He let go of me and laughed, a belly laugh, it was so alive that I could not help but join him in. I was at ease with Trey even the first time we met, we were like kindred souls, but I was not attracted in the same way I was with Damon. I was still so into my blue-eyed billionaire. I still wanted him.
“No one told me that. Everyone wants was to have me inside them.” He said.
I rolled my eyes at him. He was arrogant, wasn’t he?
Then I suddenly remembered we were not the only one here. I glanced at my best friend who was gaping and drooling at the same time. Geez, Margaret.
“This is my best friend, Margaret.” I nudged Margaret that it somehow regained some of her composure. “Margaret this is―” I started but she cut me off.
“Trey Lockhart? Oh. My. God. It’s really you.” She squealed like a fan girl. “I am a big fan Trey.” She continued to wail and squeal that I wanted to lock her up in a box and ship her away from Trey. She was like a mad fan.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Margaret.” He said her name way to seductive that my best friend blushed and held on to me as if she was about to faint.
This time, she was the one I rolled my eyes at, she really needed to get a grip.
“So, Amanda, can I ask you out to dinner?” He said straightforward without even batting a lash.
I blinked repeatedly. Was he being serious? I gaped at him as if he just grown another handsome head next to the impeccably perfect blonde one.
“Say, I’ll pick you up at seven?” He added.
He was too sure of himself. Didn’t he get turned down when he asked someone to dinner?
“Can’t.” I replied too smoothly, which made Margaret gape and nudge me with her elbow.
“Amanda.” She hissed as if I was doing the wrong thing.
What? Couldn’t I turn down a dinner offer once in a while, even if it came from one Trey Lockhart?
“You’re not an easy girl, aren’t you?” Trey said.
We stared at each other like we were in a staring contest, his gray eyes to my green ones, but no matter how lovely and clear his eyes were I still yearned to stare into a pair of blue ones.
Suddenly, he chuckled and I could not help but lift a brow and stare at him as if he has gone mad. What was so funny?
“I like you.” He suddenly said. “Well, if you won’t accept my offer then I better leave.”
Then he turned to Margaret. “It’s a pleasure to meet such a lovely girl like you, Margaret.”
He turned his attention back at me while smirking as if he found me amusing. “I would like it if we can be friends. Until next time Amanda, this is not the last time I’ll be talking to you.” He said surely before walking away.
Somehow, I liked him to be my friend too.
~***~
“How did you know these hot guys, Amanda?” Margaret said as we waited for costumers while standing on the sidewalk. “Really, Trey Lockhart huh?”
I shrugged as I glanced on the road.
“You are like a hot handsome billionaire magnet, Amanda. How did you do it?” She teased.
“Hey sugar, want a date?” I asked to a passing convertible that a young cute guy was driving.
“Amanda.” A voice so familiar to my mind and my heart filled my ears.
I turned around and saw him, standing a few feet away from me. He looked as handsome and hot as always in dark blue jeans and white button down shirt. His hair disheveled as if he ran his fingers through it nonstop. His eyes were dull and they have lost its usual luster. He looked like he was not getting enough sleep. He looked wasted and exhausted. How I hated seeing him in this shape.
“Damon.” I wanted to cry. I wanted to run into his arms, snuggle in his chest. I wanted to bury my nose on his neck and inhale his scent. I wanted to kiss every inch of his face, every part of him. But, I tried to stop myself from doing so, tried so hard with all the will power inside of me.
“Amanda.” He walked towards me and hugged me as tight as he could, as if he was afraid that I would run away.
“Damon.” I couldn’t think anymore. I forgot where we were, who was with us. All I could think of is Damon and his arms around me.
“I miss you, please come back.” He buried his face in my hair, inhaled, and then planted a soft kiss at the top of my head.
I wanted to squirm and be one with him, but I couldn’t. I exercised too much of my will power to get out of his hold and when I successfully made it out, he stared at me as if I just stabbed a knife in his chest. I wanted to cry and run back to him, but I know I shouldn’t.
Oh God. This was killing me.
“When will you stop? Can’t you see I don’t want you anymore?” I said in the steadiest voice I could manage.
“You don’t want me anymore? I am not seeing that in you, Amanda.” He said as a matter-of-fact. “I know you body and soul. And I know if you just open your eyes, we have a chance. We can make this work.”
He used the word “we”, he always did use that word whenever he pertained to our relationship or arrangement or whatever it was. He was right. I so wanted him that every minute I was not with him, I wanted to die. I couldn’t breathe as if he was my oxygen tank, couldn’t think as if he was my brain, and couldn’t feel anything as if he was my heart.
Well, he was my heart. He owned every inch of it.
“Would you just go and leave me alone?” I said as I tried to raise my voice so he would get that I wanted him gone.
He looked at me, hurt evident in his eyes, and I wanted to make it go away. I wanted to hurt myself so bad for hurting him.
Then he straightened and started retreating away from me indicating he got what I wanted.
Please do not go.
He paused in mid step and turned his head to meet my eyes. “I won’t stop until you give me a chance to prove to you how much I love you.” Then he walked away.
