The free gift, the free gift. Amanda sat still as the phrase repeated in her head. All those years ago, she’d never really had a relationship with God, so when Matt had pressured her that night, it was easy to give in. She’d felt like he had paid for the limo and the dinner, the flowers and the hotel, so she had to give him something.
But all this time, she’d been wrong about God. He wasn’t like the men who had traipsed through her life since that prom night. He had something free, no strings attached. She’d always thought if it was too good to be true, then it couldn’t possibly work out. The tears were flowing freely now, and Amanda let them come. It felt so good to finally realize what had been wrong all these years.
She’d never really had a friendship with God, she had just gone through the motions even though her parents had modeled their relationships with God in front of her and her siblings. She’d been so weak, she couldn’t see she’d never had what they had, and all it took was one night for it to all topple over and destroy her.
God, if you remember me, I think I’m back. I mean, maybe you never could hear me, because I wasn’t really trying to follow you. Why the hell did it take me so long to figure it out? Oops, I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m supposed to talk to you like that. Well, I guess you know how I really am anyway. I’m a hooker. I don’t know how many men I’ve let use me. I’m sorry I screwed my life up, but it says here that you want me forever, and I remember the Bible stories that said your son died for my sins.
Amanda had never really understood that until now, when Clarissa had lived it out in front of her at her time of need. No strings attached, Clarissa was just willing to put her life on the line because it was the right thing to do. Wow.
She sure hoped that no matter what happened between her and Jackson, Clarissa would still be her friend. Amanda had a feeling she could learn a lot from Clarissa about what it means to actually follow God.
Following Clarissa’s example from earlier that day, Amanda continued on. Okay God, I really need you to forgive me for all this crap I’ve done. I’ve done a lot of terrible things, and here recently, I made the biggest mistake yet.
I’m sure you know, but I let my baby die. No, that’s not even right. I killed my own baby. Oh God, I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to push it into a box so I didn’t have to deal with it right now, but it’s always there, reminding me of what I gave up.
Amanda could no longer control her sobs as she thought about what she’d done, but this time, they weren’t just sobs of remorse. There were also tears of forgiveness. God forgives me! Amanda could hardly believe it, but it was the best news she’d ever heard.
She knew forgiving herself would take some time, and there was no doubt she’d screw up again, but she thought she was starting off on the right foot now at least.
Looking in the mirror, Amanda realized she was a mess. She splashed water on her face, dried it with a towel and prepared to return to her room. Leaving Melanie’s Bible on the counter, she headed down the hall.
She opened the door, surprising Clarissa from her position at the desk. Clarissa stood, concern on her face when she saw Amanda’s tear-ravaged expression, but the smile on Amanda’s face told her everything she needed to know.
“Let’s do this,” Amanda said.
Chapter 25
Clarissa grinned back at Amanda, her own tears dried. “Alright, girl, its time you turned me into a hooker,” she laughed. “Whatcha got?”
Amanda opened her closet door and scoped the situation. She would need to do a bit of tweaking, but she could make this work. She grabbed the black cocktail dress and eyed Clarissa. “Put this on,” she ordered.
Clarissa obeyed, and Amanda was already digging in the closet for her pink heels. She hoped they would fit Clarissa. When she turned, Clarissa was shimmying into the tight dress. It fit her much more snugly than it had fit Amanda.
“Yes, that’ll do,” Amanda said with a smile. She pulled open drawers on the desk until she found what she was looking for. Holding up the scissors, she locked eyes with Clarissa. “Stand very still.”
Amanda was on her knees by the time Clarissa realized what she intended to do, and when she’d finished, the tasteful cocktail skirt was riding just shy of illegal. She’d removed a good six inches or so, and she sat back to admire her handiwork.
“Oh yes, that’s gonna draw some attention,” she smiled again as Clarissa’s attempt to look down at herself raised the back of the dress another inch. Clarissa felt the air on her backside and her eyes were like saucers as she grabbed at the dress, tugging and pulling to no avail.
