“Yeah, just after you left from our lunch date. I’m not sure what she was doing in the area, but we bumped into each other. I told her a little about you.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I felt like she deserved an explanation. You haven’t exactly been fair to her.”
“I know. So, that’s how she knew about Nicole?”
“She said something?”
“She said, ‘It’s no wonder your wife left you.’”
Emily whistled softly. “It sounds like she was really mad.”
“And she has a right to be. I’ve credited her in the photos now. I even offered to share some of the profits with her.”
“Then it sounds like you’ve done all you can.”
“I don’t know… Should I apologize to her about the kiss?”
“No, I don’t think that’s necessary. It sounded like she wanted it, from what you’ve described. You’ve already apologized for everything you need to apologize for.”
Amanda nodded slowly. That was good to hear. “Thanks, Emily. I really needed to get out of my head for a minute.”
“No problem. So, what are you going to do about Snow?”
“What can I do? She clearly hates me now, and for good reason.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. You don’t kiss someone back unless there’s at least some small part of you that doesn’t hate them.”
Amanda wasn’t so sure about that. “I don’t suppose there’s anything more I can do, regardless. Unless Snow decides to take me up on my offer to share the profits, in which case we’ll be working together some more.”
Amanda found that she liked that idea, but it probably wasn’t an idea that would ever come to pass. Snow didn’t strike Amanda as the kind of person to say yes to such an offer.
She could only hope that in the future, her and Snow’s paths would cross again.
8
Snow was in shock. She drove on autopilot, heading home without really thinking about it. Her mind was full of Amanda’s kiss.
Why had Amanda kissed her? Had she recognized Snow’s pitiful crush and decided to play with her?
No, Snow didn’t believe that of her. Yes, Amanda had failed to credit her in the photos, which was wrong, but it was a far cry from playing with a person’s heart in that manner.
Perhaps Amanda had kissed Snow to try to make up for her behavior? It would be a strange thing to do, but Snow had seen plenty of strange things in her life.
No, she didn’t think that had been it, either. The kiss had been too passionate for that.
That left only one option: Amanda was as attracted to Snow as Snow was to her. It was an intoxicating thought.
She was so distracted with thoughts of Amanda that she almost missed Bluebell’s bus. Snow practically ran to the bus stop to be there when Bluebell got off.
“Are you okay, Mom? You look funny.”
Snow chuckled. “I’m fine, sweetheart. I was just a bit late, so I had to hurry to get here.”
“I can walk home by myself,” Bluebell pouted. “I’m a big girl.”
“That you are, but I want to spend time with you. I’ll always want to spend time with you, no matter how big you are.”