Learning To Love Again (Book #1 In The Learning To Love Again Series

by Jessica Danielle

  “Oh my god, I didn’t mean to scare you, but you should’ve seen your face,” Amanda said wiping tears from her face as Willow was just glaring at her friend.

  “You’ll be the one to clean up the grounds on the floor for that,”

  “Fine, as long as you tell me what happened after I went to sleep last night. Did you, do it?” Amanda asked, as Willow was filling up the coffeemaker, leaning against the counter. Amanda’s eyes scanned her friend up and down.

  “No sex hair, but you have a hickey on both sides of your neck. Which I did notice last night when I came home, but I did not want to mention it then,” Amanda mentioned with a smirk on her face.

  “Nothing happened. He wanted me to open up about the nightmare that I had last night. And he mentioned he would try nothing until after taking me out on a date,” Willow replied, watching the smile creep up on Amanda’s face.

  “Are you serious? He wants to take you out on a date. When? Where?” Amanda asked, putting her hands on Willow’s shoulders.

  “All I know is that it’s Saturday. And he said that I needed to wear a shirt, jeans and comfortable shoes for where we are going,”

  “Oh, I’m definitely helping you out with this one. He’s not getting away,” Amanda said, excitement in her voice jumping up and down.

  Willow bit her lip, thinking back on Micheal talking in his sleep, as she laughed to herself.

  “What?” Amanda asked, as she was grabbing 3 cups for the coffee.

  “He talks in his sleep. He said my name this morning,” Willow said as Amanda smiled.

  “Looks like someone already has Mr. Hottie wrapped around her finger–” she said as the door to Willow’s bedroom opened up and Micheal walked out, hair everywhere.

  “Good morning, Amanda. Willow I have to get going, but if I have any more details to share with you about Saturday, I will let you know,” he said, grabbing his backpack slipping on his sandals before going towards the door but backtracked and kissed Willow on the side of her face before leaving.

  As soon as the door closed Willow and Amanda looked at each other smiling.

  “He kissed you!” Amanda said as Willow jumped up and down excitedly, smiling like an idiot with her best friend.

  Micheal was definitely more than a friend now.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Amanda

  Taking the crumpled piece of paper in her hand, Amanda squinted at it in the darkness of her car as she turned a corner and was met with a gate. She inputted the code that she wrote down on the paper while she was at work from the text message that she received hours earlier.

  After entering the code on the pinpad, the gate opened and she drove her car through, squinting at the numbers on the houses until she saw the number to the house that she was supposed to go to. Entering in another code to gain entry to the property to open, as she drove in. Parking her car next to the other two sports cars that were parked next to a blacked out suburban by the entrance of the house.

  She walked up to the door, pausing to knock when the door opened. And she came face to face with Micheal once again.

  A smile was on his face, the same one that Willow talked about, the one that could probably get him out of every situation.

  “So you got my message, that’s good. I was worried I was texting the wrong person,” he said as he moved to the side to let her in.

  As he invited her into his home, her eyes were taking everything in from the grand staircase to the picture of the fruit on the wall. From the plush interior, paintings on the walls. She followed him from the living room through another room, the kitchen as she took in the other two men that were sitting at the island, drinks in hand.

  Both men turned their heads to look at her. They both looked to be around Micheals age, around their mid-thirties to early-forties, from the looks of it. One was tall, with dark shoulder length hair, wearing a long sleeve button down shirt cuffed at his elbows paired with dark jeans. The other had dirty blonde hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Wearing a black shirt and jeans.

  “This is Tommy and Eric, Tommy is a photographer, he comes with me to events and things. Eric works alongside with my agent. Comes to events, talks people up. Guys this is Amanda, Willow’s best friend” Micheal said introducing them to each other as they shook hands with Amanda.

  “Ah, this is Amanda, we’ve heard a lot about you in such a short time,” Eric said causing Amanda to take a step back.

