Dream Date (4 page)

“Does it matter? I don’t think I’m seeing Amanda again, even if she lives in New York.”

“That’s a good thing, at least. You don’t need her complicating your life.”

Nathan went to his bedroom and locked the door behind him.

Focused on his closet, Nathan walked to it. He opened it and then searched in the bottom corner of the floor. Nathan grabbed a box and took it with him. It had gotten dusty over time.

Nathan opened the box. He kept his high school yearbook inside. It had been a long time since he last leafed through its pages. Nathan searched for the sophomores section. It didn’t take much time. There she was, hard to miss with all her beauty.

Amanda’s face stared up at Nathan from the page. She’d been a freshman when they had first met, and Nathan had been a junior. From that moment, Nathan had fallen in love with her. She was so beautiful, so enchanting. Unfortunately, Amanda never even exchanged a word with him. By her sophomore year, she’d started dating another guy she’d fallen in love with. Nathan couldn’t remember his name.

It had been so many years since then. Well, maybe not that many, but it was still a long time. Nathan sighed, wishing things had been different. Then he stopped.

Do I honestly wish I’d never met Kayla?

Nathan felt torn. He almost wished that he’d never met Amanda so that the agony of being apart from her would cease. Only Kayla could soothe his heart.

Nathan felt that maybe it was time he finally got over Amanda. She was never going to be his.

Outside class, Nathan waited for Kayla to arrive. He was eager to see her, to reassure himself of his feelings for her. Nathan wasn’t going to let even the memory of Amanda stand between his and Kayla’s happiness.

Tuesday was particularly hard for Nathan. He didn’t have classes, so work was the only thing he had to keep his mind busy. Even then, Nathan just couldn’t stop thinking about Amanda. He had never felt so attracted to any other woman before. The problem was that Nathan felt just as attracted to Kayla. He couldn’t resist her pink lips, or touching her soft skin.

On Wednesday, Nathan used his free time between classes to return to his dorm. His and Ashton’s free time didn’t always coincide, so the dorm was empty. Nathan wanted to Google Amanda again in private. He just couldn’t help doing so.

Think of it as a way to get some closure.

Nathan first went through the image results. Several hits came up. There were lots of photos of Amanda on the Internet. She was perhaps more well-known than Marissa had let on. Most of the photos were of Amanda modeling clothes. Some were candids, and others were of her out and about in New York. There were also magazine scans from the Avon and Sears catalogs.

Amanda’s definitely gorgeous,
Nathan thought as he looked at a photo of her modeling spring apparel. He scrolled to another catalog scan. In that one, Amanda was wearing a tanktop and miniskirt. She looked fit, with faint muscle tone. Nathan wondered what her skin would feel like to the touch.

Nathan went back to the main results page. He clicked on the first link he saw. A Tumblr blog loaded. It was Amanda’s own personal blog. Most of what she uploaded was photos and videos, though she seemed to post written entries every now and then. There also were more swimwear photos. Nathan clicked on one of them. It was from a catalog. Amanda wore a purple swimsuit. The top was see-through, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Um…better close that before my PC combusts.

Nathan clicked on the Back button to return to the search results. He then considered going to Amanda’s page on Wikipedia.

Do I want to do this?

That was one of the perils of having information right at your fingertips. It took away all the fun and meaning of letting a person tell you about themselves. Besides, why would he want to learn about Amanda? That was pointless; he had Kayla now. Nathan didn’t need his past returning.

“I’m through with the lecture for today. Make sure to check your e-mail later. I’m sending you all a PowerPoint you’ll need to study,” the instructor said, sitting back on his desk. “You may go now.”

Amanda put her notebook binder back inside her messenger bag. She stood up and followed her fellow classmates out of the room.

Amanda walked through the hallway and took a turn towards the next exit. She emerged outside and continued walking. According to her Movado watch, she had fifteen minutes before her next class.

As she walked, Amanda found herself thinking. And lately, her thoughts had been straying to that guy she had met at the fashion show. Nathan.

It had been three days, and Amanda still thought about Nathan. She couldn’t figure out why. They’d met just once! For all Amanda knew, he lived back in Manhattan. That wasn’t too far, but what were their chances of meeting again? Even if they lived in the same city, New York was enormous. Watch
The Adjustment Bureau
if you had any doubts.

If Amanda was honest with herself, there was a thing she liked about Nathan. He wasn’t like almost every other guy Amanda had come across. They all were after something predictable: her autograph, a photo, or a one-night stand. Amanda hated it when guys asked her for that last one, just to go home and brag about it. So it made a huge difference when a guy showed interest in
her
, not just her body. Nathan saw her as a woman, not as a prize.

Shaking her head, Amanda paid more attention to where she was going. She was a busy woman…although she did wish to date.

Yeah, if I’m being honest with myself…I’d want to be with a guy who’s the way Nathan seems to be
.

