four alarm fire // matty healy

Criminal

The brush nearly didn't make it through my hair. I pulled and tugged at a knot at the crown of my head, but it wouldn't budge. Even though it was the hottest it had been all week, I settled on a hat to cover the unsightly mess. I didn't really mind if I was hot.

The farmer's market was in an open-air square just down the road, just outside the outlet plazas. Even though I couldn't see the tents yet, I could smell the fresh bread from the artisan bakers. My mouth watered.

Matty stood next to a fresh fruit stand with his nose poking into a book. As I got closer, I saw that he was reading Fifth Business by Robertson Davies. I waved and called out a friendly greeting to him.

"Hi," he said, folding the top of his page and closing the book. He then extended the crook of his elbow for me to hold on to. My nose crinkled at the corniest gesture I had ever seen, but my hand fit so perfectly on his arm.

We wandered for a while, looking at homegrown fruit and woven baskets, undiscovered novelists and glass Christmas ornaments. I like to take my time in the booths, and look at everything they had to offer, but Matty had a much different approach of speed walking three booths ahead and then pulling telling me to catch up with him. One time, he walked to a homemade jewelry stand without me and bought me an onyx bracelet.

"Really, Matty, you don't have to, but thanks." But he was already clasping the bracelet onto my wrist.

"I'd like to listen to you, but it's you're already wearing it and I don't think I could ever take it off." He paid the gentleman behind the table and without looking over his shoulder at me, he said something like how it would be too difficult. He winked at me when he offered his arm again.

"Thank you." I felt awkward by saying it, but it was a very sweet gesture.

"No problem at all." We were nearing the end of the market and it caused my shoulder to slump a bit, but Matty somehow looked more confident, like he just bought a new pair of shoes. His back was as straight as a board and there was a bounce in his walk. "Would you like to get some lunch?"

"Um, Matty, I already ate lunch... it's nearly 3 o'clock." He mouthed a quick 'oh' then started again.

"Would you like to get some dinner?"

"Don't you think it's a little early to have d-" Matty quickly stopped in place. He was trying very hard to keep a straight face, I could tell from the way the corner of his lips tilted upwards ever so slightly.

"I won't take 'no' for an answer," he said firmly. Matty then pressed the back of his hand near his mouth: "If that's okay with you."

I beamed at him and he gave me an award-winning Matty smile. It was all I could do to keep from falling back like a toppling cedar. God.

We flew by the remaining booths, quickly scanning woven bags and beaded necklaces. He nearly pulled me past the vegetable stand, but I made him stand with me while I picked out stuff for my fridge. He stuck his tongue out at me while I pretended to hum and haw over a head of cauliflower. "Which one looks fresher, Matthew?"

The veggies added another fifteen minutes onto our time, but I didn't mind. Clearly Matty had a schedule he intended to keep but neglected to tell me. My feet nearly didn't touch the ground as he ran down my street. He almost missed my flat.

"Go in and get your belongings all settled. Come back out if your fanciest dinner attire." He pushed me up the stairs to my front door. "And don't come back until you're ready.

"Matty, are we going out to eat? Because I was sort of hoping for a quieter night." He plopped himself onto my front stoop, but turned to face me and said the most romantic thing. Gross?

"I promise we are going to have a quiet night."

-

My market haul was all taken care of; veggies in the fridge, bread on the counter and books on the shelf. My only issue was finding something to wear.

The only fancy thing I had was a suit. 'Fancy' is being used lightly in this case, it's more of a formal thing. I bought it secondhand from a hospice thrift store for Issac's service. It was just me, Father McNeill and some stolen flowers, but it was nice, I guess.

I glared at the suit. The grey pinstripe was screaming at me. I hated it. I wish I never bought it because everytime it looks at me from the back of my closet, Father McNiell's droning Our Father booms in my cranium. Fuck. Off.

I took the suit out of my closet and threw it over my shoulder. There was a soft thud of the material hitting my comforter. My hands grabbed the hangars in my closet and proceeded to do the same action. One top, one jacket, a hat. Until it was all out and sprawled all over my room. Rage. Blind. Fucking Rage.

But that didn't happen. I looked over my shoulder to see my room intact and only somewhat messy. The suit was one again looming in my closet, but this time, I removed the trousers from the jacket and placed them on the bed carefully. A baby blue top? No, I have a red one.

They don't really go, I thought as they were side by side, but I'll go with it. It was worse when I got them on, the grey and the red fought each other for dominance, but I paired it with black heels and pounded out the door and down the steps.

Matty, now leaning against the railing, let his mouth fall agape. My finger tapped his chin swiftly.

"If you keep making that face, you'll catch flies." His hands snaked around me and he pulled me really close to his face. Close to the point where I could see a few of his teeny freckles.

"Oh my god," Matty mumbled as he buried his face in my neck. He kissed me precisely three times on my right side and two times on my left. I was trying to keep my heart inside my chest as we walked away from my flat once again. This time, we didn't go to the train station. Our hands pulled as I kept trying to walk straight and he tried to turn.

"Oi, it's this way." I pulled harder.

"Surprise number one," he said with a sly grin. "C'mon!"

I submitted and walked his route instead.  But, he was leading us down a dead end. Literally, the road was a cul-de-sac.

He rummaged in his pocket then pulled out a set of keys. My face scrunched in confusion as he proceeded to break into a black Corvette.

"I rented it, just for the evening. We might as well get to our destination in style."