by Karen King
‘No, not yet. They’ve given us another month but they priced up the car. It was awful. Dreadful. I’m sure all the neighbours were watching. This … man … stood there with his notebook and pen and walked all around the car, writing notes on his clipboard how much it was worth. Everyone could see what he was doing.’ She gulped. ‘If we don’t pay the bill they’re going to seize the car and sell it. Your father was so shook up he had to go and lie down. They can’t really take our car, can they, Amber? What will we do without a car?’
How could she tell her that the bailiff could take the car and any other of their possessions? Amber found out how much the bill was and promised – despite her mother’s protestations – to put the money in her parent’s bank account right away. It would mean being overdrawn, but she was due to be paid in a couple of days.
Well, that settles it, Amber thought when she’d finally managed to calm her other down and end the phone call. She had to get the money to help her parents out before the stress killed one of them. She had no choice but to go sailing with Randy and hope he liked her enough to want to get involved with her. She dialled her bank, transferred the money to her parent’s bank account, then went for a shower before going to bed.
Callie was waiting for her when she got up the next morning. Wrapped in her fluffy pink bathrobe, painting her nails burgundy.
‘OK, spill,’ she said, looking us Amber walked in. ‘I want to know everything that went on between you and Jed on Blyte Island. And I mean everything.
In your dreams! ‘Like I said, we had to stop over to look after the warden’s dog. She had the pups later that night. When the relief warden arrived today we came home.’
‘And that was it?’ Callie narrowed her eyes as she scrutinised Amber’s face. ‘No flirting, no kissing?
Amber felt her cheeks burn and quickly bent her head, busying herself taking off her shoes but Callie had obviously already spotted her guilty flush.
‘I knew it!’ She groaned. ‘Please tell me that you didn’t sleep with him.’
‘Of course I didn’t! What do you take me for?’ Amber retorted. ‘We just … er … kissed, that’s all. In the heat of the moment.’
‘That’s it? One kiss?’ Callie demanded.
Well, two kisses, actually but there’s no way she was admitting it. ‘Yes. Now can we leave the inquisition until another day? I’ve got to go out in a minute. I’m going sailing with Randy, remember.’
‘Hang on, not like that you can’t!’ Callie got to her feet. ‘Remember rule number five: Never let him see you looking anything but your best.’
Amber glanced down at her navy shorts and white T-shirt. ‘What’s wrong with these? I’m going sailing, not out for dinner,’ she pointed out.
‘The shorts are too dowdy and the T-shirt is too plain. Hang on.’ Callie hurried into her bedroom and came out again holding a short white sundress. ‘Wear this, white suits you and is more feminine than shorts.’
Amber sighed but took it in her bedroom to change. After all, Callie had never had a shortage of boyfriends, so maybe she should listen to her.
‘That’s better.’ Callie nodded when Amber came back out.
‘Good, now I’ve got to go! I’m late.’ She hurried out before Callie could decide that she needed to change her shoes or do something with her hair.
‘Remember it’s Randy you want to snare, not Jed!’ Callie shouted as Amber pulled the door shut.
She had no trouble spotting the Daisy Star. It was a small sailing yacht right at the front of the marina, just as Randy had said. He must have been looking out for her because he leant over the rails, shouting and waving as soon as he saw her.
‘Amber! Come on board, we’re having some champagne before we set off!’
Champagne this time of the morning, Amber thought as she went aboard the yacht. Randy and Jed were so totally different to each other.
She politely refused the glass of champagne Randy offered her, settling for a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice instead, and smiled brightly as they joined other guests, who were tucking into strawberries and cream with their champagne.
‘Didn’t I see you at the party on Lord Guy’s yacht?’ a woman Randy introduced as Tamara asked.
Amber had recognised her instantly, it was the blonde in the tight red dress who’d been all over Jed. She flushed, hoping Tamara hadn’t noticed how drunk Amber had been. ‘Yes, that’s right. I went with some friends. It was a good night, wasn’t it?’ she replied pleasantly.