“Hey, are you okay?” Margaret said with sincere concern heard in her voice.
I nodded, not able to found my voice as I continued to stare out to where Damon faded. I wished he would come back. But he was gone.
“If it isn’t the lovely Amanda Sparks.” A voice interrupted my thoughts.
I turned around and saw Trey smiling at me. But his smile instantly moved out of his handsome face as he took in my disposition. “Hey what’s wrong?” He asked, genuinely concerned for me.
“Can you get me out of here?” I asked, not caring whom I was asking to take me away. I needed to get out of this place.
He was instantly in protective mode like we knew each other more than we really did as he led me to his Lexus, and drove away.
Twelve
“So will you tell me what happened?” Trey asked. He brought me to a restaurant that he said owned by one of his friends.
I told him all about Damon, how we met, told him about the situation and the conflict I was dealing with the man that I love. He seemed to take the information I gave him into deep thought. He was a great listener. He did not try to give side comments or snide remarks as I told him everything.
Who would have thought that a cocky, arrogant movie actor was a great company?
I found it so easy to share with him all my baggage, as I told you before, I kind of felt like we were kindred souls.
When I was done with my emotional sharing, Trey didn’t say anything, he looked like he was analyzing it inside his head.
“You should give him chance.” He blurted out just like that, which made my jaw drop.
Really, which side was he on?
“He seems to be so in love with you, Amanda.” He added.
And this was coming from a well-known playboy. How could he know it was love?
“I don’t know Trey.” I replied.
“Hey.” He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “Amanda, I could see that you are not that hard to love. What’s holding you back from him?”
“Trey, I am prostitute. Damon is a billionaire. Can’t you see? We canno
t happen.” I said as I felt the tears burning my eyes.
“Stop. You should be condemned for putting yourself down like that.” He said in a hard tone. “Amanda, you are beautiful. You work hard for your brother. And, you turned down my dinner invite. All I see in front of me was a very beautiful woman, inside and out.”
“Why’s turning you down ever been a part of my beauty?”
“No one had ever resisted my charms before. Any girl that I would offer with that one time shot would instantly jump to the opportunity, except you.” He said.
I raised a brow at him. “And that’s part of being beautiful?”
I kind of forgotten why I was even here, or why did my eyes kinda felt puffy. Trey took the spotlight away from me, and I liked it.
“It just means that you are not like the rest of them. It just shows that you are not a prostitute just like what you thought of yourself you are.” He stated as he twirled the pasta on his fork. “Trust me, actors and prostitutes are very much alike.” He ate the pasta out of his fork and then took a sip of the wine after that.
I cocked my head to the side. “And how is that?”
“We both do sex for the sake of the money. Actors just do it on the screen and you do it behind the camera. He stated as a matter-of-fact.
“I have no idea you were so smart.” I said sarcastically.
He smirked at me seductively. “Part of my charm, sweetheart.”
And I laughed, a full on belly laugh, and he joined me in. We were laughing so hard that there were tears in our eyes. I knew in that moment that this was the start of a very good friendship.
~***~
Trey and I developed a very close bond over the course of two months. We were almost inseparable when we were together. I remembered that time when he went to the diner once and almost every costumer’s eyes came out of their sockets. Hello, there was an actor at the diner!
Also, there was this time when he met my twin brother Aiden when he visited me in the apartment and they instantly bonded like long lost brothers. So now, he came to the apartment once a week, mostly weekends, just to hang out.
Trey was the rock I needed when I was having a hard time standing up. He listened to my wail, my cry, every baggage I have especially whenever Damon showed me how much he wanted me in his life through the flowers he knew I love so much.
It was painful to love someone that you knew you couldn’t have.
Trey was always there for me, and I kind of thought that he was my new bff now.
One time, it was autumn and I kind of lay-low with my night job as a hooker since Aiden’s upgraded scholarship covered everything he needed in school now, because his grades were a lot higher than last semester. All I had to think about now were the bills and the rent, Aiden helped with the groceries because he was earning money from his part-time job.
That night Trey and I kind of messed around with each other when we were in the apartment alone, and we ended up having sex. I was staring at the ceiling as I counted my breath.
…four…five…six…seven…
God, this was so awkward.
“Let’s not do this again.” Trey blurted out.
I stared at him, like he was being ridiculous. No man would turn down having sex with me. Actually, no man has ever turned down sex no matter how bad it was. All they thought about was putting their junk somewhere they could put it, and that was it.
“Excuse me?” I asked him, partly hurt for what he had said.
I was a sex worker for crying out loud, no one has told me not to do it again.
“The sex was bad.” He gushed.
“Okay. This has nothing to do with me. You are bad in bed, Trey.” I said as clutched the blanket above my breasts.
He raised a brow at me. “Oh, really? If I remember it correctly, you’ve been moaning my name. You even shouted it out that I think the neighbors has heard it.”
He was such a jerk!
I smacked him in the forearm as hard as I could. “Get out of my bed.” I shouted at him.
“Hey.” He jolted away from me. “Ouch, that hurts, wait―” He complained but I already pushed him out of the bed which caused him to land on the floor on his buttocks.
