CHAPTER TWO

It was a sunny afternoon. The birds expressed themselves freely in the sky, sweet fragrant traveled with the wind and the cool breeze accompanied the car as Bridget and her fiancé, Louis journeyed to see all that nature had to offer.

Bridget sang along with the music playing in the car radio, partially dancing and playing with Louis's hair while occasionally yelling song lyrics in his ear.

He turned to her and smiled, giving her a light kiss on her lips and returning his eyes back on the road almost immediately.

A nearby ring on Bridget's phone interrupted the happy moment.

"It's Amanda." she said to Louis, picking up the phone with one hand and tuning down the car radio with the other hand. "Hey sweet, what's up?" She answered in a friendly manner.

It's been a long time since Bridget last saw her friend, Amanda. And understanding the nature of her friend's job, Bridget learnt to not scold Amanda much for not coming over to visit. They've best friends for aeons— more than that, to Bridget, Amanda was a sister.

Being an only child wasn't always fun for Bridget growing up but things changed when her father introduced a family who he had helped secure an apartment next door. Both families instantly became close and both girls friendship took shape. No doubt, being friends with Amanda wasn't easy at first growing up. Amanda was mean, stubborn and quite the temper which started after the death of her mother. Bridget assumed those behaviors as Amanda's way of shielding herself from the pain and seeing how lost she was, Bridget tried her best to be there for her as a friend, big sister and defender.

Remembering how back in highschool, she and Elena, their other friend, protected Amanda from an half-witted quarterback with good looks and an empty brain who had no intentions of reciprocating Amanda's feelings for him but rather, betting with his other teammates on ridiculing and assaulting her, just as he did to other girls at their school. It wasn't a fun experience thinking about it, especially the part where the decision she made with Elena caused Amanda the opportunity of ever meeting the guy that truely loved her, the one behind the letters.

But it's been eight months since then and their relationship had only grown tighter.

"What are you doing?" Amanda asked

"I'm going sight seeing with Louis. Why?" Her curiosity peaked, she looked toward Louis, whose eyes still focused on the road.

"I need an apartment." Amanda's voice held a no-nonsense inflection that countered the seriousness of that particular information bomb.

Absorbing what she had heard, Bridget bat her long lashes radically while creasing her forehead. "You need an apartment? What happened to your mansion in Los Angeles?" She asked, having being thrown off balance.

"Nothing, I just need a place to lay low for a while."

It now made sense to Bridget. The incident between Amanda and her ex boyfriend was a trending topic on celebrity news and social media. It was enough for her friend to want to run away.

"This is about Troy." Bridget's voice dropped in tone and turned a sad face to Louis. "It's all over the news though."

"Yeah, they don't waste time." Amanda replied in also in a low tone. "Is Louis still in real estate?" she asked, hyping her pitch a little.

"Yes, he still is. Where would you want to stay?" Bridget asked inquisitively

"Maybe -"

"How about New York." Bridget interrupted. She had been inviting Amanda to New York severally but Amanda was too busy to take a vacation. Now was a good opportunity for her to see her best friend after such a long time.

"Hmm."

"Yes, Amanda. It's a good idea. I'm here so you won't be alone. Maybe you can even find your perfect match here too." Bridget said elatedly.

A perfect match? Amanda found the statement laughable as she was still trying to get over Troy yet, conflicted with the thought of which sane man, after watching what she did on the news, will want to risk being with her. Indeed, laughable.

"Is that your plan?"

"Amanda!" she yelled

"New york is so crowded and hot." Amanda argued

"So? Isn't L.A?"

"Aright, you won. New York it is" Amanda accepted knowing t was pointless arguing with her friend. "See you in New York, Brid."

"Can't wait! Can't wait! Can't wait!" Bridget exclaimed repeatedly almost screaming at the top of her voice as she hung up.

"Is Amanda coming?" Louis asked trying to decipher the discussion his fiancée had with her friend.

"Soon honey but first, we need to get a house for her." she informed, smiling at him.

"We?" Louis asked mystified.

"Yes dear, we." And now it was Louis turn to laugh.

~~**~~**~~

Amanda sat on the long, upholstered sofa in her manager's office preparing to discuss options. Having lost a good amount of fans due to what happened with Troy they needed to find a way to recoup them back. So Amanda decided to tell Kate her plans.

"Too much commotion on the internet, fans keep debating who was wrong and who wasn't." Kate said looking down at her IPad as she zoomed in a fan's comment online.

"I need a break Kate." Amanda finally said, halting Kate's right fingers suspended in a good distance from her ipad.

"What?" shocked, Kate mouth flung open.

"I'll be going to New York for a while." Amanda broke out.

"What?" Kate said again, loudly this time, almost dropping her IPad.

"New York will be good for me. I will be able to think, clear my head and also try something new."

"What will happen to L.A, your acting career, your fans and the agency." Kate listed, still completely stunned.