‘It certainly was.’ Tamara raised a thinly-pencilled eyebrow questioningly. ‘Hasn’t your boyfriend come with you?’
‘Boyfriend?’ She means Jed. Of course, she must have seen them arrive – or even leave – together.
‘Jed’s not my boyfriend. He’s … just a friend.’
‘Oh, I see.’ Tamara picked up a strawberry, dipped it into a dish of cream, and bit the top off. ‘Well, if you’re not with him you won’t mind if I make a play for him, will you?’
That stunned her for a moment. ‘Er, no, of course not,’ she replied. ‘Feel free.’
‘Great.’ Tamara dipped the rest of the strawberry into the cream, popped it into her mouth, and walked off, leaving Amber staring after her and wondering just why the thought of Tamara and Jed together disturbed her.
‘Are you enjoying yourself?’ Randy sat down beside her.
She nodded. ‘It’s a lovely yacht. Is it yours?’
‘Yes, a birthday present from my father. I’ve had it a couple of years now.’
Imagine being that rich! Amber thought of the Christmas presents she’d had off her parents; handbags, perfume, a DVD player – all very much appreciated but not in the same league as a yacht.
‘Which just shows you how spoilt our Randy is,’ Tamara had returned, with a glass of champagne. She sat down beside Randy. ‘Daddy’s little rich boy, aren’t you, darling?’ she teased, stroking his hair.
Randy grinned. ‘If my father wants to spoil me, who am I to stop him?’
‘What do you do?’ Amber asked curiously. ‘Work, I mean.’
‘Work? Randy!’ Tamara almost shrieked with laughter. ‘I don’t think Randy’s ever worked a day in his life.’
‘Of course I have. I work extremely hard…at enjoying myself.’ Randy jested.
Amber couldn’t help thinking how different their worlds were. Randy’s life seemed one long party with no real purpose to it. And his friends seemed the same. Whereas everyone she knew spent most of their time working. Look at her father, he had never had a day off sick until his heart attack.
The others joined them and were soon chatting away; talking about the exotic countries they went to for holidays, the night clubs, the clothes. Amber smiled a lot and joined in with the odd comments, but felt a little too out of her depth to say much. Randy sat beside her, gently stroking her arm now and again as he entertained them all with his witty anecdotes about some of the people he’d met. He was so funny – although sometimes a bit cruel – she couldn’t help laughing.
They sailed for a couple of hours and Amber was relieved she didn’t feel nauseous once thanks to Jed’s travel bands. It had been a lovely afternoon, she thought happily, as she stood at the rails, looking out to sea. Just as she’d done yesterday when she went sailing with Jed. The two sailing trips had been so different. As Jed and Randy were. Yet both enjoyable in their own way.
‘Have you had fun?’ Randy asked, putting his arm lightly around her shoulder as the marina came into sight.
‘Yes, I have. Thank you.’ She smiled at him. ‘I meant to ask you, are you taking part in the race? It’s on Friday, isn’t it?’
‘No, I’ve come down just to watch. Do you fancy keeping me company? We can watch on board the yacht?’
‘I’d love to. Thank you.’
‘Great. Now how about dinner before the party tonight? I know a lovely little waterfront restaurant, ideal for an intimate meal.’
Intimate. She wasn’t sure she liked the
idea of that but nodded. ‘Sounds good.’
So, at seven fifteen, Amber, clad in the backless red dress Callie had insisted she wore, sat by the dressing table putting the finishing touches to her make up while Callie sat cross-legged on the bed behind her, reading out vitally important points from the ‘How to Hook a Millionaire’ book.
‘Wear the dark red lipstick. It’s sexier,’ she said as Amber picked up a pearly pink one. ‘Men like Randy want to seen with women that other men lust over. It makes them feel good.’
Amber sighed and picked up the dark red lipstick. She was getting a bit sick of hearing what men like Randy wanted.
‘And remember, rule number seven, “Cultivate the art or flirting and body language.’ Let him know you’re interested in him but don’t be too eager. And don’t sleep with him tonight, even if he begs you”.’
‘As if I would,’ Amber retorted, looking aghast.