“Amanda, are you sure it needs to be this short?” Clarissa’s shocked voice was enough to have Amanda practically rolling on the floor. “I can’t even bend over without my butt showing!”
“That’s sort of the point, Clarissa,” Amanda said through a snort. She wouldn’t have believed it possible to turn the gorgeous and well-mannered heiress into a skanky slut, but she was getting close. She chopped the dress around Clarissa’s hips, causing the once beautiful dress to ride low on the hips while hugging her butt like a man’s dream.
Then she undid the zipper and removed the top, leaving Clarissa in her bra. Clarissa’s entire body was one big blush, but Amanda pushed forward. “You’ll need these,” she said, handing a pair of cushioned implants to Clarissa.
Clarissa stared blankly at the implants then at Amanda. “Clarissa, they’re for your bra, to you know, boost the ladies? I mean, you’re pretty, but guys want boobs, and the bigger the better.”
“Surely I’m not going in just my bra?” Clarissa crossed her arms in front of her after adding the padded implants to her bra. The lacy pink underwire was now filled to overflowing with her breasts, making her look cheap and trampy. She looked in the mirror, surprised at how much Amanda had already done to change her appearance.
“Oh no, of course not,” Amanda snickered. “Here.” She handed Clarissa the top she’d worn to the fundraiser, but Amanda had made some adjustments to it as well. She’d removed the inner lining, which would allow Clarissa’s bra to show through like a beacon, the pink of the bra setting off nicely against the darker colored shirt. She’d also slit the shirt in half in the front to allow Clarissa to tie it just above her navel, which would draw even more attention to her breasts and her flat stomach.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Clarissa protested. Amanda sent her a look, and Clarissa’s lips thinned but she put the shirt on. She took the shoes Amanda held out, but she checked the size and laughed. “I can’t wear a size six, Amanda.”
“Neither can I,” Amanda said. “That’s why your feet will look so fabulous in them. I’m a size seven.”
“You wore these every night?” Clarissa wondered how Amanda wasn’t crippled by now.
“Clarissa, they won’t be looking at your face,” Amanda said simply. “They’ll be looking at your legs, your ass and your boobs.” She laughed as Clarissa’s blush returned. “One thing’s for sure—with those shoes, they’ll definitely give your legs first dibs.”
Amanda took the makeup Clarissa pulled out of her purse, noting the black eye color that was untouched in the case. Using a heavy hand, she doubled the size of Clarissa’s eyes with her expert application before adding several more coats of mascara. Knowing Clarissa wouldn’t have a hooker red in her lipstick arsenal, Amanda pulled her own out of her duffel bag.
She painted the lipstick on just outside the edge of Clarissa’s lips before setting it all with powder and slicking a red gloss over the top of the lipstick. Clarissa’s hair was straight as rain and really needed nothing, but she instructed her on how to make it look mussed when she got out of the car. The sexy look would be sure to add to the ensemble she’d just put together.
Finally, she allowed Clarissa to stand in front of the full-length mirror. Clarissa gasped, her hands going first to her breasts then to tugging on the skirt, not sure whether she should be trying to pull it up or down, as both ends were ridiculously short
on material.
She turned her head from side to side, seeing the woman in the mirror copy her, but she couldn’t believe how Amanda had manipulated her eyes and lips with just some simple makeup tricks. Her eyes were huge and dark while her lips looked nearly twice the size and much more luscious than normal. Her hand came to her lips, and although she was shocked at her appearance and she figured she’d never be dressed this way again, she had to admit that a teensy tiny part of her had always wanted to know what it would feel like to be the bad girl—the tramp.
Clarissa felt amazing. Amazingly cheap. But, if she was honest with herself, she felt like she could have any guy she wanted right now. “Wow, Amanda, you’re a genius,” she said in awe. “You’re obviously very good at your job.” The words were out before she could stop them, and she froze at the look on Amanda’s face reflected in the mirror.
