Unintended

It was amazing how the time just seemed to zoom on by without a second thought while I was on this quasi-vacation away from my life on stage. A week had flown past since I've last seen Matt, Dom, and Chris during my day in the studio with them. Since then, we occasionally talked on the phone or met for late night dinners in some restaurants before we'd go home. I found a new sense of happiness now that I was a little more social with people that I shared a lot in common with. Most of my life, I spent my time too engrossed with working or taking classes to have many friends so now, at the age of twenty four, I could happily say that I finally found some amazing friends.

Chris and I would often talk about his wife and children back in Teignmouth or we would go get coffee together for the group if the band was burning the midnight oil in the studio. He was the calm, quiet type of the group, which balanced out Dom's energetic behavior and Matt's creative conspiracy genius. It was great to be able to spend time with someone just to enjoy their company rather than making foolish, irrelevant conversation that would lead nowhere. Chris and I were the kind of friends that could just comfortably enjoy each other's company with hardly any need for unnecessary conversation. It was a good thing to have because if something important were to come up, I knew Chris would be there to listen to me.

Dom was just the opposite. He and I would always have to be doing something physical, like running after one another or arm wrestling. When we did talk, he always told me the hilarious happenstances of their life on tour and I told him how to make delicious food. He desperately wanted to eat some of my home cooked food and kept badgering me to make him something. Dom was like a young child trapped in the body of a grown man, reminding me of the things I missed out in my own childhood due to my ambitions. I was glad I was able to re-live it now with a friend like him.

With Matt, I got a combination of the calm, quiet type that Chris often projected as well as the erratic, energetic behavior Dom was so well known for. Most of the time, I would hold long conversations with him about the various topics such as conspiracy theories he had knowledge on to information about my childhood. For some reason, I felt really comfortable with Matt, like I'd known him all my life. He was easy to be around and I sort of found myself wanting to be around him more if I wasn't with him already. It was odd. He made me feel like a lovesick teenager again, though I wasn't sure if what I was feeling was in fact the beginning of romance. I didn't do romance because there was no time for it.

Today, the boys and I decided that we would go on a picnic together in Holland Park while they were on break from writing. It was an opportunity for me to spend my time preparing good food for everyone to eat, since they had become accustomed to ordering out with their hectic schedules. Matt had come up with the idea of spending time in the park, since it was one of our favorite places to visit so I decided to feed them while they were on break, which they were rather happy about. Dom nearly tackled me when I mentioned bringing food along on our outing.

Most of my morning was spend listening to Modest Mouse and preparing food for the guys. I got up early to shower and dress before heading to the market for last minute ingredients to make the picnic food. It had been a long time since I had gone on a picnic so I wanted to reconstruct a perfect picnic for everyone so they could head back into the studio with satisfied stomachs.

While I was in the check-out line of the market, I noticed quite a few magazines with eye-catching headlines. I picked up one of the gossip magazines and looked at the cover, nearly gasping in astonishment at what I saw. Matt and I were pictured on the front of the magazine, Matt's arm looking as if it's around my shoulders as we walked into a restaurant. A few other pictures of the two of us were also shown on the cover, smaller than the initial picture but still along the same lines as the cover shot.

West End Princess Meets Her Muse read the headline with smaller print underneath that read, Romance blossoms quickly between popular stage actress, Gabriella Nightingale, and lead singer/guitarist of Muse, Matt Bellamy. I laughed to myself a bit, shaking my head at the nonsense as I continued reading the article. By the time I go to the check-out counter, I decided to buy it for kicks so I could show the guys when I saw them.

Though the initial discovery of these magazine headlines shocked me, I realized that I should have expected this behavior since it seemed a lot like something Carolina would do to boost my publicity. She was convinced that buzz about some kind of romance between me and some other star would just generate more job offers and also get her in a better position with her boss. I didn't really like the idea of it but there was no way I could fire her. She was really good at her job and I trusted her most of the time when it came to important things like negotiating contracts and arranging my schedule. I decided that I would have to have a talk with her today when I met with her about my next job.

Over the last week, I had been sifting through the scripts in my apartment, reading over the roles directors offered me. Though a lot of them were not my cup of tea, a few of them really got my attention. One of them was the lead of the RSC production of As You Like It, one of my favorite Shakespeare comedies of all time. The director of the production was Gareth Detricks, the director Carolina insisted I meet the night of the wrap up party for The Importance of Being Earnest. Another role I was interested in was a small guest role for my favorite series on television, Doctor Who where I would appear in one of the upcoming specials. Since it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, I really wished to take that role though it conflicted with the play I wished to be in as well.

