“I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate it.”
“If you say so.”
Ashton went to the kitchen to microwave a couple of burritos for his dinner.
“Does Kayla know about you and Amanda?”
“No. And I think that maybe it would be best if she never knew. What if I tell her and then nothing happens between me and Amanda? I’d rather not worry Kayla.”
Ashton gave Nathan an it’s-your-call sort of look.
“You’re a lucky bastard, you know. To have two hot women vying for your affection like that. Damn. Not that I’m not lucky enough.”
I wouldn’t call it lucky, Nathan thought as he disposed of his bag of chips and then washed his plate on the sink. When he finished, he went back to his bedroom to do some homework.
While Amanda was working on her laptop, she heard the ring that indicated she was receiving a Skype video call. She opened the program and saw that the call was from her parents. Amanda accepted the call. After a few moments, she saw her mother, Florence, on screen.
“Hi, mom!” Amanda greeted. She noticed her mom’s expression and added, “Is something wrong?”
“I just wanted to know if you’re all right.”
“What do you mean?” Amanda asked, looking up. She spotted Kellan standing around the corner of the entrance that led to the kitchen. He grinned sheepishly. Amanda rolled her eyes and looked back at her MacBook’s screen.
“We heard about your attempted kidnap.”
“I figured as much. Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. Hughes got it under control.”
“I just had to hear it from you. We were about to give you a phone call, but your brother is on the computer and he saw you were online on Skype.”
Amanda smiled, picturing Ryan in her mind. He was still in high school, a junior, and thankfully still single (as Florence said).
“Is he there?” Amanda asked.
“Yeah. You want to talk to him?”
“Sure.”
Florence stood up from her seat. Seconds later, a young man took her place. He was blond with blue eyes, like Amanda, and just as good-looking. His hair, of course, was shorter. It was styled in a wavy tousled do.
“Sister! Great to see you,” Ryan told her.
“It’s great to see you too.”
“We’re glad that you’re all right. When mom heard about what happened, she went mad.”
“Yeah, I can imagine.”
Ryan laughed.
“How’s father?”
“Here,” said a deeper male voice. Amanda saw her dad, William, peer around the corner of the screen. Only part of his head was visible. She laughed.
“Hi, Dad!”
“I’m glad to see you’re fine, princess,” he said, moving to stand behind Ryan.
“Thank you.”
“We can’t wait to see you again.”
“I want to see each of you too, dad. I’ll see if I can fly to spend Thanksgiving over there.”
“We’d love to have you here,” Florence said, moving back to be visible on the screen.
“How’s school going?” Amanda asked her brother.
“Good. I’m getting lots of A’s.”
“And dating lots of girls.”
“What?” Florence asked as Ryan laughed out loud.
“I’m just joking.”
“Don’t get any ideas from your sister. I want to see you with a college degree before you get cozy with a girl.”
“Calm down, mom!” Amanda said, laughing. “He’s 17, cut him some slack.”
“Don’t worry, sister. I get along with women just fine.”
“Did you just hear what this Don Juan said?” Florence asked William, who shrugged.
“Let’s change the subject, will ya? You all are making me uncomfortable here,” said Ryan, looking at his father and then at his mother. His cheeks were turning red. Amanda shook her head.
“How are you doing over there?” William asked.
“It’s great. A little cold, but nothing I can’t handle. I like it here. The university’s wonderful.”
“Are you getting lots of A’s?” asked Florence.
“Of course, mom. I’m studying hard.”
“Attagirl.”
Amanda smiled, feeling glad that her mom was proud.
“By the way, you don’t find it boring over there in that small town?”
“Mom, I grew up in a small town.”
“Joliet’s not that small, but point taken.”
Amanda shrugged.
“It’s not that I like it here. I just enjoy being free from the paparazzi.”
William whistled.
“It’s amazing that you’re already that famous.”
“I’m not that famous, dad. I just have a loyal fan base. They love me.”
“I see. Have any guys there caught your interest?”
The question made Amanda blush.
Well, I guess I had that coming.
“No, dad. I’m new here.”
“I was just curious.”
“Ha,” Ryan said. Amanda narrowed her eyes at him, feigning irritation.
“All right, we’ll go now,” Florence said. “You’ve got to study, right?”
“Yeah,” said Amanda, grabbing a book and waving it in front of her laptop.
“Take care, princess,” William told her. “And call us every now and then.”
“I will, dad.”
“Okay. Be safe, dear,” Florence said.
“Goodbye, sister.”
“Take care,” Amanda told Ryan. She then clicked on the End Call button and closed the Skype window. She looked in the direction she thought Hughes was. Amanda was a little annoyed with him, but he’d done the right thing. She hadn’t gotten in touch with her family since arriving in Ithaca. It had been good to talk to them.
Before reporting for work the next day, Nathan decided to exercise a bit. He’d be a little tired, but the workout would be good. Nathan took it easy and worked on the punching bag at the gym. He felt like venting.
Every day, Nathan was getting increasingly more confused, instead of the other way around. He pictured Amanda in his mind. She was just as lovely as he remembered, perhaps even more. Nathan then pictured Kayla, with her bright smile. Even though she wouldn’t grace a magazine cover without the aid of makeup, she was still very beautiful.
