Trading Places

Chapter One

The alarm went off on Amanda's phone as she jumped awake. She rubbed her face, sitting up and reaching over to her bedside table to get her phone. She put in the code and turned the alarm off, yawning. Just as she was about to open her messages, her friend Nicole's face popped up on the screen in an incoming call.

"Hello?" Amanda answered.

"Hey so what's the plan for tonight?" Nicole asked. Her voice sounded slightly less tired than Amanda's did.

"Well I was thinking we could get a bite to eat at Mike's." Amanda suggested. Mike's was a local sports bar that the girls loved to go to for hockey games. There wasn't a game on tonight, but they had some really good food and a fun atmosphere.

"That sounds like a plan to me. Maybe we can finally find some eligible bachelors." Nicole joked.

Amanda smirked, rolling her eyes. "Oh, I'm sure." She joked back. "Can you pick me up or do you want me to drive?" she asked.

"I can pick you up. I'll be there around five." Nicole said.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you later." Amanda said, saying her goodbye and hanging up.

After she hung up the phone, Amanda stood up and stretched properly. She went down stairs to make herself some breakfast and check her social media. There wasn't much going on, so it didn't take long for her to check everything. When she finished her breakfast, she headed upstairs to shower and figure out what to do until five that evening. She decided that she would work on some of her sketches while catching up on her favorite shows.

When it was about four-thirty, Amanda decided to start getting ready. She got on a pair of grey straight-leg jeans, and a white tank top. She put on a red, white and black flannel and buttoned it almost to the top, letting the tank top peek out. After she laced up her boots, she put on her Blackhawks beanie and grabbed her black leather jacket. She headed downstairs to wait for Nicole's text. Just as she sat down on the couch, her phone buzzed.

'Hey, I'm outside. –Nicole.'

Amanda got her keys and headed outside. She walked down the driveway to Nicole's SUV. She climbed in and buckled her seatbelt.

"Hey you look cute." Nicole smiled. "You're ready for some bachelor hunting." she joked.

Amanda shook her head and smiled. "This isn't cute, this is pretty casual." She joked back. "Let's get over there." She said.

Nicole drove downtown to Mike's and parked in the small lot behind the building. Amanda got out of the car with Nicole and headed down the alley to the front door. As they walked, they already started thinking about what they were going to order. They loved the food at Mike's because it wasn't typical bar food. It felt like you were actually eating at a restaurant but getting bar prices. They walked inside and looked around to find a table or a booth to sit at, but they had no luck. Amanda saw two open stools at the end of the bar, so she nudged Nicole's arm and pointed towards the stools. Nicole followed her over and hopped onto one of the stools, setting her bag on the hook in front of her knees. Amanda sat on the other empty stool and set her phone on the bar in front of her. She looked around and saw quite a crowd for a non-game night. The bartender Evan walked over to greet the girls.

"Good evening ladies. What can I get you two to drink?" he asked.

Nicole smiled, waving to Evan. "I'll have a Corona with lime please." She said. Nicole didn't look it, but she could definitely handle her alcohol.

"You got it, and what about you?" Evan asked, pointing to Amanda.

"Um, I'll just take a lemon water please." She said politely.