Dream Date

by Ivan Kendrick

  “Have you ever bowled before?” Kellan asked.

  “Yeah. Emmy’s high school boyfriend was a fan of the pastime, and he took us out often. He beat us most of the time, but eventually I gained skill.”

  “No wonder. I thought you were a newbie.”

  “Were you holding out because of that?”

  Kellan grinned.

  “Only a little,” he said as he grabbed another black ball. He took careful aim, and then threw it. He toppled seven of the bottles.

  “Pretty good,” Amanda said, flexing her fingers. “Let’s get serious, then.”

  Kellan raised his eyebrow, taking the challenge. Over the next fifteen minutes, they scored some more. In the end, Amanda ended up winning.

  “I admit that’s refreshing,” Kellan told her as they sat in a table after ordering drinks. “Usually, I’m the one who wins in bowling.”

  “Oh, don’t be so cocky,” Amanda teased, laughing. Kellan smiled at her.

  “I’m glad you had fun.”

  “It seems contagious. I saw you enjoying yourself, and I couldn’t help but feel good.”

  “That’s just what I was after,” Kellan told her as their drinks arrived. “Making you feel better.”

  “Thank you for bringing me here. You were right. I could use some fun.”

  Kellan and Amanda drank, each losing themselves in their own thoughts. She then peered at him through her eyelashes. He looked at her when he felt her glance.

  “Penny for your thoughts?”

  The line made Amanda smile.

  “I didn’t know about this place. Maybe we should bring Emmy and Judith sometime.”

  “That would be a good idea. I’m sure they’ll enjoy playing with you.”

  “I don’t know about Emmy. She isn’t dating the guy I told you about anymore. They broke up on good terms, but I don’t know how she feels about him now.”

  “She will be fine. If you have any doubts, I know of other good places we can go to. There’s a good disco just outside the college.”

  “A disco?” Amanda asked, raising an eyebrow. “Isn’t it a security nightmare?”

  “Please. I don’t want to suffocate you. You and your friends should have the normal life of girls your age.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I won’t let anything happen to you, Ms. Tilley. That’s what I’m sworn to do.”

  “Can we do away with all this formal nonsense? Let’s be on a first-name basis all the time, not just at school.”

  “I’m totally fine with that, Amanda.”

  “Frankly, it was confusing.”

  Kellan laughed, and then downed the rest of his drink. He looked at his watch.

  “It’s getting late. I gotta get you back home before Grayson arrives.”

  “Okay,” said Amanda, standing up. After paying their bill, Kellan handed their waiter a tip. He then escorted Amanda back outside. An hour ago, she would have laughed if someone had told her she would feel so refreshed after a bowling match with Kellan.

  The sound of knocking woke Nathan up. He stirred in his bed, rubbing his forehead.

  What time is it?

  Nathan got out of bed, realizing that he’d dozed off with his shoes on. He walked to the entrance and opened the front door.

  “Kayla? Hi,” he said, frowning. “I thought it was Ashton who was knocking.”

  “He hasn’t come back?”

  “I don’t know. I was asleep,” Nathan said as he let Kayla in. “Let’s hope he’s with Grecia.”

  “Yeah,” Kayla agreed. “You look awful, by the way.”

  Nathan laughed.

  “I walked back to the table you were at in the library, but by the time I got there, you were gone. Did you come back here?”

  “Yep.” Nathan wasn’t about to reveal his encounter with Amanda.

  “Too much homework?”

  “Maybe. Excuse me for a bit.”

  Nathan went to the bathroom, where he washed his face. He then dried off with a towel and fixed his hair. After he finished, Nathan went to the living room.

  “What time is it?”

  “It’s close to six.”

  “Wow, I was out cold. Um, is there something you came here to tell me?”

  “Not really. I just came to check on you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “About our date tomorrow,” Kayla said, “have you already arranged to give up your dorm privileges?”

