Too Much To Dream

Chapter 2


A week later Brandy was sitting at home, playing around with her guitar, when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Brandy?"
"Yes."
"Hey! It's Shane."
Letting out the breath she'd been holding with a whoosh, Brandy sighed. "Thank God. I didn't know who would be calling me here. I've only been here for 4 months."
"How did you know it wasn't your parents or something?"
"Caller I.D. And besides, Tennessee always appears under my aunt's number when she calls."
"Oh." Shane said, clearly understanding now. "So that's where you're from?"
"Yep. Born and raised. What did you need, Shane?"
"Oh, right. Uhh..I was just wondering if you'd talked to Mr. Hardy lately."
Brandy got comfortable on her couch and picked the guitar back up, holding the phone between her shoulder and head. "Yeah, I talked to him for about an hour and a half yesterday afternoon. Why?"
"Just wondering if you knew how he was doing. I've been meaning to stop by, but Matt, Jeff and I have been really busy and when we finally get home at night, I'm just too tired to drop in."
"That's what you get for partying too much, Shane." Brandy said, lightly strumming the strings on the guitar. He laughed.
"Not partying, babe. Working. Vince has us opening a new training facility here in Cameron.We've been pulling some crazy assed shifts."
"Well, at least it sounds like fun. And you're doing something you enjoy, right?"
"Well, yeah."
"Okay, then. At least you have a job."
Shane frowned. "What do you mean?"
Brandy sighed. She hadn't meant to let that slip. "Nothing. Just that not all people can have jobs that they enjoy, that's all."
Shane still wasn't convinced and Brandy could hear it in his voice. " Okay. Well, anyway, I wanted to see if you wanted to come with me to see Mr.Hardy."
"I don't know, Shane. Maybe I should..."
"Matt and Jeff are going clubbing tonight so they won't be there. C'mon. You haven't seen him in a week and you know you're dying to see how he is."
Brandy chewed her lip, a nervous habit from her childhood that she had never been able to break. "Are you sure Matt won't be there?"
"What? Are you afraid of him?" Shane teased, knowing that that would get her.
"Hell no! Pick me up in 15 minutes." She quickly gave him directions to her home and hung up. Glancing down at her faded and ripped jeans and 'Dixie Darlin's' baby tee, she sighed. Not enough time to change. Not that it mattered. Mr. Hardy wouldn't give two figs about what she was wearing.And as for Shane, well...he was awfully cute, but Brandy just felt that 'brotherly' thing around him. "And it's not like I'll be seeing Matt." Though she told herself she wouldn't change for him anyway. She didn't care what Matt Hardy thought of her.
Brandy jogged up the stairs, her Siberian huskey Natasha and her English bulldog Boris, following her. She went to the bathroom, dragged a brush through her hair, pulled it back into her usual ponytail and jogged back downstairs. She had just finished feeding the two dogs when the doorbell rang. "C'mon in!"
Shane came in, barely making it into the house before Natasha decided to welcome him. Between slobbery kisses, Shane called out,"You know, you really ought to see who it is before you just let them in." Brandy came into the living, sitting down on the couch to put on her sneakers.
"Why? If it's someone that is really intent on getting in here, they will one way or another." she shurgged, standing up and tightening her ponytail. "Besides, I have that." Brandy gestured to a double barrell shotgun resting next to the stairs. Shane rolled his eyes.
"I'm not gonna say a word. Ready to go?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Good. Then could you get him or her off of me?" Shane still stood in the doorway, Natasha's front paws on his shoulders. Brandy laughed.
"Natasha, nien."
Immediately the dog dropped to it's back haunches and sat.
"Cool! Does she only respond to German commands?" Shane asked, amazed. Brandy smiled.
"No. actually that's the only word I can use to get her to sit. No other word works. We were just in the living room one day, with the TV on and she heard it and immediately sat down. It's worked ever since." Brandy hustled Shane out the door and locked it behind them. "So, are you sure that Matt won't be there? Cause I'd really hate to upset Mr. H."
"Yeah, he and Jeff were pretty excited about it. We don't have to do anything tomorrow, so they can sleep late."
"Well, okay." Shane opened her door and Brandy got in. As soon as he was in and they were on their way, Brandy laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"I just noticed that your car is the same color as your hair!" Shane grinned, reaching over to tug on a strand of her hair.
"Yeah well, at least mine doesn't make me look like an old man. What's with the silver streaks?"
