Amanda couldn't believe what a great time she was having with Billy considering they'd just met and she didn't exactly remember the first eight hours of their friendship.

Before they settled in to watch the double feature, she purchased a box of popcorn so big, Billy joked that there was enough for the entire audience. Amanda said she would save the leftovers to create popcorn strings for Christmas, even tho she'd never made popcorn strings as a kid.

"Good thing I am an expert popcorn stringer. I'll teach you how." Billy said, still holding the huge pail of unfinished popcorn when they left the theater after watching both movies.

"You are so nice," Amanda stopped him as they walked back toward Chancellor Park and Crimson Lights. The sun was setting and the sky was streaked with yellow, pink and gold. "You are really a good person. You took care of me when I was a drunk mess. You're not taking sides in the case against your friend Devon. You brought me coffee. You healed my leg. You offered to show me around Genoa City and introduce me to the owner of the Grand Phoenix who is your niece so I get VIP service. You took me to the movies. Now on top of all of that you're offering to teach me how to string popcorn. I mean you are just too good to me."

"If I didn't know you better, I would think you were being facetious." Billy's face broke into a grin as he steered her clear of a group of runners who were stampeding toward them on the sidewalk.

"You really are a good guy." Amanda looked up at him and smiled.

"Really, I'm not. Ask anyone. Literally ask anyone who knows me, even my family." Then he leaned down and said in a low voice close to her ear. "Maybe you bring it out in me."

The rumble of his deep voice stirred Amanda's senses and her pulse quickened as another memory from the night before surfaced. It wasn't a clear memory. It was hazy like a dream.

"Billy, you have such kind eyes," she stroked his face as they lay facing each other on the bed. "It's like you look at me and I feel like you care about me. Do you feel about me the way I feel about you?"

"Yes...Kim."

Returning to the present, subconsciously, Amanda gripped Billy's arm tighter as a current of intense emotion shot through her body. That's the kind of stuff you say to someone after weeks or months of dating, not after a few hours. It was definitely the alcohol talking.

"Something wrong?" Billy frowned down at her.

"No why?"

"You just dug your fingernails into my arm."

"I didn't realize. Sorry about that." Amanda glanced up at him quickly and looked away. Should she tell him about the memory that just surfaced? He joked with her about her less than glamorous Chaka Khan moment and the mortifying white man comments. But there was more to their night together. They were practically declaring their love.

"We'll have a house with a picket fence." She said in the darkened room. There was a neon sign blinking just outside. Off and on she could see the outline of his face.

"I have a house. Plenty of security. No need for a fence."

"I don't know if I want kids. I was in foster care. Maybe we'll adopt."

"I have kids."

"How many?"

"Two."

"That is awesome. So everything is set."

Amanda was rattled. Why did Billy not bring up any of this? Maybe it was because they were two drunken idiots and he wanted to forget that part of their night together and focus on the madcap comedy portion. But then why did he seem disappointed that she didn't remember?

"I know dinner was ruined with too much popcorn, but how about lunch tomorrow?" Billy asked later when they walked into the Grand Phoenix together.

"I have something to do in the morning, but I think I'll be free in the afternoon."

'Great, should I pick you up from your morning appointment?"

"No," she said quickly. "Text me the name of the place and I'll meet you."

"So it's a date," Billy smiled.

"Uh I don't know if you want to call it that," she hedged. "I think I might have misrepresented myself when I had a few too many last night," she lowered her voice as other hotel guests walked by. "But I've been through hell with my last relationship. And I would probably be your worst nightmare."

"Yes, I recall your warning to Devon and my mother. Amanda Sinclair 'your worst nightmare,' he fingered quoted. "But I'm Billy Abbott. Just wait till you get a load of me," he said in a voice that sounded like he was doing a bad imitation of a film noir character.

Amanda laughed. "Edward G. Robinson or Jack Nicholson?"

"Maybe a little of both."

"I guess you and I are quite the pair."

"We are," Billy nodded and for an extended moment they fell silent as their gazes locked.

"I guess I better…"

"It's been a really long day…"

They both spoke at the same time and chuckled. "Have a good night, Billy Abbott," Amanda said, turning on her heel and walking toward the elevators.

"You too," he said.

