Dream Date (11 page)

“Thank you. I’ll tell them,” Amanda said, walking Jonathan to the door. “Have a good day.”

“You, too. Don’t forget to drink your shake,” he added as he left, closing the door behind him. Amanda wiped her forehead with her towel again. She then reached behind her and undid her ponytail.

After drinking her post-workout shake, Amanda spent five minutes taking a shower. When she was done, she stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a towel. Amanda walked to her room to find fresh clothes.

As Amanda browsed through her closet, her phone rang. She walked all the way to the living room to pick it up and answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hi, beautiful. It’s Hilbert.”

Amanda pursed her lips. She didn’t like Hilbert very much, but he managed her career.

“Hi. Do you have any news?”

“Yes, I have good news. I’ve got calls from Ralph Lauren and L’Oreal Paris. They both want to do photo shoots with you.”

Ralph Lauren? L’Oreal?
Amanda thought, feeling ecstatic. Those gigs could pave her way to better ones. One of her dreams was to be on
Sports Illustrated.

“That’s…um, that’s fantastic news.”

“If you accept Ralph Lauren’s offer, your shoot would take place within the next two months.”

 “What do I have to do?”

“
Meet me at my office. There, I’ll give you more information that you need.”

“
Okay,” Amanda said, feeling ecstatic. “What about the offer from L’Oreal?”

“
You can do that one as soon as you can, if you accept. We can discuss it in my office.”

“
Sure, I’ll be there. Thanks, Mr. Melendez.”

“
I’m here to serve you, sweetheart. Take care.”

I wish he would stop treating me like his girlfriend,
Amanda thought to herself.

“
You, too,” she replied, and hung up.

Kayla knocked on Nathan’s and Ashton’s dorm door. A few seconds later, the former answered.

“Hi, baby,” Nathan said after seeing who had knocked. “Come in.”

Kayla stepped inside. Without having to look around, she could tell that Ashton wasn’t there.

“Would you like something to drink? Or eat?”

“No, thanks,” Kayla replied, leaving her purse on the couch. “I have great news to share.”

“What is it?” Nathan asked, walking forward until he was close to her. He caressed the side of her face.

“Would you like to move into an apartment with me?”

Nathan raised his eyebrows. Kayla waited, letting that sink in.

What? Share an apartment?

Nathan felt torn. If Kayla was willing to take such a significant step in their relationship, that meant she felt they had a long future.

Isn’t this what I wanted? Living with Kayla will make it much easier to love her the way she deserves.

“What? Is it too soon?” she asked, after noticing that Nathan was taking his time thinking about it.

“No. It’s just…this isn’t a step to take lightly, Kayla. Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. I love you and I want to be with you.”

Nathan wished those words made him feel like the luckiest guy in the world instead of making him feel even more confused.

“Baby, we’ve only been together for three months. I’m not sure it’s the right time for us to move together.”

Kayla frowned, stirring some fear in Nathan.

“Don’t you love me, or what? Are you having doubts about us?”

“No, no, no. It’s not that.”

“Then?”

Nathan scrambled for a proper excuse. He wanted to diffuse whatever fears Kayla might be having.

To his surprise, Kayla was taking care of those fears—if any—by herself.

“Don’t deny that I tempt you,” Kayla told him, walking up against him and raising her chest. Nathan looked down at her cleavage, which she was using to try to dazzle him. “You’d have access to me all day, darling.”

Nathan swallowed, thinking about the possibilities.

“Have you already searched for apartments?”

“A bit. I would like to get your input. We can search for a good place together. There aren’t that many places to look through here, though. This town is small.”

Nathan wasn’t sure what to think.

Choose Kayla, dude. You and Amanda don’t have a future together.

“Yeah,” he said, smiling. “Yeah, we’ll find a great apartment for the two of us.”

Kayla jumped in glee. Nathan couldn’t help but walk forward and kiss her again. He pushed her softly to make her lay on her back against the couch. Then he kissed her on the neck, remembering how much he liked her.

“I can tell you’re excited about us having our own place,” Kayla said, laughing. She removed her jacket.

“Ha ha,” Nathan said, completely taken over by lust. He caressed her from her shoulders to her arms, and then sought her lips again.

“I want you.”

Nathan grabbed the bottom of Kayla’s shirt and lifted it off her. Kayla raised her arms to help him remove it, and Nathan tossed it aside. He started kissing down her chest and towards her abdomen.

A contented sigh escaped Kayla’s lips. She closed her eyes, letting herself feel.

You’re so beautiful,
Nathan thought.
What more could I want?

Nathan kissed one of Kayla’s shoulders, and then he moved towards the hollow of her neck. Afterward, he grabbed the top of Kayla’s skirt and pulled it down. He slid it down her legs as she removed her sandals. The skirt then fell to the floor. He caressed her legs and then kissed one of her thighs.

