Here's chapter 8 of Mrs Jones. We are back in the present, so yeh, Hope you'll like it!
Love Liz xx
CHAPTER EIGHT:
MISTAKE
David and Evelyn’s apartment – or Evelyn’s apartment that David had moved in to – could be summed up in three words; big, white and open.
Amanda had never liked it, it seemed too cold with all the white walls and it made her feel like she was in a sterile place, like a hospital, which was not somewhere she preferred to be, or to live for that matter.
As she walked through the entrance hallway she could see the raindrops falling on the sky lights. She sighed, rain, rain, rain. It was always the same in England, and apparently it rained just as much in the fancy apartment-complex by the Thames as it did right outside of the big city.
“Just go in to the living room, Mandy. I’ll be right out!” David shouted from the bedroom on her right.
“OK,” she shouted back and walked in to the living room and sat down in the big white, leather L-shaped couch that faced the 50 inch flat-screen which was hanging on the wall.
She looked around, she had only been here twice before, on David’s 22nd and 23rd birthday parties, but it still looked exactly the same. The kitchen looked high tech with a satin double fridge, satin oven, satin dish washer and white counters and cabinets. There was a long dining table situated between the sofa and the kitchen with chairs that matched the sofa perfectly. Beside her separated by big ferns – probably fake – stood a pool table and a bar.
Amanda had to smile. Was David really leaving all this to come back to her?
“Thirsty?” David came in just wearing jeans, a t-shirt in his left hand - that he threw on the counter as he dried his hear with a towel with his other hand. He smiled to Amanda.
Amanda cleared her voice. “Yeah, sure.” She smiled back and looked away, smiling to herself.
“Coke alright?”
She looked up again. “Sure.”
He came walking toward her, throwing a can of coke to her.
“Thanks.” Amanda said as she caught it and opened it straight away.
David sat his on the table and slid into his t shirt, he sat down in the corner of the sofa, facing Amanda.
“You look a lot better.” Amanda stated.
David smiled. “Yeah, it is amazing what a little nap and a shower can do to you!” His eyes slid away from hers and to the package that was lying next to Amanda. “What on earth is that?”
“Oh,” Amanda had almost forgotten the gift from the Twins. “The Twins got you something; they just forgot to give it to you until now.” She laughed and threw the unwrapped package containing the lovely pair of boxer shorts.
David tore the plastic off them and held them in front of him, while he studied them thoroughly. “They are freakin’ awesome!” He laughed. “They actually make these?”
Amanda nodded. “Yup, apparently they wanted to give you and Lucas Crabs as well.”
David laughed loudly. “Bloomin’ genius! Ha-ha!”
Amanda took another drink as she smiled to herself. He didn’t seem to regret last night at all, the same old goofy and gorgeous David. He was still studying the boxers as the entrance door opened.
“Hello? Davy-baby, are you home?”
It was Evelyn. Amanda’s heart sank as she looked over at David. He had suddenly gotten to his feet and looked utterly confused and seemed to be thinking the same as Amanda. She wasn’t supposed to be back until Monday!
He whispered as he passed Amanda. “Please don’t say anything!” He had folded his hands and looked at her with his big puppy-dog eyes and his lower lip pouted, just like the day he had convinced her to cook for Evelyn three and a half years ago. And the worst thing was, thought Amanda, it still worked!
Reality kicked in, hitting Amanda like a kick in the guts as she heard David welcoming Evelyn in the hall.
“Hey, baby. You home yet?” She heard them kiss, and it had to be a long kiss too, because it took a while before Evelyn answered.
“Yeah, surprise!” she squeaked.
Amanda got up on her feet and tried to put on a smile as she headed for the hall too. She couldn’t bare the fact that Evelyn was kissing on David and she felt that her presence would keep that from happening.
“You know, I felt really bad last night, when I couldn’t make it back home. So, I got a seat on the next flight home, to try and make it up to you. I’m sorry, ba… Oh, you have company?”
Amanda had just come in to vision as Evelyn had put her hands on David’s shoulders and seemed to be all ready to kiss him again. Evelyn straightened up and sent Amanda a look that clearly showed that she was welcome to leave.
“Yeah, Amanda just popped over to see how I was doing. It got a bit carried away last night, so…” David sent Amanda a begging look. He looked so anxious, and it seemed like it was only at this precise moment that he realized the mess he’d gotten himself into.
