“I don’t know about you, but these dinners drive me crazy,” Myra laughed. “Boooring! But, Dan makes the big bucks and he likes to have me along, so I put up with it. At least they don’t ask me to chime in on the conversation, and I get out of the house a couple of times a month for a fancy dinner.”
“Yeah,” Amanda agreed. “The tiramisu was pretty awesome. How long do you think they’ll go?”
Myra tapped her butt out in the ashtray and pulled out a compact to fix her lipstick. “Well, they’ve only had a few drinks,” she said, tracing her lips with a slim red pencil. “Usually things don’t wrap up until sometime after the fourth drink or so, but we could get lucky tonight, in more ways than one.”
She winked at Amanda, which had her stomach in knots. Maybe she wasn’t going to get out of this evening so easily, but she’d just have to deal with that later. Maybe Jonathan would have too many drinks and he’d put her in a cab at the end of the dinner.
“Well, we’d better head back,” Myra said, tossing her lipstick into her clutch along with her compact. “Dan gets worried if I’m gone too long. He’s sweet like that. Thirteen years of marriage and he still worries about me.” She grinned before preceding Amanda out the door.
Jealousy was an angry dragon that threatened to choke her, but Amanda simply smiled back and tucked her newly highlighted hair behind her ear. Will I ever find something like that? She wanted what they had, the obvious attraction Dan and Myra had for each other and the way he worried about her.
Amanda had noticed certain things all night, like the way Dan touched Myra’s hand often, and for no reason, or the way she blushed when he leaned close to her in the booth just to share a private joke. That is so abnormal. Not really, Amanda, she argued back.
Amanda’s parents had a relationship like that, and they’d modeled it in front of her and her siblings every single day. They’d talked about what a relationship should look like and most importantly, they’d lived it out for her. How had she fallen so far from their example?
Like a zombie, she held her drink up as the two men shared a toast. Maybe they’re wrapping things up. She hoped that meant she could head back to her place sooner rather than later, but Myra’s words came back to haunt her as she noticed Jonathan was only on his second drink of the night. He’d been nursing his gin and tonic for the entire meal and was just now getting a fresh one.
Sighing inwardly, Amanda settled herself in for a long night. It was easy to pretend she was having a good time. The five hundred bucks in her beaded clutch certainly helped her acting performance. The thought of shopping again with that money brought a small smile to her face before she realized Myra was standing next to her.
“Oh, man, I’m sorry, I must have zoned out,” Amanda said, quickly getting to her feet. To her surprise, Jonathan’s glass was already empty and his hand was on her elbow, guiding her out of the restaurant. Dan and Jonathan shook hands once more before parting ways, and Myra waved back at Amanda as they slid into their waiting limo.
Jackson and Harry had agreed that he should go back to Amanda’s and try to convince her to move in with Jackson’s parents. This time he was playing it smart, however, and he’d brought his dad with him to keep Jackson and Amanda from getting into another physical situation.
It felt like they were on a stakeout, complete with the donuts and cups of coffee. Chuck offered Jackson another donut, but Jackson shook his head, looking at his watch for what must be the hundredth time that evening. It was already after 2 a.m. and they’d seen no sign of Amanda.
Where is she? Jackson was anxious. It had been several days since he’d seen Amanda, and he was strangely excited. He’d never known himself to act like this because of a woman.
“Jack, you need to relax,” Chuck punched him lightly in the arm. “You’re just going to drive yourself crazy.”
His dad was right. He was driving himself crazy, imagining where she could be at this time of the night. Admit it, Jack. You’re really wondering whom she is with and what she is doing right now. He felt like throwing up. The thought of some other guy just using her, touching her…
Jackson’s fist slammed into the dash, making his father jump. “Jack, come on, this isn’t doing you or Amanda any good,” Chuck said. “Let’s get out and walk around a little. My legs are getting stiff.”
