks at me, just gets me. I just love it.'

Matt was whispering, "Betty, we still have lots of time to get ready and time for more..." his voice trails off as he kisses her eyes then he kisses her with his tongue invading her mouth. Betty's giggles escape from her lips. She wraps her arms and legs around him. He is so aroused that he then slips himself between her legs...

Betty woke up from her nap. She was quite surprised that she slept for two full hours. Her watch said it was 5 pm. Earlier after her lunch date with the Hartley's and before her nap today she had called and updated Papi, Hilda even Bobby on how Matt was doing and told them that she had lunch with him and his family.

"Hey, Betty what does that mean, huh? Meeting and having lunch with the family!" Hilda teased her sister.

"It's nothing, Hilda. We just had lunch, OK?" Betty says a bit annoyed but at the same time happy that her family knows that she and Matt are back together.

"Is Matt OK, then?" Papi had asked. Ever since she had notified them that Matt had been missing then later in the hospital, she had been on the phone with them every two to three hours. "Call me, OK Mija? You know we are here for you. Just a phone call away." he had said.

She also called Christina. Remembering her conversation with her best friend, Betty had told her, "Well, this weekend was quite strange, dramatic and awkward all around. First of all, suddenly, like out of the blue I meet up with Matt on Friday, he goes missing yesterday, he is assaulted, suffers a head injury and is confined in the hospital over night then today, I have lunch with his parents who I hadn't seen in a while.

"Betty, that is quite a dramatic weekend, I do agree." Christina says getting all excited that this lunch date with his parents, is the next step for Betty to have a full on relationship with Matt so she asks, "How was lunch with his parents?"

"While Mr. Hartley and I were working at Mode magazine, he had always been cordial with me but... Mrs. Hartley? I don't know. In the past, at her request I've helped her with her issues with her son. That doesn't mean she'll like me, does it? But the oddest thing is that she was very warm and welcoming to me. Having lunch with Cal and Victoria was not awkward at all, oddly enough. Did I miss her haughtiness or her sarcastic, snobbish undertones?' she asks.

"Oh Betty, maybe she is seeing you in a new light. You are now an editor in chief of a prestigious magazine and Dunn Publishing is not your fly by night company, you know. Maybe you should give her a chance." Christina advises her.

"Maybe you're right." Betty had said agreeing with Christina.

To Betty's surprise, after lunch, Victoria had invited her to walk around the restaurant then the lobby giving the excuse that she "just ate too much and we must walk this off." Matt and Cal stayed behind having more tea. Betty looks at Matt hoping he would rescue her. She makes a face saying something like 'Help me here. I really don't want to be alone with your mother!' But Matt smiles at her and his face just told her, 'Betty, you'll be fine.'

After a few minutes of awkwardness with Victoria asking her anything from, if she plays tennis, to how's her new job, to her opinion on the architectural details of the restaurant, Betty realized Victoria was trying hard to be nice towards her.

"Doesn't the marble floors, grand pillars, archways and staircases make this place an impressive interior? I understand that this building was originally designed in 1921 as a prestigious car showroom, isn't that incredible? she asks Betty.

"Yes, this place is quite impressive." Betty responds. "Oh, before I forget I want to thank you and Mr. Hartley for inviting me to lunch here. This is just quite beautiful!" she tells Victoria.

"Oh, don't mention it, Betty. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." she says.

A few minutes later Matt and Cal joined them. They all walk outside where Gijs was waiting for them, to take them back to the hotel.

Shockingly, all three Hartley's took Betty home first before going back to the Savoy. When they get to her apartment, they all got out of the limo. She hugged Cal goodbye. Betty extended her hand to shake Mrs. Hartley's but Victoria leaned forward to hug her instead. Matt had told Betty that he'd call and pick her up at about 7 tonight. "I know you need to take a nap before tonight," he whispers as he winks at her teasingly.

"Where are we going for dinner?" Betty asks.

"It's a surprise." He tells her smiling. He then shocks Betty by kissing her sweetly on her mouth in front of his parents. She turns red. Both Cal and Victoria smile and say "see you later," as they got back into the car to wait for Matt. They acted like they didn't see anything.

Unbeknownst to Betty when Matt phoned his parents from the hospital this morning, he warned them to be on their best behavior when they had lunch today. He is aware of how his parents can be when they're together. They argue and sometimes have embarrassing scenes.

"I'm totally civil with your father, Matthew. Even if we do have a little fight it's just Betty." his mother rationalizes as Matt rolls his eyes when he hears this.

"It is why I'm telling you this. It's because Betty will be there." Matt tells them on speaker phone.

"Oh, can you tell Betty that something came up and that we would like to talk to you privately. You know you can tell her something like we need to discuss your trust fund finances and such..."

"We can talk about those things with Betty there." Matt tells them.

"No, dear. We can not do that." his mother states.

"These matters are private and only discussed with our lawyers and family. You know that, son." Cal interjects.

"Betty will understand, Matthew. She's intelligent enough to know these things. She did go to college. Where was it, Queens College? Victoria asks mockingly."

"Stop it!" Matt says sternly. "Be careful, mother. Betty IS the ONE I will marry! She will be the mother of your grandchildren."

Shocked, Victoria was quiet. Moments later she says, "I'm sorry, Matthew."

"Remember... best behavior." Matt reminds them.