Three Dates, page 1
Three Dates
Kathryn Reign
Published by Independently Published, 2022.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
THREE DATES
First edition. April 16, 2022.
Copyright © 2022 Kathryn Reign.
ISBN: 978-1952716683
Written by Kathryn Reign.
THREE
DATES
© Copyright 2022 Kathryn Reign
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination.
Cover Design by Angela Haddon
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
CHAPTER
ONE
“OW! WHAT THE FUCK?” Amelia Ainsworth hissed loudly as she sprung her head up from in between her arms. She looked over at her best friend, Melody Kim, who was glaring at her as if something bad were going to happen soon… very, very soon.
“I see you’re using my class as your own personal naptime again, Ms. Ainsworth.”
Amelia looked up, just to find the entire lecture hall of eighty plus students staring at her, some smirking, many chuckling. Her physics professor, Professor Ambone, stood at the front with his arms crossed over his chest.
“S-Sorry,” she apologized half-heartedly. “I was up late last night.”
“That’s…,” Ambone paused to count his fingers, “the thirteenth time this month. Either you need a doctor to cure that problematic narcolepsy of yours, or I suggest you pull yourself together to avoid failing my class.”
More chuckles echoed throughout the lecture hall, and Amelia clenched her fists together, her nails digging deep into her skin.
“Y-Yes, sir,” she mumbled.
“I sure hope so, Ms. Ainsworth. And oh, you might want to clean up your face a bit. You got some dribble beginning to crust on the side of your mouth.” He then turned to the rest of the class. “Class dismissed. And don’t forget the final exam the week after spring break. I’m sure you’ve all been studying diligently.”
“Ugh,” Amelia groaned, shoving her books into her bag.
“Up all night swiping again?” Melody asked as she followed her friend out the double doors.
“Huh? What gave it away?”
“Come on, Lia, you only ever drool when you’re thinking about guys. Who is it this time?”
“Lucas Liard. I even super liked him, too. And still, not of hint of interest in return. Blonde, 6’2, abs like a god, dazzling blue eyes, a smile that literally drenches me… and he likes foie gras! Do you know how difficult it is to fine someone, not just a guy, who likes foie gras? I mean, it’s like we’re a match made in Heaven, like God sat on his little throne up in the sky and stitched us together!” Amelia exclaimed and threw her hands up in the air, her bag dangling off her right shoulder.
“Bleh! Disgusting! I don’t know how you eat that. One sniff, and I wanna gag.”
“But, Mel, aren’t Lucas and I just perfect for each other?! Just meant to be?”
“Yeah, perfect in a world of delusion. He hasn’t even liked you back. Do you know anything about him beyond what his profile says?”
“Duh! He goes to Harper College, is on the lacrosse team, and has two sisters.”
Melody rolled her eyes.
“What?”
“I meant, anything other than what you found stalking his social media.”
“Well… no, not yet. But it’s still early on in our relationship. There’s plenty to learn about each other!”
Melody blinked and continued to stare at her friend. “You okay?”
That’s when Amelia broke down and started to wail. “Why is it that all the good ones never like me back? Sixteen months! It’s been exactly sixteen months and two days since David left me, and I still can’t find another boyfriend!”
“Maybe you just need a longer break. You know, Lia, it’s good to just be alone sometime.” Melody adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder, checking her phone for the time. “Can we go get lunch now? I’m starving.”
But Amelia ignored her question. “You have Kyle. He adores you so much that he’ll literally kiss your feet. You don’t know how difficult it is for those who are still single.”
Her patience weakening, Melody raised her tone. “Well, Lia, I don’t know what to tell you. Your standards are too damn high, and you try to date people who are completely out of your league! Let’s face it, we’re both sevens at best. Of course, you’re gonna fall if you go chasing after a ten! Maybe it’s time you find another seven.”
“Lower my standards? Are you serious? David was a nine. It’s either I go higher than that, or I’m staying single for the rest of my life.”
Melody shrugged her shoulders and started walking away. “Guess you’re staying single forever. I’m getting pizza.”
***
LATER THAT NIGHT, AMELIA leaned against her pillow on her bed and pulled up the app. According to her, there isn’t a better feeling in the world than changing into her cozy robe, climbing under her sheets, and scrolling through her phone.
“Nerd. Nerd. Gap tooth. Ugly. Ugly. Gross. Ew. Ugly. Short. Ugly. Ugh! Why is this so hard?!” She’d been on her phone for the past two hours, scrolling nonstop, guy after guy, and not a single match. She paused and swiped the app away, pulling up Lucas’ social media profile, smiling as if his smile on one of his pictures were smiling back at her, leaning in to kiss her phone gently. “It’s been almost a full day since I super liked you. Why are you ignoring me?!”
And suddenly, her phone started to ring. Her mother.
“Hey, Mom, what’s up?”
