by Jenna Byrnes
The three of them lived together in the little house where Mandy grew up until Sarah became pregnant, and they went house-hunting for a larger place. Mandy reminded them she was leaving for college and the baby could have her room, but they insisted she’d always have a room at their house.
They found exactly what they were looking for in a five bedroom ranch style home just a few blocks away. It was perfect, they all agreed, and it was still close to Sarah’s brother Doug’s place. Mandy’s uncle and Aunt Bailey lived nearby with their two daughters, five-year-old Lissa and four-year-old Denise.
She was still smiling, thinking about her pretty little cousins, when the dorm room door opened.
“Hey, girl.” Dee busted into the room with a flurry of energy. “What are you doing?”
“Thinking about home. I just talked to Ty and Sam, and that made me kind of wish I was there.”
“But it’s spaghetti night in the chow hall. We never miss spaghetti night.”
Mandy sat up. “You’re right about that.” She wiped away a tiny tear that sat in the corner of her eye and stood. “Sam’s making vegetarian lasagne.”
“Ooh, poor Ty! I hope your mom has some peanut butter!”
Laughing, Mandy grabbed her keys and student ID, which served as her meal ticket. She shoved them in her pocket. “Okay, let’s go.”
“It’s spaghetti night!” Dee called raucously as they headed down the hall.
* * * *
When Mandy arrived back at the dorm after classes the next day, the residence hall assistant met her in the corridor. “Hey, Mandy. Delivery for you.” The senior handed over a long, white floral box.
Mandy looked at it blankly. “For me?”
“Says Mandy Stevens,” the girl told her and walked off.
“Thanks,” Mandy called as an afterthought and carried the box into her room. She opened it and discovered a dozen red roses. “What the heck?” She smelled one of the fragrant flowers and smiled. Her mother or Sam was trying to cheer her up after her incident yesterday.
Mandy found a pitcher of water in their little dorm-sized fridge and removed the lid. It was half-full. Perfect! She pulled out the flowers one at a time and arranged them carefully. “Not the most beautiful vase,” she murmured to herself, but it worked in a pinch.
When she got to the bottom of the box Mandy smiled. There was a magnetic key holder like Sam had told her about. She reached for the card, and her mouth dropped open as she read it.
Be sure to have that extra key made.
Not that I’d mind helping you again.
Nick Westchester
Mandy looked at the flowers. Nick Westchester? What was he doing sending her a dozen roses? She felt her face flush warmly as she held the card in her hands. A tingle zipped straight to her core, but she forced it down. Surely he was just being friendly. But roses weren’t cheap, and his gift seemed a little above and beyond the norm.
Setting the card down, she backed away from the flowers. Just as she was trying to decide what to make of them, a knock sounded at her door. Mandy grabbed the handle and flung it open, her mind otherwise occupied. Everything came into focus as she saw Nick Westchester standing outside.
“Hey, you’re home!” He grinned.
“Uh, yeah, hey.” He’d left her speechless for the second time that day. Mandy thought he looked even more gorgeous than the day before. His eyes were chocolate brown, and when he smiled, the corners got all crinkly.
“I wondered…” He looked over her shoulder into the room. “Think I could come in for a minute?”
She stepped back, giving him room to enter. A thought floated briefly through her mind about allowing a strange man into her room when she was there alone, but it was the middle of the day and dozens of girls milled around her floor. Besides, he wasn’t a complete stranger, was he? She closed the door to her room.
“Oh, you got the flowers! Great!”
She finally found her voice. “Yes I did. I just opened the box. And I was standing here trying to figure out why you sent them.”
Nick grinned again, watching her. “I guess I was trying to get your attention. I didn’t seem to get it yesterday. I hoped this might do it.”
Mandy crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay, you’ve got it. So what are you going to do about it?”
He laughed out loud and leaned in to her. “Now that’s a loaded question. But something tells me you don’t even realise it.”
Her confusion must have shown on her face. “What?”