“Dad, I can’t explain how I feel,” Jackson said as he closed the car door. “I know what she does for a living, but part of me doesn’t care. There’s a very real part of me that doesn’t care at all what it is she does, because I feel so strongly attracted to her. But then there’s the part of me that cares more than I should. It’s not just the type of feeling that I want the best for her because God loves her—it goes much farther than that.”
“I know, son,” Chuck nodded as he walked along with his hands in his pocket. It wasn’t the best neighborhood, but it wasn’t too unsafe for a couple of guys to walk around in the middle of the night. He looked behind them, but there was nothing there. Still, the hairs on the back of his neck were telling him something wasn’t right.
“What’s God telling you about all of this?” Chuck was looking at Jackson now. Jackson stopped and faced his dad.
“That’s the thing, Dad,” Jackson said, the frustration evident in his voice. “God’s been strangely silent about this. I mean I felt like He was telling me to go and check on her, but other than that, I really haven’t gotten a lot of direction.”
“Well, if you’ve been talking to Him, then I’m sure He’ll show you what you’re supposed to do and when you’re supposed to do it,” Chuck said. “I don’t pretend to know God’s mind and I certainly don’t know the Bible like you do, but I remember something, some sort of story about a hooker, right?”
“In the Bible?” Jackson stared at Chuck. “A story about a hooker in the Bible? Dad, c’mon, there are a couple of stories like that in the Bible, but what does that have to do with this situation?”
“I don’t know, something Harry said in a message a few weeks ago, do you remember that passage—I mean, it was about some hooker that had this really weird name,” Chuck said, struggling to remember the exact passage. Jackson’s parents had not always been Christ-followers and it was really just in the past couple of years that they had been steadily attending church.
“Gomer?” Jackson supplied. “Is that what you’re talking about?”
“Yes, that’s it!” Chuck exclaimed. “Wasn’t she a prostitute and she had to marry the guy who believed in God?”
“Okay, okay, I think I am starting to figure it out,” Jackson said; his hands in the air to keep his father paused. “Wait, I think that’s a car.” The two men watched as a dark sedan pulled up to the curb in front of Amanda’s apartment building. A man of medium build, sandy-colored hair and wearing a three-piece suit moved around the car to the passenger side.
“That’s gotta be Amanda,” Jackson whispered to Chuck. “C’mon, Dad, we need to get over there.”
“Hold it, son, we need to be sure it’s her and plus, we’re not going to just snatch her off the sidewalk,” Chuck said quietly.
The man helped Amanda out of the car. At least Jackson thought it was Amanda, but she looked different. She was dressed very elegantly in all black and her hair was down but shorter. He could barely see her, due to most of the streetlights being burned out on this street.
“She did something to her hair,” Jackson commented, almost to himself. “She colored it or something, but wow.”
“Down, buddy,” Chuck laughed. “She does look very pretty though.”
Jackson’s hands fisted at his sides as he saw the other man put his arm possessively around her waist. It was obvious they’d been together physically, because the other man looked right at home with one hand too low to be considered “on her waist,” and the other hand roaming freely over her body as he kissed her thoroughly.
Jackson closed his eyes as the rage choked him. He wanted to beat the man’s face in, and he was normal
ly not the violent sort. Of course, Amanda didn’t look like she minded that much, Jackson noticed. Opening his eyes again, he was just in time to see a small roll of bills pass from the man’s hand to Amanda’s.
He got back into his car and drove off, leaving Amanda standing on the sidewalk in her cocktail dress. So, this escort business is not just being on some guy’s arm for the evening. He wanted to get her out of this, and now! But she wouldn’t come with him willingly, because she was too stubborn to accept help.
Chuck’s hand on Jackson’s forearm calmed his emotions and made him look at his father’s face, which was tight with anxiety. He nodded slightly in the direction of the alley closest to Amanda. Jackson followed his gaze to see a very angry Billy stepping out of the shadows.
Jackson started forward, determined to get to Amanda first, and he walked up to her just before Billy got to her. “Amanda, don’t look back,” he said as he grabbed her by the elbow and began to cross the street with her. She started to resist, but saw Billy out of the corner of her eye as she stepped into the street. She stiffened, but Jackson kept her moving.
