“You know what’s not sexy?” Gina snorts. “That dress you’re wearing... too formal.”
“Stan likes it.”
“Are you freaking kidding me?”
“What? I’m not a bad person because I like to make him happy. And what about you, wearing those heels only because Roger likes them.”
“I don’t wear them because Roger likes them. I wear them because it’s the only time he’ll bone me.”
Amber lets out a hearty laugh.
“And don’t compare Roger to that man in there. He’s a different kind. The way he looks at you, talks to you. The way he calls you all mine. Gave me the creeps.”
She’s right, I am a different kind.
“Oh, stop it...” Amber purrs, “why do you care so much about my love life anyway?”
“Because I expect to be making a lot of money off of you, sweetheart,” Gina says in a syrupy voice. “And I need to look out for my asset.”
Not anymore you won’t.
“You’re heartless, G,” Amber teases, “and how about you mind your own beeswax from now on?”
“When you start dating a man whose name doesn’t spell Satan if you add an a, I will...”
I leave. I’ve heard what I needed to hear and I’m sitting at the table again, before Gaudier comes back. Amber breathlessly gives me a kiss on the lips, when she scoots next to me, earning two disproving glances.
I’m immune. But I don’t want them to cause any distress to Amber.
We finish our drinks and desserts, asking for the check.
Gautier clears his throat. “I’ll handle this,” he says, cynically glancing at my blazer but I stop him.
“Let me. I insist.”
****
The concert is held in one of the local, smaller concert halls. At the entrance, Amber is all jittery and I try to comfort her, touch her, whisper encouraging words but it’s not working. It makes me feel worthless when she’s not responding, her eyes glassy and her cheeks have paled.
I can’t have her feeling like this and I’m frowning so hard that people make an effort to stay out of my way. They should. I don’t want their clothes nudging against Amber’s body, want none of the fibers from their fabrics on her.
I don’t even like her being in the same space as other people. But I don’t let her know anything about it. She doesn’t need my shit tonight. Tonight it’s all about her. Then again in my world it’s always about her.
“Okay you ready?” Gina says in Amber’s ear but so loud I want to shove her away for probably bursting Amber’s eardrum. “Head clear, nerves steady...wait, why do you look like you’re about to hurl?”
“Because I am. Look who’s standing in the corner.”
She nudges her chin in the direction of a middle aged man, with wavy hair.
“It’s Davidos,” Amber says anxiously. “I thought Hermann was the one coming tonight.”
“Hermann is in Vienna,” Gina replies. “You’re just going to have to suck it up...”
Shaking her head in distress as if she’s had it, Amber runs away and when I reach for her, she rejects me. It stabs me in a part so deep inside of me that I nearly stagger.
But I’m not letting her get away this easily.
“Hey, what’s going on with your eyes...?” I hear Gina say behind me but I ignore her, making my way through the crowd to get to Amber. She runs into the ladies, her dark hair flying behind her and I’m on her like a shadow.