Thursday, May 08, 2008
 

Chasing Eva--Part 3


So there we were, Bev, Eva Longoria, and I, sprawled on the sidewalk.

Red-faced and nearly beside myself with fluster, I managed to shove my hefty body to my feet. I held out my hand to Eva (Bev could manage to get up on her own). "Oh, I'm so sorry! Oh, oh! Are you hurt?"

Eva untangled herself from Bev, assuring me she was fine. Bev said the same. I pulled Eva up, and Bev tottered to her feet, glaring at me with the darkness of a tempest storm. Boy, I did not look forward to being alone with her. We brushed the dirt off our slacks. My elbow smarted something terrible.

Next thing I knew, a blond-haired man was standing beside us, eyes wide. "Amanda!" He was looking at Eva. "What happened? I've been waiting for you in the car."

Amanda?

Amanda looked at the man, then at me. I looked at her, then at Bev. Bev just kept glaring.

Eva (Amanda?) grabbed onto Blondie like a drowning woman just thrown a lifeline. "I'm fine. I guess. I was just . . . getting acquainted with some of the locals."

Finally, I found my voice. "Amanda?" I squeaked. "You mean, you're not Eva Longoria?"

She laughed. "Oh, everybody says that. It's not the first time. But no, I'm Amanda Bellingsworth, a seamstress from Montana, here on vacation." She gave me a look. "Sometimes the mix-ups can be more dangerous than others."

Amanda. A seamstress. Not Eva. I'd chased her, knocked her down. Well, with the help of a fool dog. She was going to think I was totally nuts. She'd think the whole town was nuts. At first I couldn't think of a thing to say. Then once I opened my mouth it wouldn't shut again. I said something about how lovely it was to meet her and I hoped their vacation was wonderful, and really, Kanner Lake wasn't a town full of a bunch of idiots, it just looked like it, and I just knew my friend Bev was going to lay into me the minute we were alone . . . I'd have kept right on blabbing if Bev hadn't clamped her hand over my mouth.

"She IS crazy," Bev declared to Amanda. "It's ALL I can do to keep her in line." Bev pursed her mouth at me and grabbed hold of my arm. "We'll be going now." And with no chance for another word, she stalked away, pulling me with her.

I looked back over my shoulder to give Amanda and her man a tiny little wave. She shook her head at me, and they went their way, and we went ours. Bev didn't let go of my arm until we were in Java Joint. Even then she threatened to chain me to my chair at our table. We drank our coffees in silence.

Four days later and Bev's still mad at me. Probably because Wilbur won't stop teasing her about it. ("Chasing an actress, who'd a thought?") He's always looking to bring Bev down a peg or two. Anyway, would somebody out there tell her to lighten up? And Wilbur to shut up? Although it'll be a miracle if either one of them listens.

-- Angie

Posted by ~ Bailey Truitt @ 7:00 AM
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