Eye of the Beholder
folder
X-Men: (All Movies) › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
81
Views:
14,898
Reviews:
358
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
X-Men: (All Movies) › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
81
Views:
14,898
Reviews:
358
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own any of the X-Men movies, or any of the characters from them. I make no money from from the writing of this story.
Tag, You're It
Author’s Notes: Thank you blue_lioness, Arden Skysender and Wendy for your reviews.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Amanda, it’s Hank. I was just calling to see if you made it home alright. I just arrived back myself. Please call me at 555-1234 so that I know you’re alright. I’ll speak to you soon. Bye.
Sunday, 6:32 pm
*BEEP*
Amanda hastily writes down Hank’s number, underlining it several times. She can’t believe she didn’t check the answering machine until now. She wonders why he didn’t call her on her cell and goes to check to see if she missed any calls on the little electronic leash. She fishes it out of her purse and sees that the battery has died.
“Great,” she mutters as she heads back towards the kitchen.
She plugs the cell into the charger and then picks up the regular phone to call Hank back. She idly doodles flowers and hearts around his name and number, not really paying attention to what she’s doing. After the forth ring, his answering machine picks up and she tries to ignore the little shivers that run up her spine just from listening to his recorded voice.
Hi Hank, it’s Amanda. I’m sorry I’m finally returning your call and I’m sorry I just left that way in Washington, but obviously I got back fine. If you got my note, you know why. If not, well, let’s just say my nerves got the better of me and I just had to leave. I don’t know how to thank you enough for what you did for me back at the ball. I never expected James to do what he did. Luckily, my boss understands and is going to help me keep him at bay. Call me if you need anything. I usually go to bed around 10:00. Bye.
Monday, 7:12 pm
*BEEP*
Hank wearily looks up at the clock and sees that it’s 11:02 pm. With a groan he bangs his head a couple times against the cabinet in frustration. Stupid committee meetings kept him until after 10:00 this evening. With a sigh, he decides to call her in the morning and heads for bed.
Hi Amanda, it’s Hank. I’m glad to hear you arrived safely and that not only do you still have a job but your boss is willing to help you out with James. If you need any help on that front, please let me know. I am willing to do everything in my power to see that the cad gets what he deserves…I do have a request…I was wondering…if you would do me the honor of having dinner with me. Please call me when you can. Bye.
Tuesday, 10: 41 am
*BEEP*
Amanda all but hurts herself getting into her apartment that evening, nearly desperate to get to the phone. Why did Hank have to call her at work and leave that message on her voice mail when she didn’t have his phone number with her? She quickly picks up the phone and dials his number and hopes she doesn’t sound too desperate when she gets his machine again.
Hi Hank, it’s Amanda. Thanks for offering to help with James. So far he is behaving himself, but I don’t expect that to last for too much longer. From what I understand, one side of his face is completely swollen and bruised from where you punched him. Man, would I love to see a picture of that…Sorry, that’s just the vindictive side of me…About having dinner with you…I’d love to. Do you have a specific day and time in mind? I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.
Tuesday, 6:59 pm
*BEEP*
Hank is overjoyed and horrified at the same time when he gets her message. He’s thrilled that she’s willing to go out, but now he has to find time in his busy schedule to take her out. It has to be nice, maybe with a dance floor and a live band. First things first, he has to check his calendar and then he has to call her back.
Hi Amanda, it’s Hank again. I did see James briefly when I stopped by your hotel on Sunday. I must say that the sight of the bruise on his face was most gratifying. As for going out, I was thinking Friday night if that’s alright with you. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.
Tuesday, 8:29 pm
*BEEP*
Damn! He just had to call while she was taking a shower and of course, she didn’t bother checking her messages before going to bed. This is starting to get very frustrating. She has this very strange need to just talk to him so she picks up the phone and makes the call, not in the least bit surprised to get his machine again.
Hi Hank, it’s Amanda. I’m sorry I missed your call last night. I was in the shower and forgot to check the machine when I got out. I’m afraid Friday night won’t work since I’ll be going up to the mansion that night and I’m planning on being there until Sunday. Maybe next week will work better. I’m afraid I’m meeting a client tonight, so I won’t be home and I’ll have my cell turned off. Let me know how next week looks for you and I’ll hopefully talk to you soon. Bye.
