Dream Date (24 page)

“You’re not sick, are you?”

“I wouldn’t let you near me if I were.”

“I’ll take your word,” Kayla said, and then thought of something to say to change the subject. “Listen, I got a quote today from the landlord. We’ll split half and half, if you’re okay with it.” Kayla gave Nathan the price.

“Sounds good. When do we move, then?”

“That depends on how soon it takes for the school to revoke your residence here. I’d like for us to move to the new place by next week.”

“Can’t wait,” said Nathan, trying to mean it. He looked at Kayla. Living with such a pretty girl should be any guy’s dream. Nathan felt it should be his, too. He took hold of her hand, caressing it softly.

Amanda was watching TV, thinking about the great time she spent with Kellan. Who knew he could be such a fun guy? Amanda had only known him as her serious, poker-faced bodyguard. She had almost forgotten that underneath the exterior, Kellan was young and was like most guys his age. He hadn’t seen enough in life—or in his job—to give him a hardened demeanor. Unlike Grayson.

The man now stood somewhere in the house with her, watching out for her safety. Though Amanda was in good terms with both of her guards, she’d always felt closer to Kellan. Maybe it was because he was closer to her age. He wasn’t very long out of college.

Just then, Amanda’s smartphone beeped once. She picked it up from the coffee table. There was a new-email notification. Amanda opened her mail app and checked it.

Amanda,

Hi. There’s something I would like to ask you. Do you have space in your schedule for extra photo shoots? I have a photographer friend, the one I told you about. Rachel’s really looking forward to working with you. I know this is not the official channel, but I need your answer.

The e-mail was from Marissa. After reading it, Amanda thought about it. She had a bunch of photo shoots pending for the next three months. Amanda thought that she may have time in November. She didn’t have too many gigs booked for that month.

Amanda typed out her reply.

Hi, Marissa,

I’m always open for any photo shoot offers. Tell Rachel I look forward to meeting her. She can get in touch with me at this address.

Amanda hit Send. She then checked the time on her phone. There was half an hour left for her live Twitter Q&A. Hilbert and the modeling agency had arranged the event. They thought it would be a great promotional move. Amanda agreed to do it because she wanted to be a role model for young women, someone who could inspire them.

By the time the thirty minutes went, Amanda had switched on her computer and gotten ready. She’d almost gone to refresh her makeup, but decided not to do it. Amanda didn’t want others to think that she had to look perfect at all times. She was just a normal person.

Amanda’s smartphone rang. She answered. It was Hilbert’s secretary.

“You’re going online in five minutes
,” the woman said.
“Are you ready? Remember to look for questions with the hashtag ‘AskAmandaTilley’, okay?”

“Yeah. Let’s get started.”

Amanda hung up, and took a deep breath. Last summer, she’d done something similar. Hilbert had organized a video chat where fans could talk with Amanda in real time. The event had been a success.

The smartphone beeped once. Amanda knew it was a text, which was her cue to go ahead. She sent a tweet announcing that she was online and ready to answer questions. Then Amanda searched for the hashtag.

There were lots of questions submitted already. Hilbert had told Amanda to only answer those that came within the one-hour time frame allotted for the Q&A. That would save her time.

Amanda browsed through the questions and found one that she liked. A fan from Colorado asked, “How do you feel about your job pressures (staying thin, dealing with paparazzi, etc.)?”

After thinking about the question, Amanda typed her reply.

“You see me in catalogs and mags more than in the runway for this: I don’t let others pressure me into being stick-thin. It’s important for me to project a healthy image.”

Satisfied with her answer, Amanda moved on to another question. It was from a Georgia fan: “Were you nervous on your first-ever photo shoot?”

Amanda thought it was an easy question.

“Yep. It’s hard not to be nervous your first time. My face was so red! But the photographers were great. I felt comfortable.”

A fan from New York asked: “Did you always want to be a model, or is there something else you’d like to be?”

Amanda answered it.

“I became a model after my friends suggested it. But I really want to be an architect. It’s my dream job.”

Amanda then answered a question from a California fan: “What diet(s) do you follow to look so good? I can’t eat a damn slice of cake without stretching my pants.”

“I eat what I want, balanced of course. Junk food’s ok now and then. Exercise if you want to eat more & look great. 3 days a week is enough.”

There was another question from a fan in Florida: “How do you feel about photo shoots where nudity is expected of you?”

Amanda thought about the question.

“When it’s tasteful, I’m ok with nudity. Nothing to be ashamed of. But my limit is that my crotch area is private. No one needs to see that.”

Amanda tweeted the answer. She then read another question. “What made you take a short break from modeling? Is it true you went to rehab?”

The question was appalling to Amanda. Sometimes the press went a little too far with untrue statements.

“Let me stress this point: I’ve never been to rehab. I’m an emotionally stable young woman. My break was for purely personal reasons.”

Hoping the answer would squash any further gossip about her health, Amanda moved on. She read another question: “Do you have any role models? People who inspire you?”

