"We're having some breakfast," Billy replied. "As you taught me, Mother, it's the most important meal of the day and I'm sharing it with a very important person."
Jill stared back and forth between Amanda and Billy, her mouth agape.
"I should have known you didn't see the pictures of Amanda and myself on the GC Buzz the other day," Billy said. He glanced across the table to see how Amanda was doing and she was holding her own, perfect poker face.
"Of course I don't read that slop, besides you know yesterday was my weekly internet fast."
"You already know Amanda. She and I are dating and it's very serious."
Jill looked around the club "Is there some kind of hidden camera around here? Am I being punked?" She reached into her bag and took out her tablet to pull up the GC buzz website.
"Nope, you're the first to know other than Jack who saw the pictures yesterday."
"This is outrageous. How? When" She asked Billy, but before he could answer she turned to Amanda."What kind of game are you playing? Jill slapped her forehead before pointing an accusing finger at Billy. "I swear to God. I swear to God, you better not be the mysterious crook challenging Katherine's will."
Billy held up his hands in surrender. "Amanda and I have a strictly personal relationship. I swear to you, I have nothing to do with the challenge to the will."
Jill was not appeased by his declaration of innocence. "Even if you don't have anything to do with the will, Victoria told me you were showing signs of acting out again. I guess this is what she sensed was coming." She turned to Amanda, "What did you do? Run from Devon's apartment and pounce on my son as soon as he left?"
"That's enough mother," Billy interrupted. "I ran into Amanda coincidentally a few times," he lied smoothly. "I like her. We're together. End of story."
"I know if I say anything you'll double down and your next stunt to self destruct will be even more disgraceful. So I hope you come to your senses on your own before it's too late and Victoria refuses to take you back." Jill glared at Amanda. "And you should be warned Ms. Sinclair that this," she indicated the breakfast table, "isn't real. Whatever you have going on with my son is a symptom of much deeper problems. He needs help. Not you." Then she stormed away heading toward the club's entrance.
When Jill was gone, Billy returned his attention to Amanda and was surprised by the stricken look on her face. "Let's call the whole thing off," Amanda said. "I don't want your mother and your entire family to think something is wrong with you because of me. You just lied to her. I did chase after you when you left Devon's apartment."
Billy moved so he sat next to her, similar to what he did the day before at lunch, stretching an arm over the back of her chair making her feel encircled by him tho he wasn't touching her. Then he did take her hand "Amanda I meant what I said, I'm honored to be part of your life and I'm thrilled you're spending time with me. My family will get over it. Believe me I've done far worse than date a beautiful, successful woman that they might not approve of right now. I've done worse. Far worse."
"Yeah, I picked that up from Jill. What did you do, Billy? Is it about the boat?"
"My mother doesn't even know about the boat incident. Very few people do know. You being one of them. But I have let her down. I've let them all down. Multiple times." He leaned back in his chair. "Is that a red flag for you or do you want to know more?"
She placed a hand on his arm. "I don't care what anyone else says. You are a good person. I know that for a fact. You took care of me when you could have taken advantage when I was drunk the night we met and dancing on tables," She chuckled. "You're doing me this huge favor right now with the whole fake fiance thing."
He covered her hand with his.. "It means a lot for me to hear you say that, tho you may not hold that opinion of me for very long. No one else does."
"I'm not everyone else."
Billy lifted her hands and brushed his lips against her skin so softly and so reverently, Amanda thought she might swoon.
"Tell me about you and Victoria," Amanda said. They were walking along the creek in Chancellor park. After breakfast that morning, she spent three hours in the legal aid office. Billy picked her up for a quick lunch before their new ritual of going to the classic movie matinee. From there they headed to the park without even discussing where they were going next. They both just knew.
"I'll tell you all about Victoria. If you wade in the creek with me."
"You mean take off my shoes and walk around in cold water?" Amanda grimaced. "Not my style."
"Just think of the photo op."
"You're right." She glanced around at the families picnicking far off in the distance, the fluffy clouds rolling through a heavenly blue sky. The grass, the trees and the bubbling little creek. "This would make for a convincing romantic photo op." She kicked off her heels. Billy sat down on the grass to take off his shoes and roll up his pant legs.
"These pebbles are really slippery," Amanda said when they stepped together into the shallow water.
"Hold on to me," Billy said. Amanda obeyed grabbing his arm. She dug into his flesh like she was afraid.
"I don't want to slip this skirt is dry clean only."
"Don't be nervous, I got you. I won't let you fall."
The grateful look she gave him reminded him of the night they met when she was still "Kim." His mind wandered back to that night.
"I feel dizzy, Billy," she said clinging to him while they were on the makeshift dance floor at the bar. The lights were still out, but dozens of candles were lit and someone's cellphone was rigged to provide the music. Thunder clapped outside while rain struck the roof like millions of tiny stones. And it all seemed so surreal. Billy thought he was going to do wrong that night. He thought he was going to gamble. Instead he was with her. And it felt so right.
"You drank too damned much. I shouldn't have let you drink so much."
"You don't tell me what to do," she slurred. "And I don't think I want to date a white man anyway."
Billy laughed. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah…" She leaned her head on his chest. "I mean no."
"No?"
"Well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad."
As they waded in the creek, Billy wanted to ask Amanda if any more memories about that night came back to her. Tho he had too much to drink himself, he still remembered everything in vivid detail. How could he forget the night that would change his life?
"So we're in the creek..." Amanda reminded him of his promise.
"Right, so about Victoria. Where do you want me to start, at the beginning."
"No, the end. What is your status now?"