Wednesday, 5:43 pm
*BEEP*
He bangs his head on one of the cabinets in his kitchen in a futile attempt to get the image of a wet, naked Amanda out of his head. It doesn’t work and now he has a headache. Damn. With a sigh, he turns on his PDA and checks his calendar. Damn again. It doesn’t look good.
Hi Amanda, it’s Hank. I’m afraid next week is completely out for me. How about the week after that? The week after that will be completely out since I’ll be in Dunfee, Illinois for Thanksgiving. Hope you have fun at the mansion. Watch out for Kitty, she’s quite the practical joker. Bye.
Wednesday, 8:24 pm
*BEEP*
She stares at her PDA, ready to pull her hair out and scream in frustration. It’s starting to look like they’ll never be able to have a date and she growls in frustration as she bangs her head against the wall. With a sigh, she listens to his message again and delights in the shivers his voice alone can give her.
“If that’s what his recorded voice can do to me, maybe its best we don’t go out,” she muses. “I might jump him before we get to the main course.”
Then she thinks about Thanksgiving coming up and a cold shiver races down her spine. She cringes at the thought of all of her family members being at her parent’s house. The mere thought of being stuck in that house with more family members than she thinks should legally be allowed and all the women bugging her as to why she hasn’t settled down yet.
“At least Mom can’t invite any single men to Thanksgiving dinner,” she mutters to herself. “Where the blazes is Dunfee, Illinois?”
Hi Hank, it’s Amanda. It depends what day you were looking at for the week after next. I’m leaving for Ashley, Virginia the Friday night before Thanksgiving. Where the devil is Dunfee, Illinois? I checked on the internet and I haven’t been able to find anything. As for Kitty, I already have a good idea of what she’s capable of, but thanks for the heads up. Hope to talk to you soon, instead of your machine. Bye.
Thursday, 7:22 pm
*BEEP*
With a sigh, he looks at the clock just to be sure and yes, it really is 12:06 am. If this gets any more frustrating, he’s going to damage something. He’s pretty sure he’s going to stuff a dirty old sweat sock in the Russian ambassador’s mouth if starts going off on how Russia doesn’t have a mutant problem. He idly wonders what Colossus would have to say to the old windbag. He then heads to bed, determined to talk to Amanda at least once this week and not to her machine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amanda works as fast as she can to finish up for the day so that she can finally leave. She came in extra early so that she could be out of the office in time to go to the car rental agency, get a car, go home, get changed, get her bag and then get the Hell out of Dodge. If she didn’t leave soon, traffic will be a nightmare and she hates driving in traffic. It doesn’t help her jangled nerves that the phone rings just as she’s shutting down her computer. She contemplates ignoring it, but it might be important so she grabs the handset.
“Amanda Simon,” she states, trying to sound as pleasant and as professional as possible.
“Hello, Amanda,” says a rich baritone voice that immediately sends a shiver up her spine. “It’s Hank.”
“Hank, hi,” she greets. “Wait, this isn’t really your answering machine that’s calling is it?”
“I can assure you that it’s really me,” he laughs. “I was wondering if we could try and pick out a date for the week after next.”
“I’d love to, but I really don’t have time,” she sadly tells him. “I need to get going if I’m going to make it to the mansion before midnight.”
“Ah, that’s right,” he replies. “Your visit to Serena is this weekend.”
“How about I call you Sunday night after I get home?” she suggests. “Would that work?”
“Yes, I think that would work fine,” he responds. “I’ll be waiting by the phone, so don’t disappoint me.”
“No pressure there,” she chuckles.
“Until Sunday then,” he says a smile in his voice.
“Right, until Sunday,” she replies, now a bit reluctant to get off the phone. “Bye.”
“Bye,” he replies and slowly hangs up the phone.
She hears the click and then returns the handset to the cradle. With a reluctant sigh, she finishes getting ready to leave and then heads out. She bustles out of her office, locking it behind her, says goodbye to Sarah and finally makes it to the lobby.
