Amanda wasn't planning on changing for dinner with Tom, but Alan convinced
her to wear the lilac dress she'd seen while window shopping on the way
home. She got home and tried in on, and when satisfied with the cut she dug
out her never-worn black heels to go with it. Most of her wardrobe was
black, except for her various punk rock concert tees and sarcastic slogan
novelty shirts.
She pulled her brown hair back in a black jaw-clip and put in her contacts, barely beating the ringing of her doorbell. When she opened the door there stood Tom, wearing his nicest outfit-a dark blue plaid shirt and khakis. Oh well, she'd never preferred too-Hollywood boys in penguin suits. Maybe this was just another clause in the big Book of First Date Rules for Men.
He immediately complimented her on her own ensemble. Perhaps Alan isn't completely clueless about teenage life, she thought to herself, knowing he wasn't smart enough yet to figure out how to decode her pleased smile.
They walked down the street to the bus stop and she dared to ask him where he lived. "Well, um, I rented a house with Daniel and Rupert for the filming here. Why, did you buy your apartment?" She nodded. "Yeah, I mean, I just got out of college, so it was the cheapest in petite London I could get. Besides, Alan would rather have me close, so it was pretty convenient." He took this in. "Cool-so you guys are really good friends, then?" "Yeah.I've only worked for him for a year now, don't get me wrong, but it's hard not to get along with him. He's quite the sweet gentleman." Tom laughed. "People never do seem to get that out of Professor Snape." Amanda had to laugh at this. So far this wasn't torture-and she had to admit, Tom was cute.
"So, what do you like?" Tom asked as he opened the door to his humble abode a few blocks later. She looked around. "Where're Rupert and Dan?" He shook his head. "I got them to scram for tonight. They're out clubbing." Amanda laughed again, and certainly not for the second time. "Daniel? Rupert? Clubbing? What, do they think they're just going to go pick up girls?" Tom chuckled. "They have minds of their own." "Yeah, they do." She said softly. Wait, they'd gotten way off subject. "Err, um, do you like Chinese?" "I thought Alan said you could cook." "He lied." "He's good about that." Both of them smiled.
A few minutes later they were laughing again, this time over sushi and McDonalds (Tom had decided he wasn't exactly feeling adventurous, which he'd also used to explain his outfit to her, although she didn't ask). The dinner was different, yes, but it was the most laughs she'd had since college. She sneered inside: if only her ADO girls could see her now.
She pulled her brown hair back in a black jaw-clip and put in her contacts, barely beating the ringing of her doorbell. When she opened the door there stood Tom, wearing his nicest outfit-a dark blue plaid shirt and khakis. Oh well, she'd never preferred too-Hollywood boys in penguin suits. Maybe this was just another clause in the big Book of First Date Rules for Men.
He immediately complimented her on her own ensemble. Perhaps Alan isn't completely clueless about teenage life, she thought to herself, knowing he wasn't smart enough yet to figure out how to decode her pleased smile.
They walked down the street to the bus stop and she dared to ask him where he lived. "Well, um, I rented a house with Daniel and Rupert for the filming here. Why, did you buy your apartment?" She nodded. "Yeah, I mean, I just got out of college, so it was the cheapest in petite London I could get. Besides, Alan would rather have me close, so it was pretty convenient." He took this in. "Cool-so you guys are really good friends, then?" "Yeah.I've only worked for him for a year now, don't get me wrong, but it's hard not to get along with him. He's quite the sweet gentleman." Tom laughed. "People never do seem to get that out of Professor Snape." Amanda had to laugh at this. So far this wasn't torture-and she had to admit, Tom was cute.
"So, what do you like?" Tom asked as he opened the door to his humble abode a few blocks later. She looked around. "Where're Rupert and Dan?" He shook his head. "I got them to scram for tonight. They're out clubbing." Amanda laughed again, and certainly not for the second time. "Daniel? Rupert? Clubbing? What, do they think they're just going to go pick up girls?" Tom chuckled. "They have minds of their own." "Yeah, they do." She said softly. Wait, they'd gotten way off subject. "Err, um, do you like Chinese?" "I thought Alan said you could cook." "He lied." "He's good about that." Both of them smiled.
A few minutes later they were laughing again, this time over sushi and McDonalds (Tom had decided he wasn't exactly feeling adventurous, which he'd also used to explain his outfit to her, although she didn't ask). The dinner was different, yes, but it was the most laughs she'd had since college. She sneered inside: if only her ADO girls could see her now.