Kayla watched as Nathan moved back and kissed her lips. He then touched her bra straps.

“I love you,” Kayla said, feeling like she was in heaven. Nathan looked down at her. She had such breathtaking green eyes.

Wait—green?

Nathan blinked, and then focused on her face. He’d imagined Amanda.

No,
he thought, growling in his mind.
She can’t be mine. I can’t break Kayla’s heart.

Nathan kissed down her chest again. Kayla didn’t even notice he’d started becoming tense.

So beautiful. Why do I still want Amanda when I have this angel?
Nathan thought. He kissed Kayla with an intensity that made them begin to pant. She placed her hands on his hair, pulling softly. As Nathan admired Kayla’s beauty, he thought any man would be lucky to have her.

Kayla giggled as he gently squeezed her thigh.

“Maybe we should take it to your bedroom now,” she suggested. “Or Ashton will catch us.”

“I’ve caught him more times than I’d like,” Nathan replied with a laugh. “But I’d rather not repay him.”

Nathan took Kayla in his arms and carried her to his bedroom. There, he put her on the bed. Nathan moved on top of her and continued where they left off. He made Kayla move to allow easier access to her back.

When she turned her head to look back at him, Nathan once again found himself staring into Amanda’s green eyes. His gaze locked on her irresistible lips, and he kissed them. Once he pulled back to look at her face, it was Kayla’s steel-gray eyes that looked back at him. He let out a gasp.

“What?” Kayla asked, frowning. Nathan shook his head, moving to sit at the front of the bed. Kayla followed him, placing her arms around him.

“What’s wrong? You seemed so passionate until now. Did I do something?”

“No, you didn’t. It’s just…”

Kayla waited, and then spoke again.

“What? Are you upset?”

Nathan looked at Kayla and flashed a smile.

“No, I’m okay. I thought I did something wrong.”

“What? You were doing great.”

“Not you. Homework. Um, forget all that, okay? Let’s continue,” he said, placing his lips against Kayla’s again as he pushed her on her back.

Nathan woke up the next morning feeling as though he hadn’t slept much. He was a bit irritated: after the wonderful time he’d spent with Kayla, Nathan had to go and dream about Amanda in his sleep. He wished the earth would just swallow him.

After a quick shower, Nathan got dressed and left the dorm without talking to Ashton. He’d been so sure that spending a passionate evening with Kayla would be enough to convince himself that she was the woman for him.

The truth was that Nathan still desired Amanda so much it should be illegal. Kayla was attractive and enchanting, but Amanda was something else.

Nathan walked towards the nearest Starbucks. He needed the time to sort through his thoughts, and some good coffee to clear his head.

His smartphone beeped once. Nathan pulled it out of his pocket and checked it.

Yesterday was magic. Can’t wait to see apts. together. See u? x

Nathan couldn’t help but smile at the message that Kayla had sent him. He typed his reply.

@ Starbucks. Can’t wait either.

After sending that, Nathan continued on his way to the café. When he got there, he ran into Claire and Oswald. They looked up when he entered.

“Nathan!” said Claire, waving her hand at him. He waved back and stood in line to place his order. After that, he went to sit with them.

“Hey, guys,” Nathan greeted.

“Where’s Ashton?” Oswald asked.

“I honestly don’t know. I woke up feeling like a zombie and headed straight here for my caffeine fix. I have a feeling Kayla will be here shortly for the same.”

Oswald and Claire chuckled at that.

“Kayla is on her way here. I saw her.”

Nathan and his friends turned to where the voice had come from. They saw Ashton approaching, carrying his breakfast. He sat next to Oswald.

“Morning, folks. How are you doing, Nathan?”

“I’m all right.”

“With that tone, I don’t doubt it.”

Nathan laughed.

“How are things with Kayla?”

“Wonderful, as usual.”

Nathan turned to look towards the customer line. He spotted Kayla there, and she smiled, waving twice. Before Amanda’s ill-timed return, Nathan had believed that the charming glance and kissable lips that Kayla had were all he needed.

After buying her food, Kayla went to sit next to Nathan. He greeted her with a kiss.

“
You look joyful today,” Nathan told her.

“
I can’t wonder why,” she replied with a soft laugh. Then she turned to their friends. “How’s your morning?”

“
Fantastic. Thank you,” Claire said. Oswald agreed with a nod.

“
You ready for the test?” Kayla asked Nathan. His eyes widened.

“
Test?”

“
Yeah, Government. We studied for it at the library, remember?”

“
Yikes, I’d forgotten!”

His friends laughed in unison.

“
I don’t blame you,” Kayla said with a tone full of implications. Nathan could tell that she thought he’d been up all night thinking about their wonderful afternoon.

“
I did study for it, a little,” Ashton told them.

While Nathan drank some coffee, Kayla spoke to their friends.