Brandy shrugged. "I just always loved the color and after my husband died I decided that it woulda goa good time for a change."
Shane breaked hard at a red light and turned to look at Brandy. "You're married?!?!"
"Not anymore."
Shane banged his head against the steering wheel and started as the light turned green. "I'm sorry, Brandy I didn't know.."
"He beat me."
"What?"
"He beat me,"
"Your husband?"
Brandy nodded.
"What do you mean?"
Brandy sighed and leaned her head back against the seat. "Just like it sounds, Shane. We married right after my father died two years ago. Paul was the sweetest person on Earth. Or so I thought." She gave a humorless chuckle. "or so I thought." She turned, looking out the window blankly, seeing an entirley different place in her mind's eye.
"I met him while I was going to a community college near my hometown. He was a baseball star, Mr. Cool. Tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, surfer's looks, ya know? And when he started paying attention to me...I was like, DAMN! I mean, here I am, mousy brown hair and eyes, overweight nothing to look at...and he wants me."She looked over at Shane then. "It swept me off of my feet." Turning back to the window, she continued her story.
"My friends noticed it before I did. The way he was really possesive. How he had to know where I was at every minute and who I was with. I just thought it was because he loved me. My dad had just been diagnosed with stage four colon cancer and had been given only months to live. I was too caught up in my grief to notice him alienating my family and friends from me. My mom died when I was 2 so my father was all I had.
ONe day, dad was having a good day, so I decided to go have a makeover done, so that I would be pretty for Paul when he came home. By that time he had already moved into mine and my dad's house. Anyway, I had the works done..new hair, new nails, new clothes...everything. But he didn't like it." Brandy shuttered, still hearing the echoes of Paul's accusations ringing in her ears. "He called me a tramp. Told me I looked like a whore. Then he hit me. Just hauled off and slugged me. I flew over the back of the couch, knocking a vase off of a table. The sound of the glass breaking woke my father up. He came downstairs,looking worse than usual, asking what was wrong. I was about to tell him that I had just knocked over the vase, when he collapsed." A single teardrop rolled down Brandy's face. Shane reachver ver and gently took her hand.Taking a deep breath, she continued.
"We rushed him to the ER but there was nothing they could do. I leaned over and kissed his cheek and told him I loved him. Then he was gone." Silence enveloped the two for a few moments before Brandy felt ready to finish her story. "Paul was there for me, comforting me through the whole ordeal. he apologized over and over for hitting me. So, when he asked me to marry him a week later, I said "yes" thinking he really did love me. Things went well for the first week...he'd come home to dinner on the table and a clean house and be happy. Oh, he'd want sex, but I figured that it was his way of showing how much he cared so I'd go along with it whenver and wherever he wanted me to. Even if I didn't want to. Then, one night one of my classes ran over. By the time I got home, Paul was already there. He screamed and threw around accusations for about an hour. I sat there and took it, not wanting to make him any angrier. But then he said something about being glad my dad hadn't lived to see what a failure his daughter was as a wife. That was it. I started screaming back at him, telling him to go to hell. He shoved me once, knocking me to the ground. Then all of a sudden he's on top of me, just wailing away at my face with his fists. After, I guess, the tenth or twelth punch, I passed out. " Shane squeezed her hand tighter, urging her on. Brandy let out a shaky breath.
"When I woke up, I was in a hospital room. The nurse informed me that I had been severely beaten and raped repeatedly. She told me that my husband had come home and found me this way."
"The lying Son of a bitch!" Shane yelled.
"Well, they believed it. I started to tell them, but thought, 'who'd want me,if I lose Paul? I don't wanna be alone all my life'. So I went home with him and the beatings and rape continued for the next year and a half. About seven months ago I found out I was pregnant. When I told Paul, he accused me of cheating on him becuase he said he was sterile.He had never had tests done, but that's what he said. He started kicking me in the stomach, over and over...God that was the worst. I would rather live through all of the rapes and beatings again, then that moment." Brandy was heaving great, wracking sobs now. "To know that he was purposely trying to kill our child... I started hemorraging. He took me to the ER, and when I got into the examing room with the doctor, I finally snapped out of it. I told him everything. The doctor called the cops, but somehow Paul found out they were coming. He took off in our car, with the police after him. He took a curve too fast and hit a tree. It decapitated him instantly."