“So, going to find out if Mr. Tight Jeans wears briefs or boxers this weekend?” Betty teases as Amanda walks past her desk.
“Oh, I already know that he goes commando,” Amanda answers with a grin as she opens the outer door. “Have a good weekend.”
“What do you mean you already know he goes commando!?” Betty demands as the door closes behind the lawyer and Amanda laughs as she heads for the elevators.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After what seems like days of driving, Amanda pulls up to the gate of Xavier’s school. A nervous shiver runs down her spine and she has to steel her nerves before rolling down the window and pushing the call button.
“Yeah?” a gruff voice comes through the speaker a few moments later.
“Good evening, Mr. Logan, it’s Amanda Simon,” she announces tiredly and then glances at the clock on the dashboard. “I guess I should say ‘good morning’.”
“Follow the drive around the back of the house and into the garage,” he instructs as the gates begin to swing open. “I’ll meet ya there.”
Once the gates are completely open, she puts the car into gear and follows the gravel driveway around to the garage as instructed. She can’t see the mansion properly, but it seems to loom like a giant shadow in the middle of a well manicured lawn. She finally makes it to the garage and finds Logan standing in the middle of a garage that she’s fairly sure Jay Leno would be green with envy if he ever saw it. He points her to an empty space next to a large luxury car and she parks her little compact next to it.
“The whale and the guppy,” she says as she looks at the two cars, side by side and he makes a non-committal grunt. “Thanks for waiting up for me.”
“The kid was startin’ to worry,” he tells her as he turns and heads deeper into the garage.
“That’s why I called,” she replies, trying to ignore the heady smell of oil fumes.
“Ya really got lost?” he asks as he reaches a door that leads into the mansion, pushing a button next to it and the large garage door begins to shut.
“Twice,” she answers while he leads her through the mostly dark corridors. “I don’t do a lot of driving.”
“No kiddin’,” he snorts as he leads her up a flight of stairs and she stares at his feet.
“I hope she’s not too upset that I came so late,” she says quietly.
“Nah, she’s just thrilled you’re gonna be here all weekend,” he tells her softly as they start down a hallway with doors lining both sides, most of them closed. “Hasn’t shut up about it all week. Never thought I’d live to see the day someone could give Jubilee a run for her money.”
“She’s just excited,” she explains just before letting out a huge yawn. “I’m glad I finally made it. I was starting to fade out there.”
“This is your room,” he states as he leads her into a room that’s about half the size of her apartment. “Bathroom’s through there.”
“Thank you,” she says as she turns and looks through the second door that he’s pointing at.
“If ya need anythin’, I’m a couple doors down the hall,” he tells her as he starts to leave.
“Thanks again, Mr. Logan,” she replies as she drops her bag on the bed.
“It’s just Logan, darlin’,” he says as he starts to shut the door. “Breakfast is served around seven until about nine.”
“Ok and you can call me Amanda,” she responds as she watches him go, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on his face.
“Whatever ya say, darlin’,” he smirks before closing the door.
She chuckles as she shakes her head and takes another look around the room. A huge bed with a pair of nightstands on either side is against one wall, a wardrobe and dresser take over another wall and a desk is under the large windows overlooking the dark lawn. She sticks her head in the bathroom and gives a low appreciative whistle at the size of that room. She eyes the bathtub and wonders if she’ll have time to enjoy that amenity before returning to the bedroom.
“I’m going to get lost in this thing,” she mumbles, eyeing the monster bed that she’s been given.
With a shake of her head, she opens her bag and starts to get ready for bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Logan heads down the hall towards his room, the door to the room between his and Amanda’s cracks open.
“Did she make it alright?” a deep quiet voice asks.
“Yeah, she’s fine,” Logan softly answers. “A bit tired is all. Got lost a couple times getting’ here.”
“That’s good,” the voice says as the door starts to close. “Good night, Logan.”