  “Hopefully all good things I hope. Sorry, just got off work,” she said as she wiped her hands on her jeans.

  “She works at a grocery store,” Micheal offered as explanation as Tommy and Eric nodded, Eric moved across the kitchen island to bump Micheal’s arm.

  “Didn’t know you had an IN for cheap produce and you didn’t tell me about it,” Eric said as Amanda rolled her eyes.

  “From the looks of the cars parked out front, I don’t think you need an IN for cheap produce. But besides that, I want to know why I was summoned here. Especially when I know tomorrow is the big date,” Amanda said, as she looked at Micheal and saw him move to get alcohol as she smiled.

  “Wait, that is why you asked me here. And them as well I’m assuming. You hyped it up to my best friend about a two part date but never came up with an idea. Oh this is too good!” she said going around the island and picking up the glass and downing the whiskey Micheal had poured for himself.

  “Hit me with some more Stanley, your screw up is too funny,” she said, putting the glass down and tapping it as he poured her more.

  “You're driving her home later,” Micheal nodded towards Tommy, as he rolled his eyes.

  “That should be fun. I can see it now, she’s going to talk my ear off or be passed out in the passenger seat,” Tommy commented as Amanda narrowed her eyes at him.

  “Really? As if I'm not standing right here? What am I? Invisible?” she questioned, as all three men smiled at that.

  “Fine, you guys have any ideas? I don’t want to do something that has been done a million times,” Micheal said.

  Amanda looked around and saw a picture on the mantle of Micheal and what looked like his son together shooting, as she smiled.

  “How about you take her shooting. She used to do that with her family. It would be good. And it is something different,” Amanda suggested, as Micheal nodded.

  “That is a good idea, there's also a park that isn’t too far away. Maybe have lunch there afterwards,” he said thinking it over.

  “Well you could make the food, we could always drop it off, you just let us know when the gun range is over,” Eric offered as Micheal smiled.

  “That’s a perfect idea, what does she like Amanda?” Micheal asked, turning towards Amanda.

  “Pretty much anything really, but I think she would be more touched if it was something that you usually make,” she said as Micheal drummed his fingers against the counter in thought.

  “Well I have been making homemade pasta with Evan when he comes over,” Micheal said as Amanda smiled.

  “She loves carbs, that works,” Amanda said as she poured herself more whiskey in her cup, sipping at it. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, she took it out and looked at a text that Willow sent her.

  “Speak of the devil, I would love to help with the pasta making and have a ghost-like moment with some flour and eggs with you boys but it looks like Willow needs to go shopping for clothes for the date. So Tommy let’s get going, Eric here’s my keys,” Amanda said, downing the last of the whiskey and handing Eric the keys to her car. The three of them walked out of the house, leaving Micheal by himself shaking his head at the three of them.

  After getting dropped off, and her car parked outside the apartment, Amanda made her way up to the third floor, stumbling in.

  “Where were you? Your shift ended like an hour ago?” Willow questioned, as Amanda smiled at her frantic friend. Willow moved closer to Amanda, smelling the whiskey coming off her.

  “Oh bad day at work? Stopped off at the bar
? Then how did you get your car home?” Willow questioned as Amanda smiled, knowingly.

  “Just had a couple of friends give me a ride home. The other one drove it back here. Enough about me though you said we need to go shopping so let's go!” Amanda said pulling Willow along with her as they ran down the stairs to where Willow had her car parked out front.

  Amanda and Willow were looking at the shirts, as Amanda noticed Willow looking up from her browsing and quickly picked the shirt that was in her hands, a white one.

  “Let’s get going I can pair this with jeans from home,” Willow said as Amanda looked at where Willow was looking and saw a woman looking at them. Amanda looked at her again and noticed the woman wasn’t looking at the both of them but more at Willow as she walked towards them.

  “Come on, let’s go,” Willow said, taking a hold of Amanda’s arm and trying to pull her along with her. But Amanda stood her ground and took a step up in front of Willow, as the woman still approached.

