Amber's Fantasy by Pepper Anthony Page B

the first time that she was leaning pretty
heavily against the table. How much champagne had she had?
    He bent close again and whispered, “It’s a perfect evening
for a stroll. I could use some fresh air. Care to join me?”
    Her little pink tongue flicked out and ran along her lips,
licking the cream away. She cocked her head, looking uncertain. “I don’t know.
I should probably stand by in case Saundra needs me.”
    “Everything’s going smoothly, Amber. You set it all up
perfectly, and now your job is done.”
    “Oh.” She gave him a wide smile. “Really? Are you sure?
Let’s drink to that.” She picked up her empty glass and made a grab for an open
champagne bottle. He intercepted it, and then eased the stem of the glass from
her fingers.
    “Let’s take that walk now. Did you bring a jacket?”
    She nodded and pointed toward the small office that was
acting as a cloak room. “My wrap. It’s kind of a silvery color.”
    He took her by the hand and led her through the crowd, aware
of eyes following them. He hoped to avoid having to stop and converse with any
of Amber’s coworkers. Her being tipsy at the open house was hardly an
auspicious start to her new position as assistant manager. Saundra, especially,
would be disappointed.
    Two minutes later they had collected her purse and her wrap
without anyone being the wiser. She let him lead her through the door to the
lobby and the elevator. He could feel her racing pulse against his palm.

Chapter 7
     
    Ten minutes later, they sat across from each other in a cute
little all-night diner six blocks from Crescent’s building. Their waitress had
just filled their coffee cups and Ray watched as Amber added a generous splash
of cream and stirred it in with a bit too much enthusiasm. Creamy coffee
sloshed over the edge of the cup. She didn’t seem to notice. Her wrap had
slipped down behind her onto the booth seat. The fluorescent lighting in the
place tinged her cheeks and shoulders a pale green. Even so, she was a vision
in the blue dress. He tried not to stare at her cleavage.
    “Are you feeling okay?” he asked, reaching across to blot up
the spill with a paper napkin.
    She took her eyes off what he was doing and nodded. “Better.
The fresh air was nice.” She scrunched up her nose. “But these shoes aren’t
exactly made for trekking around on concrete.”
    “But they look amazing.”
    “Thanks.” She ducked her head.
    “Do you want something to eat? Maybe some scrambled eggs?”
    “No. I think I must have eaten quite a bit at the party.”
    “You don’t remember?”
    A scowl marred her forehead. “I guess I was distracted.”
    “By?”
    A blush of color stole over her cheeks, creating an
unfortunate contrast to the bad lighting. Her gaze shifted to one side, and she
took a deep drink of her coffee before she answered.
    “Oh. Uh, I was thinking about Dinitra. My little sister. She
and I had sort of a spat earlier this evening.”
    “What about?” He sipped at his own cup.
    She shrugged. “Same old thing. I want her to move out here
and she’s not about to. Says she loves her job and I shouldn’t worry.”
    “You never told me her job.”
    She took another gulp before leaning forward across the
table. “She’s an exotic dancer,” she said, sotto voce . “You know, a
stripper.”
    “Ah.” That had to be a bitter pill for the older, more
conservative sister to swallow. No wonder Amber wanted to take Dinitra more
closely under her wing.
    “You see?” She leaned back and spread her hands open. “I’ve
gotta get her outta there.”
    “I don’t blame you for worrying about her. But we really
can’t force an idea onto other people. They have to come to it themselves.”
    “I know.” Her shoulders sagged. “But it’s hard. You should
see this place where she works. It’s awful. What if something bad happens to
her?”
    Ray was just thinking that Amber’s eyes seemed a little more
focused when they suddenly filled with tears. He