There was a knock at my apartment door, breaking my thoughts as I finished packing the food into our basket. I glanced at the clock, noticing the guys were a little earlier than the time we agreed upon. I dashed to the door, unlocking it and heading back to the kitchen.

"Sorry, I'm a bit early," Matt said, walking into my apartment.

"It's ok. I'm nearly done packing everything up," I replied. "Feel free to make yourself at home for the time being."

"Anything I can do to be of assistance?" he offered.

"Um, could you fold up that black star blanket?" I asked. He nodded and began folding the blanket. "So, where are Dom and Chris this fine afternoon?"

"Dom wanted to tag along but Roger and Chris wanted him to re-do a track so he was forced to stay behind. It all seemed rather suspicious to me since they were whispering amongst themselves but whatever. It's their loss," he smiled, leaning against the bar of my kitchen with the blanket folded over his arm.

"Maybe they took the article seriously," I shrugged, closing the top of the basket.

"Article?" he questioned curiously.

"Have you not seen it yet?" He shook his head in response as I grabbed it from the kitchen table. I laid it down in front of him as he leaned closer to read it. "Apparently, we're one of London's hottest new couples."

"West End Princess Meets Her Muse; romance blossoms quickly between popular stage actress, Gabriella Nightingale, and lead singer/guitarist of Muse, Matt Bellamy," he read aloud. "Though the article looks like it's ninety percent bullocks, they managed to snag a couple of decent photos of us on the front," he chuckled, glancing up at me.

"That was my same exact thought," I laughed. "Shall we go?" I asked, grabbing the blanket from the counter.

He nodded, "Of course."

We walked to the front door, Matt helping me with my coat before we were out the door. I locked the door and followed him down the stairs to where his car was parked. He drove a black BMW in very good condition, which surprised me a bit. I always thought of BMWs as flashy, rich cars but Matt's car looked almost as if it suited him. It was just modest enough to pass as just another car owned by a regular bloke.

Matt placed the basket and blanket in the backseat of the car as I slid into the passenger's seat, fastening my seatbelt and looking around at the cream-colored, leather interior. Matt sat in the driver's seat, firing up the engine and pulling away from the curb in the direction of Holland Park. Though the park was a short walking distance from our apartment building, Matt had to return to the studio in Soho after our picnic, so he was forced to drive his car rather than walk. According to him, he preferred walking to driving.

"So, what else did the article say?" Matt asked curiously, breaking the brief, comfortable silence between us.

"Basically, you and I met recently on the final night of my play and hit it off extremely well," I said.

"At least that's true," he replied.

"Then it goes on to say that we have a very strong attraction to each other that has led to many secret dates throughout downtown London," I said, shaking my head. "I would really like to know when we had the time to go out on secret dates."

"Me too. I hardly have time to go back to my flat for a nap let alone orchestrate secret romantic rendezvous," he chuckled.

"We've only known each other a short time to be involved in such a passionate love affair as they suggest," I said.

"Exactly. We're friends. New friends," he replied. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Something about how final his tone sounded when he said we were only friends tugged at my heart. I don't know why I had such a negative reaction to his comment, especially since it was the truth but I disregarded it. We were only friends and that's all we'd be considering neither of us had time for anything more.

Matt parked the car alongside the curb closest to the park entrance where the Japanese gardens were. We both got out of the car and headed in the direction of the gardens, Matt carrying the blanket and basket after much protest. Once we were close enough to the pond, we stopped and spread the dark blanket over the green grass and took a seat on top of it.

I pulled the basket closer to me, opening up the top and pulling out utensils and napkins. I spent the later part of the morning, after my return from the market, making Mufuletta sandwiches on sourdough bread, pasta salad, melon slices, mint iced tea, and lemon squares for dessert. It was a simple enough meal, covering all the basics one would usually take with them on a picnic yet still, very delicious. I was so glad that I had learned the essentials to cooking from my grandmother. It really paid off for moments like this. I opened the containers of food, placing them on the blanket before handing Matt a plate.

"This looks delicious," Matt smiled, looking over the food.

