Dream Date (32 page)

“I know. I can see it in your eyes.”

Amanda leaned into his touch, closing her eyes.

“How about we go out someplace next week?”

Amanda furrowed her eyebrows, thinking.

“Like a date?”

Nathan nodded.

“That sounds great. What could we do?”

“What would
you
like to do?”

“Bowling.”

Nathan liked the idea.

“Okay. How about Tuesday, after I get out of work?”

“Settled,” Amanda said with a smile.

While Marissa was drawing new concepts for dresses that she wanted to make, her smartphone rang. Marissa put down her pencil and answered.

“Hi, Jonathan!”

“Hi, Marissa. It’s nice to hear your voice again.”

Marissa blushed.

“Are you busy?”

“Not much. I’m just here killing time.”

“Good. Why don’t we kill time together?”

“That would be great. What are you planning?”

“I thought you could use some fresh air. Why don’t we meet at Central Park?”

“Okay. Just tell me where you are.”

Jonathan told her his exact location.

“I’ll meet you there shortly.”

“All right. See you.”

Marissa pocketed her phone and then put away her drawing book. She then looked down at herself.

I can’t go see him in this. Better change quickly.

Marissa retouched her makeup. She then took a few more minutes changing into a blue short-sleeve blouse with a low neckline. After putting on white pants, Marissa felt ready. The weather was a bit cold to show cleavage, but she was willing to brave it so Jonathan would fall for her. This could be their first official date. Marissa and Jonathan had already met on the street a few days after she visited Amanda. They’d only had time for a drink.

Moments later, Marissa parked near where Jonathan told her he was. She stepped out of her Mercedes and locked it. She looked around. Jonathan was sitting in a bench, waiting for her.

Jonathan spotted Marissa when she approached. She sat down on the bench next to him.

“Did I take long?” she asked.

“No, you made it just fine. I was just buying something for us.”

Jonathan reached just behind him and came out with two lattes. He handed one to Marissa.

“Thank you,” she told him, smiling. As she took the cup, Marissa glanced over at Jonathan. He was wearing a navy blue Nike long-sleeve shirt and black fleece pants. The outline of his muscles was visible through his shirt.

“Do you come out here often, to the park?”

It took a few seconds for Marissa to process the question. She was now admiring Jonathan’s face, looking at his light stubble.

“Not much. I’m usually really busy with schoolwork.”

“What do you like to do on your free time?”

“I enjoy being out and about. New York is a big city, so there are a lot of places to go to. For the most part, I like shopping and nice restaurants, and seeing the shore.”

“That’s funny,” said Jonathan. “I feel that when most people think of New York, they immediately think of the tall buildings and fail to remember we also have shores.”

“Yeah. Have you been to Manhattan Beach Park?”

“I go there often—when the weather’s warm.”

“I know. There’s still at least four months of cold weather left before it’s okay to hit the beach.”

“There’s always LA. Or Miami.”

Marissa smiled, trying not to think of Jonathan at the beach with her. It would make her swoon.

“Jonathan,” Marissa began, thinking how to say what she wanted to ask him.

“Yes?”

“You remember when I went to visit Amanda?”

“I do,” said Jonathan, prompting her to continue.

“I, well, I told her I was tempted to hire you.”

“Hire me? You want me to train you?”

“If you want. I just would like to work out with you. You could tell me if I’m doing anything wrong.”

“Do you work out?” Jonathan asked, trying not to look Marissa up and down. She noticed he wasn’t oblivious to the skin she was showing for him.

“Not much. It’s a bit hard to find time.”

“That’s an excuse many people make when they think they can’t work out. It’s not about finding time. It’s about making time.”

Marissa raised her eyebrows.

“At least two to three hours of exercise each week is what’s recommended to stay healthy and in shape.”

“So, could you train me?”

Jonathan paused, wondering about it.

“There’s a gym you’ll like. It’s not far from where you live. We could meet there, and I’ll guide you.”

“Thanks, but…how much will you charge?”

Jonathan motioned with his hand as if waving it off.

“Don’t worry about that. I go to the gym alone all the time. I could use some company.”

Marissa smiled.

Does that mean he likes me?

“Thanks.”

Jonathan nodded.

“By the way, have you seen Amanda?”