Nick took a step closer to her. “Are you really as innocent as you seem?”
The conversation didn’t appear to be going in a good direction, so Mandy backed up and opened the door. “Thanks for the flowers, Mr. Westchester. It was unnecessary, but a very nice thing to do. I’ll have that key made right away.”
“’Mr. Westchester’ is my father, and if you met him I think you’d notice a big difference between us. Call me Nick.”
She didn’t reply, and he added, “Please.”
Mandy finally nodded. “Okay, Nick. Well anyway, thanks again for the flowers.”
He placed his hand next to hers on the open door and looked into her eyes. “Trying to get rid of me?”
“Pretty much,” she admitted, and they both chuckled.
“At least I know where I stand. Honestly, I’ve never had so much trouble getting a date before.”
“A date?” Mandy blinked in surprise. “Is that what this is all about?”
“What did you think it was all about? I haven’t stopped brooding since the minute I laid eyes on you. You’re all I can seem to think about.” He reached out, fingering a strand of her chin-length blonde hair.
“You’re kidding me.” She gazed into his eyes. This has to be a joke. A cruel, cruel joke, and somebody, somewhere was about to start laughing hilariously.
“I’ll admit I like to have fun, but I do not kid about some subjects, beautiful women being one of them.” He took another step closer to her.
Beautiful women? Mandy looked around briefly for a hidden camera. Someone was playing an awful prank on her. “You should go.” She almost couldn’t get the words out.
A disappointed look crossed his face. “I’m sorry if I came on too strong. I stopped by to ask you out on a date. Ended up spilling my guts about how I can’t stop thinking about you. I probably sound like a stalker or something.”
Mandy cocked her head. He appeared so sincere, yet she couldn’t believe this was happening. “You’re not playing a practical joke on me?”
Nick stared at her blankly. “Why would I—oh, the guys I was with yesterday? Karl and Dino are a little rowdy. Hell, I’m a little rowdy when I get going with them. But no, no practical jokes. Man, you’d think guys weren’t beating down your door to take you out.”
She looked down and he touched her arm. “Is that it? Do you have a boyfriend? I’m sorry. I should have known someone as beautiful as you—”
That does it. He’d just called her beautiful for the second time. If he was joking with her, he was a really convincing prankster. She smiled at him hopefully. “Nope, no boyfriend. I’d like to go out with you, if the offer’s still open.” Mandy held her breath. She’d opened her heart up and was waiting to see what he would do with it.
The sincere smile that spread from his mouth to his eyes lit up his face. He looked relieved, grinned and nodded. “Excellent. When? Tonight is probably out. Tomorrow night?”
Mandy laughed. “Tomorrow night would be fine.”
“Great!” He breathed a sigh, apparently more relief. “I’ll pick you up at six. We’ll grab some pizza and take in a movie.”
“That sounds good.”
Nick clutched the door, putting it between them for a moment. He released it and stepped back. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” Mandy acknowledged, and watched him walk down the hall. “Thanks again for the flowers!”
He grinned and bowed before stepping into the ele
vator.
She closed her door and leaned against it. Oh my God! She had a date with Nick Westchester!
* * * *
Dee wasn’t back yet, and Mandy needed to talk to someone. Looking at her watch, she knew her mother wouldn’t be home from work yet. Her aunt, Bailey Kenny, hadn’t worked since her kids were born. She’d been the local librarian until she became pregnant with Lissa and hired Sam to replace her. Perry was a very small town.
Mandy picked up her cell phone and dialled her aunt’s number.
“Hello?” Bailey answered the phone.
“Don’t you have Caller I.D. yet? Tell Uncle Doug to fork out a few bucks and propel you into the Twenty-First Century.”
Bailey laughed. “Hey, I love staying home with the girls. Since I’m not working, I’m trying to do my part and live without the small stuff. How are you?”
“Well,” Mandy hesitated. How am I? She wanted to say ‘extremely excited’, but she was approaching her date cautiously. “I’m good,” she replied, her voice squeaking.