Amanda couldn’t hurt him. She couldn’t tell on him like that. She could see that she needed to let David tell Evelyn himself. She gave him a silent nod, and he seemed to relax.
“Yeah, I had to make sure that he hadn’t gone into a coma or something and that he got home alright. Being my best-friend and all!” She added the last part with a firm look at Evelyn.
Evelyn didn’t say anything more. She sent David a big smile and took off her black coat.
Ok, so Amanda did not like Evelyn. But she was unbelievably envious of her wardrobe. She was always so classy and always looked stunningly beautiful. As Evelyn hung up her coat, Amanda could see a lovely –probably the latest from New York – short, black dress that shimmered in the light. It seemed to be covered in little jewels. That was not a dress you could get at Primark for ten pounds, and Amanda felt stupid there she stood in her worn out jeans, and a striped, knitted top.
How on earth would David ever choose Amanda over Evelyn? Amanda had never cared too much about her appearance. Sure, she used a little make up. But she had never seen the point in dresses except for parties.
“Well, I am gonna go unpack and then hit the shower. I feel like a right mess after that flight!”
Amanda killed a snort. She felt like she looked more of a mess and she hadn’t spent the last night travelling.
Evelyn kissed David again as she headed in to the bedroom with her luggage and closed the door. Just gesturing a little nod to Amanda, what seemed to be a “you better be gone by the time I’m finished in here!”-warning. Amanda just ignored her and followed David back in the living room. As he sat down and put his face in his hands Amanda understood what was going to happen next. Her heart sank.
“You are not going to tell her are you?” She stood in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest.
David didn’t say anything. He just kept looking down in his hands.
“And you are not going to leave her either?” Amanda kept her pose.
David exhaled heavily.
Amanda felt tears building up and took a deep breath, trying not to make her voice sound like she had a gigantic lump in her throat. “David? I’m talking to you!”
He finally looked up at her. His eyes were wet too. And he got up and moved slowly towards her. “Amanda…” he started, as he held her upper-arms in a firm grip; like he thought she was going to run away. “Mandy, I’m sorry.”
A tear fell from Amanda’s cheek and David’s right hand was on his way to dry it away for her. But she bent away, and tore his other hand from her arm. She dried the tear herself and put her hands on her hip.
“You’re not going to even tell her?!”
“No, how can I? We’re engaged, Mandy!”
Amanda felt that her sadness got replaced by fury. “Well, that should be a good reason number one!”
David looked at her. “But then she’ll leave me…!”
Amanda snorted. “Are you being serious, David?”
David just stood there looking her straight in the eyes.
“You of all people! David, you should know what to do!”
David shook his head. “This is not the same, Mandy!”
“Yes, it is.”
“No, it is not!” David raised his voice a little. It was clear that he was getting frustrated. “Me and Anna were never as serious as me and Evelyn are! Actually I’ve never been this serious with anyone, Amanda.”
“Still, that didn’t make it any less painful for you did it when you found one of your best-friends snogging her face off in your own room! Remember that Dave? Huh?”
After Amanda’s mother had died and she had inherited the house and let the Twins and David move in with her, they had decided to throw a party for David’s 19th birthday. David’s girlfriend at the time, and the biggest slut in Britain, had suddenly disappeared as David had been out on the porch talking to Amanda. David had found her sitting on the lap of one of his closest mates at the time, Rupert, snogging his face off. David had thrown them both out loudly, and the guests at the party understood that the party was over and went home. David had escaped silently and hidden in his closet. The Twins had gone to bed and Amanda joined him in the closet, and spent the night comforting him.
David let go of Amanda and turned around and walked towards the window that overlooked the Thames. He had his hands on his hips and Amanda could see his shoulders going heavily up and down.
Amanda didn’t know what to do or what to say or what to do either. For the first time in her relationship with David she was speechless. She started to kick silently with her foot on the floor. Like she was kicking pebbles off the asphalt. She couldn’t believe how stupid she was. She should never have thought that he would leave Evelyn. She was too late for that. They were engaged for god’s sake! And they were gonna be married in like five months time. Then surely they would start doing married couple stuff. Like get a house on the country – probably a big fancy one with a pool, knowing Evelyn – and get a Volvo and a dog. And then soon enough she would start popping out babies and before she could catch a breath, she’d be old, wrinkly and cranky and no one would ever look at her again. She’d be lonely and sad while David was off playing with his grandkids. She knew what she had to do. Back away before it was too late and she would lose David as a friend.