  “Yes, I’m working on that. Ashton will have to find a new roommate,” Nathan said, sitting down on the sofa. Kayla did the same.

  “Ten bucks says that roommate will be a woman.”

  “What if that woman turns out to be Grecia?”

  “On the one hand, I would be happy for her. On the other, I would be afraid that Ashton might hurt her.”

  Nathan said nothing, looking at the coffee table in front of him absentmindedly. Kayla looked at him.

  “Are you upset about something?”

  “What? No, I’m fine.”

  “You’re not sick, are you?”

  “I wouldn’t let you near me if I were.”

  “I’ll take your word,” Kayla said, and then thought of something to say to change the subject. “Listen, I got a quote today from the landlord. We’ll split half and half, if you’re okay with it.” Kayla gave Nathan the price.

  “Sounds good. When do we move, then?”

  “That depends on how soon it takes for the school to revoke your residence here. I’d like for us to move to the new place by next week.”

  “Can’t wait,” said Nathan, trying to mean it. He looked at Kayla. Living with such a pretty girl should be any guy’s dream. Nathan felt it should be his, too. He took hold of her hand, caressing it softly.

  Amanda was watching TV, thinking about the great time she spent with Kellan. Who knew he could be such a fun guy? Amanda had only known him as her serious, poker-faced bodyguard. She had almost forgotten that underneath the exterior, Kellan was young and was like most guys his age. He hadn’t seen enough in life—or in his job—to give him a hardened demeanor. Unlike Grayson.

  The man now stood somewhere in the house with her, watching out for her safety. Though Amanda was in good terms with both of her guards, she’d always felt closer to Kellan. Maybe it was because he was closer to her age. He wasn’t very long out of college.

  Just then, Amanda’s smartphone beeped once. She picked it up from the coffee table. There was a new-email notification. Amanda opened her mail app and checked it.

  Amanda,

  Hi. There’s something I would like to ask you. Do you have space in your schedule for extra photo shoots? I have a photographer friend, the one I told you about. Rachel’s really looking forward to working with you. I know this is not the official channel, but I need your answer.

  The e-mail was from Marissa. After reading it, Amanda thought about it. She had a bunch of photo shoots pending for the next three months. Amanda thought that she may have time in November. She didn’t have too many gigs booked for that month.

  Amanda typed out her reply.

  Hi, Marissa,

  I’m always open for any photo shoot offers. Tell Rachel I look forward to meeting her. She can get in touch with me at this address.

  Amanda hit Send. She then checked the time on her phone. There was half an hour left for her live Twitter Q&A. Hilbert and the modeling agency had arranged the event. They thought it would be a great promotional move. Amanda agreed to do it because she wanted to be a role model for young women, someone who could inspire them.

  By the time the thirty minutes went, Amanda had switched on her computer and gotten ready. She’d almost gone to refresh her makeup, but decided not to do it. Amanda didn’t want others to think that she had to look perfect at all times. She was just a normal person.

  Amanda’s smartphone rang. She answered. It was Hilbert’s secretary.

  “You’re going online in five minutes,” the woman said. “Are you ready? Remember to loo
k for questions with the hashtag ‘AskAmandaTilley’, okay?”

  “Yeah. Let’s get started.”

  Amanda hung up, and took a deep breath. Last summer, she’d done something similar. Hilbert had organized a video chat where fans could talk with Amanda in real time. The event had been a success.

  The smartphone beeped once. Amanda knew it was a text, which was her cue to go ahead. She sent a tweet announcing that she was online and ready to answer questions. Then Amanda searched for the hashtag.

  There were lots of questions submitted already. Hilbert had told Amanda to only answer those that came within the one-hour time frame allotted for the Q&A. That would save her time.

  Amanda browsed through the questions and found one that she liked. A fan from Colorado asked, “How do you feel about your job pressures (staying thin, dealing with paparazzi, etc.)?”

  After thinking about the question, Amanda typed her reply.