“Night,” Logan responds before completing his journey back to his room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Around 6:30 am Amanda is woken by the sounds of people moving around above her. She grumbles something about inconsiderate neighbors and snuggles further down into her pillow, pulling the covers over her head, trying to forget the nightmare she had earlier. A little after 7:00 am she’s disturbed by people talking and laughing as they tromp down the stairs and she rolls over with a groan.
It takes several minutes for the realization that she’s someplace new to seep through her sleep fogged brain. She finally throws back the covers and lets out a huge yawn as she stretches. She stares at the ceiling contemplating if it’s worth getting up in search of a cup of coffee before or after a shower.
Deciding it wouldn’t be nice to scare her hosts with her pre-shower appearance; she drags herself out of bed and heads for the bathroom. Half an hour later, she emerges from her room and as she’s closing her room door, she hears the sound of feet barreling towards her. She turns and upon seeing Serena charging down the hall towards her, she opens her arms.
“You made it,” Serena says in a muffled voice as she squeezes Amanda’s torso.
“I said I would,” Amanda points out, gladly hugging the girl back. “And I always do my best to keep my word. How are you doing? How are your feet?”
“My feet are all better now, but I got to go to my classes with just slippers on for a few days,” Serena answers as she steps back. “I’m good, but Kitty’s still mad at me and it’s not my fault. I didn’t tell him.”
“Didn’t tell who what?” Amanda asks as Serena starts to head back the way she came, dragging Amanda along with her.
“I’ll explain later,” Serena whispers as they pass Logan’s door and then raises her voice back to a normal level. “Come on, I want you to meet my friends.”
“Are your friends in the same direction as coffee?” Amanda inquires while they descend the stairs.
“Yeah, they should be eating breakfast by now,” Serena answers as they step into the foyer and she turns towards where the sound of a lot of people talking can be heard.
“Ok, just let me get a cup of coffee or I’ll be sleeping through the introductions,” Amanda warns in a good natured way.
“Oh and wait until you see who else is here,” Serena excitedly says.
“Who?” Amanda questions, the girl’s good mood becoming contagious.
“Perhaps I should tell her myself,” a man’s voice says, causing Amanda to spin around and gasp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author’s Notes: Damn but I love cliff hangers. Hehehe For those of you who don’t know, Jay Leno is an avid classic car collector and literally has a warehouse sized garage to park them in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Amanda, it’s Hank. I was just calling to see if you made it home alright. I just arrived back myself. Please call me at 555-1234 so that I know you’re alright. I’ll speak to you soon. Bye.
Sunday, 6:32 pm
*BEEP*
Amanda hastily writes down Hank’s number, underlining it several times. She can’t believe she didn’t check the answering machine until now. She wonders why he didn’t call her on her cell and goes to check to see if she missed any calls on the little electronic leash. She fishes it out of her purse and sees that the battery has died.
“Great,” she mutters as she heads back towards the kitchen.
She plugs the cell into the charger and then picks up the regular phone to call Hank back. She idly doodles flowers and hearts around his name and number, not really paying attention to what she’s doing. After the forth ring, his answering machine picks up and she tries to ignore the little shivers that run up her spine just from listening to his recorded voice.
Hi Hank, it’s Amanda. I’m sorry I’m finally returning your call and I’m sorry I just left that way in Washington, but obviously I got back fine. If you got my note, you know why. If not, well, let’s just say my nerves got the better of me and I just had to leave. I don’t know how to thank you enough for what you did for me back at the ball. I never expected James to do what he did. Luckily, my boss understands and is going to help me keep him at bay. Call me if you need anything. I usually go to bed around 10:00. Bye.
Monday, 7:12 pm
*BEEP*
Hank wearily looks up at the clock and sees that it’s 11:02 pm. With a groan he bangs his head a couple times against the cabinet in frustration. Stupid committee meetings kept him until after 10:00 this evening. With a sigh, he decides to call her in the morning and heads for bed.
Hi Amanda, it’s Hank. I’m glad to hear you arrived safely and that not only do you still have a job but your boss is willing to help you out with James. If you need any help on that front, please let me know. I am willing to do everything in my power to see that the cad gets what he deserves…I do have a request…I was wondering…if you would do me the honor of having dinner with me. Please call me when you can. Bye.