“I trained with her this weekend. Did you want to talk to her?”

“No. I was just wondering how she’s doing.”

“Amanda’s okay. Well…not really. The last time I saw her, she looked…distraught.”

“Distraught?”

“Uh-uh. She appeared upset about something. When I talked to Hughes about it, he said Amanda was unhappy because she has to push love away.”

“That’s weird. Why is she doing that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Does this have to do with Nathan?”

“Hughes did tell me something about not wanting to put Nathan in danger. What do you make of that?”

Marissa thought, wondering what could the meaning be.

“I don’t see how Amanda could possibly put Nathan in danger. She has guards, but they’re there just in case.”

“I’ve always wondered about
that
thing. Why Amanda has bodyguards. They must be there for a purpose, not just in case.”

“You’re right. Some celebs have security, but Amanda is one of the rare ones who has it 24/7.”

“Maybe you should speak to Hughes,” Jonathan said. “He must know all about it. Amanda is much closer to him than she is to me.”

“I’ll phone him soon,” Marissa replied, nodding. She drank some more of her latte. The cup was half full.

“Let’s change the subject. I’d like to know more about you.”

He’s definitely interested,
Marissa thought.
Hopefully, about being more than friends.

“What would you like to know?”

Jonathan smiled.

“I’m a mature man, as I’m sure you can tell. So I bet you’re not expecting me to go into stuff like favorite color, food, movie, or anything like that.”

“I wasn’t pegging you as anything, Jonathan. If you’d like to know my favorite color, just ask.”

“All in good time. What I’d like to ask you is: have you ever been ice-skating? Or hiking?”

Marissa looked concerned when she heard the word ‘hiking’.

“No,” she replied, a bit too soon. “Not hiking, but I do like ice skating. It’s my favorite sport to watch whenever it’s the Olympics.”

“Have you ever done it?”

“No.”

“I was wondering if you’d like to learn how.”

Marissa raised her eyebrows.

“You’d teach me?”

“It’d be my pleasure. I know a great place in the city we can go ice skating.”

“Have you ever done it before?”

Jonathan pursed his lips.

“Busted. I felt you might like it.”

“I do. It’s just, the time constraints.”

“You don’t have to go ice skating every day. I could teach you, say, at least once a week.”

“That sounds great. You just call me, okay?”

“I will. I’ll also call you about the workouts. What time do you wake up in the morning?”

“Eight thirty every day, at the latest.”

“At what time of the day would you prefer to go work out? Morning, or later in the day?”

“What do you recommend?”

“Either right after you wake up, or at least three hours after you’ve had lunch.”

Marissa thought for a few seconds.

“The second option, then.”

“Got it.”

Jonathan looked Marissa’s body up and down. She was flattered that he noticed she’d dressed up for him. They stood up to walk around the park, continuing their conversation. Marissa wanted to hold hands with Jonathan. Only, she didn’t want him to think she was going too fast. She was content enough to walk next to him.

By the next day of classes, Nathan felt that he couldn’t stay away from Kayla for longer. He had avoided contacting her or even stopping by her apartment so she could have her space. It had been days since they broke up, and Nathan wanted to remain on good terms with Kayla. What they had couldn’t all vanish just like that.

Nathan waited outside the classroom a quarter hour before the professor was due to arrive. He wanted to talk to Kayla as soon as she got there.

Amanda knew what he wanted to do, and she wasn’t too bothered by it. She had promised not to be jealous if Nathan and Kayla remained friends. In fact, Amanda would feel guilty if they didn’t speak again.

While he waited, Nathan poignantly remembered the best moments that he spent with Kayla. Theirs had been a great love, even if it had been short-lived. As he thought, Nathan recalled a saying: don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. He felt glad to have been the one to make Kayla a happy woman during the months they were together.

I hope she can forgive me. And that I still have a special place in her heart.

Nathan listened to his iPod, playing the songs that he and Kayla liked the most. He would most likely have to erase their playlist now that he would be with Amanda. Nathan could remember the songs, anyway.

The entire fifteen minutes passed, and there was no sign of Kayla. A few other students had arrived in the time Nathan had been waiting, including Ashton. He shrugged when Nathan mouthed “Where’s Kayla?” to him.