CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR - AMBER
“I thought we were going to do something fun” I told Jamie as we walked into the supermarket.
“Grocery shopping is fun,” she said breezily.
“Not really. And this is not how I pictured spending my day off.”
“Don’t pretend to hate this. This is where the food is, master chef. You love food. You’d probably marry food and have little food babies.”
I laughed. “What the hell are you talking about?”
She shrugged. “No idea. I was only half-listening to myself anyway. Come on. Let’s get this done and I’ll take you out for a margarita. But you’re paying since you’re rich now.”
“I am not rich.”
“Richer than me. Besides, I know a place where they serve it in a fish bowl for like seven bucks. You can spot me seven bucks.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Maybe not for long.”
Jamie led me down the cereal aisle as she pushed the shopping cart. “Still not liking the new job?”
“That’s an understatement. It’s nothing but rich snobs in the dining room. They always find a reason to send food back, even if they have to make it up. It’s like they can’t enjoy their meal unless they hassle the staff.”
“Mm hmm,” Jamie said skeptically. “Maybe you just suck at cooking.”
I smiled. “Maybe. Not like they’d ever know it. I never get to cook anything. I tried making a salad yesterday, and the garde manger got all pissy with me.”
“Am I supposed to know what a blah, blah, blah is?” she asked, mocking me.
“They handle the salads. But God forbid I call her the pantry chef, like a normal person. She did not like that. You’d think I called her a hoe bag.’” I made a frustrated growl. “Everything about that place just bothers the shit out of me.”
“Like a laxative.”
I snorted. “Gross.”
She grabbed a bag of granola and examined it. “Nope,” she said, putting it back. “Well, look. There’s always Amber’s Taco Stand. Amber, the Taco Queen of Seattle. It has a nice ring to it.”
“That’s getting more and more tempting every day. I just wish things were different, you know? I miss Luke so much it hurts, Jamie.”
She shook her head. “No, you wish you were back at Emery.”
“Is that so wrong?” I asked.
“It is when your boss, slash, boyfriend was a total asshole who chose money over your relationship.”
I sighed. “Yeah, there’s that. I keep trying to figure that out. I know he took out a loan to start the place, but it wasn’t like the restaurant was hurting for money. I just don’t get it.”
“Rocks in their heads, Amber. They’ve all got rocks in their heads.”
Just then, I heard a high-pitched scream and something slammed hard against my leg. I looked down to see Emery staring up at me, her eyes shining with joy.
“Amber!” she yelled, overcome with excitement.
I dropped to one knee and swept her up in a tight hug. “Oh, Emery. It’s so good to see you.”
I hadn’t realized just how much I’d missed her until then. A rush of emotions flooded through me. Then cold panic spiked in my chest. “Is your father here?”
Emery shook her head. “Nope.”
“Wait, then how did you get here?”
A woman about twenty years older than me came skidding to halt in front of me. “I’m so sorry. She’s faster than she looks.”
Emery glanced at her. “Marla, this is Amber.”
Marla’s eyes lit up. “Ahh, the world-famous Amber? Emery never stops talking about you.”
I tried to stand up to shake her hand, but Emery wouldn’t let go of me. “I’ve heard a lot about you, too. You’re the nanny, right?”
“That’s me.”
I looked over at Jamie. She stood watching me with a sardonic smile on her face. “Friend of yours?” she asked.
“This is Emery.”
“Yeah, I figured that out when you said her name.” She looked over at Marla. “Come on, nanny. I see some free samples that are calling our name.”
Marla smiled and shook her head. “That’s okay. I’m not hungry.”
Jamie grabbed her arm and started dragging her away. “Come with me anyway. I’ll explain what the word subtle means.”
When it was just Emery and I, I leaned down. “I’ve missed you,” I said.
“I missed you, too. I’m sorry Daddy had to send you away.”
I pulled back to look at her. “Is that what he told you? That he sent me away?”
“Yeah,” she said, nodding.
I knew I shouldn’t try and interrogate Emery, but my curiosity got the better of me. “What else did he say?”
“Lots of things. He said I’d probably never see you again, but he was wrong. I’m seeing you now. And I didn’t even want to come to the store with Marla. I was watching cartoons. But she made me ‘cause I’m not supposed to be home alone. But now I’m glad I did. ‘Cause you’re here.”
“I’m glad she brought you along too.” I paused. “So, uh, what else did your father tell you about me?”
“He said he had to make you hate him so you could stop being friends. Because you would be happier at your new job. And he told a great big lie so you’d be mad at him.”
“Wait. What does that mean?” Panic raced through me.
She gave an exaggerated shrug. “I don’t know. I didn’t understand, but I could tell it made him sad to talk about it. So, I pretended to understand. All I know is he had to do it so you’d be happy and your life would be better.” She looked at me probingly. “Is your life better?”
Tears stung my eyes at the question. It was so blunt and honest. The kind of question only a child could ask. “No, sweetie. It’s not. It’s really not. I hate it.”
“Oh. Then you should come back.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I said. “We’ll see. You know, you’re pretty smart for a six-year-old.”
Emery looked at me like I’d said something dumb. “Umm, I’m six-and-a-half.”
I laughed. “Right. Sorry.”
***
I said my goodbyes to Emery, even though I could tell she didn’t want to leave. Marla had to carry her away. I understood how she felt, I didn’t want her to leave either.
When she was gone, I told Jamie what Emery had told me.
“Luke told her he had to make me mad at him, so I would take the job. So I could have a better life. That’s why he was such an asshole to me that night. It was on purpose.”
Jamie nodded. “Because you wouldn’t take the job if you two were still together.”
“Exactly.”
“So, he lied to you when he said he was worried you’d leave?”
I considered it. “Maybe, but all that stuff had a ring of truth to it. Whatever happened with Emery’s mother, I know it scarred him pretty badly. I think he was legitimately afraid it would happen all over again with me.”
“So that wasn’t a lie?”
“I don’t know. I think he was just using those fears as an excuse. But he told Emery he told me a giant lie.”
Jamie nodded. “The money?”
“Yeah. The money. I have to make a call. Then I think Luke and I need to have a talk.”
“Yeah. I think so too. And look, I don’t want to rain on your parade here, but what he did was still a dick move.”
“But his heart was in the right place. He just went about it all wrong.”
Jamie and I looked at each other. We spoke at the same time.
“Rocks in their heads.”