by Natalie Ann
What she didn’t expect was that he’d go to college and pretty much ghost her. He never called her first. He never texted her first. He returned two of her messages in the beginning and then nothing else after.
She thought that was what true heartbreak felt like. But months later she realized that was nothing to losing the only thing she’d dreamed of in life.
She parked her car at home, got out and went to the back door. All the lights were on in the front telling her that her roommates were still up and waiting to hear how her night went.
“Don’t even think about sneaking into your room,” Bri yelled from the front. “Come in here and dish the dirt. We want to know about your date.”
She grinned but joined Bri on the couch in the living room and saw Sidney sitting there smiling too. “Well. You’re later than I thought you’d be.”
“You’re sounding like the mom now.”
“You’re normally in bed around nine watching TV,” Bri said. “Let alone being out. It had to have been good.”
“It was wonderful,” she admitted. “He had a birthday cake there for me.”
“How did he know it was your birthday?” Sidney asked. “Did you tell him?”
“No,” she said. “He looked at my application.” There was no reason to go into all the details as to why it was done.
“Major points there,” Bri said. “Did you jump him? I would have totally started to strip him for that alone. Not counting the fact he’s a treat to look at.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, he is.”
“So what kind of cake was it?” Sidney asked. She was good at putting conversations back on track.
“Who cares about the cake flavor,” Bri said. “Sex. Did you jump him?”
“Ignore her,” Sidney said. “That’s her, not you.”
“What if I did though?” Amanda asked.
“Woohoo,” Bri said.
“She didn’t,” Sidney said. “Look at her. First off, she isn’t the type to put out this fast and second of all, she’d be all moon-eyed if she did. She isn’t quite there yet.”
It was amazing how well Sidney knew her. Or maybe it was because Sidney and she were so much alike in the men department. The fact they both rarely dated.
“No, we didn’t,” she said. “We did share a lot of kisses and a moonlight walk on the beach.”
“Aw. That’s so romantic. All the more reason to jump him,” Bri said.
“Is that your first and last thought?” Sidney asked her.
“Not usually. But I like sex and some men are more forgiving if you put out,” Bri said. “I mean, I’m not perfect, but if I can use it to cover up for mistakes or getting things, why not since I enjoy it anyway?”
She was going to start to lecture Bri about what she’d said and then bit her tongue. “How’s that working out for you?”
Bri shrugged. “It works for a time.”
“Well, I’m not looking for a short time with anyone. Sex means something to me and when I get to that point I want to make sure it’s right.”
“Which tells us you don’t have sex often,” Sidney said. “Welcome to the battery operated club.”
Bri laughed. “I’ve got lots of toys...and other things. But I still want sex. Don’t you two miss a guy’s weight on you? Don’t you miss being held in someone’s arms?”
She looked at Sidney’s grin but decided to be honest. “Sure. And when it’s right it will mean so much more. I just keep telling myself that.”
“So, is Drew the right one?” Bri asked.
“I have no idea,” she said. “You can’t tell something like that on a few dates.” At least she didn’t believe so.
“On this island you can,” Bri argued. “Isn’t that why everyone comes here?”
Sidney snorted. “Not me. I just saw the job and wanted to live on an island. I’m not looking for love or romance.”
She never really asked the true reason Sidney was here. She figured Sidney would volunteer it if she wanted anyone to know if it was anything important.
“What about you, Amanda?” Bri asked. “You didn’t move here to find love?”
“No. Like Sidney, I wanted the job and figured it was a great place to live.”
“You two are nuts. This is the place for love and I’m going to find it,” Bri said.
“You’re in love every other boyfriend,” Sidney said.
“But they don’t last,” Bri said.
“Because you are looking for the wrong things in a man,” Amanda said. “Don’t look at what he has but how he makes you feel. If he likes you or cares about you, he won’t mind if you don’t put out in the first few dates.”
“First few,” Bri said. “Three dates has always been my limit. Normally it’s two.”
“At least you didn’t say the first date,” Sidney said, rolling her eyes.
“No. I want to make sure he asks me out for another one first,” Bri said.
Sometimes Amanda thought Bri was so immature, but it was Bri’s life and she got to live it any way she wanted.
Wasn’t that why Amanda left home when she had? So she could live her life her way.
“To each their own. But now the most pressing thing for me is to find a dress.”
“Where is he taking you next?” Bri asked.
“I’m going with him to the annual fundraiser.”
“Oh, I’m so jealous,” Bri said. “Tickets for that are way out of my price range. Then they auction off so many nice things. Nothing I could afford.”
“This year they are auctioning off a date with some Bonds.”
“What?!” Bri said. “I wish I could go.”
“You’ve got a boyfriend,” Sidney pointed out.
“For now. I think he’s going to end things with me. I can just feel it.”
“Then end it with him first,” Amanda said. “If you are feeling neglected, then take a stand. Don’t wait to be shit on.”
“But he might not,” Bri argued.
