Her Sweet Surrender: The First Crush Is the Deepest. Nina Harrington
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Saskia replied and lifted her mug towards Amber in a toast. ‘That’s fantastic. Is he one of your fashion pals?’
Amber licked her lips and took a sip of water before answering.
‘Not exactly. I think Sam Richards is calling himself a photojournalist these days. More tarts, anyone?’
Amber paused and looked at Kate, who was groaning with her head in her hands. ‘Don’t worry about Sam. He knows that he has to be on his very best behaviour if he has any chance of that interview. Saskia needs those photos and Sam seems to know which end of a camera to point. And no, I haven’t forgiven him yet. Think of this as part of the payback. So please don’t kill him. At least not in front of the party guests. Saskia does not want bloodstains on her nice carpet.’
The words had barely left Amber’s mouth and the shouts were still ringing in her ears when the oven timer bell rang and Kate shook her head slowly from side to side before diving back into the kitchen to get fresh supplies of snacks.
‘Don’t burn your mouth by eating them straight out of the oven,’ Saskia called out to Kate, but then her mouth relaxed into a half smile. ‘Payback. I suppose that is one way of looking at it and I have no doubt that he would do a good job. But sheesh, Amber. I am worried for you.’
Amber was just about to rattle off a casual throwaway remark, but instead she paused before answering one of her few real friends in the world. The old Amber would have laughed off her friend’s concern with a flippant gesture as some sort of silly joke, but the new Amber was slowly getting used to opening up to people she loved and trusted. ‘You always did like Sam, didn’t you?’
Saskia gave a brisk nod. ‘I suppose so. Not in any sort of romantic way, of course, nothing like that, but yes, I did. His dad had driven my aunt Margot around for years and sometimes he brought Sam along with him. I suppose that’s why I suggested that your mum use his limo service to take her to venues.’
Saskia lifted one hand. ‘I think I might even have introduced you. So blame me for what happened. But yes, I thought he was okay.’ Her brow squeezed together. ‘Why do you ask me that now?’
‘Because it was so weird. Over the years I sometimes imagined what I would say if I met up with Sam unexpectedly at some airport or hotel, or if he came to one of my performances. But when I saw him yesterday? All those clever, witty put-downs just fled. He was still the same Sam, working in his dad’s garage. And I was right back to feeling like a gawky, awkward, six feet tall seventeen-year-old with big feet who was trying to sound all grown-up and clever around this handsome, streetwise city boy.’
Amber looked up at Saskia and shrugged. ‘I trusted him then and he let me down just when I needed him the most. How do I know that I can trust him now? The orphanage in India is too important to me to see the real message buried under some big celebrity exposé which is around the world in seconds. Can you imagine the headlines? “Brave Bambi DuBois cheats death from meningitis. Career in tatters.” Oh, they would love that.’
‘Which is why you are taking control. Maybe there is too much history between the two of you for him to be objective. But we agreed that we would give him an audition for the job, and that is what we are going to do. Okay?’
‘Absolutely okay. If he can stand it, then so can I.’
‘Right. And on the way you can make sure that Sam gets the message that you have moved on to even more handsome and successful boyfriends. But fear not. Kate and I will make sure that we rub it in at regular intervals that he made a horrible mistake when he let you go and you are so totally over him.’
‘Saskia! I didn’t say anything about being cruel. And as for being over him? Sam only had to smile at me yesterday and I got the tingles from head to toe. Which is so ridiculous I can hardly admit it. The last time that happened I ended up on a plane to Kathmandu with a suitcase full of evening wear and piano music and no clue about what I was going to do when I got there.’
‘Mark the mountaineer?’
Amber nodded. ‘And three years before that it was Rico. Racing car driver. One kiss on the cheek and a cuddle in the pits and I smelt of diesel fumes for months.’
Amber sighed dramatically and slumped back. ‘I am a hopeless case and I know it. I mean. A mountaineer? What was I thinking? I got the tingles and that was that.’ She blinked a couple of times. ‘The only scientific explanation is that I was cursed at birth. You know how it goes. The good fairy godmother blesses me with some musical talent, and the evil one says, “Oh, that’s sweet, but in exchange you are going to fall for men who will only ever be interested in their obsession. So you had better get used to the idea.”’
‘You weren’t thinking. You were taking a chance on love with remarkable men,’ Saskia replied wistfully. ‘You know. Not all of us have had a chance to be cuddled by racing car drivers or kissed at Everest base camp. I envy you for having the courage to take that risk.’
Amber instantly sat up and wrapped her arm around Saskia’s shoulder. ‘You’ll meet someone—I’m sure of it. Especially now you’re opening up Elwood House. Think of all the handsome executives who will be queuing up to sample your tasty treats.’
‘From your lips... But in the meantime, where does that leave our Sam Richards? Because, to me, this little plan of ours could go in one of two ways. Either you keep your cool and freeze out his tingle power so that you can finally get Sam out of your system and your life. Or...’
Saskia smiled and pushed out her lips. ‘You might be tempted to try out the new and improved version to see if the quality of those tingles has improved over the years. And don’t look at me like that. It’s a distinct possibility. Dangerous, scary and not very clever, but a possibility...and that worries me, Amber. I know how much you cared about Sam. I was there, remember? I don’t want to see you running back to Elwood House in tears over Sam Richards.’
‘Sam?’ came a squeaky voice from the bedroom and a second later its owner appeared on the patio and she was not carrying more snacks.
Kate was wearing a huge fascinator in the shape of a red tropical flower on her head and several strings of huge beads cascaded below bundles of silk scarves. ‘You don’t have time to think about boys, woman!’
Kate gestured with her head towards the dressing room, which had long since given up any hope of being used as a second bedroom. ‘Amber DuBois, you are officially one of the worst hoarders I have ever seen. And I make clothes for women who are still wearing their mother’s hats. You have been crushing stuff into those cupboards for years. I am frightened to open those wardrobes in fear of avalanche.’
Amber waved one slender hand in the air. ‘I know. I spent most of yesterday trying to root out casual day clothes to wear and ended up going to the shops. I have got so used to just dumping my stuff here that when I want something I cannot find it.’
Amber frowned and pushed her lower lip out. ‘Is it normal to have more performance dresses than pants? I love dressing up for my audiences, but I find it so hard to refuse when designers start giving me free gorgeous things to wear. Most of those dresses have only had to survive one recital. It does seem a shame to just stash them until they gather dust. Unless, of course...’
She grinned and looked from side to side. ‘Ladies. I have been looking for some way of raising funds. What do you say to a spot of dressing up in the name of decluttering? I am talking Internet auctions and second-hand designer shops.’ A wide grin creased her face as she was practically deafened by shrieks from Saskia and Kate. ‘I’ll take those screams as a yes. Right. Then let’s get started on those ball gowns. But girls—there is one condition. You do not touch the sacred shoes. Okay? Okay. Let’s do it. I’ll race you.’
Sam Richards leant against the back wall of the elevator, propped his camera bag against his foot and crossed his arms as he enjoyed the view.
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