“What about you? Do you want kids?” Glancing over, I frowned slightly when Erich shook his head, and his own frown morphed into a grimace.
“No- I had the operation done when I was 18 to never have children. It’s different when your own family sees you as a threat. I would never take on the responsibility of King, but that doesn’t mean my uncle wouldn’t suspect me of doing so. Having children would only confirm his delusions.” Surprise shot through me like lightning, and my brows rose high as my mind churned at an incredible pace until Erich spoke up again. “Plus, I do not particularly like children.”
“Well, at least your honest about it. Truth be told, I don’t want kids because I want to work.” A little embarrassed giggle escaped me at my confession, and Erich took on an expression as if I’d said exactly what he was expecting. “I got called selfish once in line for lunch by this super old lady behind me when I was chatting with the barista. Personally, I think it’s stupid to put my life on hold for a choice.”
Chapter Eleven Erich
“I didn’t realize you took so many pictures at the wedding…” Awe thickened my tone, and I gazed out across the tables upon tables of pictures and photos hanging on pins from lines that stretched across the ceiling in neat rows. “And these are just the film?”
“Yeah- it’s just not Jason’s wedding. Each table is one wedding, since I only use film for the bride and groom shots.” Amelia’s pride rippled through the still, dark room, and I nodded absently as I squinted to see through the gloom. Every so often, I would catch a corner of a photo flopping from the air that moved to keep the room cool. “The digital ones I can just put into a computer. I usually pick out the ones I like, then print them, then discard the ones that I don’t like once they’re printed. You can’t do that with film. Everything has to be printed and inspected.”
“No wonder you work so much.” Despite the darkness, I knew Amelia was flushing a faint red, and my lips curved into a smile. “So, how long does it take to sort through everything- film and digital?”
“A few weeks to get everything developed. Then it takes another few weeks to sort through them and do the albums. Kristen and Jason’s wedding will take a couple of months since they got their own albums and then guest albums.” Long, nimble fingers slipped along my palm, and I took one last look at this dull glimpse of great achievement before following Amelia out of the dark room. The lighting of her shop was almost blinding, and I blinked hard as she led me to the other end of the floor. “The shop was really big when I bought it, but I had to make a bunch of rooms. One for the darkroom, one for Helen’s office where she does the videos, and a break room. We pretty much live here.”
“What are you going to do when you need to expand? Are you going to build your own store or renovate?” The sheer amount of work that Amelia had put into this place was astonishing, and evidence of her determination to make something of herself was everywhere. The cases holding sample volumes were clean of any fingerprints, and the desks designated for consultations were stained and polished. At my probing, she only shrugged, and we entered yet another room at the back of the shop.
“I don’t know. I’m really careful not to overwhelm myself, and I make a good profit by picking jobs. If I did expand, I’d probably do the same thing- renovate a bigger shop for what I need. This is my office.” Clenching and releasing my jaw as I took in the small space, I only nodded at her ambitions. Amelia’s office wasn’t big enough that I didn’t feel a little claustrophobic; the closet rooms at the palace in Kastav were easily twice the size. A cabinet hugged the left wall, and her large desk sat towards the back. There wasn’t so much as an extra lamp- anything she deemed she didn’t need to work was ignored.
“You did all of this in seven years… so, when did you graduate university? You are only 26.” Turning my gaze to her under furrowed brows, my eyes narrowed at the brightening in Amelia’s cheeks as she tried to brush off my praise. Inside her small office, there was nothing else in the world, and she smiled as pride glittered in her eyes.
“I started this shop when I was 19, before I finished. I graduated when I was 20. I’d gotten scholarships, and the photography program was less money than cinematography, so it helped go to this shop.” Tugging on her hand still holding mine, I stepped into Amelia’s personal space, and she stiffened with a slight gasp. The pride in her eyes became shadowed, and my heart squeezed from the want that wrapped around it.