Calmer now, Brandy saw that they were close to the Hardy's home. "So, I packed up what I had, paid off all his gambling debts and moved out here. I had just enough money left to buy my house out right, but that was it. But that's okay. Part of moving out here was to start over again and to put the past behind me." Brandy still held Shane's hand in hers as they pulled into Mr. H.'s driveway. Giving it a squeeze, Brandy smiled over at Shane, knowing she had found a new best friend. "Thank you for listening and for letting me ramble. And not casting judgment."
Shane unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm always here if you need me. I feel like I've known you forever." He drew her in for a hug.
"Thanks Shane." Unbuckling her seatbelt, Brandy reached for the door handle. "Ready?"
"Yep."
They made their way to the front door of the rambling old house and knocked loudly. "I hope he's not asleep." Brandy said as the door opened. "Oh, Hi Mr. H..." she trailed off as she took in the scene before her.
Matt obviously hadn't left for the club yet. Because there he stood with his hair dripping water.. and only wearing a towel.

Deciding that he would feel alot better if he got a real good night's sleep, Matt had told Jeff that he'd rather stay home than go clubbing.
"Matt it won't be the same if you don't come!"Jeff whined from his room, where he was looking for a shirt to wear. "And we've been home for a week and all we've done is work, then come home to stay with dad."
Matt sighed and put down the book he had picked up. "Jeff, I just think that if I stay home tonight I'll be that much more rested for tomorrow." Matt shrugged. "Besides, I don't feel like dealing with screaming ring rats tonight." Jeff smiled at his older brother slyly.
"Well, to be honest with you, I'm looking forward to it. I'm just glad that Shannon decided to come with me or else I'd have to beat them off with a stick!" Jeff ducked as Matt threw a pillow at his head. "Aw, come on, Matt You really do need to get out. You've been brooding since we got home and you met Brandy." He tugged a purple mesh shirt out of his closet and put it on. "And the way she's been avoiding all of us, you'd think we had the plague or something."
Matt got up off his brother's bed and started out the door. "You'd better hurry. Shannon'll be here any minute.", he said, changing the subject. Jeff knew better than to bug his brother when something was eating at him. He could tell that Matt had been trying his damnedest this past week to get Brandy out of his thoughts.
"If you ask me, he just needs to get laid," Jeff muttered under his breath, bopping down the stairs to get his shoes. The doorbell rang,presumably announcing Shannon's arrival. "Matt! Can you get that? I'm trying to find my other boot!"
Upstairs, just stepping out of the shower, Matt sighed. It would take at least another 10 minutes before Jeff would even come close to finding his boot. Thinking it was Shannon, Matt didn't bother to get dressed...just wrapped a towel around his waist and headed downstairs. Throwing open the door, he took in the appearance of the woman he'd been trying to forget for the last seven days. Ripped jeans hugged her curvaceous figure while a shirt stating that she was a "Dixie Darlin'" was stretched across her full breasts. With her hair in a ponytail, she looked like the perfect example of the girl next door. At the moment she was staring open mouthed at his chest...
'Oh shit! Matt thought trying, too late to duck behind the door. I forgot about this damn towel! Trying to act as though nothing were wrong, he leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed over his massive chest. "What do you want?"
Shane shoved his way past Matt into the house he had spent over half his childhood in. "Knock it off, will ya, Matt?" he said somewhat angrily. Matt looked at his friend in shock. Shane was usually such an easy-going guy! Something must really be bothering him to snap Matt's head off. "We came to visit your dad."
From his room down the hall Brandy heard Mr. H ask,"Did I hear the doorbell? Who's here Matt? Do we have company?" Brandy felt instantly guilty. She should've realized how lonesome it would get for Mr. H. to stay at home by himself all day everyday. If only she weren't trying to avoid confrontation with Matt...
Matt eyed Brandy shaking his head with a sigh. "Yeah,Dad. Shane and Brandy are here." Matt called to him. A muffled curse and a loud, thunk issued from down the hall. As Brandy went to go help Mr. H., Matt placed a hand on her arm, shaking his head. She was too busy noticing the jolt of electricity shooting from his hand into her arm. Her guard once again went up and she shook his hand from her.
Matt couldn't remember ever having that kind of reaction to a woman. EVER. Her scent floated around him, like a cloud --- Davidoff's Cool Water. He breathed deeply and suddenly remembered that he was only dressed in a towel. "I'll uh... just go change,"he said slowly backing out of the room before his father could make his appearance and ask him why in the blue hell he was standing around in a towel. Rushing up the stairs, he quickly pulled on a pair of sweats and a Hardy Boyz shirt. Stepping out of his room he ran smack into his younger brother.