“You’re not happy with him right now,” she said. “Why stay with someone who makes you upset or doubt things? The least you can do is ask him what is going on rather than assuming.”
“But I don’t want to make him mad,” Bri said.
“A word of advice,” she said. “I know I don’t date as much as you, but if you are worried over those things and he makes you unsure or unhappy, then he’s not for you. It’s like you are waiting for him to make the next move. Make it yourself.”
“You might be right,” Bri said. “Can you get me a ticket to that event?”
“No,” Amanda said. There was no way she was letting Bri anywhere near any of Drew’s family.
She stood up, deciding it was time to get ready for bed. Sidney did the same. “We’re all tired,” Sidney said.
“You’re always up late,” Bri said.
“But Amanda is tired and has to get up tomorrow for work.”
She winked at Sidney for having her back. “I am tired. But if you aren’t doing anything on Sunday, Bri, why don’t you go to Boston with me to shop for a dress? I’ve got about two weeks to find something.”
“As long as I don’t have plans with Mark, sure.”
Amanda shook her head but walked out of the room to get ready for bed.
As birthdays went, this was one of the best of her life.
It didn’t even bother her that no one from her family reached out to her. Not her mother, her father, or her sister. Even though she left home, she’d always made sure they had her contact information.
But it didn’t matter because they’d wiped their hands of her it seemed.
13
Answer Enough
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for your birthday on Monday night,” Kayla said.
“I saw you that morning,” Amanda argued.
“And you’re wearing the star pendant I got you, I see. Hopefully it brings you good luck like mine has me this past year.”
Kayla had a pretty star penda
nt her last foster mother had given her and told her to keep wishing on dreams. She felt since so many of hers came true recently that it was time to pass the luck to Amanda.
Amanda had pretty much given up on dreams at this point in her life, but she was enjoying her time with Drew.
“I love it,” she said, fingering the dainty star with a tiny pink stone in the center. Kayla would have no idea that was the color of her daughter’s birthstone. The baby she’d lost. The one no one knew about.
When Amanda asked Kayla why she went with pink, she said, “I don’t know. It just called to me over the other colors.”
That was answer enough in Amanda’s eyes.
“You didn’t have anyone scheduled this afternoon?” Kayla asked. “I hope you didn’t turn someone down to come here and meet with me. I don’t want you to give up work. We could have met another time. Maybe I should spend more time at the house.”
“Stop it,” she said. “You’re moving in here with Hunter. You visit with me on Mondays and I love it. You have to work in a few hours and I actually had a block of time open. As much as I’d love to fill my schedule up it doesn’t always happen that way.”
She wasn’t hurting for money. She never was. Though her family never had the kind of money Randall’s did, her mother didn’t work and her father was the president of a major bank. They’d lived a comfortable life when she was growing up.
But she’d never been able to make them happy. They didn’t like that she wanted to be a hairdresser, telling her she had much more going for her than that. Her mother was snooty when she shouldn’t have been and her sister, Charlotte, was the same way.
They looked down on her for the career she wanted and then scorned and discarded her when she got pregnant.
The check from Randall’s mother got her started on her own and she’d touched very little of what she considered blood money. She’d put most of it away and pretended as if she never had it.
She lived a frugal lifestyle with the exception of her car. Even then, she’d bought it used but said she deserved to splurge on the BMW three years ago.
Having roommates meant she was living almost rent free too. She was happy with her life in the big picture. The small picture looked pretty empty though.
“Okay. I just don’t want you turning down money to set up the wedding. Hailey and Nicole are doing everything and I’m sorry about that. I hope they call you.”
“They have been. I’ve talked to Hailey a few times and Nicole and I spoke just last week. They are both very sweet and I’m thrilled to turn most of it over to them for your bridal shower. I just want to make sure your voice is heard. That’s what I’m here for.”
“Honestly, Amanda. I only have you and Sidney and Bri. There is no one else in my life. I’m not a fussy person. This is Hunter’s family and I want them to give him what he is used to having. What he is accustomed to. I feel like I’m bringing the family down with my gene pool.”
“Don’t talk like that,” she said. She’d felt that way once in her life and she never wanted anyone else to ever go through it.
“It’s true. I’m still not sure what he sees in me.”
“He loves you and that is all that matters. Love should make up for everything and anything.” At least that was how she’d felt most of her life. Love should be unconditional in her eyes. Guess she thought alone.
“Hunter does,” Kayla said. “He’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. That and junior in my belly.”
Amanda smiled, felt her eyes well up, and pushed it back. “You deserve to be happy and you know it. You’re going to be a wonderful mother and Hunter a great father.”
“Do you think so?” she asked. “I mean I know Hunter will be a great dad. Though he loves his own father he’s said he won’t be anything like him. But I’m scared because I’ve never had any loving parents in my life. What if I’m not able to do it? What if I don’t know how to be a mom? I’m just learning to change a diaper on a doll.”
Amanda laughed. “Seriously?”
