At that time of the evening it took Lily almost an hour to get to Charlestown on the 'T." She went into the precinct and went straight to reception. This police station was smaller than Matt's previous one and she hoped that the desk sergeant would know where Matt might be.
"The new guy, right? From the 2-9?" The grizzled older cop on duty chewed his toothpick for a moment in thought. "Yeah, I just saw him leave about a half an hour ago. He was with some guy—hold on—yeah, here it is," he checked his visitor's book, "a Carson Seely. I heard one of 'em talking about getting a drink, so you might try O'Shaunnessy's around the corner."
Lily thanked him and headed straight for the pub. She hesitated by the door for a moment. This wasn't the best place to talk to Matt and apparently he had his father or a brother with him. Still, Lily wanted to see Matt, to let him know she'd do whatever was necessary to get his job back. To apologize for Garret and then maybe even ask him out.
Three guys came out of the pub just then and bumped into Lily, bringing her back to the present. One of them held the door for her, and thanking him, she entered the dark bar. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust but as soon as they did she scanned the bar area for Matt. The place was packed and she thought that maybe they hadn't come here after all, when she spotted Matt sitting with an older man who looked enough like him to be either Matt's father or perhaps an uncle. Lily slowly made her way through the crowded bar area and stopped just short of their booth. She realized she had seen Matt's reflection in a pub mirror and she was actually facing his father. Before she could gather her nerve to interrupt, Carson Seely spoke.
"It was bad enough when you turned your back on the business to become a cop, but at least I could tell people you were a homicide detective. Now you've been demoted to catching namby-pamby burglars?"
Lily saw Matt's shoulders tense but he answered calmly enough. "I've told you, it isn't a demotion. I'm just waiting for a spot in homicide. Don't worry; I'll try not to ruin your standing at the country club."
Carson Seely snorted derisively. "As if you could. The Seely name means something there. You've been away so long that many people have forgotten I have a son, and with your life as it is, I'm not about to remind them."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I mean, you never know who I might show up with." Matt voice was bitter. "Is that why you bought all my friends at prep school? You couldn't trust me to pick the right ones?" Lily gasped silently. His dad had bought, actually bought Matt's friends in school? Why would he do that? Carson Seely was speaking now and Lily tuned into the conversation again.
"Connections are forged at prep school. Connections that can serve one well, if judiciously cultivated. You always seemed to gravitate to those scholarship kids, the ones that could barely afford the uniform, much less the extracurricular activities necessary for creating those connections."
"I've heard this all before. How I was a disappointment to you pretty much from day one. I don't drink the right brands of liquor, I don't have the right job, the right girl, yadda, yadda, yadda. And if this meeting is for the purpose of telling me all this again, it's been a waste. I'm outta here." Matt drained the last of his beer and stood up so quickly that he bumped into Lily who had no time to move.
"Lily!" Matt voice spiraled upwards in surprise and then he flushed red. Lily could feel the embarrassment rolling off both of them. Matt opened his mouth and then closed it again. "I—I—you. . . oh, hell! It wasn't like you liked me anyway." He pushed past Lily who took one step after him, but turned suddenly and thrust her face into Carson Seely's so suddenly that he spilled his 25-year-old single malt.
"I just have one thing to say to you, Mr. Seely. You are one of the worst excuses for a parent I have ever had the misfortune to meet. Matt is a terrific cop and having seen you, I can understand how he comes across as arrogant, condescending, and vain." Lily didn't bother to hide her contempt for the man before her. Her lip twisted in the faintest of sneers. "Your son is worth ten of you. Why don't you tell the country club that next time?"
Lily wanted to stay and give him hell but she had to catch Matt before he disappeared. She pushed past the crowds surrounding the bar and flew out the door, muttering apologies to all and sundry. Again, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust and she looked quickly up and down the street. She caught her breath when she saw Matt a block ahead, heading for the T stop. Hurrying, she followed him, waiting until she was just a few feet from him before she called out.
Matt turned at the sound of her voice. In the shadow of the street lamp Lily saw his face was grim. She quickly decided to ignore the entire bar scene and instead launched into the speech she had been rehearsing since Jordan had figured out what the flowers meant.