"Whoa! did you change your mind about going? I thought you were gonna stay home tonight and kick it with dad." Just then laughter floated up the stairs from the living room. "Sounds like we have company." Jeff said, raising an eyebrow at his brother. Matt shrugged, running a hand through his still damp hair and pulling it back into a ponytail.
"Yeah, Shane and Brandy are here," he said with an edge to his voice that Jeff had never heard before. Jeff fell into step behind his brother, following the sounds aughaughter coming from the front room.
"Sounds like they're having a good time," Jeff commented,grabbing his leather jacket off the hook by the front door. "So, are you gonna be civil to her while she's here, or do I need to play referee?" Matt gave his brother a bland look.
"No, you don't need to stick around. Shane can play ref. Wouldn't want to interupt your night."Matt said sweetly, walking into the living room. Brandy sat on the floor, in front of Mr. Hardy. Shane was sitting on the arm of the chair Mr. Hardy was in and they were all laughing at something. They hadn't heard the brothers come in yet.
"I don't see what your problem with that girl is, man." Jeff said, looking Brandy over appreciatively. "She's hot and wants to spend time around us."
"That's the problem, Skittles" Matt said, calling his brother the nickname that he hated. He had earned it when he first started dying his hair every color of the rainbow. Tonight it was red and purple. "I don't know whether or not she's here because she actually cares about the old man, or because she thinks that being our father, he'll be able to deliver something big to her."
Jeff rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. Three heads turned in his direction. A beautiful smile touched Brandy's face a split second before she realized that Matt was right behind him. "Hey guys!"Shane said, hopping up off the couch and coming over to his friends. "I was just gonna go get your dad some water..."
"I'll get it," Matt quickly left the room, leaving the four people to talk. "So, what's doin' tonight, Jeff?" Shane asked, once again resuming his seat on the arm of the chair.
Jeff got comfortable on the floor next to Brandy and smiled. "I'm waitin' on Shannon to get here. We're gonna go check out that new club OUTLAW that just opened up."
"Cool! I've heard a lot of good things about that place. Sounds like fun!" Shane said. The doorbell rang just then and Matt called out, "I'll get it!" Hearing the voices in the hall, Brandy looked up to see a short, muscular guy with blonde and black hair walk in with Matt. Her heart started to pound.
"Hey Shannon! Long time, no see, man!" Shane said jumping up and going over to shake the other man's hand.
"Hey, "Jeff, said softly, brushing a stray piece of hair behind Brandy's ear. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Brandy's face had turneite ite and her breath was coming fast. She forced herself to calm down, lest she hyperventilate. Taking several deep breaths, she smiled at Jeff's concern. "No, just..uh...having a small asthma flair up, that's all."
Jeff, tugged her to her feet, both of his hands coming up to cup her face. "Do need anything? Water or something? Do you have an inhaler with you?"
Brandy's panick at seeing Shannon had actually triggered a real asthma attack. She nodded and said between gasps. "In...my...purse..."
Jeff hollered at Shane. "Shane! Where's Brandy's purse?" Shane turned, ready to make a smart comment when he saw how hard she was gasping for air.
"In the car..." Shane took off out the door. Mr. Hardy, who had been quiet through this whole ordeal said calmly, "Jeff,relax. She'll be okay. Brandy, sit down and put your head between your knees...that's the way." She sat down next to him and he rubbed her back slowly, mummering soothing words. What felt like hours, but must have been only a minute or two later, Shane came running in,Brandy's purse in hand. Matt took it from him and without a word, turned it upside dow, dumping the entire contents on the floor. Grabbing the inhaler, Matt crouched down beside Brandy, shoving aside his younger brother. He shook it, then held it to her blue-tinged lips.
"Breathe."
She did as she was told taking two deep puffs off of the inhaler, before her heart rate finally came down. She looked up into five very concerned faces.She smiled shakily and looked at Shannon. "Well, now I can honestly say I've met someone who took my breath away."She stood and stuck out her hand. "Hi. I'm Brandy."
Shannon looked up from where he was bent putting her stuff back in her purse and smiled slowly, taking a firm hold of her hand and shaking it. "I'm Shannon. And I can honestly say I've never had that effect on a woman before." Laughter followed his comment, making everyone a little less tense. Mr. Hardy cut into the merriment.
"Sorry, guys, but I'm still a little tired. I'm gonna turn in for the night."
