was
still spewing questions on the other end.
“What? What? So it’s all happening? Are we leaving
tomorrow?”
Amanda did her best to compose herself so she could
answer. “Yes,” she smiled broadly. “After me and Liam crash Megan’s
party.”
~
Amidst Amanda’s closet full of sweatshirts and blue jeans
was one outfit that she felt she looked fairly decent in. The long-sleeved, cross-front dress was
a turquoise color that complemented her auburn hair nicely, and the opaque
black tights she wore underneath always flattered her legs. The ensemble was also the only one in
her wardrobe that probably wouldn’t bore Liam to death. Amanda disliked him and all, but she
still wanted to look moderately attractive upon first meeting him. Plus, he was gaining points with her
for being so responsibly communicative. Earlier that morning, he had sent her a text message about having just
boarded his flight. It was
unreal. A Hollywood actor was
reporting to her . He was Golden Globe nominated for
goodness sake.
Amanda had texted him the address of Ian’s hotel, where
they were set to meet in the lobby. He would notify her upon his landing and she would drive from her own
house to Ian’s hotel. There, they
would all officially meet and get their first encounter over with before
heading back to Megan’s party, which by then would be in full swing. Perhaps not so strangely, that was the part
that Amanda anticipated the most.
“Well, well, well. Look who it is!” Megan’s mother clapped her hands as Amanda
made her way to the kitchen, where her own mother was preparing chili.
“Hi, Alice,” she said, wondering how happy Alice Mayer
really could be to see her. Rumors
aside, her own daughter had to have told her a few lies about what had happened
in St. Louis. Megan certainly
wouldn’t have admitted to stealing her own best friend’s boyfriend.
“Nice of you to dress up for the occasion,” Alice
smiled, plucking at the fabric of Amanda’s dress. Her smile faltered as if she had expected to feel a nicer
material. “You gonna help us set
up the food?”
“Sure. But,” Amanda paused, realizing that she was about to utter the first
word of her epic, sensational, and glamorous lie. Her lips curled upward. “I have to pick up a friend soon. He’s arriving at the airport in thirty minutes.”
Both her mother and Alice halted, staring at her with
confusion.
“Who?” Her mother squinted.
“Is it that boy that you were with at L.J’s?” Alice
asked.
“No, it’s not Ian,” Amanda said, reveling in each of
her own words. “It’s my… good
friend.” She knew her coy wording
would invite assumptions.
“Oh
my gosh, it’s a new boyfriend !” Alice
exclaimed boisterously, hands on her hips. “Young lady, spill .” Amanda bit her lips back and grinned shyly,
prompting Alice to point and gasp. “Look at the girl,” she clucked. “She’s head over heels.”
She wasn’t quite, but the excitement on her face was
real. Amanda had never encountered
a celebrity face-to-face, and it was about to happen in less than an hour. She had also never been involved in
such an enormous charade, and the idea of pretending so much made her stomach
turn, but with anticipation. It
would be like being an actress, but in her every day life.
After twenty minutes of dodging questions from both
her mother and Alice, Amanda’s phone vibrated, making everybody jump.
“It’s him!” Alice gasped as Amanda snatched her phone
before her mother could. The
message was indeed from Liam.
Landed. Heading to Marriott now.
Amanda’s stomach promptly turned. “Okay, I gotta go,” she said quietly,
trying to suppress the toast that she had consumed for breakfast. It was threatening to rise from
digestion in her queasy stomach.
“Is this why you’ve been acting like a complete loon
the past few days?”
still spewing questions on the other end.
“What? What? So it’s all happening? Are we leaving
tomorrow?”
Amanda did her best to compose herself so she could
answer. “Yes,” she smiled broadly. “After me and Liam crash Megan’s
party.”
~
Amidst Amanda’s closet full of sweatshirts and blue jeans
was one outfit that she felt she looked fairly decent in. The long-sleeved, cross-front dress was
a turquoise color that complemented her auburn hair nicely, and the opaque
black tights she wore underneath always flattered her legs. The ensemble was also the only one in
her wardrobe that probably wouldn’t bore Liam to death. Amanda disliked him and all, but she
still wanted to look moderately attractive upon first meeting him. Plus, he was gaining points with her
for being so responsibly communicative. Earlier that morning, he had sent her a text message about having just
boarded his flight. It was
unreal. A Hollywood actor was
reporting to her . He was Golden Globe nominated for
goodness sake.
Amanda had texted him the address of Ian’s hotel, where
they were set to meet in the lobby. He would notify her upon his landing and she would drive from her own
house to Ian’s hotel. There, they
would all officially meet and get their first encounter over with before
heading back to Megan’s party, which by then would be in full swing. Perhaps not so strangely, that was the part
that Amanda anticipated the most.
“Well, well, well. Look who it is!” Megan’s mother clapped her hands as Amanda
made her way to the kitchen, where her own mother was preparing chili.
“Hi, Alice,” she said, wondering how happy Alice Mayer
really could be to see her. Rumors
aside, her own daughter had to have told her a few lies about what had happened
in St. Louis. Megan certainly
wouldn’t have admitted to stealing her own best friend’s boyfriend.
“Nice of you to dress up for the occasion,” Alice
smiled, plucking at the fabric of Amanda’s dress. Her smile faltered as if she had expected to feel a nicer
material. “You gonna help us set
up the food?”
“Sure. But,” Amanda paused, realizing that she was about to utter the first
word of her epic, sensational, and glamorous lie. Her lips curled upward. “I have to pick up a friend soon. He’s arriving at the airport in thirty minutes.”
Both her mother and Alice halted, staring at her with
confusion.
“Who?” Her mother squinted.
“Is it that boy that you were with at L.J’s?” Alice
asked.
“No, it’s not Ian,” Amanda said, reveling in each of
her own words. “It’s my… good
friend.” She knew her coy wording
would invite assumptions.
“Oh
my gosh, it’s a new boyfriend !” Alice
exclaimed boisterously, hands on her hips. “Young lady, spill .” Amanda bit her lips back and grinned shyly,
prompting Alice to point and gasp. “Look at the girl,” she clucked. “She’s head over heels.”
She wasn’t quite, but the excitement on her face was
real. Amanda had never encountered
a celebrity face-to-face, and it was about to happen in less than an hour. She had also never been involved in
such an enormous charade, and the idea of pretending so much made her stomach
turn, but with anticipation. It
would be like being an actress, but in her every day life.
After twenty minutes of dodging questions from both
her mother and Alice, Amanda’s phone vibrated, making everybody jump.
“It’s him!” Alice gasped as Amanda snatched her phone
before her mother could. The
message was indeed from Liam.
Landed. Heading to Marriott now.
Amanda’s stomach promptly turned. “Okay, I gotta go,” she said quietly,
trying to suppress the toast that she had consumed for breakfast. It was threatening to rise from
digestion in her queasy stomach.
“Is this why you’ve been acting like a complete loon
the past few days?”
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