Chapter Five Amelia
Slipping my hands through my hair, I held up the mass of waves as I arched and twisted in front of the fitting room mirrors. A frown graced my lips, and I held back a sigh when I caught sight of the way the dress cut under my shoulder blade to make it look disgustingly tight.
“I don’t like it aside from the color, maybe. I know you’ve got a pair of shoes that same shade pink, right?” Helen’s declaration filled the small space, and I let my hair down to groan loudly. “I mean, I don’t understand why you need a new dress for this wedding, Ame. You’ve literally got a hundred of them that you know will fit you right for your perkier-than-thou boobs.”
“That’s the whole problem, Helen- I don’t want to wear a dress I’ve worn a dozen times before. With everything going on since the Shepard wedding, I want to be prepared.” Even though I was complaining, my frown morphed into a wide smile, and I carefully stepped down from the raised platform as Helen watched me with that dumb look she’d perfected over the years. “I’ve already got plans to donate them and make room, and- plus, they’re getting dingy.”
“I hope you’re not going to become a high-maintenance bitch now that everyone knows your name, Ame.” I didn’t bother to respond to that as I shuffled out of the clingy, thigh high dress carefully, and Helen dropped the subject after a heartbeat of silence. “I’m not saying I don’t think you have a right to splurge, but… like, why? Why not do something insane and stupid with your newfound increase of profits by 18%?”
“Because… it’s stupid? I’m very responsible with money, you know.” Snatching a ruby red cocktail dress off the peg on the wall, I held the soft fabric to my front to stand in front of a mirror. “I’ve got big plans for that 18%, and it doesn’t involve cars, booze, or strippers.”
“… I guess you have a point.” Slipping the shoulders off the hangar, I worked the dress carefully to step into it, and Helen sighed heavily. “I just can’t believe how fast it happened. We’re not even close to being done just sorting through all the photos, and you’re stepping out every 2 seconds to take a call from some rich guy marrying a girl half his age.”
“I guess they really liked the preview we made up. Anyway, what do you think of this one?” Adjusting the thin straps, I smoothed the silk against my abdomen and picked at the gathering around my chest. Watching myself in the mirror, I couldn’t deny that the red made me stand straighter and lift my chin higher. Catching Helen’s gaze in the reflection, I cocked my head as she slowly scanned me from top to bottom.
“Yeah, I like it. It’s not too crazy with the slit, but it catches attention.” Smiling at myself, I went to slip off the dress, but my friend’s next words halted my actions. “You should keep it on. Maybe the bright color will trap you a boyfriend.”
“What- it’s a special occasions dress, Helen…”
“So? Why do you need a special occasion to be a confident, successful woman basking in her accomplishments? I’m pretty sure I got some red lipstick in here, and you wore black heels- it’ll look great. Just imagine what that’ll do to your pitiful self-esteem.” Scowling at the playful banter, I twirled around to watch Helen dig through her purse, and she let out a ‘hah’ of triumph after a short moment. “Let’s get out of here. I’m starving.”
“I’m not eating in this dress- are you nuts?” For the second time, my friend just talked above me, and I held back an exasperated sigh as I glanced at the small pile of dresses that I liked. There were only four but reinventing my event wardrobe wasn’t a hit or miss type of deal. This was just one store of many, in a mall that was just one of many.
“I’ve sat here for two hours watching you go through all this stuff, and you owe me. I don’t care if you eat- you’re paying, though. I sat on my wallet for so long it became part of me.” So much for being the most calm person ever. The change in Helen was striking between her working and casual self, and I carefully picked up my chosen dresses to hang them off my arm. “If you don’t like it, you shouldn’t invite me to these things anymore. I don’t invite you out when I go dress shopping.”
“Don’t be like that. This is just as important as staring through a camera lens. How can I be proud of photographing a wedding when I look like I bought my dress at a thrift store?”