"The fans won't really miss me. I'm not even that famous." Amanda defended.

"Says who?" Kate objected "You even have two jobs waiting. The director confirmed you will be perfect for it."

"Really Kate, how many lead roles have I taken?" Amanda asked sitting up.

"Em, none." Kate answered in a low tone.

"And you say I have two jobs waiting for me? I mean, in one of them I have to be the dumb sister of the lead and in the second, I have to die at the third scene. Of course, they are important roles." Amanda swung her hands in the air as she voice out her last phrase. “Of cause, who can act dumb and die perfectly other than Amanda Udoh?” She mentioned sarcastically.

"Amanda," in an attempt to hush her, Kate called out her name following a stern look.

"I will return and I will make my name as Amanda Udoh and not Amanda, Troy's girlfriend. I mean, ex girlfriend." She corrected.

She stood up from the sofa and walk towards the window, opening the blinds with one hand, she said. "I'll miss this place and I'll miss you, Kate. You know, you are the only friend I have here in L.A, plus, you are a good, patient and persistent manager. I wonder which agency can better manage me without complaining so much about my character as a human being and forcing me to do things I don't agree to just because it boost the agencies popularity." Amanda said flashing back at her inconvenient experience she got from her last manager "Do you know I had to date whoever they thought was right for me, eat whatever they thought was the best diet for me, be at wherever they thought was convenient for me? They controlled my life worse than any bad parent would."

"That's why you terminated your contract with them." Kate reminded her.

"Yes, but they made sure no agency accepted me until you came along, Kate. Despite all they did, you still stood by me." Amanda added.

"That's because we saw great potential in you, Amanda. you brought something unique into the industry and no matter how people hate you as you think, they still spend a lot of money to have you on their shows." Kate stood up and walked towards Amanda "You may not be a lead actress now, with the way things are going, it won't take long before that happen."

"But I keep ruining every chance of that coming to reality." Amanda said sadly.

"No, trust me fans love drama. Everything is news to them. And besides, you have a big heart and it's alright to express them once in a while, people will understand that soon." Kate comforted, holding her hands. "I see a great future for you, for us and I know you see it too, please don't give up on that dream." She tried to encourage her and hoped sincerely that she won't give up yet.

Amanda smile, feeling a bit at ease. She established one fact immediately after Kate spoke, that haters hate for one reason only which is, the fact that you have something, something very valuable that they will never have no matter how hard they try to get it.

"You can take your time to think, I will call you every day and I'll visit once a while to see how you are doing." Kate announced, finally agreeing "I won't say 'if you need anything call me' because I know when you need something so, I'll say, I'll make sure you get all you need until you say you don't need them again." Kate giggled, placing her hands on Amanda's shoulders, infecting her with little laughter.

Amanda realized that Kate was serious about what she had said then she added, "You are a good person Kate. I will send you the address of my new apartment when I get there and don't feel so sad about my leaving see it as a long vacation. See it as an opportunity for you to spend more time with your husband and your little Jessica." Amanda commented, smiling.

"So how long is this vacation going to last?" Realizing Amanda had failed to mention her time duration, Kate inquired raising her IPad to her face and moving her finger tip on the screen.

"Two years."

"Wha-- two years!" Kate exclaimed with a disapproving frown. "What do you have to think about that you need two years just to do that?"

"Ok, a least one year." Amanda whispered, grinning like a child requesting for a piece of candy.

"Hmm six month tops, and after that, I'll come drag your lazy ass back to LA."

Amanda smiled at Kate humor Deal?" She extended her arm out toward her manager and friend.

"Deal." Kate ignored the out-stretched arm; she walked forward and gave Amanda a tight hug.

As much as Amanda wanted the hug to continue, there was still much work she had to do. So she reluctantly stepped back.

"I need you to clear my schedule, attend to the press if there is any and if you can, attend to my meetings but if you can't, postpone them."

"What about your appointment with Doctor Ken?" Kate asked while walking towards the computer on her desk. She on chair in front f it and clicked open one files .

"Cancel it."

"Isn't it important?" She inquired curiously.

"Please, he wants me to be the star in his teeth advert." she replied irritable.

"You sure have perfectly white teeth." Kate confessed.

"I know. That's why I wouldn't want people to think I had one of his teeth implant." Amanda pointed out.

"I'm canceling it now." she informed, deleting the information on the file.

Amanda signaled to Mathew, her chauffeur while finishing up with Kate. "Now, I really must be on my way." Her eyes tracked Matthew's progress of raising from the guest chair in the open office station opposite Kate's and making his way to her.

"Ok dear, I'll book your flight and send the ticket to you later today." Kate told her.

"Thank you."

"Just take care of yourself for me, can you do that?" Kate asked.

"Of course I can." Amanda said wearing a wide smile on her face.

"Ok then, bye." Kate said smiling back.

"Bye." Amanda replied, leaving Kate's office with Matthew.