008:

Matthew watched Melia carefully. Her headphones were around her neck, her hair straggled into her t-shirt, and her leotard was bunched loosely around her waist, and gaping at her shoulders. The only thing healthy on her right now were her boobs, and that had to be for the baby. He hadn't seen her for a month, since the funeral, and she didn't look well.

He'd left her in Wales, to fulfill his own contracts, but now that the next project loomed on the horizon, he had a small break to come and see how she was doing. He'd asked Tracy about the current and found that with a few small exceptions she had been virtually devoid of builds. Which was good, as he'd been busy these last four weeks, and was glad that she had been too.

He knocked on the window at Rosewood studio where Melia had been banished after her parting of the ways with Megan and Maille in London. She was recording once again in preparation for her new band's debut tour coming up very soon.

She saw him and smiled, albeit tolerantly, he would have liked it to be a welcoming smile, but it never reached her eyes and he knew she still suffered. She got up and opened the door of the sound room. "Hey! How's it going? Are you up for a visit?" she sounded all right, he thought, perky and cute.

He gave her a hug and found that although she was warm, she wasn't building. But the current seemed focused inside somewhere, controlled. "How are you doing?" he followed her back inside the sound room which wasn't warm and didn't account for her body temperature. "Yeah, I thought I'd come see you between projects. Check up on ya. Montana is beautiful this time of year."

"I think everywhere might be beautiful in the spring." She said and sat back at her piano to write something down.

He grunted in acknowledgement. "So, how's the baby?" he glanced around and found Hannah in her car seat not far away, asleep.

"Good, growing like a little weed." Melia said, pulling her hair out of its messy bun and repositioning it, before putting it back into its bun, the way Matthew had seen many girls do. He found her just as attractive now as she'd been while married to Jared Patrick. He liked her; he wanted to get to know her better. Something pulled him toward her.

"So I hear you're going on tour." He said conversationally and she looked up from her notes and her eyes met his. He thought her eyes were beautiful, like the green grasses of the land she lived in. Irish green, Montana green.

"Just for the summer." She replied and glanced back at her notebook.

"I thought maybe I'd take you to dinner tonight." He blurted suddenly, seeing her in fresh eyes, wondering for the millionth time if Jared Patrick had deliberately given her to him in his letter. He had to have seen the attraction in his eyes and known he was interested.

Melia was startled. "I- ah—well, that's a surprise. What made you say that?" she was a little bemused and had given him her full attention suddenly.

"Just as friends of course, for old time's sake." He hurried to assure her, and himself.

Melia's brows drew together in a perplexed frown. "We don't really have any old times, Matthew. I only met you like six months ago. Aren't you here to see Mom or... Megs?" It was a slight rebuke, and not the least bit flirty. He was a tad bit disappointed she hadn't just agreed to dinner, and that she'd brought up here sister, but he decided to ignore it. Maybe she was still grieving. That was hard to believe the way she was pushing herself to get back out there so quickly. He had kind of convinced himself that maybe she'd felt that way about Jared as well. She'd only known him a short time, maybe she was ready to move on.

"But we can still have dinner. You have to eat sometime." He laughed hopefully.

"I only eat regenerative whole foods and herbs. But you can have some too." She said absently as if this part of her life was simply taken care of; she closed the notebook. When she stood, she shook out her hair and adjusted her form-fitting but not too tight clothes. He noted how skinny she was, and how well-defined her muscles. Except for the tiny pouch of tummy bulge, he'd never have known she had just had a baby.

"You've been working out." He observed allowing his voice to show his admiration.

Melia blew out her breath and smiled tolerantly. "Yep."

"So, will we have regenerative herbs together then? Can we eat them somewhere private, so I can have a little time with you?"

Melia's head jerked side to side as if a puppet master shook her. "Why do you need a little time with me? I thought you were more Meg's friend."

He gave her a quirky little smile and then blinked. "We might need to start over then. Me and Meg are co-workers. We're not friends. I became friends with your late husband before he died and... I thought you and I were becoming friends, too."

Melia lifted the baby's seat and slung it onto her forearm. "Huh." She grunted and preceded him out the door, feeling the current locked inside her lash out in his direction, sending a funny tingle through her arms and legs at his touch on the small of her back. "Well, I guess we can eat herbs together then. Maybe we can have a picnic if the wind's not too cold."

"It's a date then." He agreed quickly with a relieved smile and held the door for her as she left the studio. He managed to completely miss the quirky expression Melia tossed his way. His car was parked close to hers on the newly paved road leading through Rosewood's six hundred acre complex. The main house sat a off to the side, certainly within walking distance.

"I'm staying in one of the cottages." Melia pointed up the hill behind them, where he could see through the trees several homes with beautiful balconies overlooking the river that wound through Rosewood.

"I am too. I'll come over around five then?" It was only four now.

"Why don't you just come on over?" Melia invited, feeling a strange build coming on, one she neither understood nor had ever felt before. It reminded her of when she'd met Ryan, and she was attracted to that feeling and wanted to give it a moment to bloom.

"Sure. I'll just leave my car here, and come with you, okay?"

Melia put the baby into the car and locked her seat into place. She nodded, unlocking the doors and sliding into the driver's side, waiting for him to get in the passenger's side. Their hands brushed as they both reached for their seat belts and Melia laughed with remembered feeling, as the current came alive inside her once again.

******