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  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?” her mother asked.

  Amanda ignored her as she put on her coat by the door, trying to concentrate on not vomiting. Her excitement had quickly transformed to nerves, but it was coming off as being tight-lipped. Her mother crossed her arms, miffed. “Amanda Bree, I swear to God, you need to tell me one thing about this boy before you leave.”

  Amanda obliged before opening the door, glancing back towards the kitchen just to catch their reactions. “He’s a famous actor,” she said. “He’s asked me to move to New York with him.”

  ~

  “You nervous?” Ian asked upon her arrival. Amanda narrowed her eyes at him. She had texted him about six times between parking her car and walking to the lobby, so she found it mostly pointless to answer. “Well, you look nice,” he offered.

  “Thanks.” She let out a deep breath, breathing steadily through her puckered mouth.

  “Do you want to sit?”

  “Definitely.” Amanda took a seat on the thin couch, drying her hands on its grainy red fabric. Ian took the seat beside her, his eyes fixed on the front doors.

  “When did he say that he was heading over? It took me twenty minutes to get here from the airport.”

  “He texted me… ” Amanda checked her phone. “Almost thirty minutes ago.” Saying it made the knot in her stomach tighten. Liam Brody would be arriving at any second now. Knowing that, she decided to join Ian in watching the entrance. She imagined that Liam Brody would be somewhat incognito, though she knew that realistically, he would still stand out due to superior styling and generally outstanding genes. Perhaps she should watch out for cameramen. Could paparazzi have followed him all the way to Missouri?

  “He’s here,” Ian said.

  Amanda blinked, her brief calm shattered. “What? Which one? Where?”

  “There. In the black baseball cap.”

  Amanda’s eyes followed the direction of Ian’s casual nod. She successfully located the man in the low-worn black cap. All she could see was that he was tall, around Ian’s height. However upon closer inspection, she realized that it was in fact Liam Brody with his square chin, perfect jaw and always-smirking lips. She held her breath when she also realized that he was looking straight at her.

  “Oh my God, Ian, what do I do?” she whispered stiffly, trying not to move her lips. She didn’t want it to look obvious that she was consulting for advice.

  “I don’t know. Try acting the opposite of how you’re acting now.”

  “Oh cool, thanks.”

  Amanda attempted to regulate her breathing as she watched Liam approach in his black zip-up hoodie and blue jeans. His facial hair had grown out more since she had seen his video, nicely framing his perfect smile. He’s smiling.

  Seeing that Amanda was nowhere ready to speak by the time Liam reached them, Ian held his hand out. “Hi, Mr. Brody. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ian.”

  “Hi,” Liam said, lukewarm as he shook Ian’s hand. He quickly turned to Amanda, directing his amusement at her. “Are you the ballsy girl I’ve been talking to?”

  Amanda managed a weak smile of confirmation.

  “Yeah, I don’t think so. You seem too nice to be her.”

  “I’m starstruck,” Amanda said flatly. “It happens in Missouri.”

  “Well, hey, now it sounds more like you,” Liam said amiably. Then to Amanda’s alarm, he placed his hands on her shoulders and ran them up and down her arms. “Loosen up,” he said. “You’re supposed to like me if we’re dating.”

  “That’s right,” Ian interjected. He reached for the contract that Amanda had printed out, handing it over with a pen. “Well, it is once you sign this.”

  Liam eyed him before looking at Amanda. “This the friend?”

  “Yes,” Amanda answered.

  He took the paper and pen. “Why do I know his name and not yours?”

  Amanda allowed a brief laugh. “My name’s Amanda. Nathan.”

  Liam raised his eyebrows, nodding. “Amanda Nathan,” he repeated, signing the contract and handing it back. To her mortification, his eyes then scanned her body from head to toe. “I’m pleasantly surprised.”

  Her eyes widened, his words snapping her out of her woozy state. “Excuse me?”

  “Uh,” Ian tried to intervene but came up empty.

  “It’s a compliment,” Liam said simply, though his mischievous eyes suggested that he was enjoying her reaction. The ice in her veins quickly melted and turned to fire.