“Something’s going on, I can tell. Spill it.”
“I met a guy.”
“A guy?” Bailey squealed. “Was he one of the coat-hanger guys from yesterday?”
Mandy chuckled. “Nothing gets past you folks there in Mayberry. Yeah, he was the one who unlocked my car door.”
“Cool! You know, Doug says you need to get one of those magnetic things that holds keys, and then—”
“I know, I know,” Mandy interrupted. “Actually, I’ve got one. Nick sent it to me today in a bouquet of roses.”
“Roses? Who is this guy, Donald Trump junior?”
“Nick Westchester. I don’t know much about him, other than he drives a sporty convertible and wears an expensive leather coat. Oh, and he’s in a fraternity, I don’t know which one. I can’t tell those symbols apart.”
“When he tells you which fraternity, try to remember it. That kind of stuff is important to those guys.”
“I will,” Mandy agreed. “And he smells really good.”
“Always a plus. So, is he cute?”
Mandy wasn’t sure why she blushed, sitting alone speaking into the phone. But something about Nick Westchester did that to her. “Really cute. He’s got short dark hair and he looks like he hasn’t shaved in a few days.”
“Hmmm, sounds like just my type.”
Laughing, Mandy realised she’d just described her uncle. But Nick was nothing like Doug. Nick was…Nick. “He’s a little young for you, I think.”
“Are you kidding? The women in Hollywood do it all the time. Thirty-something woman with twenty-something man. Lucky for you, I’m quite happy with the man I have, thank you very much.”
“No, Aunt Bailey, thank you. If you went after this guy, I’d never stand a chance.” Mandy thought Bailey was the most beautiful, self-confident woman she’d ever met. Her mom was great, too, but her aunt was one of a kind.
“Get out of that cookie jar!” Bailey hollered away from the phone and then spoke into the receiver again. “Sorry, kiddo, I need to run. I think there’s a raid going on in the kitchen while my back is turned.”
“One cookie won’t hurt them,” Mandy defended her cousins, amused.
Bailey chuckled. “One? One in the past five minutes, maybe. They’ve been in that damn cookie jar all day. Okay, so have I. I’ve got P.M.S. big time and can’t get enough chocolate.”
“Go have another cookie. You’ll feel better.”
“Until I see the reflection of my big old butt in the mirror. I haven’t been running as much with this cold weather. I’ve got to find another form of exercise.”
Mandy snickered. “I thought you and Uncle Doug had no problems in the exercise department.”
“I told you, I’m P.M.S.-ing. Nothing romantic about that, as you’ll find out, my dear. Anyway, good luck with the guy.”
“Thank you. We’re going out tomorrow night.”
“Ooh, be sure to call and let us know how it went!”
“I will. I’ll call one of you and see how fast is spreads from there. You know, telephone, telegraph, tell someone in Perry.”
“Hey, you’ve got an exciting college life going on. We’re stuck here, living vicariously through you.”
“Yeah,” Mandy sighed wistfully. “May I lead such a boring life when I get older.”
Bailey chuckled. “Take care, hon. Talk to you soon.”
“Bye.” Mandy disconnected the call. Her stomach still tingled, but she suspected that would last until the following evening.
* * * *
Dee was sceptical about the date, much like Mandy had been when Nick first broached the subject. “What do you really know about the guy? The fact that he smells good does not mean he isn’t a serial killer.”
Mandy brushed her hair, appraising her appearance in the mirror on the wall. “I’ll have my cell phone. You can call me during dinner, and if anything is wrong, I’ll let you know.”
“We need a code word. Like ‘breadsticks’. If you say breadsticks, I’ll know something is not right.”
“I hope I remember that.” Mandy chuckled. “So I don’t say ‘yeah, we’re eating pizza and breadsticks’ innocently…”
“I’m serious!” Dee snapped at her. “You’re going out with a strange man that neither of us knows. I don’t think your mother would approve.”
