“How do you feel?” he asked when they were at the table. Amanda had made spaghetti and chicken parmesan. It was good for a distraction.
“Relieved. I can’t lie. I’ve been worrying that Hilbert might do something to me to make me pay for sending him to jail.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t want to worry you. Besides, I trust you to keep me safe.”
“It’s nice to hear you say that. Still, I don’t think you should keep worries like that to yourself.”
“I’m safe now. We’re going to be happy.”
Nathan and Amanda continued eating. At one point, there was a sound from the living room. It was Nathan’s smartphone. He’d left it on the coffee table.
“Excuse me,” Nathan said. He walked to the living room and answered the call. “Hello?”
Amanda remained in the kitchen while Nathan took his call. She waited for him to return. He did so in a minute. He was smiling.
“Who was it?” Amanda asked.
“I’ve got a call back from a job I applied to. They want me to go to an interview on Monday.”
“That’s great! What job did you apply for?”
“Assistant to a local attorney firm. They deal with personal injury, accidents, and trusts. That’s not what I’m studying, but at least it’s related to my field.”
“It’s good enough, Nathan. Look at me. I’m a model, which I never dreamed I would become. It is completely unrelated to what I want to be, an architect.”
“You still have quite a bit of study left to finish.”
“I know. But all in good time.”
Nathan thought about something while Amanda picked up their plates. She set them on the sink.
“How about we go enjoy ourselves tonight?”
Amanda looked at Nathan, curving an eyebrow.
“What do you have in mind?”
“Bowling. We can go tonight. And while we’re at it, we could invite Ashton and Grecia.”
“That’s a nice idea. It’ll be a good way to get our minds off things for a while.”
“And celebrate that you’re finally safe.”
“That, too.”
After washing the dishes, Amanda went to the living room and sat in the sofa. Nathan looked at her. He’d already been sitting.
“Don’t feel like homework today?”
Amanda shook her head.
“There’s still plenty of time. We didn’t get much to work on.”
“I can think of a way to pass the time.”
Amanda turned her head toward Nathan.
“What would that be?”
Nathan closed the distance between them. His hand lay above Amanda’s shoulder, tugging at the sweater to reveal some skin. He leaned toward her to kiss her bare shoulder. Amanda closed her eyes. She then felt Nathan’s lips on hers.
Nathan snuggled closer to Amanda, slipping his hand under her clothes. He touched her chest.
“Do you know who I see every night when I sleep?” Nathan asked Amanda.
“Who?”
“You. You’re always in my dreams. I can’t believe it’s possible to love someone so much.”
“Me, neither. You’re my life.”
“I’m serious,” Nathan said. “I’d cover a bomb with my body if it would keep you safe.”
“I strongly doubt you’ll have to go to such an extreme. And I shudder to think of it,” Amanda replied. Her eyes closed. Nathan was kissing her neck.
“I was just making a point.”
Amanda breathed softly as Nathan continued kissing and caressing her body. He pushed her against the sofa. Amanda grabbed Nathan by his shirt collar and pulled him to her. They kissed.
That evening, Nathan and Amanda went to the bowling club with their friends. Ashton and Grecia went. The latter invited Kayla too, so she accompanied them.
“Let’s get that table over there,” Grecia said. The five of them walked to the table and sat down. Nathan opened a chair for Amanda. Ashton did the same with Grecia and Kayla. They thanked him.
“Do you all want food now?” Nathan asked. Grecia and Kayla exchanged glances.
“Yes,” the former said.
“Okay. Ashton and I will go buy it.”
After the girls told them what they wanted, the guys left. Amanda and Grecia looked around the room.
“I read your interview in the InStyle magazine,” the latter said to Amanda. “So you go for guys of intellect?”
“That’s my type. I’m more impressed by brains than mere brawn.”
“I prefer muscles…as long as the guy isn’t dumb.”
Kayla and Amanda laughed.