Our light disagreement continued all throughout checking out, and I shoved my jeans and t-shirt into the bag with my new dresses while Helen nearly talked my ear off. Heading for the store exit that would lead to the main wing of the mall, I almost wished I hadn’t closed up shop halfway through the day. We were making good time on all projects, and I was anxious to get this shopping done with our next job only a day away. Weekend weddings were always the worst, and I’d need every bit of positivity I could get to make it through the ordeal.
“I’m not saying that you’re an overly self-conscious person, Amelia, but I really do think you shop too much.” Zoning back into reality just as the smell from the food court slithered into my nostrils, I shook my head with a groan.
“No, Helen, you just don’t shop that much. You’ve worn the same shirt to work for almost five years… I mean, granted- you take really good care of your clothes, but…” Helen clamped her mouth shut when I glanced over at her, and I smirked at the fire that licked her cheeks and blazed from her eyes. “I’m not ragging on you about it, but if you really don’t want to come with me, all you had to say was ‘no’. I’ve done plenty of shopping without someone to double check.”
“I’m not ragging on you about it, either, Ame… honestly… I-“ Whatever confession Helen was about to drop onto my shoulders was halted a low whistle, and we both froze in our tracks. My head whipped to the side as shocks raced down my spine, but the anger that instantly flooded my chest died down just as fast. Familiar, dark grey-blue eyes met mine, and I inhaled a sharp breath before forcing myself to relax.
“Erich- you know, it’s annoying to get whistled at.” My first words rolled off my tongue just as Erich reached us, and he cocked a guilty smirk. He was even more handsome in normal clothes, and I had to forcibly keep my eyes from wandering down, down, down. “What are you doing here? I thought you were flying to Washington the other day?”
“They canceled on me.” His German accent roughened his voice, and Erich grimaced in disgust, seemingly oblivious to the stiffening of my muscles. “I have heard rumors of American arrogancy, but it’s different to experience firsthand.”
“I’m gunna go get something to eat, Ame. I hate politics…” Grumbling to herself as she stalked off through the vast ocean of tables, Helen didn’t look back, and my own gaze didn’t linger on her. Exhaling heavily, I smiled brightly at Erich as he leaned back on the heels of his sneakers to rake his hand through his hair.
“So, how’s the American experience treating you otherwise? It’s not being hampered by bodyguards, is it?” My poor attempt at a joke earned me a deep, rumbling laugh that reverberated up from my heels, and Erich shook his head as he covered his mouth. The sight of him trying to hide was cute, and my smile widened while his laughter died down. Mall patrons wandered around us aimlessly, distractedly, and I silently wondered if anyone would ever really notice if they were in the presence of royalty unless it was expressly announced.
“No- I don’t have bodyguards. I’m very capable of taking care of myself. But, to answer your question… it’s honestly difficult to find my way. I had come here with a friend of Jason’s, but he disappeared.”
“Do you want to hang out with me, then?” For a long moment, I didn’t process that I had said ‘me’ instead of ‘us’, and my cheeks threatened to melt off completely when Erich arched a brow. His sly smirk told me his answer before he’d even opened his mouth, and my heart hammered against my ribs.
“I would love to. What did you have in mind?” My mind went blank, and I stammered slightly as I struggled to push noise through my tight throat. After watching me struggle, Erich only chuckled again, and he reached to caress the back of my free hand. “We’ll find
something. After all- this is America- the land of plenty. Surely, there must be plenty to do then, da Hübsche Frau?“
Fire licked my cheeks, and I reached to tuck my hair behind my ear with a tingling hand. Licking my lips heavily, my tongue tingled as butterflies fluttered in my belly. Erich only watched me with shrewd, blue eyes, and after a second that seemed to last forever, I managed to open my mouth.
“Ich bin sicher, wir können etwas finden. This is a large mall, after all.“
Chapter Six Erich
Pausing our aimless wandering through the mall, I stared up at the funny, colorful, bubble-letters hanging from ceiling tethers under furrowed brows. The thick, shiny vineer caught my eye as soon as we’d rounded the corner to a new wing of the building, and I clenched and released my jaw absently in thought. Droning conversation of hundreds of people created a buzz in my ears, but it only lasted a few seconds before Amelia spoke up to grab my attention.