Tuesday, 10: 41 am
*BEEP*
Amanda all but hurts herself getting into her apartment that evening, nearly desperate to get to the phone. Why did Hank have to call her at work and leave that message on her voice mail when she didn’t have his phone number with her? She quickly picks up the phone and dials his number and hopes she doesn’t sound too desperate when she gets his machine again.
Hi Hank, it’s Amanda. Thanks for offering to help with James. So far he is behaving himself, but I don’t expect that to last for too much longer. From what I understand, one side of his face is completely swollen and bruised from where you punched him. Man, would I love to see a picture of that…Sorry, that’s just the vindictive side of me…About having dinner with you…I’d love to. Do you have a specific day and time in mind? I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.
Tuesday, 6:59 pm
*BEEP*
Hank is overjoyed and horrified at the same time when he gets her message. He’s thrilled that she’s willing to go out, but now he has to find time in his busy schedule to take her out. It has to be nice, maybe with a dance floor and a live band. First things first, he has to check his calendar and then he has to call her back.
Hi Amanda, it’s Hank again. I did see James briefly when I stopped by your hotel on Sunday. I must say that the sight of the bruise on his face was most gratifying. As for going out, I was thinking Friday night if that’s alright with you. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.
Tuesday, 8:29 pm
*BEEP*
Damn! He just had to call while she was taking a shower and of course, she didn’t bother checking her messages before going to bed. This is starting to get very frustrating. She has this very strange need to just talk to him so she picks up the phone and makes the call, not in the least bit surprised to get his machine again.
Hi Hank, it’s Amanda. I’m sorry I missed your call last night. I was in the shower and forgot to check the machine when I got out. I’m afraid Friday night won’t work since I’ll be going up to the mansion that night and I’m planning on being there until Sunday. Maybe next week will work better. I’m afraid I’m meeting a client tonight, so I won’t be home and I’ll have my cell turned off. Let me know how next week looks for you and I’ll hopefully talk to you soon. Bye.
Wednesday, 5:43 pm
*BEEP*
He bangs his head on one of the cabinets in his kitchen in a futile attempt to get the image of a wet, naked Amanda out of his head. It doesn’t work and now he has a headache. Damn. With a sigh, he turns on his PDA and checks his calendar. Damn again. It doesn’t look good.
Hi Amanda, it’s Hank. I’m afraid next week is completely out for me. How about the week after that? The week after that will be completely out since I’ll be in Dunfee, Illinois for Thanksgiving. Hope you have fun at the mansion. Watch out for Kitty, she’s quite the practical joker. Bye.
Wednesday, 8:24 pm
*BEEP*
She stares at her PDA, ready to pull her hair out and scream in frustration. It’s starting to look like they’ll never be able to have a date and she growls in frustration as she bangs her head against the wall. With a sigh, she listens to his message again and delights in the shivers his voice alone can give her.
“If that’s what his recorded voice can do to me, maybe its best we don’t go out,” she muses. “I might jump him before we get to the main course.”
Then she thinks about Thanksgiving coming up and a cold shiver races down her spine. She cringes at the thought of all of her family members being at her parent’s house. The mere thought of being stuck in that house with more family members than she thinks should legally be allowed and all the women bugging her as to why she hasn’t settled down yet.
“At least Mom can’t invite any single men to Thanksgiving dinner,” she mutters to herself. “Where the blazes is Dunfee, Illinois?”
Hi Hank, it’s Amanda. It depends what day you were looking at for the week after next. I’m leaving for Ashley, Virginia the Friday night before Thanksgiving. Where the devil is Dunfee, Illinois? I checked on the internet and I haven’t been able to find anything. As for Kitty, I already have a good idea of what she’s capable of, but thanks for the heads up. Hope to talk to you soon, instead of your machine. Bye.
