“Witty.”
Christopher stood up, and Amanda did the same.
“Okay. Tuesday, then. I’ll pick you up.”
“I’d rather drive, if you don’t mind. I have to take Kellan with me.”
“No problem. I’ll still bring my car.”
Monday finally arrived. Soft, relaxing music made Amanda think she was still dreaming. Until she felt a hand brushing past her temple and lips kissing her cheek. Those sensations felt too real to be happening in a dream.
Amanda opened her eyes. She saw Nathan next to her on the bed, flashing a smile. He caressed the bare skin of her shoulder, and then planted a kiss there.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. Amanda looked sleepy.
“Making you happy.”
Nathan moved the bedcovers away from Amanda. He lightly kissed her abdomen.
“Hey! It’s ticklish,” Amanda said with a laugh.
“I know.”
Nathan moved to kiss her chest, and then leaned up, using his arms for support. Amanda noticed he was already dressed, except for his shoes.
“How did you get past the guards?”
“Get past? They let me in, of course.”
“Know that I’m still mad at you.”
“I’m aware.”
Nathan kissed her closed lips. She turned her head away.
“I haven’t brushed my mouth!”
“Oh, shit, you’re right! Here, let me help you get out of bed.”
Amanda stifled a laugh. Nathan stood up and then picked her up.
“What are you doing?” Amanda asked. She put her arms around Nathan. He couldn’t help noticing that Amanda wasn’t wearing a bra under her thin blouse.
“Getting you to the bathroom.”
“I can do it by myself. Besides, I have no shorts on! Do you want Kellan and Caldwell to see me like this? Not to mention Emmy, who I don’t mind.”
Emmy had returned the previous morning. She was still healing from her injury. The doctors had her using crutches in the meantime.
“Your guards are outside. Emmy’s asleep.”
Nathan set Amanda on her feet so he could open the door to the bathroom.
“Are you going to share your apartment with your guards once again?”
“No, I can’t just kick Emmy out. Kellan managed to move next door from me. The landlord moved the previous occupants to a different room.”
“That’s good to know.”
Amanda stood watching Nathan. He was admiring her body, in a loving kind of way.
“Are you seriously going to watch me brush my teeth?”
“You make that sound boring, sweetheart. Actually, I was wondering if you’re taking a shower.”
Amanda went red.
“If you’re going to do…other stuff, I’ll obviously leave without your having to ask.”
“Thanks. In that case, could you please make me a nice breakfast?”
“With pleasure.”
Nathan left the bathroom, closing the door. Amanda looked in the mirror, smiling to herself.
Amanda walked into the kitchen moments later. She saw that Nathan had made Belgian waffles. Emmy was with him, helping with what she could.
“Yummy,” Amanda said. Nathan and Emmy both turned to look at her.
“Hi, gorgeous,” Nathan replied.
“Morning, Amanda.”
Amanda smiled shyly. Her hand instinctively reached up to cover the scars on her temple. Nathan frowned.
“Hey,” Nathan said, walking toward her. “Don’t be self-conscious. That cut doesn’t make you any less beautiful. Soon enough, it’ll barely be visible.”
“It looks horrible now.”
“Don’t say that, sweetheart. You could never look horrible to me.”
Nathan leaned forward to meet Amanda’s lips. She placed her arms around him. Emmy cleared her throat.
“Sorry,” Amanda said, going red again.
“It’s okay. I’m glad to see you happy.”
Nathan brushed a strand of hair behind Amanda’s ear.
“Let’s sit down. Breakfast is ready.”
While Amanda served the plates, Nathan helped Emmy into a chair.
“Thanks,” she said.
Nathan looked at Amanda. She was pouring syrup on her waffles.
“I was thinking about something.”
Amanda looked up. She grabbed her forks and knife and cut a piece from a waffle. Emmy looked between them both.
“What is it?”
“It’s about your recent attack. The idea that you may have been specifically targeted keeps nagging me.”
“Anyone can get mugged.”
“Yes, but why did the so-called thief try to kill you?”
Amanda thought about it.