“Hi, honey, how’s school treating you? You doing okay? I can’t wait to see my little girl’s name on the Dean’s List.”
“Aw, come on, Mom. College is supposed to be about having fun, finding myself. You can’t seriously expect me to study all the time.”
“But your brother—”
“I’m not like Jason, okay? He’s a nerd! His nose is always shoved inside a book that I bet he has no life!”
“Amelia!”
“Sorry, I get that you want me to go to med school like him, but that’s not me, Mom. Let me make my own decisions for once.” There was a loud sigh on the other line. “What is it, Mom? Everything okay?”
“What? Oh, yes, everything’s great, dear. Listen, can you come home tomorrow night? I know you’re on spring break next week, and I was thinking you could spend a few days at home, with your family. Your Aunt Evelyne’s visiting Friday night before going on her business trip, and it’ll be good for us to all have dinner together.”
Amelia looked over at her calendar. She hated visiting home, particularly because she always got compared to Jason whenever she’s around her family. But she hadn’t been in over five months, and it wasn’t like she had anything else planned for the next upcoming days. Honestly, she’d hoped to spend all of spring break swiping through more potential suitors. Every day she isn’t using the app means another day spent without her new boyfriend.
“Fine, I’ll drive back tomorrow night.”
“Wonderful! I’ll even make your favorite, pot roast and garlic baked potatoes. I love you, honey.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
When she hung up, Amelia reached under her dorm bed and grabbed a bag of family-sized sour cream and onion chips along with a beer.
“It’s going to be a long night,” she whispered and pulled up the app.
CHAPTER
TWO
“CAN I GET AN iced coffee, please? Extra-large?” Amelia asked the freckled-faced teenager at the counter of the university’s coffee shop. She barely had the strength to stay awake in English Lit, and now she had to drive two and half hours back home to her parents.
“I really, really don’t think you’re in the condition to drive home, Lia. What if you pass out on the wheel?” Melody asked as she grabbed her own drink from the teenager, a medium matcha green latte with extra foam.
“No, I canceled on them the past three times. I can’t do it again.”
“Why not just go home tomorrow? I mean, you do have an entire week to spend with them,” Melody suggested and took a sip from her cup.
But Amelia shook her head. “Can’t do that, either. My Aunt Evelyne is coming over tonight before leaving town for a few days. My family already sees me as a disappointment. The least I could do is show up for dinner.”
“Lia, you’re a mess, you know that?”
Amelia laughed and reached over to grab her coffee. “I sure do, but a hot mess.” Then she paused. “Are you sure you don’t wanna come spend spring break with my family? It beats sitting in your dorm all by yourself.”
Melody nodded. “Yeah, it’s my fault, anyway. I forgot to remind my parents about spring break before they booked their flight to Puerto Rico. But it’s all good. Kyle’s coming to visit for a few days. At least, I
“Ugh, not you, too.”
“What do you mean?”
“My mom went on and on last night about the fucking Dean’s List, and how I should be more like my brother, and I’m just so tired of hearing about it!” She took a sip of her coffee. “Why can’t I just do what I want? Live my own life.”
“You mean fawning over boys and drooling in class?” Melody teased.
A slight smile drew over Amelia’s face. “Oh, shut up!” And she laughed.
“So, how’d your search go last night? Did Lucas get back to you?” Melody changed the subject as they walked over to a vacant table. The coffee shop was much emptier than usual, as most of the students had already left for their break.
Amelia pulled out her phone to check if there were any new messages. Nothing. “I think he’s playing hard to get.”
“I think he’s playing not interested.” Melody burst into laughter and tilted her head back.
“That’s not funny! I truly believe that Lucas Liard is the man for me. He just hasn’t realized it yet. He’ll come around soon, trust me.”
“If you say so.”
***
AN HOUR LATER, AMELIA said farewell to her friend and walked toward the parking garage with her suitcase. She knew she didn’t need much, as her room back home still had most of her things, but she didn’t want to be caught in a situation where she didn’t have her loyal stilettos or her sexy black dress with her.
She stepped into her car and scouted the area near her school for somewhere that was still open. The three cups of caffeine today weren’t nearly enough to balance out her two hours of sleep.
“Closed. Closed. Closed,” she read sign after sign out loud as she rounded each corner. “The perk of living in the middle of nowhere truly is that everything closes before seven.”
A few minutes later, she spotted a gas station. Not the cleanest, but it’ll do for a quick stop. She quickly pulled into a spot and walked inside, heading back toward the refrigerated section of the store. When she reached in to pull out a can of energy drink, she heard a deep voice call out her name.
“Amelia? Amelia, is that you?”
Amelia spun around and found herself staring at a lanky man around her age whom she’d never seen before. He had rounded red glasses over his eyes, messy light brown hair, and wore a long sleeve tee that looked way too oversized for him.
“Uhm, yeah… Do I know you?” she asked, backing away slightly in hopes that he’d get the hint.