Thursday, 7:22 pm
*BEEP*
With a sigh, he looks at the clock just to be sure and yes, it really is 12:06 am. If this gets any more frustrating, he’s going to damage something. He’s pretty sure he’s going to stuff a dirty old sweat sock in the Russian ambassador’s mouth if starts going off on how Russia doesn’t have a mutant problem. He idly wonders what Colossus would have to say to the old windbag. He then heads to bed, determined to talk to Amanda at least once this week and not to her machine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amanda works as fast as she can to finish up for the day so that she can finally leave. She came in extra early so that she could be out of the office in time to go to the car rental agency, get a car, go home, get changed, get her bag and then get the Hell out of Dodge. If she didn’t leave soon, traffic will be a nightmare and she hates driving in traffic. It doesn’t help her jangled nerves that the phone rings just as she’s shutting down her computer. She contemplates ignoring it, but it might be important so she grabs the handset.
“Amanda Simon,” she states, trying to sound as pleasant and as professional as possible.
“Hello, Amanda,” says a rich baritone voice that immediately sends a shiver up her spine. “It’s Hank.”
“Hank, hi,” she greets. “Wait, this isn’t really your answering machine that’s calling is it?”
“I can assure you that it’s really me,” he laughs. “I was wondering if we could try and pick out a date for the week after next.”
“I’d love to, but I really don’t have time,” she sadly tells him. “I need to get going if I’m going to make it to the mansion before midnight.”
“Ah, that’s right,” he replies. “Your visit to Serena is this weekend.”
“How about I call you Sunday night after I get home?” she suggests. “Would that work?”
“Yes, I think that would work fine,” he responds. “I’ll be waiting by the phone, so don’t disappoint me.”
“No pressure there,” she chuckles.
“Until Sunday then,” he says a smile in his voice.
“Right, until Sunday,” she replies, now a bit reluctant to get off the phone. “Bye.”
“Bye,” he replies and slowly hangs up the phone.
She hears the click and then returns the handset to the cradle. With a reluctant sigh, she finishes getting ready to leave and then heads out. She bustles out of her office, locking it behind her, says goodbye to Sarah and finally makes it to the lobby.
“So, going to find out if Mr. Tight Jeans wears briefs or boxers this weekend?” Betty teases as Amanda walks past her desk.
“Oh, I already know that he goes commando,” Amanda answers with a grin as she opens the outer door. “Have a good weekend.”
“What do you mean you already know he goes commando!?” Betty demands as the door closes behind the lawyer and Amanda laughs as she heads for the elevators.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After what seems like days of driving, Amanda pulls up to the gate of Xavier’s school. A nervous shiver runs down her spine and she has to steel her nerves before rolling down the window and pushing the call button.
“Yeah?” a gruff voice comes through the speaker a few moments later.
“Good evening, Mr. Logan, it’s Amanda Simon,” she announces tiredly and then glances at the clock on the dashboard. “I guess I should say ‘good morning’.”
“Follow the drive around the back of the house and into the garage,” he instructs as the gates begin to swing open. “I’ll meet ya there.”
Once the gates are completely open, she puts the car into gear and follows the gravel driveway around to the garage as instructed. She can’t see the mansion properly, but it seems to loom like a giant shadow in the middle of a well manicured lawn. She finally makes it to the garage and finds Logan standing in the middle of a garage that she’s fairly sure Jay Leno would be green with envy if he ever saw it. He points her to an empty space next to a large luxury car and she parks her little compact next to it.
“The whale and the guppy,” she says as she looks at the two cars, side by side and he makes a non-committal grunt. “Thanks for waiting up for me.”
“The kid was startin’ to worry,” he tells her as he turns and heads deeper into the garage.
“That’s why I called,” she replies, trying to ignore the heady smell of oil fumes.
“Ya really got lost?” he asks as he reaches a door that leads into the mansion, pushing a button next to it and the large garage door begins to shut.
“Twice,” she answers while he leads her through the mostly dark corridors. “I don’t do a lot of driving.”
“No kiddin’,” he snorts as he leads her up a flight of stairs and she stares at his feet.
“I hope she’s not too upset that I came so late,” she says quietly.
“Nah, she’s just thrilled you’re gonna be here all weekend,” he tells her softly as they start down a hallway with doors lining both sides, most of them closed. “Hasn’t shut up about it all week. Never thought I’d live to see the day someone could give Jubilee a run for her money.”
