Dream Date (26 page)

“Well, good morning, Amanda. It’s nice to see you today,” Hilbert said.

Amanda’s expression turned to anger.

“What are you doing here? Unless you want to talk business, you should leave.”

“Can’t I come see you if I want to?”

At that moment, Kellan stopped behind Amanda, regarding Hilbert with contempt. Amanda looked at Kellan, and then at Hilbert. The latter wasn’t fazed.

“You have no right over me.”

Hilbert scoffed.

“Whatever. You’re just one reason I’m here today. Apart from looking forward to seeing you, I’m on official business with the school.”

“You’re a talent agent. What could you possibly have to do here?”

“I’m representing my father. I don’t know if you remember, but he’s a very important senator. We are going to support medicine research at Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences.”

“How admirable of you.”

Hilbert ignored the scorn.

“I’m not going to bore you with all the details, so I’m going to tell you another thing. I didn’t send those two thugs after you. I found out who did.”

Amanda raised her eyebrows.

“Who was it?”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s been dealt with.”

Amanda didn’t look convinced.

“See how I’m looking after you? I’d never hurt you. I want you to be with me. You’re the best woman I could possibly ever find.”

“If you stopped being so fixated on me, maybe you could see that I’m no better than anyone else.”

“You’re drop-dead beautiful.”

“I’m just a normal girl from a small Illinois town.”

Hilbert shook his head.

“You’re such a Rory Gilmore. Why is it that beautiful women don’t realize how attractive they are?”

“I know I’m beautiful. I just don’t think I deserve to be treated like a queen just because of that.”

“Amanda, it’s not just your outer beauty. You’re also beautiful inside.”

“Right. If I were ugly and fat, you would be running the hell outta here.”

“But you’re not.”

Amanda sighed.

“You’ll never learn.”

“Amanda, I love
you
. To me, no other woman is more gorgeous than you are. Yeah, there are other exceedingly attractive Hollywood stars and supermodels, but it’s you that I want.”

“What a great way to put it. Don’t carry on or you’ll charm the pants off me.”

Kellan stifled a laugh. Amanda smiled.

“You’re wasting your best years, Amanda. You’ll never find anyone who will love you as much as I do. Why don’t you give me a chance?”

“Playing the desperate card isn’t going to help you. At least try not to press me. I told you that romance doesn’t interest me now.”

Hilbert sighed, seeming resigned.

Amanda made to walk past Hilbert, but he grabbed her bicep on the way.

“I’m not done.”

“Let go of me. You’ll make me late to class.”

“Take your hands off her, sir,” Kellan threatened.

“You are mine, Amanda, you hear?”

“Let me go!”

“Get away from her!”

Amanda, Kellan, and Hilbert all turned at the sound of that voice. Nathan was standing a few feet from them, staring at Hilbert in anger.

“This isn’t your business, kid.”

“Amanda doesn’t want to speak to you.”

Hilbert raised his eyebrows, and then looked at Amanda. He whistled.

“Oh. So you two know each other.”

“Yes, we know each other. Now, let go of Amanda or I’ll tell the college police that you’re harassing her.”

“I’m fine, Nathan. He was just leaving,” Amanda said, freeing herself from Hilbert’s grip.

“Listen to me, kid,” Hilbert said. “Amanda and I go way back. She’s mine. Don’t stand between us.”

With that, Hilbert turned and strode away into the campus.

“What did that bastard mean by, you two go way back?” Nathan asked Amanda.

“He’s no one. Don’t pay any attention to his antics.”

“Amanda, what’s going on? I think you should explain this to me.”

“Please let me go, or I’ll be late to class.”

Amanda walked away, followed by Kellan. Nathan watched them go, confused.

In between classes, Nathan and Kayla hung out with Ashton, Oswald, and Claire in a bench at the Cornell campus, close to the dorms. They all looked quite cheerful, but Nathan was secretly looking for the right moment to tell the truth to Kayla.

