“Finally!” Amy pushed past me, causing me to stumble over my own feet and almost fall to the ground. The door hit the wall, and Bruno jumped off the bed with a startled bark, disappearing under it. A wave of her vanilla perfume trailed after Amy and while I usually loved the scent, so early in the morning it only made me want to sneeze. I scowled at her retreating back as she headed for the kitchen area, then slowly followed and opened the window, letting early morning air in. It had rained during the night and I sucked in a deep breath to soak it in. Bruno peeked out behind the bed, as if to check if the coast was clear and trotted out from his hiding place once he spotted Amy. He really wasn't a good guard-dog.
Not bothering to put a bathrobe over my nightgown, I dragged myself toward the kitchen table where Amy had already made coffee and was currently staring intently at a piece of paper with her scribbling on it. She didn't even look up when I dropped down on the chair next to her with a groan. I grabbed the cup of coffee and took a sip to wake up. I’d run out of Amy’s favorite blend and now had to rely on the cheap stuff I could afford. It tasted almost moldy, but if I didn’t get some caffeine into my bloodstream quickly, things would get ugly. “What's that?” I pointed at the piece of paper.
“It's out to-do list,” she replied curtly, a tiny frown on her forehead.
Apparently she'd made a detailed plan for the day. She was staring at it like it held the answers to everything. I smiled against my coffee mug. “A to-do list? Is that really necessary?”
Bruno was starting to get bored with the lack of attention and petting he was receiving, and had begun scratching the door that hid his dog food. Usually Amy always made a fuss about him, but today she was on a mission. Mission impossible, if you asked me. By the time of the date, I was supposed to be a beautiful temptress (Amy’s words, not mine). I knew how to flirt with customers, how to swing my hips and smile seductively; but that was work. I didn’t care if a customer ended up not liking me, but with Adrian things were very different. If he didn’t try to get into my pants by the end of the evening, I’d feel like the biggest failure in history. It’s not as if I was determined to sleep with him, but I, at least, wanted to him to want to sleep with me.
Bruno rose to his little hind legs and rested his fore-paws against my bare shins, whining loudly.
Amy made a sound of shocked frustration. “Careful! Don't let him leave scratches on your legs! I want you to wear a short dress. Scratches would ruin everything.”
“Okay,” I drew the word out. I stared at her like she'd lost her mind before I directed my gaze to Bruno who'd hidden beneath the table because of Amy's screech. His cute, little head was poking out and he was looking at me as if he expected me to explain the actions of my crazy friend to him. “Sorry, Bruno. This woman is an enigma to me,” I said as I picked him up and put him on my lap.
Amy was watching me with hawk-eyes. I cocked an eyebrow at her, hoping for some kind of explanation for her outburst. “So a short skirt?” I prompted when it became clear she was too busy staring at my legs to say anything.
She shook her head, eyeing Bruno's paws on my upper thighs disapprovingly. “I haven't yet decided what you should wear tonight, but right now I'm favoring a skirt or dress, and you simply can't wear something like that with scratches on your legs.”
I rolled my eyes, but sadly Amy didn't see it since she'd returned her gaze to the plan in front of her. “I don't really understand why you're even helping me,” I said under my breath, petting Bruno's head gently.
Amy looked up, completely uncomprehending of course.
“If you're so averse to the idea of my date with Adrian, then why are you doing all this?” I gestured at the paper in front of her that was supposed to guarantee utmost success. Whatever that meant.
Amy stopped gnawing the end of her pencil and put it down before sighing quietly. “Of course I don't like the idea of you going out with Mr. Manwhore, but I'm not blind. It's obvious that you'll go no matter what I say. If you're so determined to throw yourself at the devil, then we should at least make it as enjoyable and promising as possible.”
I scowled at her. “I'm not throwing myself at him.” Yes you do. “And he’s not the devil.” Only devilishly sexy…
Amy raised one of her delicate copper eyebrows, clearly doubting my words. I decided to ignore her for the time being and focused my attention on my cup of coffee instead. Maybe this date really wasn't a good idea.
Amy slipped into the chair across from me. “Tell me, how far have you gone?”
I blinked at Amy stupidly, not sure what she was talking about.