Best Friend's Brother - Chapter Three

         We decided to meet back at my house so Matt could drop off his car and I could drop off the manuscript.  He wasn't too happy about taking my car but I’d feel much more comfortable driving around the Mercedes than the clunker he drove.
         I pulled into the driveway before Matt since he didn't know exactly where he was going this being the first time at my house.  I made it to the front door before he got out of his car and took a look at the place I called home.
         “You live here alone?”
         I nodded and unlocked the door.  “The bright side of being the favourite grandchild of rich people.  They left me a good chunk of change with which I could happily retire.  Instead, I bought a house.”
         He shook his head and followed me inside.  “Can I cancel the hotel reservation and just crash here?”
         I paused in the hallway, manuscript hovering an inch above the table beside the door.  I didn't know how good of an idea it would be for Matt to spend the night here.  Whitney would expect to pick him up from his hotel in the morning, not her best friend’s house.
         He laughed.  “I was joking, Claire.  I don’t expect you to let me stay here for the night.”
         I hugged the manuscript to my chest and smiled at him.  “You know what, let’s make a compromise.  You can stay in one of the guest rooms as long as I can finish going through this thing before we go out.”
         He looked at the heavy book in my arms and sighed.  “I don’t know, that thing’s pretty thick.”
         “Give me two hours.  I’ll even treat you to a very delicious dinner as compensation.”
         He smiled.  “Do I get to choose the room?”
         I laughed.  “As long as you don’t try to steal mine.”
         He kicked off his shoes and then walked to the stairs.  “Deal.  Come find me in two hours and we’ll go.”

         At exactly six oh five, an hour and fifty seven minutes since making the deal with Matt, I finished going through the manuscript.  The good thing about Sydney is that he used simple words and a large font.  If he was a new writer Alyssa, the editor that handled the newbies, would have sent it back without reading it since it didn't conform to the kind of manuscripts we dealt with.  Since he’s been writing for Dynamic Publishing for the last fifty years he could write his manuscripts any way he wanted and I’d have to figure out what it is he’d written.
         I found Matt in the second smallest guest bedroom with his things throw across the bed.  He was standing at the window looking out at the country club and the people heading towards the restaurant.
         “Like the view?”
         He turned and saw me standing in the doorway.  “Your house is huge.  I dropped my stuff off in the first bedroom I found but I feel like I could have made a better choice.”
         I laughed and walked over to join him by the window.  “You could have.  There are some very nice rooms on the fourth floor that you missed but they’re all decent enough.”
         He shook his head and looked at the clothes spread out on his bed.  “Please tell me you didn't mean we’d be eating there when you said you’d be buying me an expensive meal.”
         I smiled.  “Why?  Afraid you don’t have the proper outfit?”
         He snorted and held up a pair of jeans.  “I don’t think they’d let me in there wearing these.”
         I laughed.  “You can wear whatever you want and they’ll have to deal with it.  You can wear the jeans or we can make a quick stop at a store to get you something nicer.”
         “Yeah, like I can afford nicer on a student’s salary.”
         I placed my hand on his arm.  “Take it as a gift for making you wait so long for food.”

         It took a lot more convincing but I finally got him to the store to buy nice clothes.  I didn't let him see the price or else he would have freaked.
         Twenty minutes later we were at the entrance of the country club, him wearing a nice suit and me in a dress.  Not something I’d wear voluntarily but I did promise him a nice dinner.
         Brock, the security guard at the main entrance of the club, smiled as I walked up.  “Good evening, Miss Rayne.  You look fabulous tonight.”
         I laughed.  “Brock, you’re just saying that because it’s your job to.”
         His smile turned wolfish.  “Think what you want but I’ll always know differently.”
         Matt placed his hand on my lower back and led me forward.  “Come on, Claire.”
         I glanced up at him and the waved at Brock.  “I guess I’ll see you on the way out.”
         “Count on it,” he called as we went inside.
         I sighed and looked up at Matt.  “Is there a reason you were rude back there or are you like that to all people who are nice?”
         He shook his head but allowed his hand to drop.  “Claire, you can be so naïve it’s unbelievable.  How old is that guy, thirty-five?  Forty?”
         I shrugged.  “I think he’s thirty-two.  Why?”
         “You just don’t get it.  You’re a young girl wearing a gorgeous dress that shows off a fair amount of skin and he’s a guy.  Who you were extremely nice to without needing to be.”
         I sighed and walked over to the stewardess. “Table for two, please.”
         She looked up and smiled.  “It’ll be a twenty minute wait, is that alright, Miss Rayne?”
         I knew this one; she was working the last time I ate here.  She did not like me for some reason.
         Matt appeared at my side.  “How long’s the wait?” he asked me.
         “Twenty minutes,” I replied glancing at my watch.  “Maybe we should have showed up earlier.”
         The stewardess looked up again, did a double take when she saw Matt, and the smiled.  “Oh, I think I can find you a table right away.”
         I smiled at Matt as we were led to a table in a secluded corner of the restaurant.  The stewardess looked reluctant to bring us there but she had already led us into the dining room so she had to bring us there.
         Once we were seated she looked at Matt and smiled.  “My name is Stephanie and your server will be right with you.  If you need anything specifically feel free to call me.”
         Once she was gone I glanced over at Matt and rolled my eyes.  “I’m the one being overly nice?”
         He grinned.  “Hey, I didn't say anything.  It’s not my fault that she finds me irresistible.”
         I sighed and tossed my napkin at him.  “Damn you, Matt.  Why does everything always come easily to you?”
         He muttered something that sounded a lot like “I wish you were that easy” but I wasn't sure so I left it alone.
         I picked up the menu and glanced at it before looking up at Matt.  “Ignore the prices and get whatever you want.”
         He snorted.  “What prices?”
         I looked at the menu and realized what he was talking about.  Since I’d last eaten here the club had decided not to display the prices anymore.  I knew that this place was expensive but I didn't realize that it was considered that expensive.
         I sighed.  “Never mind.  Just choose whatever sounds good.”
         The table was silent for about ten seconds before our waiter appeared.  “Hey there, Claire.”
         I glanced up and smiled.  “Jaime!  You’re working tonight?”
         He laughed.  “I’d say so.  Just tell me what you want and I’ll make sure you get it quickly.  Just don’t tell Tom I’m playing favourites.”
         “Yeah, like he even wants to see me after last time.”
         “Hey, he’s the one who said you could have the free meal.”
         I laughed.  “True enough.”
         I glanced at Matt and he looked absolutely lost.  “Hey Jaime, I’d hate to get you in trouble for standing here so long so I should probably let you go.  Could you bring us a bottle of the house red?”
         He nodded.  “Sure thing.  Do you want anything else to start out with?”
         I shook my head.  “That should be good for now.”
         “I’ll be right back with the wine.”
         As soon as Jaime was gone Matt glanced at me.  “You know way too many people here for somebody who had no money until a year ago.  Do you come here every weekend or something?”
         I laughed.  “I used to come here with my grandpa.  Plus Jaime dated one of my friends in university.”
         “Whatever.  As long as you don’t spend all night talking to them.”
         I shook my head and leaned towards him.  “And what would you like to talk about?”
         He shrugged.  “I don’t know, I haven’t seen you in a couple of months.  What’s new with you?”
         I smiled.  “I guess we could start with that.”