Thank you so much for the kind reviews and feedback! Here's a little teaser to tide you over until I write about the bathtub scene. :) Comments and suggestions are welcome.
"Eight ball, corner pocket." With a crack of the pool ball, Matthew chuckles to himself. "I've always wanted to say that." Matthew walked around the perimeter of the pool table, taking billiard balls out of each pocket and putting them in the middle of the table, getting ready to rack them up for a third time. He took a swig from his beer bottle, and perched it back on the bar.
It was the evening before shooting season five, episode two. Matt had invited Matthew and David over to have a beer and watch the game, but Matthew declined. He wanted to be alone tonight so he could sort out his thoughts and get a grip on himself. After episode one had wrapped, Matthew's worst nightmare had come true- he was falling harder for Courteney than ever before. After their passionate kiss as Chandler and Monica, Matthew couldn't help but steal glances of Courteney throughout the rest of the taping. Something about her made her glow even more beautifully than ever before. The feeling of her lips on his had left Matthew desperate for more. After the filming had wrapped and the cast came out to take their bows for the crowd, Courteney had grabbed Matthew's hand to bow like she had a hundred times before. This time though, Matthew's heart skipped a bit and he was desperately hoping that she couldn't feel his pulse beating quickly as his emotion for her raced through his body. The night, and for several days after, Matthew replayed the scene of them kissing in his head. He tortured himself with remembering her intoxicating smell, the way she grabbed at the back of his neck, the way it felt to have her body pressed against his. Every time he replayed the moment, the same thoughts swirled in his head- did Courteney feel something? Anything? It was undeniable that they had chemistry together. How much of it was acting and how much of it was... something more?
Back in his living room, Matthew shook his head to get the imagine of holding Courteney's hand out of his head. "Get a grip, Perry", he said to himself as he racked up the billiard balls. As he picked up his pool cue, his cell phone rang. He set the pool cue against the table and reached past his beer to pick up his phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Matty!" It's me." Matthew felt his heart race again when he heard the voice on the other line.
"Hey! Ahem- hey, Court. What's up?" Matthew tried to sound casual as he leaned against the bar, hoping that his casual stance would translate to his voice.
"Not much. Just going over lines for tomorrow. I still can't believe we have to do a bathtub scene! Don't you think that'll be awkward with the whole crew staring at us?" Courteney asked.
"Oh, not at all. In fact, I was thinking I'd bring a few things for the tub to make it more fun. I have a GI Joe collection that has a wind up guy that swims under water. But you'll have to watch out, because I am not responsible for his trajectory once he's in the tub."
"Matty!" Courteney laughed which made Matthew smile. "I guess it won't be that weird. I mean, we won't actually be naked."
Just the sound of Courteney saying those words created quite a picture in Matthew's head, and he shifted his body as he suddenly was starting to feel a little warm.
"Well, we should both probably get some rest. We don't want to look tired in the tub. The makeup crew can only make us look so good when we're soaking wet," Matthew said into the phone.
Courteney laughed again. "You're probably right. See you in the morning. Night Matty."
"Night, Court," Matthew said softly into the phone. He hung up, put his phone back on the bar and picked up his beer. Walking over to his couch, he sat down and leaned back. Closing his eyes tight, Matthew whispered to himself, "Remember... it's just acting." He chuckled wryly and took a final swig of beer before calling it a night. "Keep telling yourself that, Matty."