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~~Amanda~~
My eyes flick over to the clock for the umpteenth time today. It’s been only another dreadfully long minute since the last time I checked. Sighing deeply I return my eyes back to my computer, fingers dancing across the keyboard as I fill in the form displayed on the yellow-tinted screen. My chest is tight as I wait for the day to finally end, hopefully once I finish this appointment at least some of this tenseness will wash away.
Eva bumps the door of the office open with her hip before bumbling over to my desk with a heaping load of papers clutched to her chest.
“Here you go,” she huffs, dropping the stack and causing the few sticky notes left around the desk to scatter. “Lindsey wanted me to let you know that this one, this one, and,” Eva fingers through the papers before pulling out the last one she’s searching for, “this one, are top priority.”
I offer Eva a smile before taking a quick glance at the papers and pinching the bridge of my nose trying to suppress the otherworldly migraine this is going to cause. But as I see the hour change I deem it to be a tomorrow problem.
I lock my computer and begin grabbing my belongings as Eva stares at me puzzled.
“You’re leaving now?” she asks, raising her brows.
“It is that time,” I reply, swinging my bag over my shoulder.
“Wow, Miss Workaholic actually isn’t staying overtime for once?” Eva cocks her head teasingly as she places her hands on her hips and grins cheekily.
I roll my eyes before stopping in front of her. “I’m not a workaholic.”
Eva bursts into a cute chuckle, standing straight back up as she crosses her arms over her ruffled white blouse. “You definitely are. But at least that’s time you have no choice but to spend with me,” she jests with a wink.
My chest rises as an amused sigh breezes my lips up into a smile. “Maybe that’s why I work so much then, eh?” I muse.
Eva blushes as she wraps her arms around my neck, twirling a strand of my hair around her finger. My heart skips a beat as my gaze drops from hers for a mere second to catch her tongue quickly smooth itself across her full lips.
“You know, you can always just ask me out if you want to spend time with me.” Eva’s face comes ever closer, and I feel I could lose myself in studying every bit of her face forever.
Her emerald eyes are just as enchanting as always, and the way that light shimmers and reflects off of them, the different shades swirling around in there, the little flecks of gold and brown. Every little detail seems to dig deeper into my brain as I study those eyes. Then my gaze brushes to her flushed cheeks, and for the first time I notice the very soft freckles that spread across the bridge of her nose and across her cheeks like the constellations of stars in the sky.
Fuck, she’s so beautiful.
“Oh can I?” I question jokingly with the cock of an eyebrow.
“What, scared I’ll say no?” Eva asks teasingly, tilting her head, her eyes flicking down to my lips for a second before meeting my gaze once again. She leans forward defiantly in a silent challenge.
Accepting this challenge, I bring my lips to brush ever so lightly against hers, the soft puffs of her breath warming my face. Eva pushes forward, too eager to wait any longer, and I quickly return the kiss. I press on the small of her back and draw her in closer as she arches in towards me. She fits so perfectly with me, the way her body presses against mine, the way her lips dance with my own. Being with her feels something akin to finally returning home after having been gone for ages.
Reluctantly the kiss ends and I give her one last peck before walking over towards the door. “I have to go now, but I’ll see you tomorrow, Eva.”
“You never answered my question,” she drawls, picking up her bag and hurrying to my side.
I roll my eyes playfully before holding her hand. “I have an appointment, but after that would you like to go on a date with me, Eva?”
Eva beams, her smiling glowing with the strength of the sun and warming me with its light. As fast as her face lit up it just as quickly falls flat. “No,” she quips, crossing her arms and turning to the side.
“No?” I repeat her response, my head tilting.
“No,” she answers again, poking her tongue out at me.
I roll my eyes again before placing my hand on the doorknob. “Okay then.”
“Ah, wait, no! I’d love to,” she rushes towards me fanatically.
“No, no, I get it,” I tease, a smirk weaving its way across my lips.
“No, stop,” Eva whines. “I was playing hard to get. Would it really kill you to try and court me?” Eva pouts, placing her hands on her hips.
“Maybe.” I wink at her before gently planting a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”
After seeing her smile and receiving Eva’s nod of confirmation I open the door and walk out with her to the parking lot, making sure to watch her get into her car before I get into mine. After pulling up some directions on my phone and grimacing at the time I pull afyon escort out of the parking lot and start speeding down the road to the law firm.