She noticed Chuck holding the passenger door for her and she couldn’t resist a small smile for him. He just smiled back and she realized his presence alone made her feel safe, just as Jackson’s embrace did. She heard Billy shouting as Chuck closed the door. Jackson slid in beside her and looked at her quickly before muttering, “Buckle up.”
Chuck was about to get into the backseat when Billy appeared at her door and rapped on her window. “Hey, bitch, where’ve you been?” This was angry Billy and she was afraid he was going to break the window of Jackson’s car. She watched as Chuck moved in between Billy and the car.
Chuck’s hands came up to block Billy’s right hook and push him back a bit. “Dad, get in,” Jackson shouted. While Billy was still recovering from the shock of Chuck’s reaction, Chuck jumped in the backseat and slammed the door. Jackson peeled away from the curb and headed out of the city.
Chapter 17
Amanda had been silent for most of the ride to Chuck and Laura’s house, but she couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “How did you know Billy would be coming there to find me?” She was curious, but Jackson’s answer made her furious.
“We didn’t,” Jackson said. “We were worried about you, so we’d been waiting there for you for about four hours. Me, Dad and Harry all thought it would be best to get you out of the situation.” He glanced quickly over at her and realized she was not thrilled to hear his explanation.
“What made you think you could just make that decision for me,” asked Amanda. “I already told you I didn’t want to live with your parents—no offense, Chuck.”
“It’s okay, Amanda, none taken,” Chuck laughed. “Now, don’t be too mad at Jack, because both Harry and I were pushing him to do something to make sure you were safe.”
Turning in her seat, she looked at Chuck. “But it’s not up to any of you what I should or shouldn’t do with my life,” she said, frustration creeping in. “Besides, if I was going to make that decision, I would want to get my things first and I have another job, I mean, what about the diner? I’m supposed to come in for the 7-12 shift in the morning.”
“Amanda, I’m sorry, I know we just pushed our way in, but I feel like God has been trying to tell me something about you and I don’t know what it is,” Jackson said, without taking his eyes off the road.
Snorting, Amanda shook her head. “Seriously, that is the dumbest thing I’ve heard you say,” she said derisively. “You don’t give a crap about me, but you’ll make yourself feel better if you do something, really anything at all. So, what’s the plan? Just take me to your parents’ house and shove me off on them?”
Chuck leaned forward. “In Jack’s defense, I have been wanting to get some help for Laura for some time, but I’ve been dragging my feet,” he said. “I didn’t want some stranger just coming in to clean and then leaving. Laura is an excellent cook, but I want her to have more time to relax with me, and the past couple of years have been lonely around our house.”
As they pulled into the driveway, Amanda saw Laura standing in the doorway, a rag in her hands and a smile on her face. Amanda softened when she saw Laura, and Jackson saw the look on her face. He took advantage of it, taking her hand and catching her off guard.
“Amanda, will you please just give this a try?” he asked. “I promise, I’ll go back to your apartment myself and get your stuff if you want me to, but will you just try it out, if for no other reason than because my parents need someone?”
Sighing, Amanda looked back at Laura and opened her car door, ready to be swamped with attention once again.
Laura was the picture of ease on the outside, but she was anything but calm on the inside. She really wanted this to work out, and not because she needed the help. With just her and Chuck, she didn’t cook as much and two people didn’t really mess up a house much, so there wasn’t a lot of cleaning required. No, Laura wanted this to work out for a much different reason.
Smiling, she took Amanda’s hands in her own and led her inside. “You can have Melanie’s room again,” Laura said kindly. “I’ve put fresh sheets on the bed and there are several outfits in the closet as well as some more comfortable t-shirts and jeans in the dresser drawers.”
“Okay, thanks,” Amanda said, trying to keep her composure. She sent an I-will-kill-you-later glance over her shoulder at Jackson, but Chuck’s cheeky smile melted her heart. Stiffen up, Amanda. You can’t let these people get to you. They’re just like Jackson and they’ll want to get rid of you eventually.
