Accept My Baby

“I’m fine, Emilia,” she said.

“How’s Brett? You haven’t mentioned him ever since you got here.”

“Brett and I are done,” Amanda suddenly announced before she took a bite of her food. Emilia was looking at her, clearly surprised.

“Wait, what?” she asked and Amanda nodded.

“You heard me.”

“But you guys have been together for eight years,” Emilia said and Amanda rolled her eyes.

“Were together for eight years.”

“Wait, did something happen?” Emilia asked and Amanda sighed loudly.

“Yeah, something did happen. I left him.”

“Wait…but…” Emilia took a long deep breath. “How about you just tell me what happened?”

“I am not very sure what happened, Millie. All I know is that I walked into my house one day and found my good friend and neighbor riding the hell out of my boyfriend in my house. In our bed.”

“Sh*t, Brett?” Emilia pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“I know right, I never saw it coming either.”

Amanda forced out a laugh before she took another bite of her food.

“I am not sure how I didn’t notice I was living out an entire season of Tyler Perry’s If Loving You Is Wrong. I mean, Sienna went from practically being my best friend to the stranger next door.”

Emilia dropped her fork and almost choked on her food.

“Wait, Sienna? The same Sienna you said was the best neighbor you could ever ask for?”

“Yeah, I probably should have known better, huh?”

“But you said and I quote, ‘that she was the only good thing about that suburban hell hole’,” Emilia said and Amanda nodded.

“Yeah, way back when I thought I had actually found a friend.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I thought I was being nice to an army wife seeing as she was lonely and everything…” she took a long deep breath. “I was a stupid fool.”

“Hey, you will not throw a pity party for yourself. Not while you are here,” Emilia said. “Actually, not ever.”

“I’m not throwing a pity party, Emilia. I’m done feeling sorry for myself and crying over that bas*ard,” Amanda said as she took a bite of her beef.

“Good for you. If the ass hole doesn’t see your worth then he isn’t worth your time. That’s for sure.”

Amanda forced a smile.

“Guess I am too old to be crying over a man.”

“If you think you are too old then that means I am too old and hell will freeze over before I admit that. I do not endure all those Pilates and zumba classes to be called old.”

Amanda laughed. This time genuinely.

“Right now, I just want to lay low. Maybe walk around town and take in the sights.” She held her wine glass and sighed. “My camera could do with a few good shots.”

“Well, sweetie, I have to warn you. It is almost impossible for you to lay low in this city,” Emilia started. “Especially the way you look and everything.”

Amanda looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

“The way I look? What is that supposed to mean?”

“You are this beautiful flawlessly curvy woman. A di*k magnet in every sense of the word while you are out in the States and here, the guys don’t take the long route when they are interested. They just hit the nail on the head.”

Amanda shook her head.

“Well, too bad for them. I am not looking to get into anything serious or otherwise. At least not in the near future.”

“If that is the case, then you better lay low,” Emilia pointed out taking a sip of her wine.

“And how do you suggest I do that?” Amanda asked.

“Keep to the quiet low key restaurants,” Emilia said. “Just do what you normally do but for the moment, I’ll give you a few of the not so popular spots. There are a couple of eat and surf places…coffee shops really but they will do.”

“Things are that bad?” Amanda asked and Emilia shrugged.

“No, it’s just that the men out here…I think the men in Europe in general are just very forward. They meet you and decide right there and then that they want to fu*k you.”

“Excuse me?” Amanda asked and Emilia nodded.

“Yeah, they can be a little forward. No, they are forward, period.”

Amanda smiled.

“I think we could use more of those men back home. If they can be that forward when they don’t know you, I imagine that they can be equally as honest when the attraction dies down.”

Emilia frowned.

“Is that what you think happened? That Brett was not attracted to you anymore?” she asked and Amanda shook her head.

“Honestly, I don’t really know what was going through his mind.” She looked down at her food and began playing with a piece of beef. “I don’t think I ever will.”