“My friend here goes for adventurous types, right?” Grecia said, looking at Kayla.
“Yes. I want a guy who’ll like to travel. As a writer, I’d love to visit the places that I write about.”
“What country would you most like to visit?” Amanda asked her.
“Scotland. I’m not sure why. There’s just something about it. I’ve read a couple of books set in Scotland and I became intrigued.”
“Book boyfriend, right?” Grecia asked. Kayla scoffed.
“I haven’t been there. When I traveled to Europe, I only visited Paris and London,” Amanda said.
Ashton and Nathan returned with the food. The five of them ate their dinner while talking a bit.
Once they finished, Grecia and Ashton were the first to go bowling. Nathan surreptitiously looked at Amanda and Kayla. Things didn’t feel too awkward. Kayla seemed at ease.
“Excuse me,” Amanda said, standing up. “I need to go to the restroom.”
“Okay,” Nathan replied. He watched Amanda walk away. Then he turned to Kayla. She gave him a rather shy kind of smile.
I wonder why she’s treating me much the same way she did when we met.
“Would you like anything else?”
“No, I’m fine. Thanks.”
Kayla grabbed a napkin and wiped her lips. She then set her hands down and fidgeted.
“Is something troubling you?”
Nathan looked into Kayla’s eyes carefully when she looked up at him.
“Not troubling. It’s just a little tedious to set up a book tour. It takes more work than I anticipated.”
“I—we can help you with stuff if you need.”
“Thanks. Grecia is helping me. I have yet to finish the tour dates.”
“How many cities are you visiting?”
“At the moment, only five.”
Nathan raised his eyebrows.
“You’re doing all that flying in spring break? That could give you quite a bit of jet lag.”
“That’s one thing I’m afraid of,” Kayla confessed. “I’m considering stretching the tour to two weeks, at least. I don’t have classes Friday to Sunday.”
“A three-day weekend? That’s something.”
Kayla drank some water from the bottle she ordered. Then she looked up when Amanda returned.
“Let’s go join those two,” she motioned toward Grecia and Ashton. “They look about ready to make out.”
“There aren’t that many people around, but still,” Kayla said.
Amanda and Nathan agreed to play against Grecia and Ashton. The two of them had been playing against each other. Kayla stood by to watch the games.
Amanda went first. She threw the ball, sinking more than half of the pins. Nathan congratulated her. He then prepared for his turn.
While Amanda watched Nathan get ready, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and found herself looking into Christopher’s eyes.
“It’s great to run into you again,” he said.
“Chris! What are you doing here?”
“Hanging out, just like you. But I don’t know anyone, so I thought I’d join you and meet your friends.”
A crashing sound told Amanda that Nathan had just made his move. She looked toward him. He’d hit a few less pins than she did.
“Another admirer?”
Nathan asked, walking up to them. Ashton, Grecia, and Kayla turned to look.
“Nathan, this is Christopher. He’s a new transfer student. Christopher, meet Nathan, my boyfriend.”
“So you’re the lucky son of a guy?”
Ashton stifled a laugh. Nathan shook the hand that Christopher offered.
“You haven’t mentioned him,” Nathan told Amanda.
“I met him recently. Christopher doesn’t know anyone, so this son of a guy tucked himself under my wing. Without permission.”
Christopher laughed.
“You intimidated me at first, I won’t lie.”
“I felt just the same way when I met her,” Grecia said, matter-of-factly. They all looked at her.
“These are the rest of my friends,” Amanda said to Christopher. “Grecia; her boyfriend, Ashton; and her best friend, Kayla.”
Christopher greeted them, shaking hands with all three. Kayla showed interest, but he didn’t notice.
“Nice to meet you all.”
They all nodded. Amanda felt that they also found Christopher charming. The women, at least.
“Now we’re even,” Grecia noticed. “Christopher and Kayla can play as a team, or join with one of ours. Which one will it be?”