“Do you want to go see what it’s all about, Erich? It’s pretty fun- there’s not a lot of kids in there right now.” There was no judgement in Amelia’s tone, and I pursed my lips tightly before tearing my eyes off the shop. She wore a smile that was becoming increasingly familiar and welcoming, and a twinkle sparkled in her fair, hazel gaze. For a long moment, I immersed myself in thought, but that short collection of seconds ended as I opened my mouth to answer her.
“No- it’s fine. I was just curious. I have never seen something like this.” Turning back to the shop, I frowned as I gazed at the lines of hanging clothes and shelves of shoes and accessories. “Are they popular in America, or is this the only one?”
“Teddy Stuffington are pretty popular. They’re mostly for birthday parties and stuff for kids, but there’s usually a noticeable number of adults that go there, too. I’ve done it a few times.” Surprise lifted my eyebrows, and Amelia took my hand to tug me towards the wide, gaping entrance to the shop. “Come on. I’ll show you how it works.”
“It is inappropriate-“ Even as the protest left my mouth, I followed her with stiff strides, and she glanced over her shoulder at me with a smile. Glancing around as we reached the wide archway to check for anyone watching us, I inhaled a deep breath through flared nostrils. “Normally, this would be appropriate only if properly televised to promote a charitable light by the Crown.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you’re not in Kastav, then. Trust me, Erich- no one is watching us. Even if they were, no one recognizes you.” Amelia’s assurance eased the tension tightening my gut, and we paused in front of a long wall filled with bright buckets of what looked like unstuffed animals. Their faces were caved in, eyes pointing every which way, and I reached for one, rainbow colored heap as she continued. “So, you pick out one you want; they’ve got more than just bears. There’s cats and dogs, sea animals, and some popular kids show ones like unicorns.”
“What have you gotten before?” My probe earned me a thoughtful hum, and Amelia shuffled over to the left a few bins down to pick an animal off the top. Holding out the floppy thing, she blushed lightly, and my lip twitched at her sudden bashfulness. “A tiger… very good choice. Fitting.”
“I like to think so. I don’t do it often, but I like to come here when I’m sad. It’s nice to just put away my adult problems and make a toy.” Scanning the buckets one by one as she set the unstuffed tiger back in its place, I couldn’t help but frown slightly at her confession.
“What do you get sad about?” Speaking up before I could stop myself, I carefully extracted a white, soft-looking bear to rub the fibers between my fingertips. When Amelia didn’t answer, my gaze slid over to her, and I froze as she held a small, digital camera to her eye. Obviously, the lavender-purple device wasn’t for professional photography, but even from the other side of the lens, I could see she still took the shot as if it was.
Sighing softly, Amelia lowered the camera before carefully tucking it back in her purse. Her formfitting dress rustled as she leaned back on her heels, and I took this moment to admire her beauty. Even with minimal attention paid to herself, she was alluring- like a siren song that drew me in with its gentle melody.
“I don’t know-“ Shrugging slightly to accompany her answer, Amelia picked up her shopping bag off the floor in one, languid movement. “I came here the last time because my boyfriend broke up with me. We dated for almost a year and a half, but he didn’t think I spent enough time with him because I was always working… which was true, I guess. The time before that was before I graduated from my university- I got passed over for my dream internship. This was before I made the decision to open my own studio.”
“I see… I do not date much. My uncle is very strict about that sort of thing.” Frowning slightly, I shook my head to clear that man from my thoughts even as Amelia cast me a curious stare. “It is just another reason I wanted to come to America so badly. You never know who you will meet in a country 1,000 times bigger than my own.”
“So, you haven’t been to France or Germany, then, even though you’re so close to both?” Nodding as Amelia led me towards a machine staffed by a young woman with a bored, drawn expression, my frown only deepened. We fell into silence as I handed the woman the empty animal, and she sheathed the open end onto a tube. My eyes widened when she stepped onto a pedal, filling the gaping creature with fluff with practiced hands. The whirr of the machine died down in just a few seconds, and she tugged the strings to close up the bottom of the bear to tie them tightly.
