CHANCES (Andrew Lincon Romance)

Chapter 8

I couldn't stop thinking about Andrew last night. About the things he made me feel....the things he made me want. Things that I shouldn't be thinking about. I was a single mom and normally I was a practical thinker. I had to be as all my decisions effected the girls. I didn't have the luxury of thinking about myself. Those days were long gone and in the past. Besides I had been alone....truthfully maybe lonely for so long now I was reading more into his simple actions than what he meant. Curving the truth to see what I wanted to see so to speak. I needed to get a grip on reality. After all tomorrow afternoon he would be on a plane and I would be back on my way home.

It was still a while until Katie and I were suppose to meet up but I was in desperate need of coffee. I jumped on the elevator and rode it to the main floor. Like a blood hound I followed my nose to a coffee bar just off of the restaurant. I got in line behind two girls one of which I recognized from yesterday. Where exactly I couldn't place I just remember thinking she looked like a walking breathing Barbie doll. It wasn't like I was trying to ease drop but they were talking loud enough I could hear them.

"So have you decided if your going to give Andrew a chance yet or are you going to make him keep working for it?" The girl with the short pixie hair asked the Barbie doll.

Flipping her long shinny hair over her shoulder she giggled in a girly way. "You know it girl. I'm going to make that man work to get this!" She ran her hand from the top of head until she pointed at her toes. There was no question she was stunningly beautiful but I couldn't stand people like her based on principal. People that knew they were beautiful and used it to their advantage. People who lorded it over us average people cause they thought their shit didn't stink.

"Mr. Andrew Lincoln isn't going to know what hit him" she said with a throaty laugh. Ok that got my attention. "He may be out slumming right now with some poor awe struck local hoe but once he gets her in bed and drops her he will come crawling back. He always does."

My heart sank and tears pricked at my eyes. Barbie waved her hand in a dismissal motion, "I don't know why these local girls think they mean anything. There a dime a dozen. They call it slumming for a reason."

The girl with the pixie cut made a noise like something tasted awful in her mouth. "They are such a sad joke. I wonder if this flavour knows Andrew was talking to you after he left her?" The two of them leaned towards each other and started laughing. As they did that's when I saw The Walking Dead badge and I knew just where I had scene her. She worked with Andrew.

I was crushed and it felt like the world was crashing in on me. I had to get out of there and in my rush I turned bumping into Melissa McBride. From the look of pity on her face I knew she had over heard too and knew who I was. Yes I was the hoe that Andrew Lincoln decided to slum around with. I was the joke.

Keeping my head down I tried to hurry through the lobby as fast as I could. However the front desk manager spotted me and called my name. At first I tried to pretend I didn't see him but he kept calling my name. Finally I turned around and looked at him. He was in the middle of asking me if I wanted fresh cut flowers and that Andrew expressed anything I wanted was to be charged to his room.

"No but can you get my check out papers ready. I will be leaving in fifteen minutes. I'd like to leave as quickly as possible." I felt like I had to gasp for air. I held it together just long enough to push the door to my room open. Grabbing my suit case from my closet I started grabbing my crap and tossing it in my bag. Tears of regret and sorrow rushed out of my eyes. The words slumming and joke kept echoing in my head like a never ending gag real.

In my hurry to leave I must have forgotten to close the room door cause when I turned around Andrew was standing there with his hands on his hips looking pissed off as hell.

"So it is true.....Were you even going to say good bye or were you just going to leave?" The anger rolled off him in waves.

Startled I tried to wipe the tears from my face. My silence only seemed to make him madder. He walked over to the bed where my travel bag laid open. Picking my sweater up he turned to me. "Don't I deserve an explanation?"

I couldn't even look at him, " look I just don't want to talk about it I just want to get going."

"No Amanda this is absolute bullocks. What the fuck is going on?"he started to walk towards me but stopped when I started backing up.

From somewhere deep inside anger and self preservation kicked in. "Bullocks...did you just seriously say that to me. Ya well fuck you. Stop waisting your time trying to slum with me. I'm not interested and I'm leaving. Believe it or not I'm not willing to take what ever scraps you throw my way!"

Turning around I stormed to the bathroom with Andrew hot on my heels. "Slumming! Bloody hell those thoughts never once entered my mind and I sure as shit never said it. Was I not the perfect gentleman last night. I never even tried to so much as kiss you."

"Ok so I was wrong and miss read everything. I'm already embarrassed enough you don't need to rub salt into the wound. Can't you just leave me alone!" I was struggling to hold back the tears.

"You didn't miss read anything my love. Last night it took everything I had not to take you in my arms and kiss you. I've thought of nothing but you since I first laid eyes on you. I didn't out of respect to you and what happened with Mike. I was trying to take it slow and you are accusing me of slumming." His eyes were blazing with anger.

"You know what pisses me off the most? Do you? I already knew why you were leaving. Melissa found me as I was leaving and told me. You declared yourself as judge, jury and executioner. You condemned me as a bastard before you even talked to me." Blowing out a deep breath of air he walked a few steps away from the bathroom.

Stopping he turned towards me again. "Tell me this.....since your so sure I was slumming do you think that's all I'm capable of or all I'm worth."

Grabbing the last of my stuff from the bathroom I walked past him. "Stop putting words in my mouth. I never said that."

Just then there was a knock on the door. I had completely forgot about Katie and that we were suppose to go to the zoo. We stood there staring at each other. Finally I broke the contact and walked to the door and let Katie in. When we walked back into the room Andrew was standing in front of the window looking out at the Hudson River. His arms were crossed in front of him when he turned to us.

"Hey Katie....Amanda can I talk to you at the door for a minute." You could tell his smile was forced as he walked from the room.

I followed him to the door where he was already standing with his hand on the door handle. Slowly he turned until he was facing me. "If you think so little of me then just go. If you want to leave I'm done trying to stop you. I'm done......I'm just done." With that he turn and walked out the door.

All I wanted to do was cry and I couldn't. Katie was standing just inside the room. Trying to compose my self as much as possible I returned to my zoo partner. The zoo was the last thing I wanted to do. This was going to be one hell of a long day.

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