Falling in love with Ms. Bennet

Chapter 15

"Even though he won't even shower them real affection?" Amanda's eyebrows met each other. She doesn't understand the logic behind it. "Why? Don't girls want to be taken care of by someone who loves them and cherish them forever?"

"Well, some women like excitement and thrills and a little bit of danger. There are women who prefer to be wild, erotic and go to parties rather than sit at home or read books or be conservative. Some women want to have fun and men like Henry, whose charismatic when it comes to fooling around, is one way for them to have that excitement."

"But then somehow, there are things in bad boys that seems so unpretentious, mysterious and manly, in a way."

Amanda went silent. She absolutely did not understand the logic behind it. But then again, Amanda thought she hasn't gone to bars or parties, unlike her sister who has great socializing skills so she dropped the argument.

"So how did you two meet?" Emma asked before sipping her coffee.

Amanda groaned. She didn't really like talking about Henry early in the morning.

"Oh, come on. It's rare for me to hear you telling me about boys. We haven't done this when we were teenagers."

"You and mother are so alike."

Emma softly shook Amanda's hand. "Please."

Amanda looked at her sister who was smiling at her, waiting for the story which was unlikely to be taken interest of if it were Amanda. But, Amanda told her though. From the elevator incident, to the time he started their 'game' and the time he keeps calling her almost every night and even though she ignores him at times, he just doesn't stop until she answers him. She told her sister everything, except when he went to her apartment, the time he told her a part of him and that time she was talking to mother about her love life but it was actually Henry who was on the other line. Amanda was more likely nagging rather than telling Emma about the story.

Emma laughed by the time Amanda was finished. "I told you tell me the story not nagged me about it." Amanda drank her coffee; it was warm now. "You two are so cute. Like children playing tug of war. So adorable."

"It's not adorable to me. Ever since I met that prideful man, my head has always been at a boil."

"But, you let him take you to where your home was, isn't it? If you really despise him, you wouldn't have answered his calls, nor let him take you to your hometown. You could've ignored him completely. So, why didn't you?" Emma asked, smiling.

Amanda went silent. She looked at her fingers, playing with them. Like a child, confessing on an act that is wrong, she said, "Because, he also hurt my pride and I wanted to prove to him that he can't have everything that he desired."

Her sister sipped her coffee before she answered,"Maybe he's just lonely."

"Well, I did think that I should know him rather than judging him from what I only saw in him."

"And so far, what have you seen?"

Amanda doesn't want to admit. But she still did, "He's not really that bad. Not bad at all."

Amanda went back to her bedroom and sat on the bed, looking around the room. What can I do? She opened her closet and search at the last drawer for a good book she must have left before she went to New York. After rummaging a few things, she found finally found what she was looking for. It was a British literature titled: Pride and Prejudice.

"I left this here?" Amanda said, talking to herself. It was the 1st book she brought when she reached in her middle school. She very much admired the protagonist in the story, Elizabeth Bennet. She was told to be an intelligent woman, playful and complex. Amanda always admires intelligent people.

Amanda went to the bed, lies there and began to read.

~~~~~

Amanda was deep in her thoughts when Emma came in her room. "When will you go back to New York, Amanda?"

"Tomorrow. Why?"

"Well, Gorgy just called. He said he got an email and a mail about your high school reunion in Roosevelt Hotel on Sunday night."

"Oh. I'm not going."

"What?" Emma sat beside Amanda. "This is the 2nd time you wouldn't come to your school reunions. The first one was your college reunion."

"I don't have anything to look up to there anyway. They're just talking about their lives after 8 years and how they are so successful, but actually, they're just trying to elevate theirselves while stepping on each other by saying they have better lives than everyone else."

"Just go there and don't mind the other girls. If they began to look down on you, don't bother attacking. You've always done that before, right? And besides, you're a successful novelist who just got her novel turned into a movie which you also inspire a lot of girls all over the world."

The next day, Amanda was ready to leave her home town.

"What happened to your clothes?" Caroline asked when she saw Amanda wearing a white long sleeve shirt with a gray long skirt and black flats below. Amanda looked at her outfit. "And here I thought your unfashionable disease has been cured."

"Well, Gorgy and Gillian picked those clothes for me yesterday." Amanda said.

"Oh, dear. I'll see you again on Christmas then." Caroline said.

"Yeah. Okay." Amanda said as she placed her things inside the car.

"Amanda, I'll be expecting news from your reunion." Emma added.

"Yeah. Yeah."

"And news from Henry Hudson." Caroline added, smiling. Emma softly chuckled. Amanda groaned. 

"Bye, Mom. Bye, Emma."  She gave a little wave before she went inside the car.

"To the airport, honey." Emma said to her husband.

"Yeah." Carl said before smacking Emma on the lips. Amanda saw it, and diverted her eyes to the book she was holding.

"Thanks, Carl." Amanda thanked Carl when they arrived at the airport.

"No problemo', Amanda." Carl said, cheerfully. "Oh, by the way! I forgot to give this to you. Your mother bought this for you." Carl handed out a box. It was an Iphone 6.

"Oh. She doesn't have to."

"Well, she wanted to. And you won't buy anything unless you're being dragged into it. Here you go." Carl shook the box and handed it to her. "Gorgy and Gillian's number are there inside. Also from your sister and your mother. I also placed my number there so you could have many phone numbers." Carl said, smiling. Amanda wondered if Carl was joking or not.

"Thanks again, Carl." Amanda said, smiling at him before leaving. When Amanda has settled for a seat, waiting for the flight, she called Gillian. "Hey, Gill. I'm coming back to New York by lunch."