“I don’t know. Besides Hilbert, I don’t have any other enemies who’d want to kill me.”
Emmy and Nathan exchanged glances.
“Would it be a good idea to call Patrick Hayden?”
It took a short moment for Amanda to recognize the name. She raised her eyebrows.
“The PI? For what, ask him to go on a pointless hunt? We’re uncertain the thief singled me out. The police will find her, and we’ll learn the truth.”
“I hope so.”
While he was walking to class alone, Nathan felt his smartphone vibrate. He stopped near his locker and checked his phone. There was a new message from Marissa. Here’s the song!
Nathan smiled. He scrolled down and saw a file attachment. It was the complete song. Now, all that Nathan had to do was make a reservation at a great restaurant. Amanda would love it.
As soon as lunchtime arrived, Nathan called Emmy. He wanted to know her opinion about the song. Emmy agreed to meet him at Starbucks. Judith would be there, too.
Nathan walked inside the café. He looked around and saw Emmy sitting at a table. Her crutches were propped against the wall.
“Hi,” Nathan said. He sat in front of Emmy.
“Hi. Judith’s ordering food. I asked her to get some for you, too.”
Nathan glanced over toward Judith.
“Thanks. I called you because I want to show you something. It’s a surprise I have for Amanda.”
“A surprise! What kind? Does it have anything to do with Valentine’s Day?”
Nathan laughed.
“It may.”
Emmy smiled knowingly. Nathan waited until the food was ready. He helped Judith bring it all to the table.
“Thanks,” Judith said.
After they sat down, they started to eat. Nathan blew air into his coffee. He didn’t like it scalding.
“Emmy said you wanted to tell us something,” Judith said. Nathan nodded.
“I have a surprise for your friend.”
“Amanda?”
“Yep. I had Marissa give me a hand.”
“What’s the surprise?” Emmy asked.
Nathan pulled out his smartphone. He plugged his earphones into it, and then loaded the MP3 player app. When Amanda’s song was there, Nathan handed the phone to Emmy.
“Just click on play.”
Emmy put on the earphones and listened. Judith and Nathan continued to eat. They watched Emmy. She seemed to be enjoying the song.
When Emmy finished listening, she pulled off the earphones. She gave Nathan an awed look.
“Did you seriously do this?”
“I had it done, yeah.”
Emmy handed the smartphone to Judith so she could listen to the song.
“The song is marvelous, Nathan. How did you get a singer to do it?”
“Marissa commissioned him. He’s not well-known.”
“Then this guy should consider going to the X Factor. Frankly, this is talent.”
Once Judith listened to the song, she had the same opinion as Emmy. She handed the phone back to Nathan.
“This is…terrific. Amanda will love this song.”
“I know, right!” Emmy said. “How are you going to reveal it to her?�
��
“I prefer to keep that to myself for now.”
“But you said it’s got to do with Valentine’s.”
“Yes,” Nathan replied.
“Why don’t you marry me?” Judith asked him. “I thought guys like you didn’t exist.”
Nathan laughed.
“There’s Brad,” Emmy said. “I was ecstatic when he dropped everything just to see me at the hospital.”
“What did he tell you?” asked Judith.
“That’s private.”
Emmy was grinning, making it obvious that she was half joking.
Judith turned to Nathan.
“We know that Amanda is still a little mad with you. So I think I’ll help you out. It wouldn’t hurt for you to know a few of Amanda’s secrets.”
“What kind of secrets?”
“Stuff that will score you a ton of brownie points with her. Like, things that Amanda really likes.”
“Oh? I’m all ears,” Nathan said, leaning forward.
“You know Amanda’s favorite flower, right?”
“Yes. She likes carnations.”
Emmy nodded, clapping twice. Judith gave her a curious look.
“Emmy’s flamboyantly romantic.”
Nathan chuckled.
“Okay. So, have you given thought to what you’re going to wear on Valentine’s Day? I assume you’re going out on a date with Amanda.”
“No. And yes to that last statement.”