Both Brandy and Matt started forward to help him along. "I can make it down the hall by myself."Mr. H said with a dismissing wave of his hand. "You two stay out here and talk." He shuffled down the hall both pairs of eyes following him until they heard his bedroom door shut. Jeff, Shane and Shannon had gone into the kitchen, leaving Brandy and Matt alone in the living room. Matt turned to her, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. Scuffing his foot across the carpet he peered at Brandy.
"So...you okay?"
Brandy nodded her head."I'm fine. They don't happen very often anymore. Actually I haven't had one in about 7 months." She shrugged, causing her hair to brush her shoulders. "I guess it's a good thing that I still had that inhaler."
Matt barely heard her. His gaze had wandered to her lips while she was talking and he wondered how soft they would feel under his. Hello! Matt said to himself, shaking his head. She's the enemy, remember? At least until we find out what her REAL motives are.
"What? Are you guys having a staring contest?" Shannon's voice cut into his thoughts.
"Uh...no..."
"Well, we bettet get going if we're gonna make it by the time the others get there." Shane said, pulling his jacket off of the chair and sliding into it.
"Others? There? Shane, what are you talking about? I thought you said we were just coming to visit Mr. H." Brandy said, looking confused at the two men ready to follow her ride home out the door.
"Oh,he's just gonna hang out with us for a little while,"Jeff reassured her. "We'll be back in a couple hours."
"Okay, you can just drop me off on the way, then" Brandy started to reach for her purse.
"But that's in the other direction! And I thought you'd like to spend time with Mr. H. Jeff says he only sleeps like thrity minutes at a time anyway, so he should be up again soon." Shane coaxed. Brandy sighed.
"Well, okay..that is if you don't mind?" she asked looking directly at Matt. He shrugged his shoulders.
"No skin off my nose."
"Okay then I guess I'll..." Brandy turned to tell Shane, but all three were already out the door, calling their good-byes as they went. Matt chuckled, the sound surprisingly sexy to Brandy's ears.
"They are a mess." Matt looked her in the eyes for the first time that night. "Look...I'll be honest with you. I wasn't in the best of moods when we met last week and I shouldn't have called you the things I did." He gulped visibly, choaking on the words. "I'm sorry."
Brandy smiled. "I know it's hard to believe and it's hard for you to trust anyone because you're famous, but I promise you I'm not here to hurt your dad or ANYONE. Truce?" she asked, sticking out her hand. Matt looked down into her amber eyes and somehow believed every word she said. Feeling a weight lift off his shoulders, he grasped her hand firmly in his and shook. Warmth flowed between them and Matt treated her to the first real smile he'd smiled in a while.


"So let me get this straight...you and Jeff decided to have a cage match on the ROOF?!?!?!?"
Brandy rolled around the floor laughing. She and Matt had been talking about their lives for the last 3 hours and Matt had kept her laughing with stories of his and Jeff's childhood.
"Yeah and we would've gotten away with it if Jeff hadn't decided to do a Swanton bomb on me!" Matt said, loving the way her eyes lit up when she smiled. She was really easy to talk to and he discovered that they had a lot of things in common. After their laughter died down, he said "Let's listen to some music."
Brandy sat up from her spot on the floor and watched as Matt brought out 4 huge folders filled with CD's. "Okay. What are we listenin' to?" Matt smiled as he seemingly found the CD he was looking for. He took it out of the folder and quickly inserted in the stereo.
"Pearl Jam...my personal favorite."
Brandy smirked at his comment waiting for the perfect opportunity to bait him. "Eh...they're okay. I've heard better." Matt's eyes widened as he looked at Brandy in disbelief.
"Are you nuts?!?! Eddie Vedder has, like, the most awesome voice in the world...and the lyrics to his songs!..."
Unable to contain it any longer, she let out a shout of laughter. Matt looked on in confusion. "What's so funny?" Brandy wiped her eyes and stood to go over to Matt. Taking the closed CD folder from him, she reopened it.
"Play number 5. This is the 'Vitalogy' album, right?" Matt simply nodded, knowing exactly what song she was referring to. A moment later "Nothing Man" poured from the speakers. Brandy pulled out the CD cover with a flourish, closing the folder again. Running her finger down the lines, Brandy smiled and motioned for Matt to come closer. He did as she wanted, taking the cover from her and looking to where her pink tipped finger pointed. Under the title of the song, he read the names of the writers.
"I already know that he wrote this song, Brandy. It was one of the ones I was talking about with the great lyrics." Smiling again, she pointed to one name in particular. Matt looked again.