Amanda didn't glance back but she could feel his eyes on her until she boarded the elevator and the doors slid closed.

The next morning Billy was lacing his running shoes at 7:00 am when his cell phone rang. When he saw it was Victoria he picked up immediately thinking something had happened with one of the children.

"Good morning, I was wondering if you were free for lunch today," Victoria said and he could hear the keys to her computer clicking in the background. Most likely she was at Newman. It was not unusual for her to be there at dawn and then leave late at night, always trying to prove to her father Victor Newman just how tough she was, and better equipped than any of his children to run Newman Enterprises as his heir apparent. Her obsession with Newman and trying to please Victor would always stand between them like an insurmountable brick wall. She admired and idolized someone who would always hate and disrespect him. And as soon as there was a problem, Victoria would throw it up in his face that the real man in her life was not him, but Victor. That's who she depended on.

"I have plans," he said.

"Oh… " she paused and he knew she was probably trying to figure out something on her computer screen. "Are these plans career related?"

"Nope."

"So how about dinner?"

"If there's something you'd like to talk about Victoria, how about we just get it out in the open now."

"It's a sensitive matter and not something I'd want to discuss over the phone."

"Is it about the kids?"

"No, it's about us."

Despite himself and his determination to leave Victoria alone for good, he felt drawn in by that one word us. Was she perhaps reconsidering? "You told me the last time we spoke, not even two days ago that there was no us and that I could never measure up to Victor, so on and so forth."

"I was angry Billy. You said quite a few things I'm sure you didn't mean as well."

Thinking back, Billy realized he actually meant every word he said to her. She was at the same time controlling yet emotionally withholding. His only regret was that their conversation which started out civil dissolved into spiteful jibes at one another. He wished the tone could have remained cordial.

"I really hope you're not saying you want to talk about reconciling. That's exactly what we were supposed to be talking about during our last conversation. And as I recall you were hardly interested."

"I've had some time to think about it. Listen Billy, I have another caller on the line and I'm still preparing for an 8 am briefing with senior staff, so just shoot me a text and let me know when you can talk in person. The sooner the better."

Billy ended the call perplexed. The last time they spoke Victoria wanted no parts of him whatsoever, what happened in the last two days to make her change her mind? Whatever it was he'd find out eventually. Right now he had to get back on track with his running schedule. Also he hoped against hope, he would bump into Amanda before their scheduled lunch date.

As soon as he exited the elevators at the ground level of the Grand Phoenix, he got his wish. There was Amanda having coffee at the counter. She smiled as soon as she saw him and waved for him to come over to where she was sitting.

Billy wasn't sure how she would react to seeing him around the hotel, so he was only more than happy to oblige. "You're up early," he said as he approached her. "Two days in a row. But at least you didn't have to sneak away this morning."

"You just can't help but remind me of that horrible embarrassing night, can you?" Amanda smiled and shook her head.

"It wasn't so horrible, to me anyway."

"Something tells me you don't embarrass easily so I won't be getting any empathy from you."

"No, I've been embarrassed once or twice. But my offenses were far greater than dancing on a table to a Chaka Khan song."

"What?" Amanda hit him playfully. "You said I sang. You never said I was dancing too."

"You sang "Through the Fire" and danced to or at least tried to dance to "I Feel for You."

"Oh my Lord," Amanda toyed with the handle on her coffee mug.

And her reactions-the blushing and fidgeting-was so adorable when he teased her that he kept going. "Well, the singing was far better than the dancing, I'll tell you that much." He gritted his teeth, grimaced and shook his head.

"That bad huh?" Amanda grimaced with him.

"That bad." He nodded sagely.

"A part of me thinks you're pulling my leg about some of this stuff." Amanda took a sip of her coffee.

"Now why would I do that?"

"I don't know. To make fun of me because I don't remember. Like what Kurt Russell did to Goldie Hawn in Overboard. You're telling me what you would like for me to remember, but not what actually happened."

"You don't think I took advantage of you?"

"No," Amanda shook her head emphatically. "But I'm wondering if it was all goofy fun and not something else that went on."

Billy looked at his watch. "It's getting late and I need to get this run in." He started to walk backwards in the direction of the exit. "Let's continue this conversation over lunch?"

"You got it,' Amanda replied. "I'll look out for your text."