“You are awe-inspiring.” Murmuring softly, I cupped her chin just as I had done only hours ago, and Amelia’s smooth face tinged a pretty pink. “You ask why I want you- this is why. You are filled with depth, and I want to dive all the way to the bottom. There is nothing you cannot do, and you don’t rely on your beauty to achieve it.”
“You’re really laying it on thick, there.” Warm breath rolled along my jaw as Amelia mumbled broken words, and I only hummed in response. The truth of my words rang in the ensuing silence, and I leaned down to do the thing I had wanted to do since the mall. Soft and plump, her lips caressed mine in a bare kiss, and she stared at me from under heavy, half-drawn lids.
“I do not expect anything from you, Amelia.” The silence grew longer and heavier at my declaration, and I held my breath while my heart beat a rapid tattoo in my chest. Amelia was the kind of woman I’d dreamed of; work orientated but aware of what mattered in life- strong but soft- determined by not abrasive. She didn’t want children; she was responsible with money; she didn’t care that I had the title of ‘Prince’.
“… I wish you hadn’t said that, Erich.” Amelia’s whisper slithered into my ears to coil in my abdomen, tightening my muscles against the desire that built up there, and I took a half step closer to her. “It’s not going to last.”
“It doesn’t have to beyond this moment.” Her eyelids fluttered shut at my reasoning, and blood rushed in my ears. My skull itself rattled when our noses brushed together, but her almost inaudible whimper swept through my mind like a thick blanket, making me oblivious to everything else. “When I first saw you at the wedding, I wanted nothing more than to hold your hand… and now, it is as easy as breathing.”
“That’s it?” A smile curved my lips at Amelia’s urging, and I spread my fingers across her cheek as her gasp sucked the heat from my own. Despite the stillness of my mind, the answer came quickly, and I closed my eyes to rest my forehead against hers. She smelled like her- no perfume or scented shampoo; she’d mentioned in a text that it tainted the pictures. I didn’t know if it was true, but, in this moment, I didn’t care.
“When I saw you in that dress at the mall, I could not take my eyes off you. I wanted to take your hand…” Lifting out entwined fingers, I squeezed her hand firmly, and her throat flexed in a gulp against the butt of my palm. “-and I wanted to dance with you to a slow song. Back and forth… slowly.”
We started to sway, and I relished this moment of closeness where nothing was expected of me. Well, something might be expected, but I would be more than happy to oblige.
Amelia had no grandiose visions of our future together; she knew we couldn’t have a future together. My uncle would never allow me to move to America permanently. He saw it as betrayal to Kastav, and he feared others would leave as well. On that same token, he’d never allow her to come to Kastav. She had a passion for pictures, and he refused to let anything into the press that he didn’t directly control. Even if she never took a single photo, the risk for him was too great.
But, for just this moment, I didn’t have to think about anyone or anything but Amelia.
Chapter Twelve Amelia
“You’re really, seriously, considering sleeping with Erich? You barely know each other- you’ve only seen each other, like, five or six times, Ame.” Digging into the bottom of my Chinese food takeout box, I grimaced deeply at the judgmental shock in Helen’s voice. Sitting her chair in the break room, she scoffed heavily over the smell of orange chicken and pork fried rice. “I never took you for the easy type. It took you mont
hs to sleep with your last boyfriend, in case you forgot.”
“I’m not considering it, Helen- I’m gunna do it. You know, the quality of the time we spend together beats how often it happens.” My firm declaration thickened with irritation, and regret swirled in my chest to make my meal unappetizing. Letting my chopsticks fall into the cardboard box with a light clunk, I reached my newly freed hand to rake my fingers through my hair. “Why do you care so much about time spent when you bar hop a new guy every Friday?”
“Let’s see- I’m not at risk of falling head over heels for a dude with a slick mouth and a tiny penis, maybe. Trust me- I know exactly what you see in Erich. I’m your best friend, and I’d be an idiot not to get upset about this. What happens when he leaves, and you never see each other again. Being star-crossed lovers isn’t nearly as romantic as it seems.” Tensing up at Helen’s chiding announcements as they bombarded me one after another, I tore my gaze away from my food to glare at her. Frowning deeply, she only returned my stare, and I licked my lips heavily as what she’d said delved into the recesses of my brain.