“You’re right, Clarissa, I was damned good,” Amanda admitted. “But it’s time I figured out what I’m really suppose to do with my life, because I’m pretty sure God didn’t put me on this earth to be a hooker, despite my obvious talents.” Smiling, she patted Clarissa on the shoulder. “Now, let’s go find us a hot pastor to be your jerk boyfriend.” Linking arms, the ladies laughed as they walked down the hall toward the kitchen.
Jackson, Laura and Chuck were all in the kitchen when the two women waltzed in. Jackson stood, but for once, his eyes weren’t glued to Amanda. His jaw dropped and he swallowed almost audibly as he stared at his childhood friend. Only she didn’t look like anybody’s friend at the moment.
No, Clarissa had his tongue in knots, and if he’d been able to tear his eyes away from her, he would have noticed Chuck struggling to look away as well. He felt like his eyes had bugged out of his head and he realized that not only was Clarissa a pretty girl, she was sexy as hell.
Clarissa was looking nervously at Jackson, but his reaction sent her nerves skittering as he stared at her without saying a word. “Cla—“he opened his mouth but nothing came out. Swallowing again, he tried to speak. “Clarissa, where the hell did you get that outfit?”
“Jack!” Laura was shocked as well, but she was still his mother and she could sense when her son was obviously turned on. She had never seen him look at Clarissa like that in all the years they’d known each other.
“It’s okay, Laura,” Clarissa said nervously. “Amanda helped me with everything.”
“Yes I did,” Amanda said proudly. “And if I do say so myself, I think she could make a killing on my street.”
“Amanda!” Now it was her turn to receive Laura’s admonishment. She grinned a bit sheepishly. “I’m sorry, but if we’re going to send her off into my world, she needs to look like she belongs or Billy will spot her as a fake from a mile away.”
“Well, I think she certainly pulled it off,” Chuck said, sounding like his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. “I gotta go do, um, I just remembered I’ve gotta do something.” He averted his eyes and hurried from the room. Laura followed him, but Jackson stepped closer to Clarissa.
“Wow,” he said, looking at her more closely. Her milky white skin was showing everywhere, from her breasts spilling out of her bra to her flat stomach to the ridiculous amount of leg she was showing. Speaking of her chest, where did she get those? Shaking his head, he tore his gaze from Clarissa long enough to look at Amanda, who looked almost plain next to her masterpiece.
“Amanda, I still think this is a stupid idea; someone’s going to get hurt, and I thought you were in agreement with me,” Jackson said.
“Well, I was, for a little while,” Amanda said. “But something changed, and we can talk about that later. For now, we need to get this show on the road. We’ve already called Harry, and he’ll be here any moment to take Clarissa to her house so they can get the Ferrari and head into L.A.”
Shaking his head, Jackson knew he shouldn’t look at Clarissa again, because it would be jumping into the same area he’d been struggling in for weeks now. Meeting her eyes, he addressed Clarissa.
“Are you sure about this, Rissa?” Although her nerves were setting in, Clarissa nodded, meeting Jackson eye to eye for the first time thanks to Amanda’s stilettos. “My God, you sure are a surprise.”
“Um, thank you?” Clarissa smiled at him, not quite sure what to say.
“Okay, Jack, enough drooling,” Amanda said, rolling her eyes. “We’ve also got to meet Jason at Clarissa’s house so he can pick up her convertible.”
Harry’s 27-year-old son had agreed to play the part of the client for the evening, and they had decided he would drive Clarissa’s convertible since it was splashy without being too expensive-looking. Amanda had shared that most of the men who pulled over on her street were not driving Bentley’s and Lamborghini’s, but instead they were driving Camaros and other sporty cars they were using as their mid-life crisis cars.
Moments later, the two vehicles left, Harry and Clarissa in her car and Jackson and Amanda in his. For the first time, the only thought on her mind was the job at hand, and not how close Jackson was and how good he smelled. Okay, well maybe I noticed how good he smelled, but hey, I am human after all, right?
God I hope this works. He wasn’t sure if he was actually talking to God or if he was just throwing that thought out there flippantly. He was nervous for Clarissa, and very worried. He and Amanda would be a safe distance away and the plan was that Harry would have his cell phone on and would be connected to Jackson’s phone the entire time he was fighting with Clarissa.