Unfortunately, Amanda wasn’t only too busy to think about dating. She wasn’t allowed to date anyone—not that she particularly wanted to. Her manager, Hilbert Melendez, argued Amanda would be more likable to fans if she stayed single. Although Hilbert wouldn’t admit it, Amanda strongly suspected he wanted to keep her for himself. He was obsessed with her beauty.

Up ahead, Amanda spotted her friends, Judith Vawer and Emmy Crenshaw. They were waiting for Amanda on a bench near a tree outside Hasbrouck Apartments, right south of a golf course. It was their favorite hanging-out spot at the school. When she reached them, Judith spoke.

“Friend!” she greeted, motioning for Amanda to sit with them. “Got too much homework? You looked very pensive when you were approaching.”

“Not really,” Amanda said. Judith was perceptive.

“Where’s Kellan?” Emmy asked, looking around.

“Out there,” Amanda told her, adjusting the strap of her messenger bag. “He’s been debating whether he should enroll.”

Emmy’s eyes lit up. Only Amanda noticed.

“For real? What does he want to study?”

“He’s interested in both Business Administration and Psychology.”

“But Kellan already has a full-time job,” Judith said. “He can’t afford to spend his time in class.”

“Maybe he could attend classes part-time,” Emmy suggested. “Or take just two or three courses for personal enrichment.”

“Hey, you two gals are after my bodyguard, right?” Amanda asked in a playfully angry voice.

“He’s good-looking,” Judith reckoned. “As for your fitness trainer…that man’s to die for.”

“I don’t disagree,” Emmy said. “Men with rippling muscles are friggin’ handsome.”

“And washboard abs,” Amanda added.

“Why don’t you date him?” Judith suggested.

“Judi, he’s just my friend. At this point, I wouldn’t even go there.”

“Why not? You two would look great together,” Emmy said.

“I prize his friendship. There can be nothing more.”

Judith frowned, raising her eyebrows a bit. The three women were silent for a few seconds. Amanda used the opportunity to change the subject.

“Would you two like to go shopping with me this afternoon?”

“Hell yeah,” Judith replied. “I could use something new to wear.”

“Where are we going?” Emmy asked. “New York?”

“No. I don’t feel like going that far right now. I only just flew back from there last weekend.”

“Then we’ll go to Johnson City,” Judith said, and her friends nodded in approval. The city was an hour south of Ithaca and had the Oakdale Mall. Amanda and her friends had made it their mall of choice…in the area.

“I’ll pick up both of you,” Amanda offered.

“Thanks,” Judith replied. “At five?”

“Yeah,” Emmy and Amanda replied. “I have to go,” the latter added. “Class starts right now.”

“All right. See you later,” said Judith.

During lunch, Nathan met with his friends at their favorite place to eat close to Cornell: Rogan’s Corner. They served delicious Italian food. Since it opened at almost the same time Nathan and his friends had their lunch hour, they were usually among the first customers of the day.

“Hey, Nathan!” said Ashton. He was already sitting at a table with their other friends, Claire and her boyfriend Oswald Taylor.

“How’s it going?” said Nathan, setting the plate he’d just bought on the table in front of him.

“Ashton tells us you met someone,” Oswald said without preamble. Nathan’s jaw dropped. He shot Ashton an admonishing look.

“I thought it’d be harmless to mention it, man. It gives you bragging rights.”

“Bragging rights,” Nathan repeated, scoffing. “I’ve got a girlfriend, remember?”

“Yeah, but it’s not every day you meet a supermodel.”

“She’s not a supermodel.”

“Well, she’s got the looks.”

“Who did you meet?” Claire asked, looking back and forth between them.

“A woman I saw when we went to Manhattan. Her name’s Amanda Tilley.”

To Nathan’s surprise, Claire gasped.

“Oh, my God! You’ve met
the
Amanda Tilley?”

“Uh…yeah. You know her?” Nathan had never talked about his history with Amanda to anyone but Ashton. Even Marissa didn’t know, and they pretty much knew everything about each other. He just had never gotten around to telling her.

“Of course! I’m almost as passionate about fashion as Marissa, right? Last year, I saw Amanda on the catalog for JC Penney, and I was like, ‘wow, she’s beautiful!’”

“Do I need to worry?” Oswald asked. Claire gave him a slap on the shoulder as the others laughed.

“I only know that she modeled for Sears and Avon,” Nathan said.

“That, too,” Claire told him. “And she’s also going to be on the October issue of GQ. Come to think of it, that issue will be on stands very soon.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“You won’t miss buying that issue, right?” Ashton asked. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

“Nah. What do I want with a girl in a magazine? I’ve got a
real
girl. And she’s gorgeous.”

Claire smiled at him, approving of his words.

“What if I told you she’s going to have a calendar? There are rumors about that.”

Nathan focused on his plate of food. He didn’t want to let the others see his eyes shine at that comment.

My eyes shouldn’t even be shining, damn it. I love Kayla Delaney. I love Kayla Delaney. Amanda Tilley is my past, and she’s there to stay.