  “Not as ugly as you anticipated?” she asked, trying but failing to sound unruffled.

  “Much less ugly than I anticipated,” Liam answered. Amanda’s cheeks burned with fury. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ian interrupted her.

  “So, why don’t we get going?” he asked, subtly wrestling the car keys out of her hand. “You guys can continue talking in the car.” Liam gave Ian a dull look but said nothing more and headed on out. As they walked behind him, Ian leaned into Amanda’s ear. “At least try to make it work,” he hissed. Jaws clenched, Amanda nodded. It was business. There was no sense in taking Liam’s words personally. She should have expected them anyway, considering his vile reputation.

  “Alright,” she started brusquely as they reached her car. “We’re going to my house so we need to get our back story straight, like we really know each other.”

  “Let’s do it,” Liam said, opening the backseat door of her car and gesturing for her to go inside. She obliged, surprised when he joined her.

  “You can sit up front,” she offered.

  “What, you don’t want to sit next to me?” he asked, feigning hurt. When she remained unamused, he relented with a smile. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings before, Amanda.”

  “You didn’t hurt my feelings. I’m not five.”

  He sighed. “Alright,” he said, removing his cap and running his hands up his face, through his straight brown hair. Perhaps being in her used Saturn Outlook was sobering him, reminding him too that this was business and certainly not pleasure. Despite herself, Amanda watched his serious face with awe, matching it to how he looked in movies. She had to actively remind herself to focus. But it was difficult as he readjusted his position to face her, leaning his back against the window, his eyes looking straight into hers with earnest observation. She watched them go from their starting point to her button nose before trailing down to her lips. Remembering that they were dry, she wet them, prompting Liam to laugh and look back up at her. Amanda blushed furiously. Ugh, why did I do that? Liam averted his eyes, as if deciding to give her a break.

  “So, how long have we been dating?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” Amanda realized. She actually hadn’t thought much about their back story besides the fact that they met through Ian, whom she’d decided was a friend of Liam’s back in New York. Before Liam could give another one of those sighs, Ian answered with confidence.

  “Just a month, officially. But Amanda has always wanted to move to a big city and now that she’s dating you, Liam, she has an excuse to. Especially since you guys are in your honeymoon stage. It’s not like you’ll be moving too fast either, because you’ll be living separately.”

  “Huh.” The answer sufficed enough that Liam made a small noise of approval. Amanda caught Ian’s eyes in the rearview mirror to give a look of thanks.

  “They’ll ask us where we met exactly,” she said, finding her voice again. “We’re going to say that Ian was vacationing in St. Louis while I was living there earlier this year. You visited him and I met you as a mutual friend.”

  “And there was a spark then,” Ian added. “But she kept it a secret because of Megan.”

  “Megan?” Liam repeated. Amanda grimaced at the mere sound of him saying he
r name.

  “She was my roommate in St. Louis. She’s been obsessed with you since we saw The Sky Above like, eight years ago,” Amanda explained. “It’s still her favorite movie.”

  “What an idiot, that movie was garbage,” Liam said straightaway. It gave Amanda a strange sense of relief, but then he spoke again. “What does Megan look like?” Amanda’s heart immediately sank. How was it possible? Megan managed to sound attractive to people who didn’t even know her.

  “You cannot hit on Megan,” Ian commanded, though upon catching the look that Liam shot him, he lowered his eyes. “You… just can’t,” he repeated, quieter now. Liam looked at Amanda for an explanation but she didn’t give one and he didn’t care to persist.

  By the time they reached Merit the basics had been laid out, including the fact that they would be flying to New York that night, but Amanda knew that there was a serious and obvious lack of chemistry. She suspected it was her own fault – she had been frigid and ridden with anxiety throughout the entire car ride. Ian had done his part in trying to relieve her and moderate conversation, but it was all in vain. Her nerves were a tremendous force to be reckoned with. She could only hope that Liam’s skills as an actor would come through once they entered the house. Her mother had already sent about a dozen texts asking her where she was, when she would be back, and who the boy in question actually was. They really didn’t believe her, but for once, it was a good thing. Amanda couldn’t wait to shock them. But first she had to compose herself and prepare to give a good performance.