“I got a contact from the agency that’s creating my book cover art,” Kayla told them. “They’ve e-mailed me three variations so I can pick the one I like best.”

 “That’s amazing,” Nathan said. “Can we see the covers?”

Kayla pulled out her laptop from her backpack and resumed it from sleep. She logged in to her account and then browsed through her files. When she found the first image, she double-clicked it.

“That one looks awesome,” Claire said.

“It must be a fantastic feeling to have
New York Times Bestselling Author
above your name,” Ashton commented.

“My last book sold really well. I didn’t expect to have so much success.”

“Why? You’re amazing,” Nathan told her, and Kayla grabbed his hand, squeezing it lightly. The look she gave him almost made Nathan reconsider his decision to tell her that he loved someone else.

“Here’s the second one,” said Kayla, clicking on the right arrow. The next cover appeared on the screen.

“That one’s pretty good,” Oswald said. Claire looked at him with narrowed eyes.

“It’s only because the heroine’s dress is falling off.”

Ashton, Nathan, and Kayla laughed. She then clicked to the next cover art.

“Hmm…I don’t like the colors much,” said Claire. “The way your name’s positioned isn’t very…well-done.”

“I kind of thought the same thing,” Kayla admitted. “Which one did you guys like best?”

“The first one,” everyone except Oswald answered.

“Can I have a version of your book with the second cover?” he asked. Kayla laughed, and Claire bumped him in the shoulder.

“I was just kidding. The first one’s great.”

“Thanks, friends. I’ll send my answer.”

Kayla closed the photo and then shut down her laptop, putting it back into her backpack.

“How’s your trailer coming along?” Ashton asked.

“The casting calls end on Friday. I’ll get photos of the finalists on Monday so I can pick who plays my characters in the trailer.”

“How has the turnout been?” Nathan asked.

“It’s been decent. The guy who’s organizing the casting calls tells me that there are some people who don’t know me. They’re skeptical about signing up. Apparently, I’m not a household name yet despite being a NYT bestselling author.”

“Have you ever gone on a book tour?” Claire asked.

“No. Surprising, right? I did attend a book convention last year, to promote my YA book. I plan to go on tour to promote my next book.”

“Where will you be traveling?”

“I haven’t thought it thoroughly, but I’m considering New York—of course—, Florida, Texas, and Seattle.”

Nathan was about to ask “Can I go with you?” but he stopped himself at the last second. He wasn’t ready to make a commitment when his future with Kayla was so uncertain.

“Don’t publishers arrange book tours?” Ashton asked.

“I
am
the publisher,” Kayla said. “I can go on my own tour if I want.”

“Okay.”

Nathan laughed.

“I’m going to give you all the chance to beta-read my book. Nathan, have you started reading your copy?”

“I’m on the fifth chapter. So far, it’s awesome.”

“We don’t have Kindles,” Oswald and Ashton said.

“No problem. You can read the book file on your computers, or tablets.”

“We have those.”

“Good. Come by my dorm later today. I’ll load the book into your devices. I guess I don’t have to tell you not to leak it, right?”

“Don’t worry, Kayla. We’re your friends,” Claire told her. The rest of them nodded.

Nathan looked at Kayla. He thought she looked so damn happy. He couldn’t bring himself to break her heart by revealing the truth right then.

What do I do? It’s just cruel if I keep pretending that nothing’s wrong.

Kayla caught Nathan’s glance and smiled at him. She looked so beautiful when she was happy.

“By the way, Nathan. I’m going to load a new book file into your Kindle,” Kayla told him. “I’m going to load the new book cover into it. I want to see how it looks, and adjust things if needed.”

“Sure.”

Kayla then turned to Claire, who’d asked a question. Nathan didn’t hear it, as he had just spotted someone walking far away from where he and his friends sat, but close enough to see.

Amanda was passing by with her friend, Emmy. She first looked at Kayla, then at Nathan. Amanda’s expression looked unhappy, almost jealous. It made Nathan wonder whether she was falling for him, even if she wasn’t willing to admit it.

