Bridesmaid's Blues

Encounters of the romantic kind

As they left the café, Kirsty was still in a bit of a daze.

Discovering that Matt was not gay, and also that he was attracted to her, all in the space of thirty minutes, was a bit much for her to take in, and she was still trying to get her head around it.

Things like this didn't happen to her, it was against all the odds, especially when she thought of her past relationships including the latest one. Which was why she was sure she was in some sort of a dream and would wake up any moment if she pinched herself hard enough.

But hopefully not before she could get a ride on Matt's motorbike

"Where are we going?" she then queried as he handed her the extra helmet he kept stored on the back of his bike

"Somewhere a bit more private and cosy where we can talk in a nice setting," Matt replied

Kirsty stared at him and found herself grinning, "You and your nice settings, isn't that all part of your 'gay' façade? You don't have to behave like that around me any more, remember?" she pointed out.

Matt chuckled, "I am not acting, " he informed her, "Actually I think that settings are very important, in my job and in my real life. Setting the mood and the tone, it can make all the difference to creating the atmosphere,"

"Oh yeah, and what atmosphere are you intending to create now?" Kirsty asked with interest

"A romantic one of course," he smiled that little lopsided smile, that made her want to grab him and kiss him there and then. But with great effort, she resisted the urge, and instead laughed a little shaking her head.

"What?" Matt asked wondering why she was laughing

"It's just you.. it's all a little strange, I can't believe you are for real, I mean I could understand you into all this stuff when I thought you were gay, but to discover you really believe in it,"

Matt looked slightly put out , "So you think a straight guy can't be romantic and sensitive, and caring, and open about his feelings?" he demanded

"Well none that I know of," Kirsty replied in defence

"But now you know me, kind of," Matt said pointedly. He took a step closer to her so that there were only a few inches between them, "I am just hoping you want to get to know me a lot better," he added with a small smile, his blue eye's studying her face for her reaction

"Oh yes," Kirsty replied, her voice suddenly seeming breathless, but his nearness was doing crazy things to her insides, "I think I would like that a lot actually."

"Good," he said happily, "So get your helmet on, and we will get going,"

Kirsty found herself only too readily obeying

"So this is your romantic setting?" Kirsty queried as she removed her helmet, still sitting behind Matt on his motorbike which he had brought to a halt beside the paved walkway of the town's harbour area

It had been recently revamped with a new bridge, and fancy apartment buildings springing up next to it. They called it regeneration.

The walkway was fairly new also, stretching for about half a mile, lit up with round orange lamps that led onto the bridge which stretched across the other side where the main harbour and boats where situated.

There were several benches along the walkway with it's gold and blue railings on one side and a thick concrete wall , about four foot in height that protected the walkway from the sea below.

Through the daytime there were tourists and shoppers and people going about their business, but later in the evenings it was pretty deserted, just as it was now. In the darkening skyline you could just make out boats and buildings by the flickering lights in the distance