"Matt, I wanted to thank you for the flowers. It was a sweet gesture and I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated them." Lily had decided against telling him she understood the message behind the choice of the flowers—at least for the time being. Matt was just staring at her so she hurried on. "I went to the precinct to thank you and found out you were transferred here . . ." Lily trailed off as she remembered Garret's part in that transfer. She bit her lip worriedly but before she could continue Matt spoke.
"Look, let's just lay all our cards on the table here. I have a pretty good idea who was behind my transfer. It wasn't your fault. Hell, I don't even blame Macy. He was right about me and I might do the same thing if I was in his position."
Lily gaped at Matt. "How can you say that?" She laid her hand on the sleeve of his wool overcoat. "Garret was completely out of line. How can you say he was right in doing what he did?"
Matt shrugged. "I said he was right about me." He paused and Lily had the impression he was struggling with himself. He sighed and blew on his hands. "Listen, it's cold out. I have my car here. Do you want a ride back?"
Lily looked at him for a moment before agreeing. He clearly didn't want to talk about what happened but Lily wasn't finished yet. A ride back to her apartment might however, provide an opportunity for a more private—and warmer—conversation.
As they crossed the Charlestown Bridge Matt spoke again, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "How did you know the flowers were from me?"
Lily didn't want to tell him about Jordan's discovery just yet so she prevaricated. "I recognized your handwriting. The sentiment was lovely." Even in the dark car interior Lily could see a flush start up the back of Matt's neck. She pressed the subject a little farther. "The flower choices were a bit unusual, though?" Matt's blush deepened.
"Yeah, well, sorry about that." Lily heard the embarrassment in Matt's voice and desperately wanted to confess everything, but first she had to get him up to her apartment.
"Take a right at the next corner and it's three brownstones up on the right. You can park in the alley there." Lily waited for Matt to pull into the narrow alley before she tentatively asked him to come up for coffee but wasn't surprised when he refused quickly.
Silence filled the car again, until Lily couldn't stand it another second. The words rushed out of her in a one-breath sentence.
"I-know-what-the-flowers-mean Matt."
He turned his head sharply but his 'Come again?' was just the right mix of confusion and innocence.
"The flowers you sent. I know what the azaleas stand for. I know what the roses mean. The yellow tuli—"
"Yeah, okay." Matt stopped her with a resigned hand motion. Before he could say anything else, Lily had taken his hand in hers, clasping it between both of her warmer ones.
"Why didn't you sign the card Matt? Why did you send me the flowers—those flowers?"
"I didn't sign the card because I didn't want you to think I was harassing you while you were dealing with so much junk—stuff—shit, this is what I was talking about. I can't say anything right when I around you. Your mother's services. I didn't want to bother you while you were dealing with your mom's funeral."
"But why good-bye? Cyclamen means good-bye. Did you already know about the transfer?"
"No, but it's better this way." Matt reluctantly pulled his hand away and put it back on the steering wheel. "Look, Lily. I'll admit that when I first met you I was pretty much bowled over by you, but you've made it clear over the past year that I have less than a snowball's chance in Hell to score a date with you so this transfer came at just about the right time."
Lily scooted over even closer and took those gentle warm hands and cupped Matt's face. "Hell Michigan freezes over every year," she murmured as she kissed him.
Matt stayed frozen in place as Lily withdrew a few inches. He sighed raggedly and gently covered her hands with his, squeezing them slightly as he removed them from his face and put them back in her lap.
"Sweet kisses," he whispered, his voice soft and full of regret. He pulled his head out of reach as Lily leaned in again. "No, please. Don't make this harder, Lily."
"Why does it have to be hard Matt?" she asked softly.
"Come on Lily. You and me? The altruist and the insensitive jerk? And then there's Macy, Bug and even Nigel. I can't compete with brilliant and compassionate—"
"There's no competition. I have no idea what you're talking about but I don't want any of them. I want you Matt Seely, just as you are."
Matt looked stunned. In the dim light from a window above them he could see Lily's smile, sweet and sure and in a daze he bent his head and captured her lips, allowing himself to hope that what he saw in her eyes was real and true and meant for him. That all his stupid remarks didn't mean anything to her. That hearing what his father thought of him didn't matter. That maybe there was something to Matt Seely that someone could like without being paid to do so. That maybe that someone was Lily Lebowski.
And in that dark car in that dark alley, Matt Seely finally got his chance.