"Well, it's just enough to keep you going in the studio for the next few hours," I said, also smiling. "I thought Dom and Chris were also going to join us so I made extra. You can take the leftovers to them when you head back to the studio," I said, unwrapping one of the sandwiches.

"Dom's love for you will increase with free food," Matt laughed.

"Next thing you know, he'll be my next suggested romance on the front page of the papers," I said, shaking my head at the thought.

"How is it that the media wasn't camped outside of our flat building?" he asked curiously.

"The media believes I live in a whole separate part of London way across the city," I replied, taking a bite of my sandwich. "I worked very hard to ensure to them that I live close to east London so I could enjoy my private life."

"Seems rather sensible to me," Matt nodded, chewing a piece of melon. "At least neither of us has to fight a media circus to get home."

"Yeah, it's a definite upside," I said in agreement. "I'm sure Carolina is buzzing with joy over this article. She wanted me in a romance with someone so I could wind up in the tabloids. She's convinced it's the only way I'll get more offers for jobs."

"But you do pretty well without news headlines, don't you?" he asked.

"Of course I do. People recognize my talent and offer me plenty of jobs. Right now, I have about fifteen scripts for plays as well as another ten or so for television shows where they either want me as a guest star or a short reoccurring role," I explained.

"Anything interesting on the telly?" he asked.

"Believe it or not, I've been offered to guest star in one of the Doctor Who specials that will air next year," I grinned.

"No! Really?" he asked with enthusiasm.

"Seriously! I nearly fainted when I saw that offer waiting for me in the pile. Doctor Who! Me, in one of my favorite television shows alongside amazing actors, especially David Tennant! The Doctor himself! I couldn't believe it!" I gushed, unable to stop myself from smiling.

"Are you gonna take it then?" he asked.

"I'm not sure yet," I replied, my expression falling a bit as I spoke.

"Why not?" he questioned further.

"Well, the filming for it clashes for a stage play role I'm interested in doing as well," I sighed. "I'm not sure it'll work out so well for me."

"What play?"

"Shakespeare's As You Like It. It's a Royal Shakespeare Company production and I'm being offered to play the lead, Rosalind," I smiled. "It's one of my favorite plays so of course I wish to accept that role but if I do, I'm not sure I can make Doctor Who work out."

"You'll figure out how to make both work. Maybe the play won't start for a while so you can do the filming for Doctor Who," he suggested with a shrug.

"We'll see how things go when I meet Carolina later," I sighed.

"Do you have any idea who would be playing your Orlando for the Shakespeare production?" he asked.

"Probably Ianto Marks," I replied. "He's the 'it' boy of the Royal Shakespeare Company so it's most likely that I'll be acting with him, which is fine because he is a very good actor. I wouldn't mind acting with him but I'm not sure how I feel about him flirting with me," I added, taking a sip of mint iced tea.

"I thought all that stuff in the papers was just nonsense in the same way our news is," Matt said, taking a bite of pasta salad.

"Oh no way," I laughed. "Most of the stuff written about Ianto Marks and his whirlwind romances with his female co-stars turns out to be true. The theatre community in London is rather small so we find out what's really going on in each other's lives."

"So there's a lot of gossiping in your world then?"

"There's a lot of gossiping no matter what world you're in. Unfortunately, human nature makes us rather curious creatures consumed with unimportant news about who's dating whom and if that guy cheated on his wife with his nanny. I guess in the theatre world though, it's less obvious the gossiping is going on as opposed to a high school locker room," I shrugged. "I just try to steer clear of it. It's none of my business what others are doing nor do I take interest in spreading it to other people. The result of spreading such information could be harmful and I don't like to cause anyone harm."

"Yeah, I understand that. I've never been one to dish about other people's lives, except when it comes to my closest friends and usually, I'm only telling them the things they'd either find out anyway or already know. Gossip is a nasty creature," he said.

"I guess I'll be the next one in the hot seat now because of our recent 'secret' romance and due to my co-star's womanizing behavior," I said, using finger quotes as I spoke.

"Well, our news will die fast when everyone realizes they're blowing things way out of proportion," he said, once again causing my heart to sink at the reminder that we were only friends, "and I'm sure that things with Ianto Marks won't start because you'll turn him down if he does ask you out."

"That's true. He's not the type of man I see myself falling for," I laughed, shaking my head.