Close to sunset, Claire met with Nathan at the place he’d requested earlier: a field near the northern border of the Cornell campus. She saw him leaning against a tree. Nathan looked at her when he sensed her coming.

“Hi, Claire.”

“Nathan,” she greeted, smiling. “Why did you ask to meet here?”

“I would like some advice from you.”

Claire looked intrigued. Nathan had never asked her for advice before.

“How can I help you?”

Nathan thought for a moment, looking at the grass. He then turned back to Claire.

“What do you think about Kayla?”

Claire’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Kayla? I believe she’s a great person. She’s driven, real cool and friendly, and attractive. Also, Kayla writes fascinating novels. I actually stayed up all night when I read her latest one for the first time.”

Nathan smiled at the answer.

“What is the question about?”

“I’m just confused. Kayla is everything you said. She’s an awesome woman, and beautiful.”

“What are you confused about?”

Nathan sighed, and then looked at Claire.

“I wish I could love her more.”

Claire’s expression became stunned.

“Why do you say that? We all thought you loved each other.”

“We do. I just don’t feel I love her enough.”

“Why? You two look great together. You look very happy when you’re around her.”

“Have you taken a good look at us recently?”

Claire thought for a second.

“No.”

“Do I still look happy around her?”

“Not really. You’ve seemed kind of…absorbed. I assumed it had to do with school.”

“It’s not. I’ve, uh, reevaluated my feelings for Kayla. It’s led me to think I don’t love her enough.”

“What do you mean, you don’t love her enough? You either love her, or you don’t.”

“It’s a long story. Let me tell you all about it.”

Nathan began to tell Claire about Amanda Tilley and how they attended the same high school together. He had never revealed the story to Claire. She couldn’t believe that Nathan was from the same school as the woman who had now become a gorgeous fashion model.

“I thought she was just a celeb crush,” Claire said. Nathan shook his head.

“From the first day that I saw her, I felt I knew that she was the woman of my life.”

“Did you reveal your feelings?”

“I wasn’t able to. At the time, she was in love with this other guy. Next thing I know, they’re dating. Then I graduate and know nothing more about her. Until now.”

“Some story,” Claire said, impressed. “No wonder you’re having doubts about your relationship with Kayla. You have a history with Amanda.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it a history, but yeah. Amanda is the woman I’ve desired the most.”

“And Kayla? I thought you felt the same way.”

“I thought I did, too. When I saw Kayla that day at the beach, in the yellow bikini, she dazzled me. She’s the only woman that’s made me feel almost the same way Amanda makes me feel.”

“Which is?”

“Whenever I see Kayla, I feel a desire to kiss those really kissable pink lips of hers. And when I see Amanda, all I want to do is hold her, touch her flawless skin and look into the depths of her stunning eyes.”

Claire whistled.

“Now I see how complicated your situation is. You’re torn between two gorgeous women.”

“Yeah. I really want to be with Amanda, but I don’t want to hurt Kayla. That’s why I’m moving with her.”

“Wait, what? You’re moving together?”

“Yep.”

“You guys never told us about it.”

“That’s something we decided recently. I hope that the more constant exposure to Kayla will make me fall in love the way I fell in love with Amanda.”

Claire shook her head.

“You can’t love two people the same way, Nathan.”

“What do you feel for Oswald? How are you so sure that he’s the One for you?”

Nathan waited while Claire thought about the best way to express what she felt.

“I know that Oswald’s my Mr. Right because there’s no way I could live without him. When I’m with him, I feel protected, cherished, loved. He whoops at my triumphs and consoles me when I fall. Oswald is always there for me. Without him, heaven wouldn’t exist.”

Curious,
Nathan thought.
I think I could say that last same thing about Amanda.

The realization made him feel nervous. He couldn’t be with Amanda, no matter how much he wanted her.

“You can’t decide who to choose?” Claire asked.