“Jennifer Lawrence. She’s rad, and fun. And she isn’t pressured to have a stick waist. Her body’s perfect! No need for crazy diets. It’s sad to me when girls become anorexic just because they want to look like their favorite models.”

Amanda had to divide that tweet into two due to the character limit. She submitted it, and then looked at the time.

Wow. Only thirty-six minutes left. This went by really fast.

Amanda read more fan questions and answered them. She liked connecting with her fans. Most of them had great things to say to her.

There was a knock on Hilbert’s study. He looked up, wondering who it was.

“Enter.”

A big man entered. Hilbert recognized him as his right hand, his most faithful assistant.

“What news do you have?”

“Sir, we’ve gotten hold of one of the men who assaulted Ms. Tilley.”

“That’s great news! What did you learn from him?”

“He claimed it was Rebecca who hired him. Their intention was to kidnap Amanda to keep her away from you. Apparently, Rebecca feared she’d hurt you.”

Hilbert looked furious.

“I’ll have a serious word with her.”

Hilbert’s servant cleared his throat.

“There’s something else, boss. I’ve had a guy follow Amanda as you instructed. Her bodyguards haven’t noticed his presence.”

“Yes. And?”

“Today, as our guy followed Amanda after she left the library, he saw another guy following her. It’s not someone we know. They seemed to be attracted to each other. At one point, they almost kiss.”

“What? Who is this guy?”

“Our informant has done some research and learned that the guy’s name is Nathan Ferland.”

Hilbert frowned. The name wasn’t familiar to him.

“What happened afterward?”

“Nothing. Amanda pushed the guy away. He looked pretty upset after she fled.”

“She fled?” Hilbert repeated, surprised.

“Yeah. They seemed to argue, they almost kiss, she pushed him, and then left.”

“The guy sought Amanda in the first place?”

“Yes.”

Hilbert growled, looking crestfallen.

“He’s definitely interested. I want to know all about this prick.
Everything
, you get it?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll tell our informant right away.”

Hilbert’s right-hand man left the room. The former remained seated, thinking through what he’d just learned.

So, you’re getting cozy with another jerk again, Amanda?
Hilbert thought.
I won’t allow that. You are mine and mine alone.

Emmy and Judith stopped by Amanda’s apartment the next morning. They had agreed to work out together.

“Hi, girls,” Amanda said, opening the door for her friends and letting them in.

“Where’s Kellan?” Emmy asked.

“Grayson’s here now. Kellan’s shift starts in about fifteen minutes.”

Amanda and her friends walked to the gym room. The three of them took off their blouses, wearing sports bras underneath.

“Where were you yesterday, Judith?” Amanda asked. Judith’s expression became irritated.

“I had sort of a bad weekend.”

Emmy frowned.

“Why? Weren’t you dating this guy, um, Ashton?”

“Please don’t mention his name.”

Amanda and Emmy exchanged puzzled glances.

“Did he do something to you?” the former asked.

“He was a complete jerk,” Judith said, starting to do warm-up stretches. Amanda and Emmy followed suit. “Do you know what the bastard did?”

Judith paused for dramatic effect.

“He kissed his girlfriend in front of me.”

Amanda blinked in confusion.

“As far as I know, Ashton’s a serial dater. He doesn’t have a steady girlfriend.”

“He seemed pretty tight with this redhead.”

Emmy and Amanda thought over the revelation.

“Wait,” said the latter. “Ashton may not be an exemplary gentleman, but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t call you to his dorm just to humiliate you like that.”

“Trust me, that’s exactly what he did. And I spent three freakin’ hours making myself pretty just for him.”

Emmy sensed danger.

“You’re not going to get him back for it, are you?”

Judith was known for holding long grudges.

“He’s not worth my trouble. Not. One. Bit.”

Amanda put a hand on Judith’s shoulder.

“We’re sorry, friend.”

“We thought your luck didn’t run out,” Emmy said. “Usually, you’re the first of us to get into a relationship.”

“Well, I’m going to be more careful with guys from now on. No one will make fun of me again.”

“That’s the spirit,” Amanda said.

After the short warm-up, Judith and her friends went to grab some 6-pound dumbbells off the rack.

“How about you?” Emmy asked Amanda. “What’s going on between you and Nathan?”

Amanda shot Emmy a confused look.

“Nothing’s going on. What makes you think that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe the way your eyes shine when you hear his name.”

Amanda threw her head back.

“Please, friend. Take off your rose-tinted lenses.”

“She’s got a point,” Judith said. “If you won’t talk to him, I might play matchmaker.”

“He has a girlfriend. I do
not
steal boyfriends.”

“Okay, okay,” Emmy said with a laugh. Amanda shook her head.

“Why don’t we go on a girls’ night out? We might find a boyfriend,” Judith suggested.

“What about Emmy? She has a crush on Brad.”

“That doesn’t count. She has a crush on every good-looking guy connected to you.”

Emmy frowned at Judith.

“What’s your plan?” Amanda asked.

“Hit a disco or something.”

That rang a bell.

“Kellan said he would take me to a disco or a club.”

Judith’s eyes widened.

“He what? You’re kidding.”

