Bold means past tense, I know that most people use italics but I normally use it for thoughts and I don't want to confuse anyone

Chapter 5

Three months later

Amita couldn't believe all the people that turned out to congratulate her on getting her PhD. Above no one else though was Charlie

"Amita can I talk to you?" Charlie said softly not wanting to interrupt the joyous conversation Amita was having with Professor Hayes

"Sure. Kelly, I'll talk to you later" Amita said giving professor Hayes a quick hug "What's up Charlie?"

"I uh I just wanted to tell you that your thesis was amazing-"

"Thanks to you" Amita said placing a hand on his arm

Charlie froze for a moment at her touch but quickly recovered to stammer out "Well I wanted to tell you that and how unbelievably proud I am of you"

Amita just stood there frozen not knowing what to say. Suddenly, a friend of Amita's approached the two of them and asked to talk

"Thank you" was all Amita could say. Charlie gave Amita a hug and turned and walked off

Amita was soon brought back to attention by her friend screaming at her from downstairs "AMITA!" Amita quickly ran to the window and realized her friend and roommate had forgotten her key

"Oh, sorry Mary I'll throw the key down" Amita said running to the table and back dropping the key down I'm so going to hear about this when she gets up

"What took you so long?" Asked Mary as she busted in through the door

"Just thinking" Amita said returning to the couch

"About Orlando?" Mary said mock swooning and falling onto the couch next to her

"Not really" Amita admitted

"What does that mean?"

"That means I wasn't thinking about him…much"

"Ha you were thinking about him!" Mary laughed. Her plan had worked

"Not a lot. I was thinking about something else a lot more" Trying to avoid bringing up Orlando. She didn't like thinking about him. She still liked Charlie but he seemed to just not be interested in her that way

"Like what?" Mary asked giving her a gentle shove. She had noticed that Amita had been thinking a lot lately

"Ummm…" Amita let it trail off. She didn't want to admit that Charlie still occupied most of her thoughts

"Amita you can tell me" Mary said giving her those eyes that she hated. Those eyes could make her do practically any favor for Mary

"Charlie" Amita said fully knowing what conversation she was about to start

"You're still on him?" Mary asked. She couldn't believe that after all this time she still liked him. She had known Amita since freshman year of college and she had never known Amita to react to any man like this

"Well yeah. Its just, he still hasn't said anything about his feelings. I wouldn't be so frustrated if I weren't almost positive that he likes me back"

"Well then I guess now would be a bad time to tell you that I heard through the grapevine that Orlando wants to ask you out"

"Yeah, now was a bad time because now I have to decide do I give up the chance at a relationship with Orlando for Charlie or do I tell Orlando no and ask out Charlie myself?"

"I don't know honey, I think you should go out with Orlando only because you don't know if Charlie likes you. What if you give up Orlando and he isn't willing to be in a relationship?"

"I don't know anymore. My brain hurts from thinking too much"

"Do you want Advil?" Mary asked attempting a joke

"Ha ha very fun-" Amita started but was interrupted by the phone ringing. Leaning over the arm of the chair she looked at the caller ID. Her heart stopped when she saw that it was Orlando

"Who is it?" Mary asked curious why Amita was just holding the phone in her hand and not actually picking the phone up

"Its Orlando. What do I do?"

"Do what your heart tells you" Mary offered as she got up to leave Amita to some privacy

"Hello?" Amita answered the phone hesitantly

"Hey, this is Amita right?" Orlando asked

"Yeah. What's up Orlando?"

"Um nothing much I just wanted to ask you something"

Oh my god, oh my god "Go ahead"

"Amita I've been thinking for awhile, and I was wondering if you might want to get dinner this Friday"

"Like a date?" Amita said sounding like she was sixteen again. She knew perfectly well that he meant a date she was trying to stall while her heart and mind battled out what to say

":laughing: yes like a date" Orlando answered. There was a long pause where he was clearly waiting for an answer

"Hold on Orlando, I gotta check my calendar. I can't remember if it's this Friday or the next that I have a family party to go to"

"Sure" Orlando said sounding immensely relieved that was why she had paused so long (well that's what he thought anyway)

Amita put the phone in lap and stopped to think…I think I've figured it out. My heart wants Charlie but I can't have him until he admits his feelings. If he finds out that I'm going out with Orlando he'll finally admit them if he does indeed have them. If he doesn't then I'll have Orlando…"Orlando?" Amita said into the phone

"Yeah"

"I'd love to have dinner with you this Friday"

"Great. I'll pick you up at eight?"

"At eight then"

"At eight"

"Bye" Amita said before hanging up

I hope this works Amita said as she glanced at the clock realizing she had planned that the friendly dinner with Charlie she had arranged was fast approaching and she still had tons of things to do.