But Erich’s words the week before swept away all doubt like a tsunami, and I shook my head wildly with a loud groan.
“I know what’ll happen, Helen, and I accept that this’ll end in tragedy. But… I want it anyway. There’s nothing wrong with a little heartbreak. At least I’ll know what it feels like to be with someone beyond the fact that it’s nice to say that I’m in a relationship.” My friend had nothing to say to that, and I sighed heavily into the tense atmosphere. “You know I didn’t really care about Thomas- I was only dating him because the notion of him felt good. Erich really cares about me, and it’s even better because he understands that I’m not going to stop working. Maybe it’s because of the circumstances- maybe not- I really don’t care at this point. I need this, Helen- just once, I want something that I’m going to miss.”
“The only reason you told me now is because he’s on his way here, isn’t he? You told me knowing nothing I said was going to change anything. You just wanted to see if I’d back you up.” Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I nodded under Helen’s narrowed gaze, and she twisted to stare at the television blankly. My heart thudded hard against its cage, and I waited with still lungs until she finally opened her mouth. “I just hope you understand how dangerous this is. Y’all two have sex, and you talk, and you get close, and then you have to deal with weddings literally for the rest of your life.”
“I know what I’m doing. I know how it ends. Erich is going to go home, and I’ll get sad and maybe a little bitter, but that’s okay. Besides, even if this wasn’t what it was, I don’t think Erich would want a wedding. He seems more like a courthouse wedding or eloping kind of guy.”
“For the love of God- Amelia- don’t you dare elope with him…” Shattering the heavy atmosphere into billions of tiny shards, Helen’s high-pitched squeak pulled a laugh from beyond the lump in my throat. Shaking my head furiously, I stretched my legs out over the edge of my chair before my phone gave a shrill chime.
“I wouldn’t elope with him, okay. I’ll see you tomorrow-“
“That’s another thing- why are you going to do the deed on a weekday?” Cutting me off, Helen cast me a dumb glance as I pushed myself from my chair. Training my gaze on my phone, I smiled broadly under her scrutinization at Erich’s text. He didn’t know my plan; he thought we were going to dinner, and that I just needed to go home and get changed first.
As cliché as it was, it worked, and that was the important part.
“I cut this day in half… you should be thanking me. We’re well caught up enough to have some slack. All the timeframes are ahead of schedule. So, I’m off.” Hurrying from the room, I shoved my cell phone into my back pocket and worked my mass of hair out of its ponytail. Maneuvering my way through the shop and towards the exit, my legs thrummed with excitement as my mind flew back to when Erich had been here. He’d expertly charmed my pants off, figuratively and now literally, and consequences be damned.
My dating life was dismal while every other aspect had flourished, and I wasn’t going to waste this. Boyfriends didn’t suit me; they wanted attention that I just wasn’t willing to give them. I couldn’t prioritize anyone over my business, and they’d gotten fed up with it and left. Surely, I’d liked them enough to date them, but I liked the idea of a relationship more than actually maintaining one.
Erich was the perfect solution. There was no commitment, no expectations beyond right here and now. He didn’t expect me to put him above my dreams and ambitions because we had no future. The notion that this wouldn’t last caused a twinge in my chest, and I paused with my hand on the front door’s handle to take a deep, steadying breath.
“It doesn’t have to be everlasting…” Erich’s words floated through my mind, caressing the thick crevices of my brain, and I nodded to myself. Love comes in all types, and it doesn’t have to last.
Erich’s sleek, shiny, black rental car sat right on the curb in front of my shop, and I smiled as I caught sight of him holding the door open for me. His normal jeans and button-down shirt were replaced with a casual suit, and guilt rattled my ribs at the care he put into his appearance.
