The Last Mrs. Parrish(27)
“And have every real estate firm in Connecticut afraid to hire me? No, I have to keep my mouth shut. Besides, maybe I did give him the wrong idea.”
Daphne stood up, pacing. “Don’t you dare blame yourself. Of course you didn’t do anything wrong. That piece of garbage—he’ll probably do it to someone else too.”
“Believe me, I’ve thought about that too. But, Daphne, I have too many people depending on me. I can’t report him and take the chance of not being able to get a job.”
“Damn him. He knows he has you in a corner.”
“He gave me a good reference. I just need to hit the pavement now.” She smiled at Daphne. “And the upside is that my days are free, so I’m free to work full-time on the fund-raiser.”
“You find the good in everything, don’t you? I’ll respect your wishes, even though I’d love to go over and let him have it. It’s so noble of you, helping your mom.” Amber watched Daphne’s face as she grew quiet, seemingly contemplating something. Amber wondered if Daphne was thinking of her own mother and feeling guilty. “You know what? I’m going to talk to Jackson. There might be something for you at his company.”
Amber made herself look surprised. “You really think so? That would be amazing. I’d be willing to do anything. Even starting as an administrative assistant or something like that would be great.” This time her smile was genuine.
“Of course. They must have something for you. I’ll speak to him tonight. In the meantime, let’s do something to cheer you up. How about a little shopping?”
She must have noticed the look on Amber’s face and realized that shopping was the last thing she could afford now that she was out of work. Honestly, how long had it been since this woman had lived in the real world?
“Sorry, you must think me terribly insensitive. What I meant was, I’d love to take you shopping—my treat. And before you argue, remember, I didn’t grow up with all this.” She swept her arm across the room. “I’m from a little town in New Hampshire. Probably not that different from where you were raised. When I first met Jackson and saw this house, I thought it was ridiculous, all the excess. Over time, you get used to it—maybe too used to it. And spending time with the women here, I must admit, I’ve lost myself a little.”
Amber kept silent, curious to see where Daphne’s little confession was going.
“You’ve helped me remember what’s really important, why I came here to begin with—to help other families and to ease the suffering of those with this terrible disease. Jackson’s made a lot of money, but I don’t want that to build a wall between you and me. For the first time since I lost my sister, I actually feel close to someone. Please, let me do this.”
Amber liked the sound of that. The best part was that she could make Daphne feel like Amber was the one being generous. She wondered if she could get her to spring for a whole new work wardrobe.
She widened her eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Very.”
“Well, I suppose I could use a few things for my job search. Can you help me pick out a new interview outfit?”
“I would love to.”
Amber suppressed a laugh. Daphne was so nice, she almost felt guilty. She had figured it would take some subtle hinting and footwork to nudge Daphne into suggesting a job at Parrish International, but Daphne had bitten before she’d even tasted the bait. And poor, happily married Mark Jansen, whose reputation she had besmirched, had never made anything resembling an advance toward her. She would call Mark this afternoon and resign. The engine was humming. It was now just a matter of driving the car.
Seventeen
The big evening had finally arrived and, despite herself, Amber was as nervous as an actress on opening night. The fund-raiser began at eight, but Jackson and Daphne were picking her up at six so they could be there early and make sure everything was in order. Daphne had spared her the worry of how she would come up with the $250 for the ticket by purchasing the whole table and inviting her.
Amber poured herself a glass of chardonnay. The wine and music would relax her as she dressed. This was not her night to shine, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to show up looking like some small-town hick. She went to the bed, where she’d laid out her clothes for the evening, picking up the black lace thong and slipping it over her slender hips. Nobody would see her underwear, but she would know how sexy she looked underneath that dress, and it would make a difference in the way she felt. Then the dress, the gorgeous Valentino she’d chosen from Daphne’s closet. It was a simple, floor-length black number with a high neck, long sleeves, and draped back. Subtly sexy, but not in the least obvious. She pulled her hair back into a sleek chignon and applied minimal makeup. The only jewelry she wore was the pearl necklace Daphne had given her for Christmas and her small pearl earrings. She took one last look in the mirror and smiled at her reflection. Satisfied, she grabbed her handbag, a small silver clutch she’d picked up cheap at DSW. She caught a whiff of Daphne’s perfume as she draped the silver silk shawl Daphne had lent her around her shoulders.
She stood at the door and, before turning out the light, looked back at the room she lived in. She tried to ignore her surroundings, but it was becoming more and more difficult as she was exposed to the way Daphne and her friends lived. She had graduated from the dreary home of her youth to this monklike existence. She sighed, banished the memories from her mind, and closed the door behind her.