  “You see me in catalogs and mags more than in the runway for this: I don’t let others pressure me into being stick-thin. It’s important for me to project a healthy image.”

  Satisfied with her answer, Amanda moved on to another question. It was from a Georgia fan: “Were you nervous on your first-ever photo shoot?”

  Amanda thought it was an easy question.

  “Yep. It’s hard not to be nervous your first time. My face was so red! But the photographers were great. I felt comfortable.”

  A fan from New York asked: “Did you always want to be a model, or is there something else you’d like to be?”

  Amanda answered it.

  “I became a model after my friends suggested it. But I really want to be an architect. It’s my dream job.”

  Amanda then answered a question from a California fan: “What diet(s) do you follow to look so good? I can’t eat a damn slice of cake without stretching my pants.”

  “I eat what I want, balanced of course. Junk food’s ok now and then. Exercise if you want to eat more & look great. 3 days a week is enough.”

  There was another question from a fan in Florida: “How do you feel about photo shoots where nudity is expected of you?”

  Amanda thought about the question.

  “When it’s tasteful, I’m ok with nudity. Nothing to be ashamed of. But my limit is that my crotch area is private. No one needs to see that.”

  Amanda tweeted the answer. She then read another question. “What made you take a short break from modeling? Is it true you went to rehab?”

  The question was appalling to Amanda. Sometimes the press went a little too far with untrue statements.

  “Let me stress this point: I’ve never been to rehab. I’m an emotionally stable young woman. My break was for purely personal reasons.”

  Hoping the answer would squash any further gossip about her health, Amanda moved on. She read another question: “Do you have any role models? People who inspire you?”

  “Jennifer Lawrence. She’s rad, and fun. And she isn’t pressured to have a stick waist. Her body’s perfect! No need for crazy diets. It’s sad to me when girls become anorexic just because they want to look like their favorite models.”

  Amanda had to divide that tweet into two due to the character limit. She submitted it, and then looked at the time.

  Wow. Only thirty-six minutes left. This went by really fast.

  Amanda read more fan questions and answered them. She liked connecting with her fans. Most of them had great things to say to her.

  There was a knock on Hilbert’s study. He looked up, wondering who it was.

  “Enter.”

  A big man entered. Hilbert recognized him as his right hand, his most faithful assistant.

  “What news do you have?”

  “Sir, we’ve gotten hold of one of the men who assaulted Ms. Tilley.”

  “That’s great news! What did you learn from him?”

  “He claimed it was Rebecca who hired him. Their intention was to kidnap Amanda to keep her away from you. Apparently, Rebecca feared she’d hurt you.”

  Hilbert looked furious.

  “I’ll have a serious word with her.”

  Hilbert’s servant cleared his throat.

  “There’s something else, boss. I’ve had a guy follow Amanda as you instructed. Her bodyguards haven’t noticed his presence.”

  “Yes. And?”

  “Today, as our guy followed Amanda after she left the library, he saw another guy following her. It’s not someone we know. They seemed to be attracted to each other. At one point, they almost kiss.”

  “What? Who is this guy?”

  “Our informant has done some research and learned that the guy’s name is Nathan Ferland.”

  Hilbert frowned. The name wasn’t familiar to him.

  “What happened afterward?”

  “Nothing. Amanda pushed the guy away. He looked pretty upset after she fled.”

  “She fled?” Hilbert repeated, surprised.

  “Yeah. They seemed to argue, they almost kiss, she pushed him, and then left.”

  “The guy sought Amanda in the first place?”

  “Yes.”

  Hilbert growled, looking crestfallen.

  “He’s definitely interested. I want to know all about this prick. Everything, you get it?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll tell our informant right away.”

  Hilbert’s right-hand man left the room. The former remained seated, thinking through what he’d just learned.

  So, you’re getting cozy with another jerk again, Amanda? Hilbert thought. I won’t allow that. You are mine and mine alone.