“I see. You should know that Amanda’s a bit tired of formalities. Don’t go for the usual penguin look. Opt to be stylish, more relaxed. Maybe…a dark, faux leather jacket instead of a suit jacket would impress Amanda.”
“Faux leather jacket? Got it,” Nathan said.
“You could also opt for a blazer, but skip ties. And it goes without saying to wear clean shoes. Women always notice the shoes that a guy wears.”
“Shoes? Got it. What else?”
“Style,” Emmy told him. “Amanda’s a model. She’s unconsciously learned to enjoy style, so she goes for guys who can match their outfits.”
Nathan already knew that. He’d been somewhat of a wallflower once. One of Nathan’s classmates in his freshman year had called his sense of style “lackluster.” So Nathan had enlisted Marissa’s help to give him a makeover. It made him more popular with women.
“As for gifts,” Judith said, “Amanda’s into tech. Get her something cutting-edge, but thoughtful. She also likes decorations, especially of buildings. Just don’t go for something obvious like the Eiffel Tower. You’ve seen the one she has in her living room.”
“I’ll come up with some ideas,” Nathan said. “Thanks for the tips. I’ll keep them in mind.”
“One last thing,” said Emmy. “Whisper romantic stuff in Amanda’s ears every once in a while. She seriously enjoys that.”
Nathan smiled, thinking about stuff he knew Amanda would enjoy hearing.
Straight after school, Kellan and Caldwell drove with Amanda to the police station. Detective Sutton had called her with news about the case.
Caldwell stayed in the car while Kellan and Amanda went inside the station. She asked an officer for Detective Sutton. The man led them to an office near the back.
“Ms. Tilley,” said Sutton when Amanda stood in the doorway. “Come in.”
Amanda and Kellan entered. They sat down on the chairs opposite Sutton’s desk.
“What news do you have, Detective?”
“We found the vehicle in which the suspect allegedly fled, according to witness testimony. It was abandoned at the Newfield State Forest.”
“It’s south of here,” Kellan said in reply to Amanda’s quizzical look.
“A hiker found the vehicle. We checked the plates and found that the owners of the car are from Cortland. It’s a town to the northeast.”
“What did you learn?” asked Kellan.
“Turns out that the Cortland PD had put out a BOLO on the car. The owners are a family. When I drove there with a couple of our officers, we questioned them. It turns out that the family reported the car stolen last Wednesday. We found the car yesterday afternoon.”
“So, the suspect had already been planning to attack me since then,” Amanda said.
“We don’t know that yet. For now, we asked the Rochester PD forensics team to analyze the prints and DNA found in the car. The results are expected to arrive next week.”
“Did you question the neighbors?” Kellan asked.
“Yes. Most of them didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. A neighbor two houses down did tell us that a dark sedan drove past the street on Sunday. He was watering his front yard. Monday evening, the neighbor was watching a late night talk show. He heard a car door closing, and took a look through the window.”
“Was this man able to see anything?”
“He saw the neighbors’ car driving away,” Sutton replied. “The man knows the family well, so at first he thought they were just going somewhere. But the woman who was driving the car didn’t look familiar.”
“Do you have a description?”
“The neighbor said that the woman appeared young, with light-colored hair. Unfortunately, he didn’t get a clear look. The Cortland PD couldn’t get a sketch done.”
“Shame,” Amanda said.
“We’re still working with them to find more leads. It’s possible the suspect refueled at a gas station or something in that nature.”
“If the car got stolen on Monday,” Kellan began, “and Amanda was attacked on Thursday evening, what was the suspect doing with the car that whole time?”
“The suspect could have taken the car anywhere. Most likely, she had it in an indoor garage. When we get the DNA results, I hope we’ll be able to ID her.”
“She could still be out there,” Amanda said.
“They’ll find her,” Kellan reassured her.
“I wouldn’t count on the suspect still being in town. If she’s got half a brain, she could be in Florida by now. Things are dangerous for her, especially when the case involves a celebrity. A minor one, but still a celebrity.”