Who should I go for? My beloved, unreachable one with stunning beauty, or the girl next door who loves me?
Nathan decided to test his feelings about the two of them before making a decision. He had work that day, but he’d leave early enough to be able to spend some time with Kayla in the afternoon. She’d expressed interest in going to the beach. Unfortunately, Nathan couldn’t afford the time or money to travel even to Manhattan at the moment. A trip had to wait until at least Thanksgiving.
Just then, Nathan got an idea. After returning to his dorm and showering before school, Nathan sent Kayla a text. He knew just where to take her.
R u busy tonight?
Kayla replied a few seconds later.
Most likely. Got any plans?
I thought you might want to go out.
Kayla sent a frowning face before her reply.
Sorry. Too busy. Rain check?
Sure. When?
Tomorrow. Got lots of writing/homework.
OK, then. See u tomorrow.
Looking forward to it. X
Have a good day.
Nathan pocketed his phone and stood up. He picked up his car keys and left the dorm.
After having scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast at the dorm, Ashton walked through the college. He would try to find Judith. He was looking forward to getting to know her. Ever since Judith had walked up to his group’s table, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. Ashton wondered what her skin would feel like to the touch, and what those lips of hers would taste like.
Judith seemed to have liked him, too. Ashton had noticed her blush when she laid ey
es on him. She thought he wasn’t looking, but he’d caught Judith checking him out. That was exciting. Usually, he checked a girl out before she did it to him.
As he was approaching the student center, Ashton heard a voice call to him.
“Ashton!”
He halted in his tracks. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled with apprehension. Ashton listened to steps closing in behind him.
It was her.
Ashton turned around with the air of someone who’s about to reluctantly face the drill sergeant. He came face-to-face with Grecia. He tried to put on a nonchalant expression.
“Hi, Grecia.”
“Hi, Ashton,” she replied, blushing. Grecia regarded Ashton as if he were about to reprimand her or to tell her to go away. “How have you been doing?”
“I’ve been fine.”
Grecia nodded, looking awkward. She bit her bottom lip. Ashton’s gaze locked on her mouth. He remembered what it was like to be with her. Grecia didn’t notice his scrutiny. As her eyes darted from place to place, Ashton checked her out. She looked just the same as always…maybe better. Grecia’s long, toned legs were a pleasure to look at, and very tempting. Her wavy shoulder-length hair had that semi-dark shade of red that Ashton preferred. Her light skin was flawless, and thanks to the not-so-modest V-cut of her blouse, he got a nice peek at her D-cups.
Ashton peeled his gaze from Grecia’s chest. He didn’t want to let her know that he still felt a powerful attraction towards her.
“Uh…thanks for the gift. I loved it.”
Ashton chuckled, thinking about the birthday gift he had sent to Grecia. She either hadn’t had time to thank him, or she hadn’t been able to muster the courage to talk to him. Ashton wasn’t sure why he’d remembered Grecia’s birthday, anyway. There was just something different about her. She was the first girl who was constantly in his thoughts after having sex with her. Ashton didn’t often remember the names of the girls he was with.
“I…I knew you would.”
Grecia nodded again, this time with a smile. Ashton now wanted her to go.
She should leave before I do something crazy.
“I’m glad you thought of me.”
In his distraction, Ashton didn’t hear that.
“Pardon me?”
“The gift, Ashton. I’m happy that you remembered my birthday. It means you care about me.”
Ashton cleared his throat.
“I just felt like giving you something I thought you would like.”
Grecia shook her head, sighing.
“You still don’t have a darned clue about women, even though you’ve dated a lot.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Never mind. I’m not sure I’ll keep waiting for you to catch up.”
As Grecia was about to turn, Ashton grabbed her by the arm. She looked at him.
“You’re the one who hasn’t got a darned clue. There was never ‘us’. You just got your hopes up.”
“Whatever. I—”
“From the start, I was clear with you. There would be nothing serious between us. Don’t tell me now that that’s what you wanted.”
Grecia freed her arm from Ashton’s grasp.
“Fine. Next time, you should take care not to send me—or another of your hot dates—mixed signals. It’s infuriating to be on the receiving end.”
With that, Grecia turned around and walked away. Ashton looked at her with longing.
This is for the best. You deserve a better guy than me.
Ashton walked back in the direction he’d been going before Grecia intercepted him. He entered the student center. He didn’t expect to find Judith there, but it didn’t hurt to check. Ashton walked along the inside perimeter, not wanting to run into her just yet.
Up ahead, Ashton spotted Judith. Even though he’d seen her only once, he thought he could spot her anywhere.
Hell, who am I kidding? I can spot Grecia too, but I try not to think of her.
Judith was in a seat with Amanda and a brunette girl Ashton didn’t know. They were in conversation.
Ashton grabbed a copy of the student newspaper and sat down in a corner. He picked a spot close enough to see Judith, but far enough that she wouldn’t catch him.