“Hey, you look really nice.” Too bad it’ll go to waste. Taking the wide sidewalk in four strides, my heel’s clicking on the pavement rang in my ears. Grinning broadly, unabashed, Erich’s sheer enthusiasm radiated like a miniature sun, and heat crept up my neck to flood my cheeks. “I just have to go home and get changed. I hope you don’t mind.”
“You are beautiful in anything, Amelia. I wish to see how bright you can shine.” He knew how to get to me, and I blushed brighter as I slipped into the back seat of his rental car. It took mere seconds for us to be shut inside, and he boldly dropped his hand on my knee before speaking up. “I was surprised when you asked to go out so early. Usually, you Americans consider 6 or 7 at night to be appropriate…?”
“Yeah, but I’m at a really good place at work, so I thought I had some leeway to close up early. Tyler’s not in today, and there’s no weddings planned until Friday, so I wanted to take this opportunity.” Things between Erich and I felt more stable since I’d asked him on a date, and he hummed softly as the driver slowly pulled off the curb and into the light traffic of mid-afternoon.
“I was worried you wouldn’t want to see me anymore after we danced in your office.” Fondness drowned my heart at Erich’s confession, and I shook my head with a sigh.
“Things have just been really busy with work. I’m trying to get as much done as possible because we’re going on vacation next week.” Nerves tinged my voice, and I rubbed my fingertips together as my chest tightened to restrict the muscle inside. “Helen’s going to Hawaii, and Tyler’s heading to tour Hollywood. I’m just gunna lounge around my apartment and get in as much laziness until our winter vacation.”
“I would’ve guessed you were not one for trips considering you’re traveling a lot. Are you glad to sleep in a real bed and not your chair in the break room?” Nodding as the heat sizzling my cheeks made me a little lightheaded, I glanced over to catch Erich’s teasing smile. “Something to look forward to, at least.”
Oh yeah… definitely something.
Chapter Thirteen
Amelia
Licking my lips heavily, I adjusted my lacy, forest green bra against my breasts as anxiety and anticipation hardened my nipples. Taking a deep breath, I ran my hands down my bare, tense belly and pulled my matching panties carefully higher over my hips. Taking a deep, stabilizing breath, I smiled at mt reflection in the armoire mirror before exhaling sharply.
“Hey, Erich- can you tell me how this looks?” Thanking any deity that would listen that my voice didn’t waver, I rushed to pull my hair over my shoulders. It’d been so long since I’d actually spent time in my own apartment- beyond just a quick shower- that the culmination of my life was almost foreign. Photography magazines littered my dresser, and graphic photos of cameras I’d had dreams of
owning were pinned to the edges of the mirrors. The carpet caressing my toes was still soft and plump from disuse, and I turned away from my reflection just in time to catch Erich shuffling cautiously into my bedroom.
My breath caught, all thoughts of my apartment flying out my ears, and my pupils narrowed on Erich as he froze. Well, most of him froze- his eyes raked up my bare, smooth legs, and he clenched his jaw tightly as his nostrils flared. The surprise that flashed to brighten his gaze was instantly replaced with dark desire, and the color of his irises darkened into thick, stormy clouds cracking with leashed lightning.
“Well?” Heat suffused my cheeks at how confident my voice sounded, and Erich’s gaze snapped to mine from under heavy lids. His eyelid twitched, expression pensive as he licked his lips hungrily without once wavering from my face. Those two, tiny, actions made up for the fact that this wasn’t a jaw-drop moment, and that faux confidence in my voice ripped through my chest in surety.
Swaying my hips, I sauntered slowly across my bedroom, and I worked my pointer fingers under the straps of my panties. Erich only briefly glanced down before his narrowed eyes trained on my face again, and his lip twitched in what could’ve been a smirk.
It was as if he was losing control of himself, and that notion sent a charged thrill through my veins to hasten my furiously flowing, hot blood.
Princess for a Summer: An Amanda Clarke Novel Page 6