“She’s just excited,” she explains just before letting out a huge yawn. “I’m glad I finally made it. I was starting to fade out there.”
“This is your room,” he states as he leads her into a room that’s about half the size of her apartment. “Bathroom’s through there.”
“Thank you,” she says as she turns and looks through the second door that he’s pointing at.
“If ya need anythin’, I’m a couple doors down the hall,” he tells her as he starts to leave.
“Thanks again, Mr. Logan,” she replies as she drops her bag on the bed.
“It’s just Logan, darlin’,” he says as he starts to shut the door. “Breakfast is served around seven until about nine.”
“Ok and you can call me Amanda,” she responds as she watches him go, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on his face.
“Whatever ya say, darlin’,” he smirks before closing the door.
She chuckles as she shakes her head and takes another look around the room. A huge bed with a pair of nightstands on either side is against one wall, a wardrobe and dresser take over another wall and a desk is under the large windows overlooking the dark lawn. She sticks her head in the bathroom and gives a low appreciative whistle at the size of that room. She eyes the bathtub and wonders if she’ll have time to enjoy that amenity before returning to the bedroom.
“I’m going to get lost in this thing,” she mumbles, eyeing the monster bed that she’s been given.
With a shake of her head, she opens her bag and starts to get ready for bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Logan heads down the hall towards his room, the door to the room between his and Amanda’s cracks open.
“Did she make it alright?” a deep quiet voice asks.
“Yeah, she’s fine,” Logan softly answers. “A bit tired is all. Got lost a couple times getting’ here.”
“That’s good,” the voice says as the door starts to close. “Good night, Logan.”
“Night,” Logan responds before completing his journey back to his room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Around 6:30 am Amanda is woken by the sounds of people moving around above her. She grumbles something about inconsiderate neighbors and snuggles further down into her pillow, pulling the covers over her head, trying to forget the nightmare she had earlier. A little after 7:00 am she’s disturbed by people talking and laughing as they tromp down the stairs and she rolls over with a groan.
It takes several minutes for the realization that she’s someplace new to seep through her sleep fogged brain. She finally throws back the covers and lets out a huge yawn as she stretches. She stares at the ceiling contemplating if it’s worth getting up in search of a cup of coffee before or after a shower.
Deciding it wouldn’t be nice to scare her hosts with her pre-shower appearance; she drags herself out of bed and heads for the bathroom. Half an hour later, she emerges from her room and as she’s closing her room door, she hears the sound of feet barreling towards her. She turns and upon seeing Serena charging down the hall towards her, she opens her arms.
“You made it,” Serena says in a muffled voice as she squeezes Amanda’s torso.
“I said I would,” Amanda points out, gladly hugging the girl back. “And I always do my best to keep my word. How are you doing? How are your feet?”
“My feet are all better now, but I got to go to my classes with just slippers on for a few days,” Serena answers as she steps back. “I’m good, but Kitty’s still mad at me and it’s not my fault. I didn’t tell him.”
“Didn’t tell who what?” Amanda asks as Serena starts to head back the way she came, dragging Amanda along with her.
“I’ll explain later,” Serena whispers as they pass Logan’s door and then raises her voice back to a normal level. “Come on, I want you to meet my friends.”
“Are your friends in the same direction as coffee?” Amanda inquires while they descend the stairs.
“Yeah, they should be eating breakfast by now,” Serena answers as they step into the foyer and she turns towards where the sound of a lot of people talking can be heard.
“Ok, just let me get a cup of coffee or I’ll be sleeping through the introductions,” Amanda warns in a good natured way.
“Oh and wait until you see who else is here,” Serena excitedly says.
“Who?” Amanda questions, the girl’s good mood becoming contagious.
“Perhaps I should tell her myself,” a man’s voice says, causing Amanda to spin around and gasp.
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Author’s Notes: Damn but I love cliff hangers. Hehehe For those of you who don’t know, Jay Leno is an avid classic car collector and literally has a warehouse sized garage to park them in.