  “I just wanted to say that I love your hair color? Is it natural or dyed? It's so pretty,” the woman said as she went to step around Amanda, her hand held out to touch Willow’s red hair.

  “Don’t touch her hair or her, you're freaking her out. Back away before I make you back away,” Amanda said as the woman moved her hand back and scoffed.

  “Fine, don’t take a compliment,” the woman said as Amanda turned, pulling Willow along with her.

  “I know that woman, she was at Evan’s school and Micheal talked to her. He said she was a crazy fan,” Willow mentioned, as Amanda looked back at the woman and saw that she was no longer in the clothing section. As Amanda started walking quicker with her friend in tow.

  “Let’s go buy this and we’ll go home, suddenly the idea of clothes shopping while sobering up doesn’t sound so appealing anymore,” she said as her eyes scanned around them looking for the woman in the store. Because she made the hair on the back of her neck stand up on end.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Waking up on Saturday morning with a smile on her face, Willow realized how long it had been since she had truly been this happy. That is until she met Micheal. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, combing her fingers through her curly red hair, trying to fix it from how it was when she woke up, which was everywhere. She wanted to get an early start on the day since she didn’t know what time Micheal was coming over to pick her up for their date. But, from the sounds of it, it sounded like it would be an all-day type of date.

  First thing first. Making coffee, Willow sneaked out of her room, trying to not wake up Amanda. Cringing as she closed the bathroom door a little louder than she thought she would.

  She shuffled her feet against the cheap linoleum flooring of the kitchen. Opening the coffeemaker to throw out the older filter, she found it was a fresh one filled with coffee grounds. She furrowed her brows at that, when she heard the sounds of light footsteps coming up behind her.

  Amanda holding the coffee carafe in her hand that was full of water.

  “You're up? At this hour? How?” Willow asked, as Amanda rolled her eyes.

  “Because today is your date with Mr. Hottie and I wanted to be up early to help you not look like a disaster today,” she commented, filling the back of the coffeemaker’s tank with water, and clicking on the power button for the coffee to brew.

  Looking at the stove, Willow saw a plate of eggs and toast. Touching the plate, she found it was still warm.

  “You cooked me breakfast?”

  “No, I was making myself breakfast and cooked too much. Of course, I made you breakfast. It’s your first official date with Mr. Hottie today,” Amanda said with a smile on her face.

  “I should have never told you. You haven’t stopped bringing it up all week.” Willow replied.

  “Now you know how it’s felt for the past couple weeks with you talking about him nonstop. But I am happy for you, Willow. You seem more like the bubbly person who I met years ago in that community college class now more than ever. And I want to keep it that way. He’s good for you,” Amanda said as Willow felt tears well up in her eyes.

  “Don’t start the waterworks. You don’t need puffy red eyes on your first date with Mr. Hottie. And eat your breakfast before it gets cold, or else why did I get up early, huh?” Amanda questioned rhetorically as she took the plate of food that was on the stove and put it on the small table they had in the kitchen. Pushing Willow in the table's direction to go sit.

  “Eat up because we have to go through your closet to see what you are going to wear. That could take literally all the time before he shows up,” Amanda said as she poured two cups of coffee and went to sit across from Willow.

  “Wait, do you know when he’s showing up? Did he really tell you and not me when he was showing up today?” Willow questioned as Amanda smiled, sipping at her coffee then grimacing at the taste of the black substance. Getting up quickly to fix it how she normally had it.

  “I swore to secrecy. Yes, from my best friend. I know, but he flashed me that stupid smile of his and I couldn’t say no ok,” Amanda said as Willow smiled.

  “Oh, I know what you mean, that smile that makes your brain go to mush? He knows exactly what he’s doing when he does that,” Willow commented with a knowing smile as she started eating her breakfast, wondering exactly when Micheal was going to show up for the date.

  Willow was putting the finishing touches on her hair, spraying hairspray in it when her cell phone rang.

