Both Gautier’s and Gina’s eyes tighten.
I ignore them. Amber pretends to be doing the same.
The restaurant is a big one, windows everywhere, bright lights and frenzied waiters running around and I like none of the food on the menu. Too intricate and not spicy enough.
“Tell me Stanmore, since my sister doesn’t tell me anything,” Gautier says, putting the linen napkin into his lap when we get our orders. “How long have you known Amber?”
A little over six months.
“A couple of days,” I answer and Gautier lets out a cough.
“That’s unnerving,” Gina says, waving her fork around. “You already seem way too serious with each other.”
“We are. Dead serious,” I answer, earning a pissy glance from Amber’s brother.
“We live together don’t we?” Amber smiles, making my heart clench. But I like her private smiles more. The ones she gives me in secret, when nobody but me is watching.
“What do you do for a living, Stanmore?” Gautier pushes his glasses up. “Are you a musician too?”
“Does he look like a musician?” Gina laughs, already getting tipsy but her eyes coat with lust when they land on me.
“I’m a mason,” I answer and they both stop eating, staring at me.
“Yum, this is so good, isn’t it?” Amber says anxiously, poking her food and her eyes go to them and then back to me. I wink at her, making her burst out into an unexpected giggle, before she abruptly stops laughing, the energy turning tense again.
“I see,” Gautier says, looking like he’s closet horrified and Gina snorts.
“That’s so old fashioned...ouch!” She throws a rabid look at Amber and I figure she kicked her manager under the table. Violent for me. My lips twitch. Sweet girl.
When we finish with dinner, Gautier decides to get up and order us some drinks and desserts before we leave. Gina glares at me, then at Amber.
“Keep me company while I smoke?” she says, holding up her purse and Amber pinches her lips, looking up at me and Gina laughs. “What? Doeshehave to give you green light?”
Annoyance twists in me, turning into anger when Amber bends her head down as if hurt by the comment.
“Of course not.” Moving forward she brushes her lips against my cheekbone. “Miss me while I’m gone?”
Do I ever not do that?
“Oh for fuc...” Gina snarls, pulling at Amber, “let’s just go. Don’t tell me you can’t be apart for five freaking minutes?”
Throwing me an excusing glance, Amber lets herself be dragged away and I silently brush my fingers alongside her arm, my fingertips sliding down the skirt of her dress.
She’s not even out of the restaurant yet and my longing for her already slices me. When she’s out, I throw an eye on Gautier who’s still pressing by the bar and then I get up and follow them.
They’re at the back, standing on the parking lot and I don’t pass the corner, making sure to stay hidden by the building. I don’t like Gina. The condescending way she looks at Amber. The condescending way she talks to her.
More importantly she dislikes me back and I don’t want her to put any ideas in Amber’s head. If she tells her anything that makes Amber pull away...
“You’re unhealthy,” I hear Gina say and then a lighter flicks.
“Look who’s talking, and I’m not unhealthy. I take my gummy bears every day.”
“You know what I mean. That man in there...you need to stay away from him.”
My fists curl, fingers digging into my palms. Nobody keeps her from me.
“Stan? I don’t want to stay away from him,” Amber says so firmly that she makes me proud. “He’s good for me, takes care of me.” Amber pauses. “And...I think he’s helped make my music a little bit sexier.”