~~*~~
My insides turn as I step out onto the pavement of the firm’s parking lot. The building towering over me makes me feel as small outside as I do inside. With a deep breath I reach into the car, snatch the manilla folder off my passenger seat, and will my limbs to carry me forward.
Nothing really feels like it’s actually happening as I do it. I enter the building, talk to the receptionist about my appointment, and as I sit in the chair in the waiting room I only feel myself sink farther away from reality.
I’m finally doing it. I’m actually going through the actions and the movements necessary to really remove Vanessa from my life. I’d thought about it so much, and no matter how much I searched and thought about it I just never did it… And if it weren’t for Eva I don’t think I’d be here now.
Even though I know this is what I want, what I need, I still can’t calm my mind. And although I never found any ounce of guilt before, I can’t help but wonder now if what I’m doing is wrong. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I didn’t react properly then, or maybe I overreacted, maybe I wasn’t clear enough with what I was feeling, maybe…
“Amanda?”
My head snaps up at the calling of my voice, my eyes darting up to the neatly dressed man being the source of the sound.
Quickly I jump up out of my seat before trying to recompose myself and walk over to him. “Hi, yes, Mr. Madison?” I ask with an outstretched hand and a forced smile that I’m praying isn’t wavering.
“Please, call me David,” he introduces himself with a clean grin and firm grip of my hand. Adjusting his tie he says, “Follow me up to my office and we can start our discussion.”
“Alright then.”
I follow a few steps behind as he leads me out of the lobby and onto the main floor of the firm. As we walk through a small kitchenette David offers me a cup of coffee which I gratefully accept. The burning heat of the foam cup against my hands preventing me from disappearing back into my thoughts.
“Just in here,” David says as he opens the door to his office, gesturing towards the cushioned seat sitting across from his desk.
I nod my head as I offer a hushed thank you before walking in and sinking into the seat. My eyes haphazardly glance around the room as I try to sort out my thoughts. I’ve gone over this so many times in my head I just need to calm down, and taking in the details of the room helps me do that. I look at the degrees hanging on the wall, the family photos sitting on the desk with the rosy smiles of his family and the slobbering grin of the dog.
David sits across from me and I break my gaze from the family photos to meet his eyes.
“So, Amanda, what can I help you with?”
I swallow the hard lump that’s formed in my throat, a sour taste being left in its wake. “Well, I’ve been having trouble with an ex- a former partner of mine,” I start slowly, my thumb raking against the edge of the folder in my hands. “She’s been blackmailing me, with photos, and she’s been threatening to release them.”
David nods. “I’m sorry to hear that, Amanda. Can you tell me how long this has been going on for?”
Sheepishly I nod. “A while, probably around seven or eight months. It’s been a lot worse lately, though.” I look down at my cup of coffee needing to break eye contact. The sheer amount of time it’s taken me to do anything burns me, and if I’m asked I know I simply won’t be able to find a good answer.
I jolt, suddenly remembering the folder I’ve been fraying with my fingers. “I also have this,” I say, holding the folder out for David. He takes it and starts looking through its contents. “I looked up some stuff I should probably bring for this, along with what your receptionist told me. I know text messages are what’s wanted most, but everything for me has been happening in person. I listed all of those accounts there, as well as the places in which they occurred in case you need to pull security camera footage or anything like that. I really don’t know.”
For a stretched moment we sit there, David reading through the information I provided, and me analyzing his every move. After reading through my documents he asks a few more questions for additional details regarding Vanessa, to which I answer to the best of my ability.
“Alright,” David starts, folding his hands on the desk. “First we’ll deliver your ex a cease and desist letter. This will formally demand her to stop contacting and threatening you.”
“Okay,” I nod, my heartbeat nearly drowning out my own voice. “And what about the photos?”
“For the photos we can pursue an injunction. This will legally prohibit her from distributing the photos in any way.”
“And for later? Is there any way to get rid of them? I just- the thought of her having those photos, having her be able to hang that over me just nauseates me.”
“That’s aydın escort a valid concern, Amanda.” David picks a pen out of a mug on his desk and quickly starts writing across the notebook in front of him. “We can ask the court to issue a mandate to surrender all copies of the photos she has of you. Both digital and physical. The legal repercussions if she fails to do this should be enough to persuade her to do so.”