He raised his hand in surrender, as he stood naked in front of me. “Fine. You didn’t have to smack and push me.”
But I didn’t felt anything at all. He was a freaking hot movie star and I did not felt a single bit of lust for him. I might be a dysfunctional pathetic.
The moment he was gone, I felt guilty so got out of the bed and put something on. Then I gathered all his discarded clothes on the floor and followed him in the living room where he was sitting on the couch, naked.
“Here.” I threw his clothes at him.
“You are so mean.” He said as he put on all his clothes and I took the seat next to him on the couch. When he was done, we stared at each other and then laughed.
“We are so not having sex again.” I said in between laughs.
“Yeah. I am not doing it with you again.” He said.
That was it. We were back to friend zone again.
~***~
“Hey, stop fidgeting.” Trey murmured to my ear.
I couldn’t help fidgeting.
“You’re beautiful okay, stop.” He murmured again.
Anyone who would see us would though that we were a young couple in love murmuring sweet words to each other, but we were not. He was scolding me for fidgeting, but I couldn’t help it.
I was Trey’s date tonight for a museum gala his family was required to attend to. He was the son of a senator and was a part of a well-known clan, so he was pretty much not only seen in the Hollywood limelight but also in high-society’s events.
Tonight, I forbade myself from letting a man bought me clothes just like what Damon always does, I mean, did. I was happy to have found this peach colored sleeveless knit peplum cocktail dress that only cost me twenty dollars and I paired it with a strappy silver shoes that I have been keeping in my closet for future use. I tied my hair in a messy bun and put on a makeup that is appropriate enough for a respectable event like this one, but my lips were stain red.
“Son.” Senator William Lockhart said when he approached us, he gave me a friendly smile and then embraced his son. “Who is this lovely lady?” He asked, eyeing me speculatively.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. I wondered if he would call me a lovely lady if he knew what I did for a living…at night.
“This is Amanda Sparks, my friend.” Trey said proudly to his father before turning to me. “Amanda this is my dad, Senator Lockhart.” He mockingly said the word senator as he introduced his dad.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sparks.” The senator shook my hands as he smiled at me with friendliness and I could not help but smiled back.
Suddenly the senator exclaimed as he stared behind Trey and I. “There he is. If would excuse me, Miss Sparks.” Then he turned to Trey. “Son.” Trey and I nodded, and we let the senator leave.
We turned our heads in unison and followed with our eyes as the senator walked towards a group of businessmen in their sharply cut suit as he made hand gestures.
My eyes bulged out of their sockets, my jaw dropped to the floor as I took a sharp intake of breath (that was if my lungs would function well), my stomach clenched in weird motions and my heart squeezed painfully tight inside my chest.
Among the businessmen the senator approached was one Damon Rhodes looking every inch of the hot billionaire with his black tuxedo and brushed up hair styled fashionably, the seriousness of his demeanor added up to the whole look.
Damon was nodding at what Senator Lockhart said to him when his eyes passed through the senator and met mine.
There in the middle of the thick elite crowd our eyes held each other’s gazes, staring as if we were the only ones in the room, as if our souls were speaking with each another. He looked at me in the most serious business demeanor I once have seen on him―the first time we talked.
It softened a bit for a while, but then hardened again when he saw whom I was with.
I felt Trey’s hand snaking around my waist, his breath touching my ear. “Are you okay?” He whispered only for me to hear.
I nodded but I did not let go of Damon’s eyes. He was staring at me. No, not staring, he was glaring at me and at Trey too, probably.
“Let’s check some painting over there.” Trey said close to my ear, which only made Damon’s glare deadlier.
I nodded and let my friend whisked me away from Damon. We walked towards a wall full of landscape paintings. It was like heaven in this little corner of the museum, transporting you to different places just by staring at the works of art.
I stopped by an oil painting of the Eiffel tower at night. It was a beauty in my eyes. I always dreamed of going there, someday, dreamed of finding love in the city of love. I wondered if that would ever happen.
“Your man looked like he wanted to snap my neck anytime.” Trey interrupted my thoughts as he stood beside me. He removed the hand he placed on my waist earlier, but we were still touching, shoulder to shoulder.
Why did he have to bring him up?
“I wanted to go to Paris someday.” I said, hoping to change the subject away from Damon.
“I have been there. I love Paris. I’ll bring you there one day, just tell me when.” Trey said.
I glanced at him, he was smiling smugly at me and I could not help but roll my eyes. He was really full of himself, wasn’t he? But despite his arrogance, I have grown to love this guy like my own brother.
“Sure.” I could not stop myself from adding a bit of sarcasm in my tone.
“If you’ll bring someone hot as you are.” He said, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes again.
I stared back at the painting in front of me. I didn’t want to go to Paris with Trey, I didn’t want to go there with anyone else, if it was not the man I love. I didn’t want to go to Paris if it was not with Damon.
~***~
“I’m going to the ladies room.” I murmured only for Trey to hear.
“Okay, do you want me to walk you there?” He cocked his head innocently. Trey and innocence didn’t quite match at all.
Unlikely To Fall In Love Page 12