Damn, he thought, admiring Judith. I didn’t imagine it last time I saw her. She really is drop-dead sexy. Not my usual type, as she’s short, but those legs look beautiful.
As he sat there, Ashton thought of the best way to approach Judith. He would break the ice that day.
Judith was deep in conversation with her friends, unaware that Ashton was watching her.
“…Hughes called my parents without telling me, but I ended up not minding it. I’d been looking forward to talking with them,” Amanda said.
“They care about you. Hughes included,” Judith told her. “We all do.”
“And the guy who saved you, what’s his name?” Emmy asked.
“Nathan.”
“You haven’t introduced him to us.”
“I’ve met him,” said Judith.
“What’s he like?”
“He’s a great guy,” Amanda told them. “And he’s got these muscles. I mean, Nathan’s no bodybuilder, but he has enough bulk to look good and kick ass.”
“Oh, is that true? He looked average to me,” Judith remarked.
“Wait till you see him in short sleeves.”
“Ooh, so you’re attracted to him?” asked Emmy.
“That’s not what I said. A girl can admire.”
Emmy’s brows furrowed. She exchanged glances with Judith, who had a confused expression.
“Isn’t he interested in you?” Judith asked.
“I don’t know,” Amanda replied. Jeez. I made the comment about the muscles so one of you would bite the hook. I’m surprised Emmy hasn’t shown interest.
Amanda had thought it might be better to pretend she wasn’t attracted to Nathan. She barely knew him, and didn’t want to complicate his life.
Amanda was saved from explaining more when her phone rang. She excused herself and went to a corner. As Amanda walked there, she saw Nathan’s friend (Ashton, I think?) busy reading the school newspaper.
Amanda answered her call.
“Hello?”
“Sweetheart, it’s Hilbert here.”
Amanda narrowed her eyes.
“What news have you got?”
“I just want to know if you’re accepting any of the offers I told you about the other day.”
Amanda thought about it for a few seconds.
“Yes, I’ll do it. The Ralph Lauren offer.”
“Good. I’ll inform them.”
“Send me an e-mail about any other offers. I’ll review those and then I’ll contact you to talk about them.”
“Will do. Have a good day, sweetheart.”
“Bye,” Amanda said, hanging up. She tried to keep her expression neutral. Amanda’s friends had no idea about her suspicions as to who sent those men after her.
Inside a rather flashy office in a building near upper Manhattan, Hilbert sat at a desk. He was sorting through various manila folders, labeling them. They each had information about the clients he represented.
In the brief year that Hilbert hadn’t seen Amanda, he’d really missed her. From the moment that he had discovered Amanda, Hilbert became attracted to her. She was too young then, but he was willing to wait. It was hard to see her go when she finally turned eighteen.
When Amanda returned to the U.S., Hilbert felt lucky that she resumed their work relationship. It was around then that he told Amanda not to date anyone. The request was just a pretense to keep her for himself. Amanda had suspected his attraction to her, until he finally confessed his feelings. Amanda revealed that she wasn’t interested in dating him, nor anyone else. The death of her ex-boyfriend was still too painful to think of romance.
The inability to be with Amanda had eaten away at Hilbert’s hope over time. Every day without her was agony.
But he had necessities, so Hilbert decided to be with another woman. Amanda had shown that she wouldn’t’ mind. He didn’t have to be faithful if she didn’t give a damn.
Rebecca Jenkins was a fashion model, just like Amanda. However, he didn’t represent her. Rebecca was more than just arm candy, though; she was pleasant and smart. So smart that it bordered on cunning.
Hilbert hoped to date Amanda soon, to convince her to be with him. He could give her everything. Hilbert also couldn’t wait to find out what Amanda’s body felt like. She was easily the hottest model his agency employed. The temptation simply couldn’t be resisted.
Ashton was walking from his next-to-last class of the day. His last one was in fifteen minutes, and he planned to use that time wisely.
As he walked towards the stairs that led to the third floor of the building, Ashton spotted Judith sitting at the top corner of the flight. She was absorbed in a book.
After deliberating what to do, Ashton walked up the stairs. When he approached Judith, she looked up. Her eyes flashed in recognition.
“Hi,” he said. “You’re…Judith, right? You’re the one that walked up to my table the other day?”
“Yeah. I remember you.”
Ashton nodded.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“Ashton,” he said, offering Judith his hand. “Ashton Robards.”
“Nice to meet you, Ashton,” she replied as she shook his hand. Ashton’s gaze dropped to her mouth. Judith didn’t use lip gloss, just as…well, just as Grecia did, but her lips still looked so kissable. As Ashton looked at Judith’s face, he saw that she wasn’t too into makeup. That was rare in a woman nowadays.
“You’re reading?” he asked, looking at her book.
“Yes,” said Judith, showing Ashton the cover. “It’s for my English class. I have to read a bunch of classic American poetry.”
“Poetry,” Ashton repeated. “You like it?”
“Most of this stuff, yeah.”
“Which are your favorites?”
“Right now, I was reading The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. But my favorite poems are from Emily Dickinson.”
“I remember Frost a bit. We studied almost the same stuff when I was in English class.”
Dream Date Page 9