“
Do you guys know of any great apartment places in the city? I’m still quite new around here.”

“
I can help you with that,” Claire said. “Maybe. When I moved here, I looked into a bunch of places. I said maybe because I’m not sure if they still have rooms available for rent.”

“
That’s okay. Are there any good ones close to here?”

“
You’re kidding, right? All the apartments in the town are within a stone’s throw of here. You don’t have to settle for the dorms.”

“
She’s right,” Oswald said. “We were going to move to this place in Stewart Avenue, but Claire was debating whether she’d buy a pet or not, and the place didn’t welcome animals. Needless to say, Claire never bought so much as a hamster.”

Kayla, Nathan, and Ashton laughed at that while Claire pouted at Oswald.

“
If you want a pet, I could still buy one.”

“
No, thanks, love. Buy one if you’d like it.”

Oswald, Ashton, and Nathan ate while the girls continued their conversation. The latter surreptitiously scanned the restaurant to see if Amanda was there. Then he drank some more coffee.

A few minutes later, Nathan and his friends looked up when they noticed someone approaching.

When Nathan realized who was walking towards them, a quizzical look crossed his face. He turned to look at Kayla, who didn’t seem to recognize the newcomer.

“
Hi,” Judith said, greeting the group. They all greeted her back, except Ashton. He was looking at Judith with the same glint in his eyes he got whenever he saw a girl he wanted to take to bed. She noticed him, and her cheeks turned red. With the corners of her lips turned up, Judith looked at Nathan.

“
You remember me, don’t you? I’m Judith Vawer, Amanda’s best friend.”

“
I know,” Nathan said, nodding.

“
She wants to get in touch with Marissa, and needs you to give her the phone number.”

“
Sure,” Nathan said, extracting a pen from his jeans pocket. Kayla handed him her Moleskine, and Nathan leafed to a random blank page.

“
By the way, how’s Amanda?”

“
She’s great, but a little busy,” Judith replied, glancing at Ashton again. He was still dazzled by her.

Nathan wrote Marissa’s name and phone number in the page and tore it off, handing it to Judith.

“
Thank you,” she said, placing the note in her purse. “See you later.”

Judith shot one last glance at Ashton, unconsciously biting her bottom lip, before leaving.

“
You’re friends with Amanda?” Claire asked Nathan, who turned to look at her.

“
That’s the girl we saw at Johnson City, right?” Kayla asked next. Claire took a moment to react to the news.

“
You two saw Amanda there, and you didn’t tell me?”

Nathan laughed.

“
Yeah. She’s not really my friend, though. We’re just acquaintances from high school.”

“
I’d love to be friends with her,” Claire reckoned. “Then I can die happy.”

Oswald looked at her with his eyebrows furrowed.

“
You have me, babe,” he said.

“
A girl can dream.”

“
Am I missing something?” Kayla inquired, looking from Nathan to Claire and back to Nathan.

“
Amanda’s a fashion model, and Claire happens to be her biggest fan,” Ashton clarified. Nathan handed Kayla her notebook, and she pocketed it.

After they finished eating, Nathan walked back to the school with Ashton and Kayla.

As they walked, Ashton whispered to Nathan.

“
She’s gorgeous,” he said, referring to Judith. “Not a true redhead, but I don’t mind that.”

Nathan nodded, laughing softly. He exchanged glances with Kayla, who was smiling at Ashton’s remark.

After leaving from her first class, Amanda walked to where her locker was. As she turned a corridor, she saw Judith walking towards her.

“
Hi, friend. How was class?” Judith said, catching up with Amanda and walking with her.

“
Great. Did you see him?”

“
Yes.”

Judith opened her purse and extracted the piece of paper from Nathan. Amanda took it, opening it to read.

“
Good. What did he think of me not being there?”

“
He was surprised to see me. When I mentioned you, he unconsciously scanned the room to see if you were anywhere nearby.”

Amanda blushed.

“
Do you like him?”

“
I don’t know. It’s like I’m drawn to him. You know my history with Liam, right? Nathan makes me feel that way. Wanted, cherished. I can tell he doesn’t want me just because of my beauty, you know?”

“
So you’re going to ask him out?”

“
Maybe. I’m still debating it.”

Judith pursed her lips.

“
I’m not sure whether to break this to you. If I do, I might have to endure another year of you being alone.”

“
Endure? Break what to me?”

“
When I saw Nathan this morning, he was sitting next to a really pretty girl. They seemed close. I don’t know if they’re dating, but you better tread carefully.”

Amanda’s eyes widened in shock.

“
Wait, Nathan has a girlfriend?”

“
She could just be a sister.”

“What did she look like?”

“She’s attractive, with long black hair and milk white skin. She’s shorter than him.”

That sounds like the same girl I saw Nathan come out of the library with,
Amanda thought as she opened her locker. She put some of her school stuff there, and then withdrew other things.