“And if they’re not?” I blurt out, the words spilling past my lips before I can even think them through. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m nervous she won’t really care about that. Like any fine or anything similar to that, she could easily pay off…”
David nods, his lips pursing. “Well, I’ll make sure that won’t be a problem. You can rest assured, I’ve had plenty of cases against people who wouldn’t have any trouble dealing with monetary repercussions.”
My heart slows, easing for a moment at the reassurance. “Thank you.”
David smiles, standing as he rips the paper from his notebook. “I feel like you might feel better with this, just some notes on our course of action.” David hands the paper to me before starting to lead me back to the lobby. “I’ll have the cease and desist delivered by the end of the week, and then we can proceed from there. I’ll also work on actions to get those photos removed.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate it,” I say as we turn the corner before the lobby.
“I’m happy to help. You have my number, so if you ever have any questions or updates don’t hesitate to give me a call.”
Lost for any other words I thank him again before striding out of the law firm. Hope sizzles all throughout my body causing goosebumps to pebble up across my skin as my heart races faster. I hurry to my car. The sooner I can get home, the sooner I can get ready, and the sooner I can get ready, the sooner I can see Eva. And I can’t wait to see Eva, to see her and be able to really truly believe that it’s okay for me to seriously try and pursue her, without the threat of Vanessa always lurking.
~~*~~
My clammy hands tighten around the sheath of plastic wrapped around the assortment of flowers I picked out at the florist on the way here. For some reason my stomach is all mixed up in knots, and no matter how many times I swallow the lump in my throat refuses to go down.
I start to bring my hand down to knock on the door, but before I can even make contact it swings back revealing a cheery Eva behind it, and oh lord is she adorable. She’s dressed like the personification of coffee, with an espresso brown beanie, a brown coat covering a brown sweater, that trails down to a brown and white plaid skirt, all the way down to her dark brown boots.
“Wow, Eva,” I start, looking her up and down. “You look very… brown.”
Her jaw drops. “I thought it was cute,” she throws her head back dramatically. “I can change if it’s stupid,” she starts, turning around.
Quickly, I grab her waist and pull her back around. “Woah, no, that’s not- Eva, you look adorable.” Eva’s cheeks flush at the compliment, and my heart warms at the sight. “Here, I got these for you,” I say as I hand her the flowers.
“Oh wow.” Eva delicately takes the flowers, wasting no time in bringing them to her face to take in their sweet scent. “These are beautiful, Amanda, thank you so much.”
The warm smile that spreads across her face makes my heart skip a beat as my smile morphs to match hers.
“I’m gonna go put these in a vase real quick. Please, come in. My roommate’s out right now so you don’t have to worry about disturbing her or anything.”
“You have a roommate?” I ask, stepping into Eva’s apartment. It’s cute. A quaint little area with a hallway that extends into the kitchen in the far back, and the sitting room across from it. Around the corner is where I assume the bathroom and bedrooms are.
“Ah, yes,” Eva calls as she opens the cupboard. “I never really see her, though. She’s out most of the time.”
“Oh,” I murmur as I arrive behind her, as she stands on her tiptoes with her arms outstretched above her towards the vase on the top shelf. “Here, I’ve got it,” I say, pulling it down for her.
“I would’ve gotten it eventually,” Eva teases, her nose scrunching after she blows the dust off of it. “Ah, as you can probably tell you’re the first person to get me flowers.”
My brows scrunch. “Ah, no. I couldn’t tell that.” Eva rinses out the vase before filling it with water and measuring the flowers against the vase. “Really?”
She nods, pulling out a pair of scissors from a drawer. “I don’t know, I mean I’ve dated other people, but no one’s actually gotten me flowers. I guess it really just isn’t something that comes to mind.” She snips the stems, shortening them so that they’ll sit nicely in the vase. A soft smile etches across her face as she buries her nose into the petals once more. “I really do like them though.”
Before I can stop myself I wrap my arms around her waist, hugging her from behind ağrı escort as I rest my head on top hers. And I won’t say it, at least not yet, but at least this once my head and my heart match. I really want to be the one who keeps getting her flowers, to be the one who will treat her right.