At that moment, I wanted to say, "You're the type of man I could fall for" but not only did it sound incredibly cheesy; I just didn't know why I was thinking that. It was true that Matt was almost like an ideal match for the kind of guy I would love to date but we were only friends. I didn't want to complicate matters by doing something as stupid as falling for the guy that was supposed to be my new friend. I really needed to pull myself together. It was not the time to involve myself in some new romance when I didn't have the time. There's no way it would work when we're both so involved in our own careers.

We continued to eat our lunch, enjoying the comfortable silence between us as I looked around at the scenery. I took a deep breath, smelling the newly blossoming flowers of the gardens. This really was my favorite place in the park because of spring. The flowers were blossoming beautifully, adding to how peaceful the scenery looked. The last bits of snow were melting, making water droplets fall from the edges of the petals to the grass below. Lily pads on the pond were no longer kept in place by the ice but rather, gently floated on top of the water, gently pushed along by the water it trickled down from the rocks. Everything about this place in spring made me smile.

I glanced over at Matt, who was studying me with a soft smile. I let out a small laugh and looked away from him, feeling my cheeks burn at his gaze. I chewed on my lower lip, running a hand through my dark hair and tried to sneak a peek at him from the corner of my eye without notice. His eyes were still on me, making me feel kind of nervous as to why he was staring.

"It's rude to stare Mr. Bellamy. I thought your mother would have taught you that," I said, taking a sip of tea.

"I was just noticing how absorbed you were in your thoughts. You seemed rather happy," he replied.

"I am rather happy. I enjoy spending time in this park during the spring. It's been a long time since I've actually been able to spend more than five minutes here while the flowers are blooming," I said with a smile. "When I return to work, I'm afraid I won't have time to enjoy such scenery because I'll be rushing off to meetings and readings and such."

"Honestly, I'll miss it too," he said. "We're trying our best to finish the record but it's a slow process. Now that we're going to Italy, it seems like we have to try and find some time to pack our things so we can head over there."

"I nearly forgot about that," I said lowly, looking down at my hands that held the small cup of tea. "When are you guys leaving?"

"Three days from now," Matt replied.

"Oh, that's sudden," I said quietly. "I know we just met and everything but you don't have to run away to another country to get away from me," I teased, trying to make myself a little more cheerful.

"Trust me, it's not to get away from you. Actually Dom wanted to kidnap you and smuggle you into Italy with us but I told him that not only would you object to him breaking into your apartment with rope and duct tape but you wouldn't like the idea of being shoved into his bag and riding down in storage," he said as I laughed.

"Did he really plan to kidnap me?" I asked.

Matt nodded, "Yes. He even drew up plans for it in which he wore a ski mask and said he would wait our air vents for the right time to pounce. Dom tends to get carried away with things like this."

"I guess I'll have to be careful of my air vents now," I said, shaking my head. "Did Chris get a chance to go home like he wanted?" I asked.

"Yeah. He went home last week for a few days. His family really missed him," he said.

"I can imagine. It must be hard on them since he's away a lot for work," I said.

"Yeah but when we get back from Italy, he's going straight home to Teignmouth for a week to spend some time with them. His wife made him promise he would go back so she doesn't go insane in the house with the kids," he chuckled. "She even phoned me to make sure he gets a week off, threatening to beat me with a frying pan if I try to keep him here."

"You better let him go then," I laughed. "I think he deserves some time with his wife and children for a change."

"Yeah, it's true," he nodded. "So when I get back from Italy, I'll have a week off to enjoy before it's time to get back to work."

"That's a good thing though. At least you won't burn out quickly," I replied.

"You think you'll be able to survive three weeks without our company?" he asked teasingly.

"I think I can manage. I miraculously made it twenty four years without knowing you guys so I think I can carry on for a few weeks while you're off enjoying the Italian scene," I joked as he laughed. "Seriously, I think I might have some time to actually miss you guys though, if I'm not swamped with work."

"Well that very reassuring," he said. "For a moment there, I thought you didn't care."

"How could I not? You guys are the only real friends I've had in a long time that aren't associated with work. It's been wonderful to spend so much time with you," I smiled.

"Truth be told, we really like having a girl around all of our shenanigans. It's nice to have a different perspective of things," he said, ruffling his spiky hair with his hand.

"Well, I'm glad I could be of use to you all with my feminine perspective, though it's rather flawed compared to other women," I said with a shrug, glancing at my phone for the time. "Oh jeez, we've been here nearly an hour already. Time seems to fly by fast when I'm spending time with you guys."