“It’s harder than that. Amanda is unreachable to me. She’s out-of-this-world beautiful, gets more date proposals in a day than most people get paid dollars in a week, and has told me to stay away from her.”

Claire gasped.

“What?”

“Yeah,” said Nathan, telling Claire about the day he had argued with Amanda near the library.

“I don’t understand. I thought she fancied you. When you two sat together, I saw it in her eyes.”

“Then I don’t know what’s with her. She’s told me she wants to be no more than my friend.”

“And you love her?”

“Very much, to this day.”

Claire nodded, studying Nathan.

“You’re going to have to do something about it.”

“That’s why I asked for your help.”

“You say that you want to love Kayla the way you love Amanda, but the heart cannot be commanded.”

“I should stay with Kayla, right?”

“Only you can know who you can’t live without. Based on what you’ve told me, I have a conclusion.”

Nathan waited, hoping to hear something good.

“I think the woman you truly love…is Amanda.”

“What? But—I love Kayla, too!”

“You do love Kayla, but you’re
in
love with Amanda. It’s different”

Nathan turned around, considering that.

“What you have with Kayla is a powerful attraction, a chemistry that’s irresistible enough you tell yourself it’s a good alternative to the love you feel for Amanda.”

Nathan looked at Claire.

“You and Kayla are soulmates. Yes, we can have more than one soulmate in this life, but only one true love. BFF’s are soulmates.”

“How can I avoid hurting Kayla? Do you think I should tell her this?”

“Yes. Honesty is always the way to go with women. If you aren’t in love with Kayla, she should know.”

“How do I break it to her?”

“You could agree to go on a date. I strongly advise you against cooking for her. Take her to a restaurant instead. There, you can tell her how you feel.”

Nathan nodded, considering the advice.

“What if I hurt her?”

“That’s an inevitable risk. But she’ll thank you that you were honest. She’d rather hear this from you.”

Nathan ran a hand through his hair. He was starting to look exasperated. He looked towards the school, thinking things through.

“It feels like I can’t have either of them without losing the other. And I want them both in my life.”

“Comes back to what I said. You must pick the one you absolutely can’t live without.”

Nathan looked at Claire, and smiled.

“Thanks for being here for me.”

“Any day,” said Claire, placing a hand on his shoulder. He was tall enough that she had to reach far up to grasp him there. “That’s what friends are for.”

Nathan nodded, placing his hand above Claire’s. He then released her hand.

“I think we better get going,” he said. “I guess you also have to study before calling it a day.”

“Yeah,” said Claire, following Nathan as he started to walk towards the school. “Nathan?”

“Yes?” he asked, stopping and turning to face her.

“You’ll be all right, won’t you?”

After pondering over it, Nathan nodded.

“Yeah. Can’t say it won’t hurt, but I must do it. I’ll talk to Kayla, and hopefully she won’t hate me.”

“She won’t hate you, Nathan. If that happens, I’ll be there to help you, okay?”

“All right,” he said, nodding. They both continued walking back to the campus. Nathan felt as though Claire had taken a weight off his shoulders. Despite that, he still had tough times to face.

Hilbert stepped out of the elevator. He walked out and turned right on the corridor. When he reached the door to one of the luxury apartments, he knocked.

“Coming!” a voice said a few seconds later. Hilbert waited, tapping the floor with the front of his right foot. Moments later, the door opened.

“Good afternoon, sugar,” Hilbert said. He wasn’t smiling. The woman he was visiting, Rebecca Jenkins, looked at him in surprise.

“Hilbert!” she said, recovering quickly. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Rebecca switched into seductive mode. She made to put her arms around Hilbert. He caught her by the wrists and pushed both of them inside. After that, he closed the door. Rebecca looked shocked.

“I’m only going to say this once, so pay attention. Leave. Amanda. Alone.”

Rebecca blinked in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb. I know it was you who sent those gorillas to hurt her.”

Rebecca turned, walking straight to her liquor corner. This was her standard reaction to trouble.