‘Well, he’ll expect you to soon,’ Callie told her. ‘But hold out a bit. Men like Randy are used to women falling over themselves to get into bed with them so if you keep him waiting a while he’ll look on you as a challenge.’
Amber had every intention of keeping Randy waiting – right up to the wedding night, she thought, blotting her lips with a tissue. Now if it was Jed …
Here she went again. She had to get him out of her mind. She was going out with Randy now, for goodness sake.
Dinner was very pleasant. Randy was entertaining, if a bit loud – a few times his raucous laugh made the other diners turn around to stare at them – he was good company, good looking. I think I could make this work, Amber thought, as Randy helped her on with the ivory fur shrug Callie had loaned her.
She felt a bit nervous walking into the ballroom but Callie and Simon were already there and waved for them to join them.
‘You look stunning,’ Callie said. Then she leaned over and whispered in Amber’s ear. ‘Randy can’t take his eyes off you. I knew that dress was a good choice for you.’
Amber glanced around the room, telling herself she wasn’t looking for Jed. But she was. Then she spotted him, deep in conversation with Tamara, who was giggling and hanging onto his every word. As if sensing her eyes upon him, Jed glanced over his shoulder. He smiled. Tamara followed his gaze and raised her glass triumphantly.
Well, she didn’t waste much time, did she, Amber thought, stifling the surge of jealousy which ran through her. It seemed like Tamara and Jed would soon be an item. Well, so what if they were? She had to get over this silly infatuation she had for Jed and concentrate on Randy.
Randy was attentive to her all evening, rarely leaving her side and only dancing a couple of dances with anyone else. He was flirtatious and fun and Amber responded in the same manner. To her surprise she enjoyed herself immensely.
‘I’ll go and get us some more champagne,’ he said, kissing her on the cheek.
‘Just orange juice for me, please,’ she told him, wanting to keep a clear head.
He winked. ‘Shame, you’re far more interesting when you’ve been drinking champagne.’
If only you knew how interesting, she thought as she watched him weave his way through the crowd to the bar. She felt herself flush as she recalled waking up in bed on Jed’s yacht. There was no way she was going to let anything like that happen again.
Instinctively, she looked around for Jed and saw him whirling around the dance floor with Tamara, their arms wrapped around each other, their heads thrown back as they laughed.
She turned away and smiled at Randy as he put the glasses down on the table. ‘Shall we dance?’
‘Sure.’ He nodded, holding out his arms.
She sensed Tamara was watching her so forced herself to concentrate on her steps, following Randy’s lead and trying her best to keep time to the music. To her relief she got the hang of it and was soon gliding almost effortlessly around the dance floor.
As she passed Tamara and Jed, he nodded approvingly and winked at her. Tamara immediately buried her head into Jed’s shoulder as if driving home the fact that he was with her.
You can have him, Amber thought as Randy kissed her on the forehead. He’s all yours.
‘Can we go somewhere quiet and talk?’ Randy asked when the dance was finished. ‘How about a walk along the marina front?’
She nodded and picked up her shrug. ‘I wouldn’t mind a bit of fresh air,’ she admitted.
Her mind was racing as they walked out into the cool, night air. Randy had been good company all evening, and from the way he had held her when they danced, the tender way he’d treated her, she was sure he was going to ask her to go out with him. To officially be his girlfriend. And if he did, she was going to accept. When she went home the weekend they could still continue dating, then perhaps things would get more serious between them.
Randy put his arm around her shoulders as they walked along. ‘I’m going to put my cards on the table, Amber, and make you a proposition,’ he said solemnly. He squeezed her shoulder. ‘I like you Amber. I like you a lot. And I think you like me.’
‘Yes, I do. Well, I mean I hardly know you …’ What was she doing? This is where she was supposed to pretend she was instantly attracted to him. Remember rule number seven: cultivate the art of flirting and body language. ‘We get on well,’ she added quickly, ‘and I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent together.’