“I’ve never been outside the country- I’ve gotten offers to do destination weddings, but I always turn them down… to be honest, I’m terrified of airplanes.” Quietly taking the stuff animal from the employee, I squeezed and turned the thing in my hands even while my attention turned to Amelia. Her face lit up bright red, and my lip twitched in a smirk at her discomfort. “My step-dad wanted to bring me to Germany when I was 11, but I couldn’t even make it to the terminal. It sucked so bad… he ended up going by himself, and I felt really guilty because my mom was supposed to meet his family for the first time.”
“So, you drive to wherever you need to go, then?” Slowly, we wandered deeper into the store, down an aisle of shelves lined with little animal outfits. Each one hung on a cardboard hanger, and I watched Amelia nod out of the corner of my eye as I reached to touch a tiny police uniform. “Do you like it? So far, I’ve only been shoved into the back seat of cars, and I do not think I could do it for days on end.”
“It’s nice to see the country- especially if I’m going somewhere I’ve never gone before. It also helps calm my nerves beforehand. Most of the time, photographing a wedding is insane, and I like having time to gather myself. Speaking of cars… you mentioned you liked old ones. Do you have any?”
“Yes. My favorite is a 1950 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing. My father bought it for me when I was 16, and I restored it.” My chest tightened with affection just thinking of my car, and my smile grew as I carefully unhooked the uniform from its peg. “I did not want to mess up, so I researched the car for almost a year before I dared to touch it.”
“You restored a whole car all by yourself?” Surprise, even a hint of pride, laced Amelia’s tone, and I leaned back on my heels with a firm nod. Holding the uniform against the front of my bear, I glanced over at her to watch her eyes glitter under the bright, fluorescent lights of the shop. “That’s amazing. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard you must’ve worked.”
“Why not? Is it not exactly the same as you developing your own film?” Inhaling deeply, I turned to face Amelia fully, and she stared at me under furrowed brows. She was very cute, and her expression revealed everything that went through her intelligent mind. “My car was a hobby, but I do not think I could turn it into a profession even if I wasn’t a prince. You are much more amazing. You can do whatever you want, and no one will tell you that you can’t because it is unseemly.”
“… I guess you’re right…” Hesitantly conceding, Amelia ducked her head before shifting the conversation to the object
s in my hands. “Do you want to put a voice recorder in it?”
“Oh- no. I do not have anything to say to this bear.” The seriousness of the moment passed smoothly, and she smiled warmly before I redirected my gaze to the stuffed animal and uniform. “I have always admired policemen and women. Kastav is small, without much crime, but I know it is not the same elsewhere.”
“It’s mostly an exporter of alcohol, right? Really good, really expensive alcohol.” Instead of heading to the register, we continued towards the back of the store, and I nodded at Amelia’s inquiry. Since last we’d spoken, she’d clearly done some research, and the normal annoyance of that was strangely absent.
Under normal circumstances, someone would bombard me with what they knew of my country- of things I couldn’t forget even if I tried.
“Yes. Kastav is doing well, but I, personally, do not like to drink.” Heading down the last aisle, I paused once again as a bright red dress shimmered to catch my attention. Amelia wandered a few feet before noticing, and I picked up the miniature outfit before catching her wondering gaze as a smirk spread between my cheeks. “I like this one better. What do you think?”
“It’s up to you- it’s your bear.” Even as she tried mightily, Amelia couldn’t keep her cheeks from staining red, and a laugh escaped my throat. My eyes had a will of their own as they raked down her body in her thigh length cocktail dress, but I refused to let them linger. Catching her bright gaze, I only smiled wider before making my way to her with both outfits to head for the register.
Chapter Seven Amelia
Seating myself heavily in my wheeled office chair, I leaned back as far as I could to expel a harsh groan. My back ached from shoulder to hip, and my ears rang harshly in the ensuing silence. The soft, gentle buzz of the fluid temperature controller working through my dark room had left a void inside my skull, and I reached to squeeze the bridge of my nose hard.
Princess for a Summer: An Amanda Clarke Novel Page 3