“No, but you should. I’m Patrick. I super liked you on Hooked three days ago, and I never heard back from you.”
Hooked, Amelia thought. That’s my app. “Oh… uhm… yeah… sorry, I’ve… been super busy lately. Haven’t been on the app much.” Ugh, I wanted Lucas, and instead, this freak shows up?
“Bummer, that sucks. Well, we’re both here now! What do you say we go out and grab a drink? And then maybe back to my place for some R&R?”
A small stream of bile rose in her throat, and she quickly forced herself to push it back down. “I can’t, sorry. I’m actually on my way home for spring break. I’m sure you know how parents can be when you’re late.” I never thought I’d be so grateful to go home.
“Well, do you wanna swap numbers at least? That way, we can chat during break, and then hang out when you get back? There’s this new arcade near here that I’ve been dying to go to. What do you say we make it our first date?”
Amelia felt her heart bleeding inside her chest. Why won’t this kid just go away? There’s a reason I never responded to him. I don’t like him. I don’t like you! But she couldn’t say that to him, especially not to his face. Confrontation had always been her Achilles’ heel, and she just wanted to get the hell out of there as soon as possible.
“I… I have to go. I’ll message you back. But I really have to run,” she stammered.
“Just quickly swap numbers. What if I don’t see you again?” He began following her.
Then that surely wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. “I’ll message you,” she stammered again.
She spun around on her heel and quickly made her way toward the front door.
“Hey, what about your drink?” Patrick called out after her.
I’d rather risk my chance passing out at the wheel than stay another minute around this loser. “Don’t need it anymore. Thanks!” And she pushed her way out the door, sprinting to her car and driving away before he had a chance to catch up to her. Her heart was beating fast, definitely not tired anymore, and she fumbled with her phone to dial Melody’s number, putting her on speaker while she continued to drive.
“Lia? Aren’t you heading down to your parents?”
“I was—am. Driving as we speak. You won’t believe what just happened to me.”
“Hold on, Lia. Kyle’s on hold on the other line. I’ll let him know I’ll call him back.”
Melody had been Amelia’s friend ever since Freshman orientation. They met while they were on the same team together during a team-building exercise, and they instantly bonded, becoming the best of friends and sharing all their secrets with each other. So much so that Melody would immediately know when Amelia was about to enter one of her long rants.
“Alright, I’m back.” Amelia heard on the other line. “What’s up?”
“I was just at a gas station, trying to get an energy drink, when some loser walked up to me and asked me out, pressured me to give him my number. He said he super liked me on Hooked and, for some reason, the freak assumed that we have to go out. I had to fucking run out of there like my life depended on it! Didn’t even get my drink. Can you believe the audacity of that guy? Coming up to me like that and demanding a date?”
“Well…,” Melody began. “Was he at least cute?”
“If he was, do you really think I’ll be on the phone with you right now? Calling him a loser?” Amelia could almost hear her friend shrug. She knew her all too well. “What?” she asked.
“Remind you of anyone?” Melody asked, her voice sounding smug.
“No, should it?”
“Two words, Lia. Lucas Liard.”
Amelia shook her head. “No, no! This is nothing like my situation with Lucas. I’m not a four-eyed freak with a shirt that’s too big for me. It’s completely different! I’m not a loser!”
“Then why hasn’t Lucas messaged you back? What if you were to approach him suddenly out in public? You don’t think he’d run away, just like you did?”
“No! Maybe… possibly. Shit, I am a four-eyed freak with a shirt that’s too big for me, aren’t I?” Amelia asked, her voice cracking at the realization.
“Sounds like it to me.”
Amelia fell silent, tears welling in her eyes. How could she have been so foolish, obsessing over some stranger who didn’t even care about her enough to say hi?
“You okay, Lia?” Melody asked when she realized no one was answering her.
Amelia sniffled. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
“Hey, don’t worry about any of that, okay? Take a few days off from the dating life. Spend some quality time with your family. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.”
Probably the sanest thing Amelia had heard all day. “You have a point. Thanks, Mel.”
“Drive safe!”
***
NEARLY THREE HOURS LATER, Amelia pulled into the driveway of her childhood home. She could see her Aunt Evelyne’s bright purple jeep from a block away. Her aunt was never one to keep things subtle. She was always the loudest, flashiest, and always wanted to be the center of attention, the complete opposite of her younger sister, Amelia’s mother. She loved her aunt, as much as she loved the rest of her family, but there’s just something about being around her for an extended period of time that made her want to rip out all her hair, strand by strand.
Amelia reached into her pocket to fish out her keys when she reached the front door. She couldn’t remember the last time she even used them, surprised that her dad hadn’t changed the lock. Bracing herself for endless hugs and kisses when she walked in, she, instead, found herself face-to-face with a tall, brunette man with radiant green eyes and broad shoulders.