"We're co-parents. She made that abundantly clear that it's over between the two of us. The night I met you actually. But she acted differently the last time I spoke to her, like she's coming around."
"And how do you feel about that?"
Billy shrugged. "Some times a couple can have a gap between them that's like this creek, but the gap between me and Victoria is like Lake Michigan. It will never work."
"I guess she won't be thrilled about you being in a relationship so fast. Literally the next day after you broke up."
"She hasn't mentioned it, but I'm sure someone told her about the pictures. I even suspect that's why she's been much more considerate toward me. I can't think of any other reason."
"Maybe because she's had some time to think things through. Cooler heads always prevail. Do you want her back?"
"Before I met you, I would have said yes."
"Billy, I can't be a deciding factor. I hope I don't ruin anything real you might have with someone else. Don't be stupid. As your attorney for life, I have to advise you against any and all stupidity."
"Going back to Victoria would be stupid. This relationship you and I have is going to give me the space I need to get my head on straight so I don't go crawling back like I usually do, apologizing for being myself. Promising her that I'll change, when I don't want to change. You helped me to see that."
"Me?" Amanda regarded him skeptically with large gorgeous dark eyes.
"Yeah, that night you were drinking. You thought I was the greatest person in the world. With one fault. I was a white man and you were not interested at all in dating a white man. You only held my race against me, not my character."
"God," she visually shuddered. " I hope you know, I do think you're a great person. All of that white man stuff was the Tequila talking."
"Alcohol is a very good truth serum."
"Anyway," Amanda kicked the water playfully and Billy could see she was beginning to enjoy their walk in the creek as much as he did. He hadn't done this in awhile. Tad-poling in a tiny pond behind the Abbott estate was one of his favorite things to do when he was a kid before they shipped him off to boarding school. They'd since drained the pond due to mosquitoes. "Back to you and Victoria," Amanda said. "You don't want to reunite with her?"
"I don't think it's so wrong to want someone who likes me for me, who doesn't see me as a project that she needs to fix or someone who is substandard to her father."
"Ahhh The Great Victor Newman."
"You've been doing your Genoa City research."
"Of course what else is there to do at night?"
Billy gave her a penetrating look, raising one eyebrow. He smirked seeing Amanda blush as she caught his meaning. Then she screamed and jumped.
"Billy, there's a snake! A snake!" Amanda thrashed, splashing water around trying to literally climb up his body until he swept her into his arms and looked down. To his massive delight he saw a small emerald colored snake swim between his feet.
"That's a smooth greensnake," he said in awe " I've never seen one in this creek before and I've been here hundreds of times. But I guess it makes sense. The woods are nearby." He tried to place Amanda back on her feet again, but she held his neck with a death grip.
"Where did it go?" She tried to lean over to examine the water below while holding on to him.
"It's perfectly harmless." Billy chuckled.
"How do you know that?"
"Because I know what kind of snake it is. Greensnakes don't bite people. They feed on grubs and worms. Not people." He stepped out of the creek and onto the grass.
"Did it stay in the water? It might be on the grass. Or others could be on the grass. This place could be infested with slimy green snakes. Ugh."
"They won't bite you. But if you want to stay like this with me." He nibbled her neck."I just might."
"Billy, now is not the time with snakes all over the place."
Billy laughed. "If I were you. I'd take my chances with the snakes than with me. But if you insist on staying in my arms then I can't help but to…"
"Okay, okay…" Amanda released herself from him. When she was on her feet again she dashed on tip toes back to where they left their shoes. She quickly put on her pumps, her feet still wet, while carefully scanning the grass. "Those things probably blend in so well, you can't even see them coming."
"Yeah, they have great self protective camouflage. Don't worry, I'll protect you" Billy said. He loved seeing Amanda in these natural moments. Amanda Sinclair Your Worst Nightmare probably feared no one in the courtroom, yet a little green snake had her running scared. "Feel free to jump on me anytime," Billy drawled. "I just can't vouch for what will happen next if you do."
He was surprised when Amanda burst out laughing. "Oh my God. We were walking along and I was enjoying our conversation and I was thinking wading in a creek isnt' so bad. Then that snake brushed up against my foot. I have never felt anything so gross."
"Hey think of it this way. It's something that was never on your bucketlist that you can now cross off." He would have liked to sit on the grass allowing his feet to dry in the sun as it began to descend in the sky. But he knew Amanda wasn't having it.
"Yeah, but from now on, I'm sticking to my usual scene-swimming pools with chlorine and no wildlife."
Billy picked up his shoes and offered her his hand. He entwined their fingers as they walked back to the center of the park where there were sure to be no snakes only butterflies and birds and squirrels. He was glad to have learned something else about Amanda- she was a damn good sport. He was surprised she lasted in the creek for as long as she did. It was obvious she was more of a cosmopolitan type- concrete, steel, glass, restaurants, yellow cabs, museums, theaters, office buildings were within her comfort zone. He wondered what her reaction would be if he said she must go camping with him if it''s to be believed that they are truly a couple.
The temptation to tease her with a potential trip-out in the wilderness roughing it-was great, but he decided against it. She already believed that he picked out his lady's clothes and that any lady he was with would think nothing of lots of PDA .He didn't want to push his luck with more fibs, especially since she thought their relationship would be publicized, when he and Jack made sure no pictures of them would ever see the light of day.
Billy felt a small twinge of guilt for his duplicity. But was assuaged by the assumption that Amanda was not being completely honest herself. Those pictures of them she wanted were not to scare away an ex. He was sure of it. Maybe a snake might startle her, but she was an expert at handling people. No man could ever scare or get the best of her.