Getting Over Matt

29 - "Sorry I'm late."

"Hey. Sorry I'm late." 

Upon hearing that familiar, goose bump inducing voice, I dropped the menu in shock. Rather than seeing Jess sit down opposite me, Nathan sat down. He casually picked up the menu and began to browse it, as though his being here wasn't anything out of the ordinary.  

"I'm feeling chicken fried rice...what are you having?" he asked, his eyes darting up and down the menu pages.  

My heart skittered as words escaped my brain. All I could do was stare at him, as though he might disappear any second. After over two weeks without him, he was here, in this restaurant, sat opposite me, with his messy blonde hair, broad shoulders, chiselled jaw... Everything about him was familiar, yet it felt strange to have him so near me again, especially so unexpectedly. 

For the first time, he looked up and met my eyes.  

"What's up? You look like you've seen a ghost." 

I found my voice. "I may as well have! You're supposed to be in Italy!" 

At that, Nathan smiled, finally dropping the casual façade. "Nice surprise?" 

"Why didn't you tell me?" I rubbed at my chest, trying to calm my racing heart. It still hadn't sunk in. 

He frowned slightly, tilting his head to the side as he regarded me with amusement. "Doesn't that defeat the point of a surprise?" 

"So did you plan it with Jess?" 

"Only to a certain extent," he replied with a small smile. "When she first arranged to have this meal with you, she didn't know I was coming back early. When I let her know, she suggested doing this." 

Would it be inappropriate to get up and kiss him in front of all these people? I itched to get out of my chair and wrap my arms around his body, to feel his hands on my hips, my waist, my hair. 

"Are you happy to see me?" he asked.

"I'd be happier if we weren't in the middle of a restaurant. I'm having to restrain myself." 

"I'll look forward to that later." He winked, before turning his eyes back to his menu. "What are you ordering?" 

He slipped back into that casual way of talking, as if we'd actually arranged to be here having a meal together.

"Oh, um, sweet and sour chicken." 

"Nice choice. What do you think...chicken fried rice or chow mein?" 

"Chow mein," I said decisively.  

He snapped his menu shut. "All right then." He placed the booklet neatly down in front of him on the table. "So, how's your holiday been?" 

"It's been okay. Relatively quiet... I've seen Jess a few times. It seems weird without Kat, though." 

Nathan's lips curved into a sympathetic smile but he knew better than to press the topic. "Did it snow here?" he asked instead.  

"Not a flake." I pouted sadly. "Did you enjoy the time with your family?" 

"Yeah," he answered, pouring himself some water. "It was good. I think they're going to come over here next time, though, so you'll get to meet them." 

I smiled at that. "That'd be really good." 

He smiled back and we shared a tender moment during which he reached across the table and took my hand, running his thumb tenderly across my knuckles.  

"It's so good to be close to you again," he told me quietly. "I missed you so much." 

I was about to reply when the waiter showed up, interrupting our moment. We ordered our food but the intimate moment had disappeared and we were soon back to talking about normal stuff, like school, homework and Italy.  

"Remember when we had that conversation about Rome over lunch? I said I'd had enough of living in a city?" he asked me.  

"Yeah, I remember." 

"Well, I guess the novelty is back." 

I grinned. "Did you love it again?" 

"I've always loved Rome, but after living there for a year, then moving away, and then coming back to it... It's almost more impressive than I remembered." 

"I can't imagine ever getting used to Rome," I admitted. "How can you get used to seeing the Coliseum every day?" 

"You can't. It's impossible. It's not exactly your average building." 

Despite my initial shock, once Nathan and I were back into the swing of conversation it felt like we hadn't been away from each other. Everything fell back into place effortlessly and comfortably; it was natural and easy.  

"So, after this, do you want to come back to mine for a bit?" he suggested as our plates were being taken away.  

He said it casually enough, but tension simmered in the air. Every time we'd laughed together during the meal, knocked feet beneath the table, or brushed hands when passing food and drink back and forth, a spark of electricity had flickered in the short gap between us. 

"Sure," I replied, my stomach already fluttering with excitement at the thought of being alone with Nathan after so much time apart. Would tonight be the night..?  

Nathan insisted on paying the bill and then drove us both back to his house. The roads were quiet, allowing for a relatively straightforward and quick drive. That was definitely in our favour... 

"Will you need to phone your mum?" He unlocked the front door and held it open for me to walk through first. 

"No. She'll just assume I'm with Jess." 

"Cool." 

"I half expected her to be in on this little plot, though," I said.

"No," he laughed. "It was just Jess and me, I promise you." 

He shut the door after us and I leant back against the wall, watching him twist the lock.

"I haven't said thank you," I said. "It was a lovely surprise, Nathan. Thank you." 

He closed the short distance between us and wrapped an arm around my waist, drawing me against his body. Warmth rushed through me as I looped my hands around his neck, my fingers tousling his wavy hair.  

"I'm glad you liked it." 

Then he kissed me, pressing me gently up against the wall; I let myself get lost in that kiss, savouring the feel of Nathan after nearly three weeks without him.

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Thank you for reading :)xx