Laura led Amanda into the bedroom she’d used once before, and she noticed the fresh flowers had been replaced with a trio of bright orange tiger lilies. The dresser top held a small porcelain cup, which contained a simple silver locket. Looking down at it, Amanda was struck with the similarities between the locket and her own necklace.
“That belonged to Melanie,” said Laura. “She was my daughter, Jack’s sister. She was your age when she went missing, and the locket is the only thing they ever found. The chain was broken, but they found it with the locket on the next street over. She disappeared while jogging one morning. That was two years ago.” Laura’s voice broke.
Amanda just stared at her, not knowing what to say. She felt her own eyes filling with tears.
“I’m sorry, you don’t need to hear all of this,” Laura said, her voice thick with unshed tears. “I just wanted you to know we’re not psychos who just keep a bedroom ready for the next girl to stumble into our lives.”
Amanda laughed a bit. Stumble into their lives is exactly what she’d done, she thought, remembering the way she’d toppled into Jackson’s car a few weeks ago. Then she’d fallen on the sidewalk, and she was afraid she’d been falling ever since. She felt an ache of sadness for Laura’s loss, and thought about how hard it would’ve been for her to hear that her sister or her brother had disappeared without a trace.
That’s basically what you’ve done to your parents, Amanda. Think about what you’ve put them through and you could just pick up the phone and let them know you are alive. This poor woman has no idea if her daughter is alive or dead. Amanda determined then and there that she would call her parents at the first opportunity, or at least write them a letter or something to let them know she was alive and well.
Of course, well was a relevant term, and she was sure her parents wouldn’t consider her current or recent career choices ones that signaled her well-being. “I’m sorry about your daughter,” Amanda said softly, not sure Laura had even heard her.
“Thank you, dear,” Laura said. “I’ve never given up hope that she could be alive, but each day makes it less likely than the day before. I know you’re probably exhausted, so I’ll just leave you to change and get in bed for a few hours, but feel free to join us in the kitchen whenever you like.”
She started to close the door behind her, but added, “By the way, that dress looks lovely on you.” Laura hadn’t mis
sed the way her son’s eyes had traveled over Amanda like a caress, the look on his face all but throwing out hearts and flowers. She felt God telling her to take care of Amanda for Jackson, because she truly believed in another reason for this all to work out, besides the fact that her son was obviously smitten with the woman.
Laura wanted this to work out because she believed God would bring Amanda back. He hadn’t used an audible voice and some might chalk it up to women’s intuition. Call it whatever they liked, Laura knew Amanda was in the perfect position to get to know God.
Amanda slipped a long t-shirt over her head, the soft material clinging to her skin like a whisper and skimming her thighs in an undeniably appealing picture. Suddenly, the night’s events hit her hard, and she saw by the clock on the nightstand that it was almost five already. She trudged toward the bed and snuggled under the now familiar pink and green quilt. She was asleep nearly as soon as her head touched the pillow.
Amanda’s eyes cracked open when the sunlight finally reached her face. Shielding her eyes, Amanda saw it was long past the time she was due at the diner. She knew last night she’d miss the shift, but it was a steady job and she was frustrated all over again.
Great, now I’ve gotta find something else. Sal was probably cussing her out right about now. Yeah right, it’s already almost 10, so he’s probably already told everyone she was fired and called in a replacement.
Stretching, Amanda figured she might as well enjoy the leisurely morning while she could. She moved to the window and looked out at the perfect little neighborhood with sprawling yards, clean streets and whole sidewalks.
Checking the closet, she saw it had been filled with several blouses, a skirt, a pantsuit and yes, there was her black dress, hanging neatly with her heels lined up on the floor along with an unfamiliar pair of sandals. Laura. Amanda realized she must’ve been sleeping so hard that Laura had been able to come in and hang up her clothes without waking her. Somehow, instead of feeling strange, it made Amanda feel cared for.
Hot Pink Heels (The Street Series) Page 10
