Passion

Chapter 5

"You cant tell anyone I was at that party."

Britney tugged Amanda through the kitchen door and then quickly shut it. "I wondered all night. What happened to you? Where did you go? Why did you leave so soon? I thought for sure you were going to enjoy yourself."

Wincing Amanda gave Britney an apologetic look. She had enjoyed herself, all right, just not the way Britney had expected. She pulled out a chair at the round table and slumped into it. "I didn't mean to worry you. I am sorry."

"So what happened? Why did you run off?"

Hesitating Amanda tried to decide how much to tell her friend. It wouldn't be the whole truth, that was for certain. Somehow, the night seemed....magical, something she could tuck away and keep to herself. She couldn't share it, not even with Britney. But she had to tell her something....

"Britney....I felt really foolish.... in the costume. Maybe if I hadn't wore something so...."

"Sexy?"

Amanda spared her friend a quick look and saw Britney smiling. "Yeah, well maybe. I just couldn't face all those people looking like that."

"I am sorry I pushed, Amanda. I just wanted you to realize how beautiful you are. Those damn baggy suits you wear make you look fat." Britney pursed her lips then idly traced the wood grain in the table with her fingertip. "Brian noticed you."

Amanda felt her heart race. "I... Did he say something to you?"

"He asked who you were."

"You didn't tell him!" Amanda nearly choked on her embarrassment, waiting for Britney's reply.

"No I just told him you were a guest." then she patted Amanda's arm. "Hey calm down. It wouldn't be the end if the world if Brian took a liking to you. You have to admit the man is gorgeous."

Oh, yeah he was gorgeous. Amanda licked her lips then said carefully. "He, ah, approached me."

"He did?"

"Yes." Amanda cleared her throat then immediately launched into her rehearsed story," We talked for a while in the pool house."

When Britney's eyes widened Amanda reminded her. "It was raining remember? And we went inside to stay dry, he well he was attracted to me."

"No shit?"

Amanda hated the note of fascination in her friends voice. She also hated lying to her, but she didn't see an way around it. Britney leaned forward."So what happened?"

Amanda shrugged. "He didn't recognize me."

"Well of course he didn't! He is used to seeing you look like this!" Britney indicated Amanda's dark suit. With her dark brown hair in a tight braid and a pair of glasses perched on her nose, she looked nothing like the harem girl the night before.

"This isn't funny Britney!" Amanda felt like strangling her. "And you can'tever tell him, either. I don't want him to know it was me he was ...flirting with."

Britney looked skeptical. "Ah Amanda don't you think---"

Whatever Britney was going to say was cut off by a loud voice coming from the living room. Seconds later Bobby and Brian walked into the kitchen. Amanda stiffened, all her defences jerking into place. But her face remained impassive.almost painfully so. There was absolutely no way she would let Brian know she was the woman he'd spent the night with. She didn't even want to think about how mortifying that would be.

Britney didn't miss a beat after shooting Amanda an I'm-not-responsible-for-this-look. "I thought you guys were going fishing. What happened?"

Brian reached for Britney first. He leaned down and lifted her from the chair, giving her a tight bear hug and a kiss on the cheek.