‘So have I.’ He pulled her down onto a nearby bench, held her hand, and sat facing her. ‘The thing is, I think we can both help each other out.’ His hold on her hand tightened. ‘I need your help to claim my inheritance. My father tied most of it up, you see, stipulating that I had to wait until I was thirty to claim it – and I get extra, quite a lot extra, if I’m married with a baby on the way by then. So what do you think? Will you marry me? You’ll have a life of luxury in return.’
This is what she wanted, had planned for, but now it was in her reach her nerve failed her. Could she go ahead and marry Randy, someone she had just met and didn’t love? Could she be his wife, with everything that went with it?
‘You don’t have to answer now, think about it and let me know tomorrow,’ Randy said. ‘I know it’s a big thing to ask of you but I believe we can make it work. You can still live your life and I can live mine. All I ask of you is to be discreet.’
‘You mean …?’ Amber stared at him, stunned.
‘It’ll be purely a business arrangement. We’ll have to have a baby, of course, and I’ll make sure you never want for anything. But I won’t ask anything else from you.’
A business arrangement. So she wouldn’t be misleading him, it would all be above board. It sounded ideal so why was she hesitating?
Because it sounds too cold and calculating. That’s why, she told herself. She’d always planned on getting married for love. Of being wooed. Proposed to properly, being swept off her feet with the emotion of it all.
‘Thank you. I’ll think it over and let you know my decision tomorrow,’ she managed to stammer, her head reeling. What should she do?
Amber got up early the next morning and had a stroll along the marina front to clear her head. And somehow found herself heading towards Jed’s yacht.
He was on deck, obviously preparing to go for a sail, dressed in just a pair of denim shorts. For a moment she stood watching him, admiring the easy expertise in his handling of the yacht, the way his hair curled at the nape of his neck, his lean suntanned torso …
OK, that’s enough drooling.
She waved. ‘Morning! Did you enjoy the party last night?’
‘Not as much as you seemed to,’ he replied. ‘I don’t think you needed those sailing lessons after all.’
‘Perhaps not.’ She hesitated as she watched Jed check the sails. ‘Are you off for another sail?’
‘Sort of.’
He turned to face her and something about the expression on his face made her catch her breath.
‘Where are you going?’
‘Home.’
‘Home?’<
br />
‘Back to America.’
America? That meant she would never see him again. Stunned, she just stared at him.
‘You seem a bit surprised. I told you my boss flew home last week and I had to sail the yacht back myself,’ Jed reminded her.
‘Yes, but you didn’t say you were going so soon. I thought you were staying until the weekend.’ Steady on, Amber, don’t let him see how upset you are.
Just why was she so upset anyway?
‘What difference does it make?’ His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. ‘I was going home the weekend anyway. What does it matter to you if I leave a few days earlier?
It shouldn’t matter. But it did. It mattered a lot. She didn’t stop to examine why she just clutched at straws to keep him here. ‘You promised to teach me how to mix with Randy’s set,’ she stammered.
‘I don’t think you need me to do that. From what I hear, Randy seems to have decided you’re the one to help him get his inheritance.’ His eyes met hers. ‘I presume you’ve accepted his proposal.’
‘You know! Who told you?’
‘Randy did. He couldn’t wait to brag about it. He’s confident you’ll say yes. And you will, of course, won’t you? It’s what you’ve been planning all along.’
‘You make it sound so … heartless.’
He raised an eyebrow questioningly. ‘Sorry. I must have got it wrong. Do I take it that you love each other?’
‘No,’ she had to admit.
‘Then I think heartless is a good way to describe your relationship, don’t you?’
‘I guess so.’ She tried to keep her voice steady so he wouldn’t guess how distraught she felt at the thought of him leaving. Going out of her life forever. ‘When are you going?’
‘In about half an hour.’
If she’d arrived any later he’d have gone and she’d never have had the chance to say goodbye.
She didn’t want to say goodbye. She wanted to beg him to stay.
Don’t be stupid. It’s better if he goes. Then you can just concentrate on marrying Randy.
‘Goodbye then,’ she said, holding out her hand, hoping he wouldn’t notice that it was shaking. ‘Have a safe journey home and thanks for your help.’