Rolling her eyes in the mirror, Mandy replied, “My mother, the woman I caught giving Sam a blow-job in the backyard a week after she met him?”
Dee cringed. “Don’t talk like that. Your mom explained it to you, how she and Sam got carried away and all. They’re so much in love, anyone can see that.”
“They are now. They had to have that first date, though. Every relationship has to start somewhere.”
Dee’s eyes widened. “Now you’re talking about a relationship? You just met the guy!”
“Dee, stop it!” Mandy turned to face her friend. “I’m talking about pizza and a movie. We've done that before."
“Not very often.”
She was correct about that. Neither girl had dated much during high school or their first two years of college. They’d hung out together or in a group of kids. Part of the reason was their fairly strict religious upbringing. The other part was sheer nerves. Mandy didn’t have much self-confidence, and Dee had even less.
Her friend’s uncertainty had something to do with the twenty extra pounds she carried around. Although Mandy reassured her that she was beautiful, Dee had a hard time seeing it.
Mandy didn’t have that problem, but losing her father to Leukaemia at age seven made her slightly wary of men. She'd simply never been around them much. Other than her uncle who was there for her growing up, and later Sam, she hadn't spent much time with any man.
“Nick is different,” she said aloud, studying herself in the mirror again. He said I was beautiful. She ran her hands over her hips and up to her breasts. Her figure wasn’t bad, but she didn’t always dress in the most flattering manner. She’d have to ponder very carefully what to wear on her date.
“Well,” Dee watched her with a touch of irritation, “just don’t do anything foolish.”
Mandy smiled.
Chapter Two
Nick knocked on her door at precisely six o’clock. Mandy checked her outfit in the mirror quickly one last time—pink striped blouse and blue jeans, pink earrings and just a hint of make-up. She fluffed her bangs, smoothed her straight, silky hair and opened the door.
“Good evening.” Nick smiled at her. “Wow, you look great.”
“Thanks.” Mandy returned the smile, thinking he looked pretty great himself. The brown leather jacket over his jeans gave him a classy, casual appearance. “I’m ready,” she told him, reaching for her jacket.
Nick took it from her, holding it out for her to slip her arms in.
“Thanks.” She smiled to herself. He's a gentleman too.
Mandy grabbed her purse and let Nick lead her out. They took the elevato
r to the ground floor and walked to his car in the visitor’s parking lot. She was relieved to see he’d put the top up on his convertible. It was a brisk, cold night.
“A little too exhilarating out here tonight for you?” she teased.
“Not for me, but I assumed it would be for you.” He opened the door for her, grinning.
Mandy could see he was teasing right back. She slid into the seat and nodded. “You’re probably right.” The seats were smooth, supple leather, and Mandy sank back comfortably. “This is nice.”
“Thanks.” He started the car. “I mentioned pizza last night. Does that work for you?”
“Pizza is great. I like Joe’s, over on Twenty-Fifth Street.” She’d told Dee that was probably where they’d go, assuming he liked it as much as most of the college crowd did.
“You read my mind.” Nick pulled out of the parking lot and drove. “It might be a little noisy, but I figured you’d want our first date to be somewhere public.”
“Why would I want that?” she asked coolly, trying to pull off an air of sophistication.
“Just a guess,” he replied, smiling sideways at her.
To her relief, he let the subject drop. He asked her about her classes, and they discussed school until they got to Joe’s Pizza.
The restaurant was very crowded and noisy. Nick took her hand and led Mandy to a booth in the back. “This okay?” He reached for her coat then removed his jacket.
“Fine.” She slid into the booth.
He shoved both coats ahead of him, scooting across from her. “What do you like on your pizza?”
“I’m partial to Canadian bacon, but I’ll eat just about anything.” She looked at the menu.
“Good to know,” he teased, staring at his own menu.
Mandy felt her face flush. She needed to stay on her toes with this one. He seemed to have quite a sense of humour. “No Fear Factor stuff, now. We’re talking about pizza toppings.”
