“I’m glad you’re noticing a man, don’t get me wrong. For a while, I wondered if you were honest-to-goodness married to your career. But Miguel Menendez?”
“Yes.” That was all she said. She couldn’t say more, not in front of Miguel, and that would be too embarrassing. But she and her mom understood each other.
“You can’t always choose where your heart leads you.”
“Exactly.”
“He must be pretty special to have broken through your wall of indifference to men.”
“Definitely.”
“I’m glad, sweetie. Really glad.” That was her mom, always supportive—even when she was a little apprehensive.
“Thanks, Mom. Talk to you later?”
“Sounds good. Have fun!”
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too, Amber. So much.”
They hung up, Amber smiling.
“You two are very close.”
“Yes, since my dad died before my birth all we’ve ever had is each other.”
“She never remarried?”
“No. She’s dated a few times, but she says that no one has ever made her happier than her memories.”
“Your parents must have had a very good marriage.”
“According to her, it was the best. Worth keeping a memory intact over.”
“Your mother is a remarkable woman.”
“She is. She wasn’t sure about my modeling at first. She tried to talk me out of it, and then one day she came to me and said I should pursue my dreams no matter what they were. And there’s been no looking back since. But I’ve always been determined to prove to her that she didn’t make a mistake supporting me in my dreams.”
“That is laudable.”
“Is laudable sexy?”
“On you,cielo, everything is sexy.”
“We aren’t going to leave your apartment again tonight, are we?” He’d said as much before he kissed her, but it was starting to sink in more firmly exactly what that meant.
“Does the prospect bother you?”
“No. Not much,” she added with more candor.
“You have nothing to fear. It will be very good between us.”
“Um…” She licked her lips again and then sighed. “I’m sure you are right. Only there’s something I think you should know.”
“What is that?”
One thing she’d learned long ago, in cases of true importance blunt was better than tap dancing around a subject. “I’ve never been with another manthat way .”