“No,” Amanda admitted. “I called a photography agency and asked them to send their best photographer. They sent Snow.”
“So, you hired her. And you got angry when she showed up as you requested?”
“Well, it sounds stupid when you say it like that.”
“Is there something to the story that I’m missing?”
“Yeah, there is. She stole from me.”
“She stole something? Did you report her to the police?”
“She didn’t steal something I could report her for. My greeting cards were supposed to take everyone by storm this season, but that can’t happen when everyone is cooing overSnow bloody Willows.” Amanda spat out her name.
“You’re jealous, then. You’re jealous of her talent and success, and you took it out on her, when she was only doing her job.”
“You’re making me sound unreasonable.”
“That’s because you’re acting unreasonable, Amanda. The poor woman isn’t launching a personal attack on you. She’s just trying to run her business, the same as you are. I hope you weren’t rude to her.”
“I…” Amanda knew that she had been rude to Snow. Was Emily right? Was she being completely irrational?
It didn’t take long to come up with that answer. Yes, of course she was being irrational. Anger and resentment weren’t always rational emotions, though.
“So I might have been a bit snappish,” Amanda admitted. “So what? She’s a professional. She can take cranky customers.”
“She can, but she shouldn’t have to. You can be a real ass when you want to be, you know? You’re letting your quick temper get ahead of you. I know that things are bad between you and Nicole, but you can’t take that out on other people who happen to annoy you.”
“Who said this has anything to do with Nicole?”
“Doesn’t it?”
“No!”
“So, you didn’t have an upsetting interaction with Nicole just before you went on this vendetta against Snow?”
“Have you been listening in on my phone calls?”
Emily chuckled. “No, I just know you. When you’re hurting, you tend to lash out. And I call you out on your bullshit. It’s why you need me.”
“That I do,” Amanda sighed. “Maybe I am being unfair to Snow, but I can’t help how I feel. I know it’s not rational, but that doesn’t make it go away.”
“Well, it’s not like you’re going to see her again. I’m sure the anger will fade on its own eventually. Just don’t treat her badly if you do happen to run into her.”
Amanda could try, but just the thought of stupid lovely Snow with her stupid name and her stupid talent put her on edge. Her pretty warm smile and her brilliant blue eyes. It was all too much. She didn’t know if she could manage to be civil with the woman. But that shouldn’t be a problem. She had her photos. She didn’t need anything else from Snow.
Unbidden, the memory Amanda had been trying very hard to ignore popped up.
She remembered how close she and Snow had been when Snow was getting her ready for that photo. Snow had looked so beautiful in the light with her golden hair and the trees in the background.
Snow was at least fifteen years younger than her, and probably wouldn’t be interested in someone as old as Amanda, who had had her fifty-second birthday just last week.
That didn’t stop Amanda from finding her attractive. She had that sweet, innocent, free-spirited look about her. She was so different from Nicole, who was argumentative, controlling and down-to-business, just like Amanda.
In that moment, Amanda hadn’t been angry with Snow. She had simply been taken by her beauty. She wondered what it would be like to kiss Snow’s pillowy pink lips. She nearly had, in that moment, but had pulled back just in time.
Of course, Snow wouldn’t want that, especially after how Amanda had treated her. So, Amanda pushed that memory to the back of her mind and focused instead on how much she hated Snow and her stupidly beautiful lips.
“Amanda? Are you still with me?”