“No. We went bowling yesterday.”

Amanda filled her friends in on that.

“I didn’t know you guys were that close.”

“Neither did I. Kellan just got the idea out of the blue and took me there. He said he doesn’t only care about my life. He also worries about my feelings.”

“Oh. And you guys are on a first-name basis?” Emmy asked her.

“We decided calling each other by our last names everywhere except at school was too confusing.”

“Why don’t you date him?”

Amanda narrowed her eyes.

“Emmy, you come up with these crazy ideas.”

“Why not? You wanted a guy to help you forget Nathan. Well, you’ve got Kellan.”

“He’s just a friend.”

“There’s no rule that says friends can’t become more,” Judith said.

“Judi. Both of you are getting too carried away.”

“Oops, maybe you’re right. I’ll stop. But we should still go out one of these nights.”

“I’ll think about it,” Amanda said.

Grecia applied the finishing touches of her makeup. She looked at both sides of her face in the mirror, checking for any flaws. Kayla was sitting on the bed behind her. Their classes had already ended.

“You’re armed to kill, girl,” she said.

“Ashton’s the man of my dreams,” Grecia replied. “I won’t keep my arms crossed anymore. I’ll fight for him.”

“Are you two going on a date?”

“No. I’m going to surprise him.”

Grecia stood up and moved in a circle.

“You look fabulous,” Kayla told her. “Even Ashton won’t be able to look at other women with you there.”

“May God hear you. I’ll need all the luck in the world to conquer a womanizer.”

“Friend, you’ve got everything you need. You have such great assets. I envy you.”

Grecia laughed, grabbing a bottle of perfume. She pressed the top, lightly spraying herself.

“Where are you going to take him?” Kayla asked.

“I don’t know. We’ll think about it. But you watch, I’m going to seduce the seducer.”

Grecia walked out of her room, and Kayla followed after her.

“You’re going to see apartments today with Nathan, right?”

“Yeah. He’s going to pick me up an hour after he returns from work. That’s about three hours from now.”

Grecia grabbed her purse from the coffee table (which was a
real
coffee table, albeit a small one obtained from a garage sale), and prepared to leave.

“Wish me luck, friend.”

“Good luck,” Kayla said, placing her hands on Grecia’s shoulders. “Go get him.”

Grecia turned and left the dorm, closing the door behind her.

The walk to the dorms where Ashton and Nathan stayed wasn’t long. Grecia only walked for about a couple of minutes until she reached the building. She walked up the stairs to the floor where their room was.

Grecia stood in front of the door and knocked. There was no response. She looked down under the door and saw that the dorm appeared to be dark. Maybe no one was there. Grecia knocked a second time and turned her back on the door, tapping her foot. She was already having doubts about her plan.

Thirty seconds passed, and still no one answered. Ashton was definitely not in the dorm.

Grecia looked down over the parking lot, wondering where Ashton might be. She turned and walked back down the stairs.

Less than a mile away, Ashton was following Judith. She had left her last class ten minutes ago. Ashton was waiting for Amanda to leave her alone.

The two women got to one of the parking lots. After a few moments, Amanda got into her car and left the campus with her bodyguard. Judith walked back the way they had come. She was heading in the direction of the Olin library.

Ashton intercepted Judith a building away from the parking lot she’d walked from. When she caught sight of him, she did a double-take.

“Hi, beautiful,” Ashton greeted. Judith narrowed her eyes at him.

“You cynic bastard. I can’t believe you have the face to stand in front of me after what you did.”

“Look, I can explain.”

“Classic answer. I don’t want to hear you.”

“That girl you saw me with was no one. I sent her away after you left.”

Judith gave Ashton an exasperated look.

“You expect me to believe you said no to curves like that? Please.”

“No, I’m serious, Judith. I really want you.”

“You’ve got a great way of showing it.”

Ashton walked closer to Judith, looking down at her lips. He smiled.

“You know you want this, too.”

Judith stood her ground.

“Guess what? Your cheap seduction tricks don’t work on me,” she said, her voice faltering a bit. Ashton didn’t miss that.

“Go ahead, Judith. Give in.”

“No. Go away.”

At that moment, Grecia spotted them from a distance. She was heading to the parking lot to get her car and look for Ashton out in the city. Grecia saw him and Judith together. They were too close for her liking.

Grecia sat on a bench, watching them surreptitiously. They seemed to be arguing. She was trying to decide whether she should intervene.

At one point, Judith made to slap Ashton. He quickly caught her wrist, shaking his head. He then lowered her hand, using the opportunity to get closer to her. Ashton touched Judith’s bare shoulders.

No, he won’t.

Grecia stood up and strode in their direction. Judith and Ashton continued arguing, but it seemed like he was winning. Judith was looking up at him with what seemed like desire in her eyes.

Just when Grecia was less than a hundred feet away from them, Ashton brazenly planted a kiss on Judith’s lips. When he leaned back, she looked at him with wide eyes. Ashton smiled and kissed Judith again. This time, she let herself get carried away. Ashton pushed her until her back was against the wall.