  “Hello,” she said, smiling like an idiot and feeling giddy as she stepped out of the bathroom.

  “Hey Willow. I’m a couple blocks away from your apartment building, just wanted to let you know,” Micheal said on the other end of the phone, as Willow heard the noise of traffic in the background.

  “Ok, I can go outside and wait then,” she said as Micheal stopped her on the other end of the call.

  “No, I’ll just buzz your apartment when I get there. For safety’s sake and everything,” he said, as Willow sighed, realizing how easily she had forgotten everything that had happened. Since she was happy now. That after everything, she forgot about what happened. Just for a second. Frowning slightly, knowing now that it would play in the back of her mind the entire date. The possibility of Andrew always being around watching, waiting. Especially since after the incident and getting the restraining order, Willow didn’t know where Andrew was.

  “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll wait for you to buzz the apartment. See you in a few,” she said as she hung up the phone. Sitting on the couch, with Amanda joining her.

  “Call me if you need anything at all. If you need me to put a low jack on his car, I will,” Amanda joked.

  “Oh, you know I will call you if anything happens, good or bad,” Willow said, as Amanda’s smile widened.

  “And if you get the chance, please jump him. Then again, does he have condoms? He probably won’t. You might need condoms,” Amanda said, getting up from the couch, as Willow took a hold of Amanda’s hand and yanked her back down on the couch to sit next to her.

  “No, Amanda, condoms aren’t needed. This is our first date. You really think he would try something? You think I would go through with that?” Willow questioned.

  “Um, have you seen him? I would jump his fine ass if you weren’t dating him. And you can deny it all you want. But we both know that he probably wants to. And so do you. Again, wouldn’t blame either of you for that,” Amanda said, patting Willow’s hand.

  “Plus, you are forgetting you are fine as well. If I wasn’t straight, I would have had you years ago, best friend,” Amanda said, Willow laughing at her friend’s honesty.

  They got interrupted by the buzzer sounding loudly. Willow got up, putting her phone in her jean pocket and her wallet in the other. She didn’t want to bring a purse and have it get in the way.

  “Ah ah. Have fun and pay attention–” Amanda said, as Willow interrupted her.

  “I know, pay attention to my surroundings,” she said with a sig
h.

  “No, I mean pay attention to everything. I will require you to debrief me later on all the details. I want to know every little thing,” Amanda said with a smile as Willow rolled her eyes.

  “Alright mom I will,” Willow replied jokingly, as she left, laughing to herself as she descended the 3 flights of stairs.

  Stopping just outside where Micheal was waiting. He was leaning against the suburban, ankles overlapping each other, fiddling with his phone. He was wearing a V-neck black t-shirt and black pants. Which Willow assumed was his usual attire to wear. As well as black Puma tennis shoes, with his shoulder length black hair partially covering his sunglasses.

  Willow didn’t realize until her eyes came back up to his face that he was also looking her over. The only evidence that he had been doing so was his head tilted to the side. Like it always seemed to be when he was looking at her from a distance.

  “Ready to go?” he asked as he stood up to his full height, towering over Willow’s 5’3 form, before opening the passenger door for her.

  “Just trying to figure out where you are taking me, that’s all, but yes,” she answered, getting into the vehicle. Micheal got into the driver’s side, starting up the engine.

  Willow didn’t realize where Micheal was driving her to until he was pulled into the parking lot. Seeing fenced off areas that gave the impression of a batting range, but from the sounds that were coming from within the enclosed area, Willow knew they were at a shooting range.

  “Interesting first date spot. A shooting range of all places. I didn’t peg you for a second amendment type person,” Willow pondered, as Micheal parked the suburban in a spot.

  “I thought it would make sense. With everything and all to take you here. Make sure you know how to use a gun,” Micheal explained, as he took off his sunglasses and looked at her.

  “Just because you never know if something happens, I will want you to be prepared,” he said seriously, patting her hand that was sitting on the middle console.