With one final squeeze and a kiss on her cheek I pull away asking, “Alright, you ready to go?”
Eva nods with an eager grin that beams at me. “Lead the way.”
And despite that statement Eva giddily starts skipping in front of me out the door and into my car. She wastes no time in fiddling with the radio, flicking through stations until she finds one that causes her to gasp.
“Ah, I love this song!” Eva throws her head back and starts singing along, moving her arms and swaying her hips in a rhythm that doesn’t quite match the music.
I roll my eyes and smile as I pull out of the apartment complex and start making way down the road to our destination.
“So where is it you’re bringing me?” Eva asks, once the song’s come to an end.
“We’re not too far off, you’ll see,” I answer with a grin.
Eva smiles and looks out the window, her cheek resting against her palm. It doesn’t take much longer before I pull onto the dirt road that leads into the woods. The car rocks as the dirt crumbles beneath the tires.
“I’m not gonna lie, Amanda, you’ve put me in quite a few situations where I most definitely should be running for the hills.”
I snort a laugh, whipping my head to look at Eva once I’ve parked the car. “What do you mean?” I laugh.
Eva’s jaw drops, as though she thinks I’m crazy for even asking that question. Her hands wildly gesture towards the windshield. “Dark, middle of the woods, alone. At night!” She shakes her head.
I chuckle, exiting the car and beginning to unload items I brought in the back. “I don’t plan on killing you.”
I lay the portable fire pit on the ground and light it, letting flickering flames begin to engulf the wood and paper inside of it. It starts slow at first, but by the time I’ve finished placing the folding chairs and the cooler of food beside it, it’s grown shrouding the forest around us in an orange glow.
“It sure is pretty,” Eva smiles, warming her hands up by the fire. The October air’s gotten to the point where it really has some bite to it.
“It is,” I agree, looking at nothing other than the woman in front of me.
Eva blushes and shoves me in the shoulder with her palm. She shakes her head as she skewers a hot dog and starts rotating it over the fire, matching me. “So, what caused all this?”
My brows crease, and I search my mind trying to really grasp the meaning of her words.
After my silence has extended just a tad too long Eva catches my confusion and clarifies. “Like this, this whole date? The flowers, the food, the location, just, everything.” She looks around taking in the sight once more, the fire moving around in her eyes as they take everything in. “Now don’t get me wrong. I love it, I really really do. I just,” she looks down for a moment, her lips pursing, “I just was wondering what brought this on, I guess.”
I sigh, my gaze breaking hers to watch my hotdog as it roasts in the flames. “Well, I guess,” I start, trying to fully grasp how I want to phrase this. “I just wanted to do this right.” I lick my lips, and her silence pushes me to keep going. “I think, I mean, I know that I really like you, Eva, and since this is our first true date, I really wanted to make sure I made it, well, good.”
Eva’s hand rests over mine, and my eyes flick up to meet hers. Her eyes are glassy and she bites down on her lip as they curve up into her rosy cheeks. My heart pounds in anticipation of what she’ll say.
“Amanda,” she says my name, her hand hovering over her mouth as though wiping away something hidden. “This is so so sweet. Really.”
I open my mouth to say something more, but before I can even think of what to say my hot dog catches fire. I yank it back out of the flames and hurriedly start blowing it as Eva stands up and back, blowing as well, but from such a distance it’d be impressive if it reached the flames.
After shaking and blowing it out the flames disperse and I’m left with a charred hot dog that I grimace at, but at least it amuses Eva who giggles as she slumps back down into her seat. We laugh as we eat our hot dogs, taking the moment to place them into buns and eat them.
Once they’re gone we waste no time in placing marshmallows on our skewers and slowly start to roast them. I listen intently as Eva describes the technique to properly roast a marshmallow to a perfect golden brown. And in the midst of her explanation it too catches fire and I almost pee myself laughing at how seriously she was describing her technique and how quickly that turned to her flinging the marshmallow back and puffing air on it to put out the fire. Her flat face at the charred marshmallow is what really is doing me in though.
Then I find myself lying on the roof of my car with Eva by my side. We watch as the stars twinkle and shine in the night sky, our pinkies locked as we slowly draw closer in for warmth. The fire’s nearly burned itself out now, and the only light now comes from the stars above, and the few remaining embers burning in the pit.