Page 62 of The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean

“Don’t forget me,” Mandy said into Sophie’s hair as she squeezed her tight.

“Never.” Sophie squeezed her back. “You’re an amazing person, Amanda Dean, don’t you forget that.”

“I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you more.”

And they stayed like that for another minute. Mandy clutching the soft fabric of Sophie’s jacket, not ready to let go but at the same time so ready to be home again.

She climbed into the taxi and tried not to cry as she waved a final goodbye to her friend. Or not goodbye as Sophie said, but until next time. But who knew when that would be. Mandy was off on her next adventure. Going back home didn’t feel like moving forward considering all the things she hadn’t had to face while she was gone. Only time would tell if she had done the right thing then, and if she was doing the right thing by coming home now.

Chapter Thirty

February 2010

Deep bass rattled throughMandy’s chest as she made her way to the bar. Sweat trickled down her back and settled into the waistband of her jeans. Club Apexx hadn’t been this packed the last time Nikki dragged her out to what she called the best club in all of LA. Mandy hadn’t been to many clubs, but from her inexperience, she was willing to say that Nikki was correct. Club Apexx always had incredible cocktails and played great music, and while it was loud, it wasn’t so piercing that she left with her ears ringing. And she could carry on a conversation and order drinks at the bar without screaming, which was also a bonus.

Nikki stayed on the dance floor, claiming she didn’t want to lose their spot while Mandy went to get them much-needed refreshments. Nikki had stuck around town after she graduated—she maintained that she needed to find “the perfect job,” but basically, she was just living off her parents for as long as she could, and time was up. It had been nice having her around evenif they didn’t always get to hang out. Nikki was always good for a last-minute “get dressed, we’re going out” and really, without her, Mandy might always be at home eating ramen on her couch in pajama pants and her fuzzy cow slippers. Nikki would be leaving soon too, finally having gotten a “real” job—although perhaps not the perfect one—so when she called earlier that evening, Mandy couldn’t say no. Although hanging out with Nikki always equaled an interesting time, clubs weren’t necessarily Mandy’s thing. There were always way too many people all pressed in and sweating all over each other. The first time she had come, she hadn’t expected it, so she was uncomfortable and fighting for personal space the whole time. Now—it being at least the eighth time for her and the millionth for Nikki—she still didn’t like it, but it also didn’t bother her as much. Especially since she and Nikki had come up with a hand signal that meanthelp, get this person away from me. Guys were always really handsy in clubs—they were handsy everywhere, but especially in clubs. And after a couple of drinks, they could also be super aggressive and didn’t take too kindly to a strong no, and being polite didn’t always work either. So now when they were uncomfortable with anyone, they’d throw their hands in the air, hold two fingers up—like bunny ears that thumped along to the beat of the music—and keep dancing until one of their group came and carefully removed them from the situation. Mandy had come up with the idea on her second time to the club, and Nikki and her other friends used it from there on out.

Mandy slid past a couple in a major lip-lock and sidled up to the bar. “Two Creamy Unicorns,” she told the bartender. Mandy wasn’t sure what was in the cocktail, just that Nikki orderedthem the first time Mandy had come with her, and they were delicious. Strong—but not overpowering—fruity, and a fun turquoise color with glitter that swirled around inside the clear plastic cup. Mandy also didn’t know what that glitter did to the inside of her body, nor did she care after a couple of sips.

The bartender came back a moment later, and Mandy slapped down some cash—including an extremely generous tip, which was how she could always walk right up to the bar and order no matter who else had been waiting—and headed back out to the dance floor.

Nikki was in the same place Mandy had left her, with a white guy with ash-blond hair and a purple polo shirt who was wrapped around her like a scarf. For a second, he reminded Mandy of Theo, the way he would press his nose into Mandy’s neck and kiss her collarbone. There were still times she missed him and considered reaching out, but she never did. As soon as Nikki made eye contact with Mandy, her hands went right into the air—two fingers up on each hand, tapping to the beat of the music.

Shit.

There were a lot of people between Mandy and where Nikki was, plus now she had two full drinks in her hands. She took a gulp from each hoping that would be enough for them not to go sloshing over the rim as she fought her way through a mass of gyrating bodies.

The guy laid his head on Nikki’s shoulder…or wait. Did he just lick her neck? Nikki tried to turn and reposition herself, but Mr. Handsy wasn’t getting the message. Just a few more feet and Mandy would be there.

Mandy lifted the plastic cups up above her head and spun, wedging herself around a couple who were much more comfortablewith each other than poor Nikki. Just as Mandy spun around them, another white guy seemed to notice Mandy’s frantic push to get across the dance floor and where she was headed, and he nudged his friend. They were much closer to Nikki than Mandy, and they also started pushing toward her. The white guy with honey-brown hair and a checkered collared shirt led his white friend with chocolate-brown hair and a yellow shirt toward Nikki. Checkered Shirt Guy tapped Mr. Handsy on the shoulder, and Yellow Shirt Guy carefully spun Nikki out of his grasp. Checkered Shirt and Mr. Handsy carried on some kind of conversation followed by awkward fist bumps before Checkered Shirt led Mr. Handsy away. About two beats later, Mandy finally reached them.

“Are you okay?” She spoke directly into Nikki’s ear and handed her a drink.

“OMG.” Nikki took a long sip. “I am now. Thank you,” she said to Mr. Yellow Shirt.

“It’s all good. I’m Evan.”

“Nikki.” She gestured to herself. “And this is—”

“Hold on,” Mandy said. “Do you know that guy?”

Evan put both his hands up. “Oh no. He’s not with us. We’ve seen him around though.”

Mandy narrowed her eyes at him. “So why did your friend walk away with him?” She wouldn’t have put it past them to have planned the whole thing. One buddy is all touchy-feely and then the white knight swoops in. It seemed too easy.

“Probably to push him out the back door. Seriously though. He’s not with us.” Evan seemed to spot someone in the crowd and raised his arm in the air. “Justin, over here,” he yelled over the music.

It was Checkered Shirt Guy. He slid this way and that between the masses of people and quickly beelined to his friend. “I talked to the bouncer, that guy won’t be coming back ever.” He looked at Mandy and smiled. Like he was really noticing her for the first time. “They put him in a cab as I was coming back inside.”

Nikki, being Nikki, hugged him and then Evan. “Thank you so much! Let me buy you guys a drink.”

“You don’t have—”

“I want to,” Nikki said.

Mandy wasn’t so sure about this idea. Yes, these guys helped them, but she wasn’t 100 percent sure it wasn’t fabricated. It all seemed a little too convenient—like something you would see in a rom-com but not in real life. But Nikki didn’t seem to care. Then again, she had been the one in the situation, and maybe Mandy would feel differently if it had been her. Still, she wasn’t going to make eye contact with the bartender and use her “superpower” to get them drinks any faster. She contentedly sipped her cocktail, listening in on the conversation Nikki had been holding with the guys. So far, she’d managed to get out of them that they’d both graduated from UCLA and were working for some kind of app startup, which didn’t sound anything remotely like a “real” job. But Mandy had to admit they were nice enough. And once she took the giant chip off her shoulder, she joined in on the conversation.

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