“Yes. It’s embarrassing, but I never changed a diaper before. Neither had Hunter. So I bought this doll and told him he could practice on it. Of course I did it several times by watching YouTube videos before I showed him.”
“That might be one of the sweetest things I’ve ever heard.”
Kayla shook her head. “So, Nicole is throwing me a baby shower after the wedding.”
“I figured she would,” Amanda said.
“But I’d like you to help me get the nursery ready. Hunter doesn’t care what I do and I know he’s busy with work. And you’re like a sister to me. Isn’t that what a sister would do?”
“Yeah, it is,” she said, putting her arm around Kayla and giving her a squeeze. “Do you have any ideas?”
“No. I don’t want anything cartoony, I just want something that will last for a while.”
“Money isn’t an issue if you change your mind,” she said, laughing.
“Just because it isn’t an issue doesn’t mean I’m wasteful. I can’t get used to living like this. Hunter wants to buy me a new car. We had a fight over it. He said he wants something bigger and safer.”
“Be happy he cares so much for you.”
“I am. But it’s taking some getting used to. I just bought that car. I was so proud of it.”
“And you should be. Let him take care of things like that. He sees you sick and tired and he doesn’t know what else to do. To him he can fix something like that.”
Kayla started to laugh. “That is exactly what Hunter’s mom said. Nicole told me to just let Hunter go. That there will be bigger things I’ll want to put my foot down on.”
“Nicole sounds like a smart woman.”
The two of them talked some more and Kayla said, “So, tell me about your date with Drew. Was Bri bad when you got home?”
“She was. You know her. It’s all about sex.”
“Sidney told me that Drew had a birthday cake for you. Talk about sweet.”
“I know. And just like you not being used to Hunter’s wealth, I’m not used to being with a guy that does sweet things like that. And I was a little bit in awe of his house. I mean I should have expected it. He’s a Bond.”
“But they seem so normal, don’t they? They don’t walk around this island like they own it.” Kayla started to laugh. “Even if they kind of do. In a way.”
“I understand what you are saying. I do.”
“Do you like him?” Kayla asked. “I mean really like him?”
“I think I do. I’m pretty guarded about men and dating. It’s only been two dates and I didn’t want to say this in front of Bri, but I can’t wait to see him again. We had lunch together yesterday. I had a ninety-minute break and we met. So I guess that’s really three dates.”
“Do you have plans tomorrow night or Saturday with him?”
“We’re going to the movies tomorrow night. Saturday, I’m not sure. He wants to do something, but I’m not sure what. Sunday Bri and I are going shopping for my dress for the fundraiser.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.”
“Are you going?” Amanda asked. “You didn’t tell me that. Do you think we can sit together?”
“Hunter doesn’t normally go, but because Hailey is being auctioned off he said he is damn well going to be there to see who bids on her.”
“It must be in the Bond blood to be protective like that.”
“Yeah. Not that Hailey needs anyone to protect her. I’m shocked she even agreed to this. I think she’s doing it because she feels it should be equal opportunity. Men and women going up.”
“Good for her. Can I confess something to you?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“That is how Drew and I started dating. We’d obviously met when he came for the home visit. But his mother tried to trap him into being put up for auction and he said he was dating someone and panicked and said her name was Amanda.”
Kayla laughed. “Talk about
funny. So he had to ask you out?”
“He came into the salon for a haircut and told me what happened. I thought it was funny and agreed. But he didn’t want to really lie to his mother since he’d said we were dating, so we agreed we had to go on a few dates.”
“And now the rest is history and you can’t wait to see each other,” Kayla said.
“Pretty much.”
“So when are you going to do the deed? I told myself I was going to hold out longer, but the truth is it was a few weeks with Hunter and me. I just didn’t want him to think I was after his money.”
“And he knows you aren’t. I’m not sure what I’m waiting for. Soon though. At least I think so.”
“You got the details from my first time, so I expect you to return the favor.”
“You’ll be the first person I call.”
14
Tips All The Scales
“Wow,” Drew said when he picked Amanda up an hour before the fundraiser started.
Here he’d been dreading this event weeks ago and now his heart was racing in the hopes that he’d get her out of that dress.
They’d been on several Friday and Saturday night dates, even a few lunches and yet they hadn’t done much more than kiss.
He didn’t think she was teasing him. She didn’t seem to have it in her. It was more to him that she was skittish, yet he had no idea why someone that looked like her would be that way.
“I could say the same of you,” she said, reaching up and putting her hands on his tie, pretending to straighten it. “There is something about a man in a suit that just tips all the scales.”
“Really? I get the feeling you’re more of the casual type.”
“I am. It wouldn’t be the same if you wore a tie every day of the week. It’s when it’s for a special occasion that just knocks the socks off.”
“Interesting,” he said. “Maybe I should have worn one before now.”
She laughed and grabbed her coat. “We better go before Bri gets home.”
“The roommate that wanted to be set up with someone in my family even though she has a boyfriend.”