She looked up and saw that David was still staring out through the window. “Look, David…” she started, with a calm voice. He didn’t turn around.
She walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder to make him turn around. But he just showed it away and turned around and Amanda saw his face burning in anger. She backed away a few steps.
“David?”
“How on earth could you do this to me?!”
Amanda was taken aback by his outburst. “What do you mean?” She continued to walk slowly backwards as David walked towards her, a bit threatening. Amanda wasn’t afraid of him, she was shocked - she had never seen him like this.
“You knew I was engaged, didn’t you? You had gotten the invite, hadn’t you? But still you didn’t care!!”
Amanda stopped still, her shock waved over to anger, forcing David to stop as well, just inches from her.
She looked straight up in his face, she didn’t reach higher than to his nose, but she didn’t feel small. “So, this is my fault?”
“Yeah, you’ve never liked Evelyn have you? So, obviously you thought you could get her off by her finding out about us two hooking up, didn’t you?”
“You think I planned for this?!” Her voice pitched a little higher than what she had meant to.
“Why not?” David spit slightly.
Now Amanda was furious.
“Because you kissed me. You were the one following me to the tree-hut, you kissed me, you dragged me inside and upstairs. I asked you several times if you were sure about it, but you just waved them away!!”
David seemed to sink a little. “I was drunk. You should have stopped me. You knew that I and E were having problems and that I was mad at her for not coming.”
“Are you aware of what you are saying? You are actually accusing me of you taking advantage of me! If anyone’s the victim here it’s me! You don’t just sleep around with your so-called best-friend and then try to pretend everything is fine!” She took a breath, and pointed a finger at him. “And when she confronts you about it you don’t blame her for you getting wasted, do you?”
David just shook his head and closed his eyes; like this was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. “Well, you knew I had a girlfriend. You on the other hand, are single aren’t you?”
Amanda rolled her eyes and winced. “What has that got to do with anything?” She took a deep breath to calm her self down. “David, you know as well as me that it takes two to tango! And you can’t be serious when you accuse me of –what? – raping you?”
Amanda could see him breathe in and then breathe out while he looked up at the roof, his hands on his hips. He looked a bit like a primadonna where he stood, and Amanda couldn’t see what she ever had seen in him.
Amanda heard the shower being turned off, and she could see that David heard it too. Panic struck his face and he stroked hid hands through his curly hair, making it stand up, looking a bit like he had just been electrocuted.
Amanda looked at him in resentment. He opened his mouth to speak, but Amanda cut him off, holding a hand in mid-air. “I get it David!” she almost shouted, her voice breaking and tears building up in her eyes.
David put his index finger in front of his lips telling her to be quiet as they heard a door went.
Seconds later Evelyn walked in wearing nothing but a towel, and using another one to dry her blonde hair. Amanda saw her stop still in the towel drying as she noticed the positions they were standing in.
It must have looked absurd. David stood looking pale and a bit crazy with his hair everywhere and Amanda standing within a couple of inches to him her hands on her hips and looking very angry, with tears running down her cheek. She dried them away quickly.
“What’s going on?” Evelyn asked in a light tone, while looking inspectingly from David and to Amanda.
David seemed lost for words and kept staring at Amanda, trying to send her a message. Amanda wanted nothing else than to tell Evelyn about the night before and ruin their relationship. But David seemed to actually be going for this one, he seemed fully aware of what an engagement meant, and Amanda didn’t have the heart to be the cause to the pain he would be feeling when Evelyn left him. She would leave him right? David had to tell her himself, and that seemed like it would never happen.
Amanda shrugged violently and exhaled loudly, like a horse. “Fine David. You shit!” she turned around and stomped out. She slammed the door hard and left David with a hurt look upon his face and Evelyn with a face that could have gone side-by-side with a question mark.
Amanda was glad that she had taken the tube to London. She sat shaking in anger and fighting tears at the same time in a row of seats for herself. Opposite her sat a man in a suit with a briefcase on his lap, clearly a full-on business man. A man that was on his way home for dinner to his wife. Why couldn’t David be like that? True and faithful. And with me.
