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He shakes his head. “Never. Unless you count our early breakfasts as dates.”
Can we count it as anything? The time we spent together was… what was it? I’m not brave enough to define it, but I must confess, I miss it.
I miss him.
“That’s unexpected. Even I’ve had dates. Not even a high school girlfriend?”
“No, I was homeschooled.”
He pulls in front of Silver Moon and kills the engine. “I’ve never taken anyone out but you. Maybe one day I will, maybe it’ll be her. I don’t know. Today is not the day, though. We’re heading out to the trails. All of us—as friends.” He pauses and looks at me intently. “Can you do me a favor? Please, don’t overthink what we’re doing.”
I give him a tight smile. How is it possible that in such a short time, he knows what I think? No one knows me as well as he does. There’s something about him—a strong desire to care for everyone and believe that everything is possible.
Matt clears his throat, crossing his arms.
“Just a hike, I get it.” Then I tap my head. “Not allowed to think, only walk. Happy?”
“So, you own several bars?” Thea questions before taking a bite of her hamburger. I nod. “But why move from the East Coast to California?”
We walked for a couple hours. Our conversation flowed easily for as long as we hiked. We covered a lot of ground. Thea is great at asking questions. Neither Matt, nor I, missed any of the ones she asked, and there were many. Of course, I told her about myself. That I’m from Greenwich, Connecticut, went to Yale, and how I dropped out and moved to California to make a name for myself.
“At the time, it sounded like the best place to start fresh.” I pause, drinking my shake and hoping the inquisition stops. I don’t want to lie, but I can’t tell her it seemed like the best place to avoid my family and my past.
Before anyone else can speak, a young woman approaches us.
“Excuse me,” she stutters, looking at Matt. “Aren’t you MJ Decker?”
Matt rubs his face, straightens his posture, and smiles at her. “I am.”
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.” She fans her hands toward her face, her eyes light up, and she bounces a few times before speaking. “Could I get your autograph? A picture with you? I can post on social media and be like so famous.”
“Sure. I’m cool with the autograph, sweetheart, but the pictures and tweets not so much.” He takes the pen that Thea supplies from her purse. He signs a napkin and hands it over to her. “What’s your address? I can have my people send you over a signed T-shirt if you relax and forget where you saw me. Can you do that for me?”
“But I want a picture with you,” the woman insists.
Thea fetches my phone. “What’s your name?”
“Sienna,” the girl responds.
“Sienna, do me a favor and snuggle closer to MJ,” Thea instructs. Sienna obediently leans closer to Matt, hugging him like a puppy she wants to cherish forever. “Now smile.”
She taps the phone a couple of times. “Write down your address, and we’ll print this and have his publicist send over the signed pic.”
“Will you really?” Sienna asks, writing down her address. “I promise not to mention that you’re here. Just don’t forget to send me the shirt and the pictures.”
The woman leaves, and Matt is the first to speak, “Didn’t I say these are the best hamburgers you’ve ever eaten in all of Seattle?”
“So, where are the best hamburgers that you’ve ever eaten in the entire world?” Thea takes another fry, dips it in her vanilla shake, and eats it.
“Still searching for that one, Butterfly,” he says, eating the last bite of his second hamburger. “It’s all about the hamburger, shake, and fry combo. The three have to complement each other.” Thea feeds him a fry dipped in the shake, and he grins at her. “See, best combo ever.”
We laugh at his comment and go back to the easy conversation we were having before a fan interrupted us. After lunch, I suggest walking instead of taking the Jeep, as we’re only a few blocks away from Thea’s place. I’m not ready to end this… whatever we call it. Not yet. They both agree. We laugh, chat, and enjoy the company the entire time until we reach the building.
“Thank you, it was great. It’s been too long since I’ve had so much fun.” She fidgets with her keys, her head lifts, and her eyes look from Matt to me. “See you later tonight?”
“Yes,” we both respond. I lean down and kiss her cheek, and Matt does the same. It takes some strength to pull back and not wrap my arms around her.
How is this possible so quickly? Does Matt feel the same?