  Emmy and Judith stopped by Amanda’s apartment the next morning. They had agreed to work out together.

  “Hi, girls,” Amanda said, opening the door for her friends and letting them in.

  “Where’s Kellan?” Emmy asked.

  “Grayson’s here now. Kellan’s shift starts in about fifteen minutes.”

  Amanda and her friends walked to the gym room. The three of them took off their blouses, wearing sports bras underneath.

  “Where were you yesterday, Judith?” Amanda asked. Judith’s expression became irritated.

  “I had sort of a bad weekend.”

  Emmy frowned.

  “Why? Weren’t you dating this guy, um, Ashton?”

  “Please don’t mention his name.”

  Amanda and Emmy exchanged puzzled glances.

  “Did he do something to you?” the former asked.

  “He was a complete jerk,” Judith said, starting to do warm-up stretches. Amanda and Emmy followed suit. “Do you know what the bastard did?”

  Judith paused for dramatic effect.

  “He kissed his girlfriend in front of me.”

  Amanda blinked in confusion.

  “As far as I know, Ashton’s a serial dater. He doesn’t have a steady girlfriend.”

  “He seemed pretty tight with this redhead.”

  Emmy and Amanda thought over the revelation.

  “Wait,” said the latter. “Ashton may not be an exemplary gentleman, but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t call you to his dorm just to humiliate you like that.”

  “Trust me, that’s exactly what he did. And I spent three freakin’ hours making myself pretty just for him.”

  Emmy sensed danger.

  “You’re not going to get him back for it, are you?”

  Judith was known for holding long grudges.

  “He’s not worth my trouble. Not. One. Bit.”

  Amanda put a hand on Judith’s shoulder.

  “We’re sorry, friend.”

  “We thought your luck didn’t run out,” Emmy said. “Usually, you’re the first of us to get into a relationship.”

  “Well, I’m going to be more careful with guys from now on. No one will make fun of me again.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Amanda said.

  After the short warm-up, Judith and her friends went to grab some 6-pound dumbbells off the rack.

  “How about you?” Emm
y asked Amanda. “What’s going on between you and Nathan?”

  Amanda shot Emmy a confused look.

  “Nothing’s going on. What makes you think that?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe the way your eyes shine when you hear his name.”

  Amanda threw her head back.

  “Please, friend. Take off your rose-tinted lenses.”

  “She’s got a point,” Judith said. “If you won’t talk to him, I might play matchmaker.”

  “He has a girlfriend. I do not steal boyfriends.”

  “Okay, okay,” Emmy said with a laugh. Amanda shook her head.

  “Why don’t we go on a girls’ night out? We might find a boyfriend,” Judith suggested.

  “What about Emmy? She has a crush on Brad.”

  “That doesn’t count. She has a crush on every good-looking guy connected to you.”

  Emmy frowned at Judith.

  “What’s your plan?” Amanda asked.

  “Hit a disco or something.”

  That rang a bell.

  “Kellan said he would take me to a disco or a club.”

  Judith’s eyes widened.

  “He what? You’re kidding.”

  “No. We went bowling yesterday.”

  Amanda filled her friends in on that.

  “I didn’t know you guys were that close.”

  “Neither did I. Kellan just got the idea out of the blue and took me there. He said he doesn’t only care about my life. He also worries about my feelings.”

  “Oh. And you guys are on a first-name basis?” Emmy asked her.

  “We decided calling each other by our last names everywhere except at school was too confusing.”

  “Why don’t you date him?”

  Amanda narrowed her eyes.

  “Emmy, you come up with these crazy ideas.”

  “Why not? You wanted a guy to help you forget Nathan. Well, you’ve got Kellan.”

  “He’s just a friend.”

  “There’s no rule that says friends can’t become more,” Judith said.

  “Judi. Both of you are getting too carried away.”

  “Oops, maybe you’re right. I’ll stop. But we should still go out one of these nights.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Amanda said.