“Two teams,” Christopher said. “We need to leave enough space for the rest of the customers.”
“True,” Ashton said. “Join us, Kayla?”
Kayla looked from Christopher to Nathan. She then nodded toward Ashton.
Almost a half hour later, Nathan’s team ended up winning.
“The new guy has skill,” Ashton said in reference to Christopher. “Ever played before?”
“It was the favorite pastime of my friends.”
“Where did you come from?” Grecia asked him.
“Tennessee.”
“Oh, the music state,” Ashton said.
The six of them left the restaurant shortly afterward. Grecia and Ashton left in their car first. They took Kayla back with them.
“Do you need a ride?” Amanda asked Christopher.
“I brought my own car. Thanks.”
Christopher pressed a button on a little device attached to his keyring. Behind Nathan and Amanda, a car beeped. They turned, seeing a midnight-blue Mitsubishi Lancer sedan.
“Sweet ride,” Nathan said. “You should have showed it to Ashton. He’s a car aficionado.”
“Is that so? I fancy myself as one, but I can only do basic stuff. Beyond charging the tires or replacing a battery, I turn to a mechanic.”
Nathan chuckled.
“That’s me, too.”
Christopher nodded.
“It was nice meeting your friends tonight, Amanda. You should bring Judith next time, though.”
Amanda flashed a half smile.
“Ooh. Did she pique your interest?”
“Let’s just say I wouldn’t be able to recognize her if we met again. I hardly ever learned anything about Judith the last time we saw each other. She’s a tough nut.”
“You’re mean.”
Christopher laughed at that.
“See you later,” he said. He walked toward his car and got in it. Nathan took Amanda’s hand. The two turned and walked toward his car.
“He seems okay,” Nathan said. He looked at Amanda, who had just closed her door. “But he wouldn’t stop looking at you like a retriever.”
Amanda burst out laughing.
“I thought the same thing. Christopher totally idolizes me. You should have seen him when we met.”
“As long as he doesn’t hit on you, I’m fine with him.”
Nathan pulled out of his parking spot. He then drove forward, heading back to the apartments.
“Thank you,” Amanda said. Nathan looked at her. “You made the right call. Hanging out with our friends was good for me.”
“Anytime, love.”
Halfway through breakfast the next morning, Amanda received a notification on her phone. She checked it and saw a new e-mail from Stanley.
“Who is it?” Emmy asked. Amanda read the text for a few seconds.
“It’s my agent,” Amanda replied. She put her phone on the table. “He’s negotiating a new contract with Nordstrom. They want me to do a shoot in April.”
“Nordstrom? That’s great!”
Amanda nodded.
“I haven’t worked with them before. I’ve only done Sears and JC Penney.”
“Plus Calvin Klein and Fredericks of Hollywood.”
“Yeah, those too,” Amanda said. “And I’m working on a contract with American Eagle.”
“You, girl, are a success to behold. To think that in high school, you hesitated to become a model.”
Amanda blushed, remembering.
Later, Amanda drove to the Cornell campus with Emmy. The latter went to find Judith. Amanda walked to the Olin Library. She wanted to check out a book before her class started. There was a quarter hour left.
When Amanda was walking past a building, she spotted Nathan. He was in front of another building, several feet from Amanda. She saw that he was in conversation with a brunette.
As Amanda stood there watching, Nathan suddenly embraced the woman. Amanda’s eyes widened. Was it really happening?
Who is this woman?
Nathan leaned back, his hands on the woman’s shoulders. He appeared to be reassuring her.
Amanda didn’t know if she should confront them. She bit her lip, trying to command her feet to move. But she stayed rooted to the spot. Nathan reached with his finger and touched the woman’s face. It looked like he was wiping away a tear. Amanda narrowed her eyes.
The woman leaned into Nathan’s touch. She began to get closer to him, too close for Amanda’s comfort. And Nathan wasn’t moving away from her.
