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Mel has just gotten their gravity filter up and running and is setting up lunch while her dad finishes hanging up their hip waders to let them air out a bit before they head back out for the afternoon. They’ve just settled in at the picnic table with their sandwiches, when a man approaches. He’s tall, dark-haired, and, if Mel had to guess, in his mid-40s. He stops about 20 feet away.
“Hi,” he calls. “I’m sorry to intrude, but my filter appears to be broken. Is there any chance you could spare some water?
Mel glances at her father when he doesn’t immediately answer, startled when she notices that her father is gaping at the man, mouth slightly open. She’s always suspected that her father might be bicurious and no doubt the man is very pretty, but still.
“Of course,” she says quickly, kicking her father under the table to remind him of his manners. “We just set it up, though, so it’ll take a little bit.”
“Thank you,” the man says. “I really appreciate it.”
Mel nods. “Happy to help. Would you like to sit down?”
“If you don’t mind,” he says.
“Not at all,” Mel says. “I’d offer you a sandwich, but we only have enough for two. Please help yourself to the potato chips, though. If you’d like.”
“All good,” the man replies. “I brought my own food. I’m Keanu,” he introduces himself as he sits down beside Mel.
“Hi Keanu,” Mel says. “I’m Mel. And this is my dad, Anthony,” she adds, when it becomes apparent that her father is not going to introduce himself. She kicks him under the table again.
“It’s nice to meet you both,” Keanu says as he opens his backpack and pulls out a thermos and a bag of carrot sticks. Mel tries to contain her surprise when the man then pulls what appears to be a whole, sealed jar of pickles from his backpack.
“What are you here for?” Mel asks politely, when it appears that her father has forgotten his manners entirely. “We’re here for the fly fishing.”
“Just here to see the nature,” he says amiably. “Montana is beautiful this time of year.”
“It really is,” Mel agrees. “Much less busy than Yellowstone,” she adds. “Gorgeous, but crowded!”
“Couldn’t agree more,” Keanu says. “Would you like some pickles?”
“Yes, please!” Mel says eagerly, thanking him with a nod as he hands her the pickle fork. “Would you like a chocolate chip cookie? My sister and I made them.”
“Sure,” Keanu says, taking a cookie from the bag she’s holding out. “Thank you.”
Mel takes a bite of the pickle. “Oh, this is interesting. Did you make these?”
“I did,” he says.
Mel nods slowly. “Is that turmeric?”
“Sure is,” Keanu says. “It’s my aunt’s recipe.”
“They’re very good. Thank you.”
He smiles at her as he takes a bite of his own pickle.
“Keanu is a cool name,” Mel says thoughtfully. “I’ve never met a Keanu before.”
“It’s Hawaiian,” Keanu replies. “It means ‘cool breeze’.”
Mel smiles. “I like that. Mel is short for Melissa,” she says. “Which I think is Greek for honeybee, right?” she directs at her father, who’s still inexplicably and uncharacteristically silent.
“Yeah,” her dad says, oddly choked.
Mel shoots him a look. He’s being rude. “Anyways,” she says. “Are you from Hawaii?”
“My dad is,” Keanu says. “I’m Canadian, although I live in Los Angeles.”
Mel wrinkles her nose. “I’m sorry.” Her father widens his eyes and tilts his head pointedly. “I mean, I hope you like it there,” she adds quickly. “I visited UCLA a few months ago because I was interested in their marine biology program, but I can’t handle the smog.”
“No, you’re right,” Keanu agrees. “The smog can be a lot. It’s why it’s important to get out when you can, reconnect with nature.”
Mel smiles. “Exactly. So,” she says, trying to carry the conversation, since her father is still sitting silently on the other side of the table, unnaturally focused on his sandwich. “What do you do?”
Keanu takes another bite of pickle before replying. “I’m in the entertainment industry.”
“Ah, okay,” Mel says. “That explains the LA part. My dad’s in the military. We’re moving to Guam at the end of the summer.”
“Guam,” Keanu repeats. “That’s quite the move.”