Amanda nodded. She’d received a lot of tweets and e-mails from her close fans. They expressed outrage about the attack she suffered.
“For the moment, that’s all I have,” Sutton said. He stood up. Amanda and Kellan followed suit. “I’ll keep you informed of any new developments.”
“Thanks, Detective,” Kellan replied. He shook hands with Sutton. “Let’s go,” he said to Amanda. They walked back to the car. Caldwell opened the front passenger door for Amanda. She thanked him.
“We’re on the lookout for a light-haired young woman,” said Kellan once they were on the road. Caldwell was driving.
“That’s nothing to go on. It would help if you at least knew the color of her eyes, and skin.”
“She’s pasty, with freckles,” Amanda said.
“Were you able to see her eyes?”
“No. It was dark, and I was too busy defending myself. She was considerably fierce.”
“At least the description isn’t too vague,” said Kellan. “How many pasty, freckly blonde women do we know?”
“That sounds like me. Apart from the freckles.”
Kellan let out a soft laugh.
“I don’t know about others, but I wouldn’t call you pasty. Your skin actually has color.”
Amanda shook her head, smiling. Kellan knew her so well already he could break the tension when needed.
While Nathan was reorganizing his locker the next morning, he received a phone call. Ashton and Grecia were with him.
“Hello?” Nathan answered.
“Is this Mr. Nathan Ferland?” a male voice asked.
“Yes, that is me.”
“This is Mr. Jones, calling from the Law Offices of Edwin Brandt. I’m calling to congratulate you, Mr. Ferland. You got the job.”
Nathan’s mouth opened wide. He smiled, looking at Ashton. The latter’s expression turned quizzical.
&nb
sp; “Thanks, Mr. Jones. I appreciate this opportunity.”
“You’re to report to the building next Monday at two. Ask for Mr. Brandt. He’ll give you more details about your job duties and schedule.”
“All right. I’ll be there. Thanks again, Mr. Jones.”
“Have a good day, Mr. Ferland,” the recruiter said. He then hung up.
“You got the job?” Ashton asked.
“Yes. I’m going to work at Mr. Brandt’s law office. I’ll be a secretary, but something is something. At least it pays more than my previous job.”
“Cool, man!”
“What kind of law does he practice?” asked Grecia.
“Accidents, personal injury, trust, and estate.”
“You weren’t able to find law offices to deal with what you’re studying?”
“Business law? There’s an office, but it’s not big and they’re not recruiting at the moment.”
“No problem,” Ashton said. “When you graduate from law school, you’ll be able to apply wherever you want.”
“I look forward to that,” Nathan replied. He closed his locker.
“We’re going to class now, Nathan,” Grecia said. “See you during lunch.”
“See you, bro,” Ashton told him.
“Same,” Nathan replied. He turned in the opposite direction to go to class. He felt good about the new job. It was low-level, but at least Nathan would be making more money. He wanted to be able to get Amanda whatever she wanted. They could dine at nicer restaurants, and he’d be able to pay for his own business-class plane tickets.
Amanda stood before the mirror in her bedroom. She was removing her bandages. Although Amanda wasn’t vain, she didn’t really want to head out wearing them. People kept staring at her now, but not for the reasons she was used to.
The faint red line on Amanda’s temple still hadn’t faded. Her bruises hadn’t, either. The doctors had told her that, after three days or so, makeup wouldn’t cause trouble. In a couple weeks, the scar wouldn’t be visible.
Amanda applied more makeup than usual to conceal her bruises. She put on a liberal amount of smoky eye shadow, plus lip gloss. Once she was ready, Amanda grabbed her purse and left the room.
Judith, Christopher, and Nathan were to arrive in a few minutes. Amanda checked her e-mail inbox while she waited. There were no new messages. Amanda then went to Twitter. She was impressed at her fan’s response to her attack. An article had already been posted on the U.S. Magazine. They called Amanda’s attack “shameful and deeply appalling.” She hadn’t made a statement to the media about that yet. Amanda was waiting for word from her agent before taking that step.
Devoted to Her (Dream Date Book 2) Page 13