  “We’re here,” Ian announced, his voice already tired as he turned into Amanda’s street. Neighbors’ cars lined the block, but Amanda’s usual spot in the driveway had been surprisingly reserved. She imagined that her mother simply wanted to see her visitor as soon as possible.

  “Ready for this, babe?” Liam grinned, hugging Amanda to his side once she stepped out of the car. She genuinely didn’t like the feeling, and it amazed her. Never in a million years would she have imagined that the affections of such a beautiful man would aggravate her.

  Ian hopped up the steps before them. “Maybe we should go in first, Amanda, so we can give Liam a grand entrance.”

  “Not the worst idea,” Liam said.

  Amanda went with it, letting Ian take the reigns on the situation once again. She was grateful for it, considering how unproductive she had been in the past hour. She was generally an effective person, but being both starstruck and wounded was apparently a good combination to shut her down.

  With Liam’s back facing the front door as he sat on the steps nonchalantly, Amanda opened it. Her house was packed to capacity with the residents of Merit, all joyous and laughing as they ate her mother’s chili and nursed their beers. Instinctively, Amanda smoothed down her wrinkled dress and combed her hand through her hair. Within seconds, the party caught wind of her presence and noticeably hushed.

  “She’s here!” a voice sang. It likely belonged to Alice. Despite all the voices shouting and eyes staring, Amanda focused her attention on locating her former best friend. When her eyes briefly landed on a stupefied Ian, she knew she had by the transitive property found Megan. She followed his gaze and upon reaching its end, felt that familiar drop in her stomach, the same heavy pain that she experienced after catching a glimpse of a Rams game on TV.

  “Sweetie pie!” Megan cooed, holding her lithe arms out for an embrace. Amanda stayed frozen as she approached. Megan wore a simple jersey tunic over a pair of blue jeans, and yet she still looked ethereal, like an unreal beauty. It was unsurprising, every bit within her arrogance to dress so simply to her own elaborate party. It was proof that she wasn’t like the rest of them, that she never had to try to look stunning, she just was. Amanda quickly felt embarrassed of her own calculated get-up. All it had done was show Liam that she wasn’t as hideous as he had anticipated. Amidst Amanda’s shame, Megan pulled her face close and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry, I didn’t bring him. I’ll keep it a secret. For you.”

  What a saint. Megan hadn’t brought the boyfriend that she had stolen from Amanda for the sake of her fragility, not because it was a completely preposterous idea in the first place. She would abstain from telling their town about her thieving, not to save her own reputation, but to do a favor to Amanda’s inability to keep a boyfriend.

  “Thank you. It’s so good to see you, Megs,” Amanda managed to say pleasantly, remembering that all eyes were still on her, that she was about to stun everyone by pulling out her own surprise victory. She had to keep it together for that moment, despite the absolute fury boiling in the pit of her stomach.

  “Oh God, I missed you so much,” Megan breathed into her ear as she went in for the hug, her raven hair spilling over Amanda’s shoulder. “Everyone’s been talking about your new boyfriend. Is this him?” She flashed a dazzling smile at Ian, her tunic dipping off one shoulder as she offered a hand to shake. Amanda caught the glint of satisfaction in her eye as Ian stumbled on his own words, managing some sort of dazed greeting as he shook her hand. Megan’s eyes traveled back to Amanda, her lips pouting into a smile. “Aw, Mandy, he’s sweet,” she said almost sympathetically, as if Ian were a handicapped puppy.

  “That’s not him, that’s supposed to be the friend,” Alice snickered, coming out of the woodwork, arms crossed over her chest. Amanda’s own mother appeared from behind her, looking genuinely disappointed.

  “Where’s the famous actor?” she asked.

  “The one who asked you to move to New York City,” Tandy Mueller simpered. Of course her mother had invited Tandy, despite finding her nettlesome, despite knowing that she had been the origin of all rumors about her own daughter. It was just the nature of their disingenuous town, something that Amanda was for once grateful for. She wished every last person she knew were present, about to witness her reveal.