"B. Nolan. Is that someone you know?" Matt asked, becoming more and more confused.
"You could say that." Brandy said, patting him on the arm. "Matt did your dad ever tell you my last name?"
"Yeah, he said it was McGowan." Shaking her head, she sighed.
"That was my married name. My maiden name was Nolan." Seconds ticked by while this registered in Matt's mind. His eyes widened and her turned and grasped Brandy's upper arms.
"You wrotet sot song?!?!"
"Well, not all of it..." Matt dropped his hands to his sides and slowly made his way over to the sofa. He couldn't decide which surprised him more : her being related to his biggest idol or the fact that she had been married.
"Remember earlier when I told you about my cousin Eddie that I used to dirtbike ride with?" Matt nodded as realization dawned.
"You mean to tell me that your cousin is Eddie Vedder? And you helped him write Nothing Man?" She shrugged, not wanting him to think that she was bragging or anything.
"And he who forgets will be destined to remember," Matt sang quietly, looking at Brandy with intense scrutiny. She smiled.
"That's probably my favorite line in the whole song." she said, stepping over to the couch to have a seat. Curling her legs up underneath her, she motioned for Matt to join her. "I came up with it one night after...well, nevermind. Let's just say that it hit me like a ton of bricks."she said wryly, thinking of her dead husbands large meaty hands pummeling away on her face. A ton of bricks was an understatment. Matt smiled at her, seemingly unaware of her little slip up.
"Wow. I mean, you're \i Eddie Vedder's\i0 cousin." Brandy frowned.
"Yeah, I am. Uh, listen, I'm going to go check on your dad." She left the room, unwilling to let Matt see how upset she was becoming. As she made her way down the hall to peek in on Mr. Hardy's sleeping form, she thought about how ironic it was that Matt was afraid of her getting close to his father because of who he was and since Brandy had told him who her cousin was, all he'd done was gawk at the fact. She closed Mr. Hardy's bedroom door quietly, so as not to wake the sleeping man, and si. Sh. She was probably overreacting. I mean, hell, it's not everyday someone tells you they're your favorite rock stars family. She thought coming back into the living room. Matt looked up from his seat on the couch, frowning.
"Listen, Brandy, I realize I must have come off sounding..." She held up a hand, effectively cutting him off. Patting him lightly on the cheek, she dispelled his fears.
"I know, Matt. 'Like I thought you would when you found out who Jeff and I were'. Right?" Matt nodded, a blush stealing it's way up his neck. Brandy laughed.
"Well, it's not everyday that someone tells you that they are related to your favorite rock star, is it? Forget about it, Matt. It's fine." She shrugged, stepping around him to take a seat on the couch. Before she could sit down, Matt grabbed her and whirled her around.
"No, it's not fine, Brandy. How can you not be mad at me? I did exactly what I accused you of doing." Brandy was suddenly aware of how close he was standing...she could feel his warm breath caressing her face, and was inexorably drawn closer to it. Looking up, Brandy saw Matt's eyes darken with something she wasn't ready to name. Gentling his grip, Matt ran his fingers lightly up and down her arms, causing goosebumps to appear.
"Forgive me?" He asked, his voice deepened to a husky drawl. Brandy swallowed hard and forced a smile to her trembling lips.
"Of course, Matt. You didn't do anything wrong." Moving from her arms to her face, he gently cupped both cheeks, bringing her close enough that his lips grazed her mouth with every word he said.
"Prove you're not mad..."
"How?"
"Kiss me." Brandy took a deep breath and leaned in, lightly pressing her lips against his. No sooner than their lips met than electricity seemed to shoot into her from Matt. She drew him closer to her and Matt imperceptivly deepened the kiss, drawing one hand up to cup her neck while the other trailed lightly up and down her arm. Her lips parted on a sigh and Matt took the opportunity slid his tongue into the warmth of her mouth. Brandy lightly touched his face with one hand while the other clutched the wrist of the hand that cupped her neck. They drew apart slowly, each one wanting to savor the feel of the others lips. Matt looked down at Brandy's upturned face and watched as her eyes slowly opened and adjusted. Smiling, he lightly brushed a thumb across her cheek, waiting to see what her reaction would be.
"Um..I don't...I mean, why did you-- I can't do this, Matt." Pulling away Brandy quickly walked over to gather her purse and jacket, letting the door fall solidly closed behind her, leaving a very confused Matt in her wake.