Matt walked in circles around the huge billiards table. Pacing calmed his nerves. Or maybe not, but it gave him something to do. He was early. It was difficult to know whether he was better off being early or making a big entrance. But to make a big entrance you had to be late, and that didn’t look good, did it? In Switzerland, when he studied there, he learnt to never be late. The Swiss are very particular about punctuality. When the train didn’t arrive on time, people started tapping their watches. Surely their watch was broken; the trains always ran on time. Aimee descended the staircase on time too. Sublime. Matt couldn’t take his eyes off her. She floated lower and lower as if her feet weren’t even touching the ground. Matt couldn’t find a breath. He hadn’t seen her in a dress before.
‘You look stunning,’ he greeted her, self-consciously brushing his hands down his beige pants. ‘I hope you haven’t dressed up for me.’
Liar.
‘It’s just such a nice place, I had to do it.’
‘Where did you get the dress though? I mean, your tiny suitcase.’
‘I told you I have a month’s worth in there.’
‘I’ll never doubt you again. You obviously have packing skills beyond my comprehension.’
‘Don’t worry about it.’ Aimee laughed. ‘Plenty of men can’t pack to save themselves.’
Matt laughed and reached out his arm in a half-mocking, fully-hopeful gesture and was relieved when Aimee took it. She felt perfect on his arm. She smelt wonderful. She looked beautiful. The royal blue dress accentuated her eyes in a dangerous way. He filled with pride as he escorted her into the Ruapehu restaurant. A smartly dressed waiter seated them at a smartly laid table. The decor was classical. Had Aimee planned her visit here? Her dress fit in perfectly. Matt felt a little underdressed, but he was seated with the most beautiful woman in the room. Nothing else mattered. They enjoyed a good meal and chatted amiably the whole way through. Conversation remained fairly light, centering on their plans for the next few days. Dinner was finished far too soon. Matt looked at his watch as he waited for his change. Way too early.
‘Would you like to go for a stroll around the golf course?’ he asked, feeling his cheeks warm a little.
‘You challenging me to a game?’
His cheeks warmed some more.
‘I’m just kidding,’ she said. ‘I’d love to go for a walk.’
The air outside was refreshingly cool. Not too cold, but no longer sticky or humid. Matt preferred this weather to that in Auckland, and besides, it was the perfect opportunity to make a romantic gesture. You know, give her his jacket or something.
‘Does New Zealand remind you of England at all?’ Aimee asked, before he had decided what the gesture should be.
‘The scenery?’
‘Yeah, or the food, the language — I don’t know — just generally?’
‘The food does. Restaurants here are almost like Rose’s home cooking. Not up to her quality though.’
‘Rose, is that your girlfriend?’
Matt looked at Aimee and laughed.
‘No, Rose is in her seventies. That’s beyond even my desperation, Rose is my landlady.’
‘What do you mean by desperation? I assumed you had a girlfriend, maybe even Julia.’
‘Julia!? Don’t be daft, we’ve been best friends for years, it would be utterly wrong and she’s far from my type.’
‘I’m sure she’s very fond of you.’
Now Matt knew he was blushing. Similar accusations had been made before.
‘I’m not interested in Julia though,’ Matt said, maybe a little too defensively. His next words surprised even himself. ‘You, however… well.’
Aimee spun around and faced him, her face covered in shock.
‘What?’ she asked.
‘I think that you’re very nice.’
Oh, Matt, that was just bloody weak.
‘Are you serious?’ Aimee looked at him with an expression he couldn’t read. Matt knew he had to go on. The next few minutes would make or break this. Either he would have said his bit and Aimee accepts it, or she goes home and he has to continue the rest of the journey alone with his tail between his legs.
‘To be honest, I’ve never met a woman like you before. One who makes me feel so good. One who makes me relax and at the same time seems relaxed around me.’
‘I’m relaxed around you,’ she said. ‘But you wouldn’t like me if you knew me better.’
‘I’d like the chance to determine that for myself.’
‘I don’t want to disappoint you.’
‘How could you disappoint me?’
‘It’s such a lot to explain.’
‘I have all night, all week, my whole life.’
Aimee turned and looked at him. He could see the emotion in her eyes. It looked like she was hurting. Was he doing this to her? God, he hoped he wasn’t.
‘Do you want to sit down?’ he asked, looking around and seeing no seats. Aimee nodded and also turned to look about. Matt saw his cue, this was better than offering her his jacket. He took it off, and spread it out on the ground.
‘Wow, you’re serious about this, aren’t you?’ She asked him, smiling broadly.
‘I am.’
They sat down closely together so they could both fit on their tiny makeshift blanket. The cool air enveloped them, but neither of them grew too cold.
‘I’m no good at relationships,’ Aimee said. ‘The only one I had turned out disastrously.’
‘Can I ask what happened?’
‘It was a car crash.’
‘What?’ Matt recoiled.
‘We met in a car crash. I had just moved to Auckland for uni and a truck clipped the back of my car one morning. I got out all prepared to scream down the driver, and fell in love instead.’
‘Oh, thank God. I thought you meant he died in an accident.’
‘No. He was a trucker. Actually, his Dad owned a freight company and Russell kept it in the family.’
‘Tell me about him. At least then I can avoid his mistakes.’
They talked for more than two hours. In that time, the sun completely set and they could scarcely see each other. The hotel glistened somewhere behind Matt, and the lights reflected in Aimee’s eyes. Occasionally, as Aimee told Matt about her long relationship, which ended a couple of years earlier, the glistening of the lights travelled down her cheeks in a tear. Matthew had to fight himself to not reach over and wipe the tears away. She opened herself up to him. He didn’t want to overstep an unknown boundary and cause her to close up.
‘A week before the wedding, I discovered the rumours were true. He really did have a bird in every town up and down the country.’
‘So how did Emma know before you did?’ Matt was worried he knew the answer already.
‘She was one of them.’
‘Ouch, some bridesmaid.’
‘Tell me about it.’
‘Thanks for telling me about it. I mean, I understand how a relationship like that could make you cautious. But you deserve happiness, and shouldn’t let one bad experience deny you that happiness. There are plenty of men in the world who would never treat you the way he did.’
‘And you’re one of those men?’ Aimee asked, smiling.
‘I’d like to be given the chance.’
The silence lasted an eternity. Longer. Matt didn’t break it though, he waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts. He could hear his heart beating. Could she?
‘I don’t know, Matthew.’ Her voice was no more than a whisper. ‘I like you too. Honestly.’
‘But?’
Matt heard all the lines going through his head. I just think of you as a friend. He had heard that one before. You’re just too nice for me. Blah blah.
‘I need time. I need to think about this. Can you give me some time?’
Matt just about jumped up on the spot to dance a little jig. Are you kidding? This was better than any response he had imagined to a situation like this. It was beyond his wildest dreams. She was going to actually consider it!
He smiled at her warmly. ‘Take all the time you need. I’ll be here.’
‘Thanks Matt.’ She returned his smile. ‘Shall we head back?’
He stood and reached down to help her up. For the second time that evening, Aimee and Matthew were connected. As she took his hand, electric shocks ran through his body. Matt had never felt like this before. He wanted the night to last forever. He wanted to hold her forever. She walked back to the hotel holding his hand the whole way. He floated. As they said goodnight, Aimee leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek, thanking him for being so understanding. It might never be washed again. He told her he would sit in the lounge bar for a while, and watched her ascend the stairs as gracefully as she had arrived. When she disappeared out of sight, he walked out of the hotel and across the ever-cooling golf course. It took him forever to find his jacket.