Not about to just stand there, Amanda began walking toward them. Just then, Nathan shook his head. He tried to walk away. The woman held on to his wrist. Amanda halted, watching the progress. Nathan said something to the woman, and then he freed himself. He started to walk toward class. The woman turned in the opposite direction. Amanda saw that she truly had been crying.
What is going on here?
A little angry, Amanda turned back the way she’d come. She was going to have a serious talk with Nathan.
A few hours afterward, Nathan waited outside his third class of the day. He only knew a few of the students there, including Amanda. At that moment, only a couple of their classmates stood outside waiting.
Nathan pulled out his phone. He saw that he didn’t have any messages or e-mails. Nathan inserted his earphones and began playing music on his phone.
A couple minutes later, Nathan detected movement to his right. He saw Amanda approaching. She was looking at the floor as she walked, appearing distracted.
Amanda walked right past Nathan. He watched her with a puzzled expression. She stopped about five feet away from him and leaned against the wall. Nathan pulled out his earphones.
“Earth to Amanda?”
Amanda casually turned her head toward Nathan. She raised her eyebrows.
“Hmm. You remembered me.”
Nathan stared at her, dumbfounded. He shook his head, recomposing himself.
“Pardon me, sweetheart?”
“I thought you were the only one who was going to have a hard time in this relationship. Now I see that you have admirers, too.”
“Admirers, what?” Nathan asked, walking toward her. It then dawned on him. “You saw us.”
“Bingo.”
Amanda narrowed her eyes at Nathan. He sighed.
“Are you seeing other women behind my back?”
“Baby, what guy in his right mind would cheat on the most beautiful woman in the world?”
“The girl I saw you with wasn’t ugly.”
“That girl is just someone I met recently. I haven’t had time to introduce her. She’s…she keeps to herself.”
“You mean, you kept her to yourself.”
“N-no!” Nathan said, groan
ing. “Her name’s Erika. She came to me today because she couldn’t think of anyone else to go to. She’s new here, and…she just lost someone very close to her.”
Amanda rolled her eyes.
“You’re so naïve, Nathan. That seems like an awfully convenient story to get close to you.”
Nathan’s eyebrows furrowed.
“We’re still talking about me, right?”
“Um, yeah.”
“Amanda, why would Erika spin up a story just to try to seduce me? I admit she’s good-looking, enough to get any other guy she wants. I’m with you.”
Nathan reached out to touch Amanda’s arms. She tensed, her gaze switching to his lips.
“I have eyes just for you, baby.”
Taking it slow, Nathan leaned toward Amanda. She closed her eyes, and he brought her lips to his. He kissed her gently, feeling Amanda’s arms begin moving up to his back. Nathan tugged at her bottom lip. He could sense her heartbeat picking up speed.
Amanda stopped without warning, breaking the kiss. She quickly looked toward both sides of the hallway.
“They’re watching us,” Amanda whispered.
“Since when has that made you nervous?” Nathan asked. He kissed her again, molding his body against hers. Amanda let out a gasp.
Someone cleared their throat. Amanda’s eyes popped open. She and Nathan looked toward the source of the sound. The instructor had just got there.
“It’s time for class,” the man said simply. He appeared to be trying not to smile. Amanda went red. Half the class was already there. They’d been waiting outside the whole time.
“Let’s go,” Nathan told Amanda. He took her hand in his. She smiled, and walked with him to class.
That day after his job interview, Nathan drove to a local corner store with a gas station. As Nathan’s hybrid car didn’t need refueling as often as his old car, he almost forgot it was time to make the trip.
Nathan smiled to himself as he drove. He thought that the interview had gone well. The recruiter had been impressed with his GPA. Nathan hoped he’d get the job. He was right: that kind of job was pretty hard to find in a town as small as Ithaca.
Pulling up to the parking lot, Nathan killed the engine. He called his father before going to the store. Nathan could use a bit of advice.
Devoted to Her (Dream Date Book 2) Page 8