“We’ve moved around a lot,” Mel says. “I’m excited for Guam, actually, the scuba diving is supposed to be incredible. Nothing against Lithuania, but it was a lot of potatoes.”
“Right – you said you were interested in marine biology,” Keanu says.
Mel beams at him. “Sure am. I want to study whales, and Guam has lots of opportunities for whale watching. I’ve never seen a humpback before.”
“I went scuba diving in Australia a few years ago,” Keanu offers. “It was beautiful. It’s so peaceful underwater.”
“Exactly. Were you in the Great Barrier Reef?”
Keanu nods. “I lived in Sydney briefly as a child and went back a few years ago to visit.”
“Oh, I’m so jealous,” she sighs. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get there at some point.”
“Where did your interest in marine biology come from?” he asks.
“Finding Nemo,” she answers promptly. “I probably watched it 100 times as a kid.”
Keanu laughs. “Good answer. That’s a great movie.”
“Isn’t it? And then we were visiting my grandmother in Florida, and my parents finally let me go scuba diving and I’ve never looked back.”
“We didn’t have much of a choice,” her father finally chimes in. “You brought it up every day for six months straight.”
Mel shrugs. “I know what I want.”
“It’s good to follow your dreams,” Keanu says. “I’m glad you found something you love. Makes life worthwhile.”
“Thank you,” she says, smiling at him. “I agree.”
“It sounds like you’ve moved around a lot,” he says. “I did too.”
“Not the military, though,” Mel says.
Keanu shakes his head. “No, just for my mom’s work. I was born in Lebanon, and then we were in Sydney, then New York briefly, but my formative years were spent in Toronto.”
“I have an aunt in Toronto,” Mel says. “It’s a nice city.”
They spend the next few minutes eating pickles and chatting about other places they’ve visited, favourite hiking spots, and other things, her father finally joining the conversation. Keanu is a pleasant conversationalist, and Mel almost forgets why he’s there to begin with.
“Oh,” she says, getting up to check the filter and unplugs the bag. “It looks like there’s enough water for you now.”
“Thank you again,” Keanu says as she fills up his water bottle. “I really appreciate it.”
“Of course!” Mel says. “Hydration is important, especially in this heat.”
He smiles at her. “It was very nice to meet you, Mel,” Keanu says. “And you, Anthony. Good luck with the trout.”
Mel smiles back at him. “Thanks! Enjoy your hike.”
“I will,” he says, and departs with a wave.
Mel watches him walk off into the distance, then turns to her father. “Are you feeling okay?” she asks suspiciously. “What was that?”
“Mel,” her dad says slowly. “Do you know who that was?”
“Yeah,” Mel says, the duh evident in her voice. “Keanu. He told us his name, remember?”
“He did,” her dad says. “Do you remember when we watched that movie a few years ago, The Matrix?”
Mel shoves her glasses up her nose, trying to think. “Maybe? Is that the baseball one?”
“You’re thinking of Moneyball, sweetie,” he says. “The Matrix is the one where reality is revealed to be a simulation.”
“Right!” Mel says, nodding. “Like in Wall-E.”
“Like in Wall-E,” her dad says with a sigh.
“Wait,” Mel says slowly as the pieces click into place. “That was Keanu Reeves?”
Her dad rubs his forehead. “Yeah,” he says, somewhere between weary and amused.
“Oh my god,” she says, hand over her mouth. “He was in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure! We watched that in history class!”
“That,” Langdon says, elbows resting on the break room table, head in his hands, “is the most ridiculous story I’ve ever heard. Santos is going to lose her shit.”
Mel furrows her eyebrows. “That can’t possibly be true.”
“No, it is,” he mumbles. “What do you mean you’ve eaten Keanu Reeves’ homemade pickles?”
“They were good,” she insists. “Garlicky.” Langdon makes a strangled noise as Mel takes another sip of tea. “We were fishing in Montana, Frank. Nothing crazy about that. Actually,” she adds, “if you want crazy, you should hear about the time my grandfather got arrested for egging Margaret Thatcher.”