  The crowd still tittered at Tandy’s remark while others covered their mouths to suppress amusement. It was clear that they had all been briefed on Amanda’s claim and that they of course didn’t buy into it. A wave of satisfaction washed over her as she observed their smug faces, taking it all in for just a couple more seconds.

  “He’s outside,” she said, loud and confident for the first time all day. It was enough to make a few people raise their eyebrows – they had expected her to immediately break down into a confession of lies. “He was making a call, but I’ll go get him,” she offered breezily.

  She exchanged giddy looks with a revived Ian before stepping back out onto the porch. Liam was still sitting on the steps, nonchalantly browsing through his iPhone. “It’s time,” she hissed, surprising him with her energy. He looked into her lively eyes and actually smiled instead of smirking.

  “You gonna give me a good performance?” he asked, letting her drag him by the wrist for a second before manually removing her hand. He placed it in his. “I’m your boyfriend, not your dog,” he whispered. Amanda only nodded with eagerness, pulling him into the house through the door Ian held open.

  ~

  “Surprise!” she said to the crowd with true jazz. “Everyone, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Liam.”

  The silence in the air was thick and the tension gave Amanda a somewhat sick sense of satisfaction. Her eyes were fixed on Megan, whose knees actually buckled.

  “It’s a joke,” she blurted, quickly embarrassed by her own vulnerable words. She covered her mouth and blushed, practically curtsying before Liam with subservience. “I mean, I just don’t… ” She trailed off.

  Amanda’s father, sitting in his chair in the den, pointed a finger at Liam. “You’re in the movies,” he declared. Amanda raised her eyebrows and turned to Liam, genuinely interested in what his first line in their lie would be.

  “Yes, I’m an actor,” he laughed, bowing his head slightly. Amanda wanted to burst out laughing. He was actually acting humble, polite in front of her parents. It was quite a transformation, his gait still self-assured but now paired with a sense of being mannerly, courteous.
He even kissed the top of her head lightly, as if trying to be modest about their love. Amanda found his dedication to the role somewhat endearing.

  But before she forgot, she turned back to face her neighbors. She would never get to see such reactions again and she had to savor them. Alice looked as if she had been shot, her mouth agape, her hand clasped to her chest. Tandy Mueller appeared incensed, as if Liam’s presence debunked all her previous tales of gossip. And then of course there was Megan. It was as if her reaction had been plucked from a movie it was so perfect. Amanda had feared that she might break down and sob, forcing her to feel sorry because she just couldn’t help it sometimes. But Megan’s tears were angry, her tomato-red cheeks ruining any attempt to downplay the moment. Instead, she embraced it.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe it,” she blurted.

  “Megan,” Alice started, trying to save her daughter from making a scene.

  “I’m sorry,” Megan snapped, though her own enraged face seemed torn as it tried to remain attractive for Liam. He wore an uncomfortable, slightly apologetic smile that Amanda suspected was at least somewhat real. “I just don’t. I’m sorry. It couldn’t happen. How did you meet?”

  Liam opened his mouth to speak but Ian raised his hand. “Uh, that would be my fault, Megan,” he said comically, drawing a chortle from Amanda’s father. “I introduced them when he came to visit me in St. Louis. Kind of predicted there’d be sparks.” The mention of St. Louis drew a few familiar “ah”s from the party, but Megan narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

  “She never mentioned either of you,” she said in a rather bratty tone. “And I’m pretty sure she would have, because she had nothing else going on.”

  Amanda put on a face of compassion, relishing her next line as she pulled Liam close. “I kept him a secret, Megan. For you.”

  - Chapter 4 -

  Signs of Amanda’s new life began the moment she arrived at Columbia Regional Airport. Perhaps word had spread beyond Merit that Liam was in town, if even for an afternoon. Upon stepping out of the car in front of the airport, she spotted a small crowd of young women gathered at the entrance. Their eyes skipped past her and Ian, quickly latching onto Liam before the clamoring began.