Over the weekend, Kelly calls Matt and invites him to coffee some morning. This is part of Kelly’s plan to get Matt and Amber together. Matt figures she wants to talk to him about Amber. He does not even consider Kelly might be interested in him or might want to date him. He checks his fire department schedule, and they set a coffee date for Tuesday morning, the following week.
At their coffee date, they do talk about Amber. However, Kelly also chats about things in general and acts as if the moving in with him problem is a minor issue. It is a comfortable time, even though Matt is not sure why Kelly wanted the time with him. After they finish the one cup of coffee, she hugs Matt, and they each leave.
That evening, when Amber and Kelly have one of their glass-of-wine chatting times, Kelly mentions the date with Matt. Kelly does not elaborate at all on her time with him, leaving Amber wondering how it went…just as Kelly planned. Amber is very curious but does not ask any questions.
Amber tells herself she is fine with this, but she is not, she is feeling a little jealous. She is torn between her yearning for Matt, and her affection for both of them. She wants them to both be happy. Kelly is so attractive and such a charming person, Amber cannot expect Matt not to be interested in her.
Amber knows her relationship with Matt is slipping away.
***
Amber has been spending more time at work in an effort to keep Matt out of her brain. She has not seen him in almost a week, but she has talked to him on the phone. It is only a week, Amber thinks, but it seems like a lot longer. Matt has worked a shift of overtime occasionally. There have been times in the past when they have not seen each other this long. Still it is different now, and Amber misses him.
Over the weekend, Amber did not see Matt. He did tell her he was going sport fishing out of San Francisco with his buddies. She does not really think he is avoiding her, but just the same, she wishes it were different.
On Tuesday, on the way to a real estate appointment, she intentionally drives by the miniature golf course, where they had their first date…even though it is six blocks out of the way. After her appointment, she finds the ice cream shop he took her to that night. She was planning to have lunch there, but she could not. She only drives by and heads back to the office.
This is nuts, she thinks in her brain while she is driving. She tells herself, I’m going to have to move in with him or go crazy. I wish he were a plumber.
***
It has been almost two weeks since Amber and Matt have had a date. Finally, he invites her over to his place for dinner. He has gotten Chinese takeout. They eat it on the coffee table in front of the fireplace. It is not gourmet, but his company makes it pleasant.
Afterwards, he leads her to his bed, where they have sex. It is not wild sex, but rather soft and gentle sex. Amber loves the feel of him in her again. While he is fucking her, she wonders if he has fucked Kelly yet. She tries to tell herself she is Ok with it, but she is not really.
Afterwards, they lie in each other’s arms and talk a little. It is warm and cozy in his embrace.
“Matt, my Grandfather’s death is still an issue for me. I’m so afraid of being hurt, like my grandma was.”
Matt tries to assure her of the safety progress that has been made, and the training fire fighters receive. “There are no guarantees. The service fire fighters provide is worth the limited risk. I understand the empty feeling of losing someone; I have that feeling right now about you.”
They get dressed and Matt gets them their fortune cookies for dessert. Matt’s fortune says, Good things happen to he who waits. Amber’s fortune says, He that waits too long, sometimes misses the boat.