Jason was also going to be nearby, but in the opposite direction. He would be waiting for the signal from his dad to move forward with the plan. If it went well, Jason would be bringing Clarissa and Whitney to safety at the warehouse the church was renovating. If not, well, no one was really sure what they would do in anything but the best-case scenario.
Chapter 26
The three cars traveled toward Amanda’s old stomping grounds, but for the most part, the occupants were silent. Amanda wanted to tell Jackson what had happened back at his parents’ house, but she didn’t want to mess up his concentration when they were in the middle of something like Whitney’s rescue.
She still couldn’t get over what Clarissa was doing for her, and for Whitney. Clarissa was the one taking on all the danger. Amanda was out of reach and Jackson, Jason and Harry really had very little risk in the situation.
Clarissa was silent as she rode with Harry. She wasn’t use to being in the passenger’s seat in her own car, but she knew it would be easier not to have to switch drivers. Especially since she was very afraid she would back out of the plan if she got out of the car.
Clarissa knew there was really no way to rehearse lines for this little act, but she went over possible scenarios in her head and how she’d play them. True, she had no experience in Amanda’s world, but she figured she’d had to play enough roles as the CEO of Black Enterprises that she could pull off a simple stunt against someone like Billy.
“It’s not too late to back out, Clarissa,” Harry said. He looked at her as she rode stone-faced and stiff in her seat next to him.
“Harry, don’t,” Clarissa said. She didn’t even glance his way, so Harry left her to her thoughts.
Jason followed the other two cars, splitting off only for the last few blocks so he could grab a coffee and park in the lot just off North Vermont and Maubert, well out of view of the ensuing fight between Clarissa and Harry. He waited for the text from his dad, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel as he tried to quiet his nerves. He certainly never thought he’d be doing something like this, but Jason had always been an adrenaline junkie. It was why he had become a Navy Seal.
“As soon as you drop me off, you have to go to the warehouse,” Clarissa reminded Harry. It was at least four blocks away, so she knew he’d be safe there, and if things went according to their plan, Clarissa and Whitney would arrive at the warehouse with Jason within the hour, where Amanda and Jackson would also be waiting.
“Clariss
a, I know,” Harry said, but he knew she was just trying to get him frustrated so anger was near the surface when he kicked her out of the car. “The warehouse is still basically just the old gym, so it doesn’t look like much, but we’ll have the front doors open. The big windows are all blacked out right now, so once we’re inside and Jason moves the car, you’ll be perfectly safe.”
Harry didn’t really think they’d be pursued all the way to where Vermont Place ran into Vermont Avenue, but it wouldn’t hurt to use extra caution. Harry dialed Jackson, saying simply, “We’re ready,” before nodding and putting the phone down in between them.
“Ready for this?” Harry asked Clarissa one last time. Suddenly, her chest constricted as it truly sunk in what she was about to do. Her breathing became shallow and raspy, but Harry just smiled and said, “You can do this—God is on our side.”
Her breathing actually made it easier to drum up emotion for their argument, and as Harry lowered the windows, Clarissa started in while they turned the corner onto Billy’s street.
“You said you’d pay me up front, so either you fork over the cash or you’ve gotten everything you’re going to get from me,” Clarissa said loudly. Harry looked at her, as this was already a diversion from the planned boyfriend-dumping-girlfriend scenario. Go with me, Clarissa mouthed.
“Listen, bitch,” Harry shot back. “I said I’d pay, but I want to make sure you’re worth the money, so I want a sample.” He raised his voice as he bee lined for the curb, parking just in front of where Whitney and the woman whom she’d called Carla were sharing a cigarette.
Clarissa had appropriately teased her hair and now she shot Harry a look that could have burned the strongest man. “I don’t give samples,” she spit out. “Give me my money, otherwise we’re done.” Clarissa held out her hand, but Harry reached over her and threw the door open.
Hot Pink Heels (The Street Series) Page 17