"I guess that means we're fun," he smiled.

"I guess so," I sighed, looking down at our blanket. "Should we pack everything up?"

"If we must," he groaned. "I don't wish to go back to the studio. It's like returning to a dark hole filled with technology and three very grumpy guys."

"Well, at least you can bribe them with the food I made. I'm sure they'll be more compliant with something to eat," I offered, placing all the food containers back into the basket.

"That's true. Dom will probably kiss me for bringing food back for him," Matt laughed, gathering all of our trash.

"Sometimes I question your real relationship with Dom," I said teasingly.

"Ah, you caught me. Dom and I are really lovers," he joked.

"No wonder you two seem to have a hard time keeping your hands off each other," I laughed. "You know, I should have figured as much. I've bared witness to secret fondling when you thought no one else was looking."

He laughed, shaking his head at my response as we stood from the blanket, "You're an absolute riot Gabriella. I knew there was a reason we enjoyed keeping you around."

"You mean besides having wonderful eye candy to look at you actually enjoy the things I have to say, even if it is a load of bullocks half the time?" I said sarcastically, folding up the blanket.

"See? Humor and looks; what more does a bloke need?" he grinned, walking to the bin to throw away our trash.

My heart seemed to flutter at his last statement as I held the blanket in my arms. I mentally cursed myself for finding him utterly charming and handsome against the beautiful gardens that were behind him as he walked toward me. I needed to stop thinking about him like this. Maybe it was a good thing that he was leaving for Italy. The distance would help me collect my thoughts and shrug off this ridiculous sense of attraction I felt for him before he returned.

Matt grabbed the basket and led me back toward the car, both of us taking our time along the sidewalks. There were few people in the park at the moment, many of them mothers with their young children on their way home or to the playground. I smiled at the memory of meeting Chris and Dom at the playground. At that moment, I knew I wasn't dealing with ordinary English fellows, especially when Dom tried to take me as a concubine of his playground empire.

"So, should I drop you home or can I give you a lift elsewhere?" he asked as he unlocked the doors of his car.

"That's very sweet of you Matt but I think I'll walk. I wouldn't want to make you boyfriend suspicious of our relationship by keeping you," I joked.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't mind it," he said.

I nodded, "Quite sure. Besides, I'm sure I'll see you lot sometime tonight when you all come back from the studio. Dom won't be able to resist an urge to barge into my apartment and demand to raid my fridge," I laughed.

"Quite right," Matt said, also laughing as he packed the basket and blanket into his car. "Well, I guess I'll be around later this evening to drop the picnic equipment back off to you," he said, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets.

"Make sure to feed the boys. I wouldn't want them to be too grumpy with you," I smiled. "And drive safely."

"Of course Mother," he said, playfully rolling his eyes.

"Prat," I replied, faking a glare.

Matt stepped forward, closing the small gap between us as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to him. At first, I was a little stunned at this action, my body tensing at his initial touch but slowly, I melted against him, also wrapping my arms around his waist. He was a little taller than I was so I raised myself on the balls of my feet to reach him comfortably, finding the simple friendly hug very warm. It was the first time we've made such intimate contact and I couldn't help but think about how right it felt to be in his arms at that moment.

Before I knew it, we were pulling away from each other sheepishly and nervously giggling to ourselves. Matt scratched the back of his neck, a nervous tick of his, while I chewed anxiously on my lower lip, trying to think of something to say. It seemed that neither of us was expecting that to happen.

"Well, I'll see you later then," I said, offering a small smile.

"Right, later," he nodded. "See you then," he said with a small grin on his face as well.

He walked around to the driver's side of the car, opening the door and looking up at me one last time. With a final wave between us, he got into his car and started the engine. I turned the opposite way, heading for the Underground station closest to the park. Digging through my purse, I pulled out my iPod and plugged in the headphones, hearing MGMT blasting through the speakers as I walked along the semi-busy streets of my neighborhood in London.

My cheeks burned when I thought about the brief hug we shared not a moment ago, though I was trying to convince myself that it was because of the chill in the air rather than Matt's effect on my emotions. In three days, he'd be off for Italy and I wouldn't get to see him. I would be busy with the beginning of work and he'll be away enjoying Italian food and possibly the company of the beautiful Italian girls for three weeks.

Three weeks with no Matt, no Dom, and no Chris; I really wasn't sure how I would make it so long with the people who had become my closest new friends.