Chapter 7
The rideback to Northfield was subdued. Amber tried to talk to Theo, but he switched on talk radio and turned it up. She got the message.
Who knew what crawled up his butt again? She had apologized for speeding, and they didn’t even get a ticket. She had gone to the bar to get their drinks and ran into her old friend Anthony. They had chatted for a bit, but she would have brought them their drinks, eventually.
If that had ruined his day, then the mayor was strung tighter than she thought. Maybe he was mad she interrupted the reporter and him? There had definitely been an underlying current between them. She almost asked, but she didn’t want to get her head bitten off again.
She sat back and enjoyed the scenery instead. Northfield was known for its charming original architecture and quaint old-world feel. The mayor”s office sat nestled between the town hall and the community library on Main Street in a charming little red brick building draped in ivy. The post office was just down the sidewalk, along with cute little boutiques where Amber liked to window shop. At the end of the main drag was the village green, where the town held the Harvest Festival every fall, and Candlelight Night in the winter.
On a Monday morning, the sidewalks were just starting to fill up with shop owners out sweeping and watering their flowers. Amber waved at some familiar faces.
If she wasn’t so irritated at Theo, she could grudgingly admit that he did a marvelous job making sure Northfield was a welcoming place to live. Where she grew up, Cedarwood Village’s tenements didn’t quite fit the aesthetic of the rest of the town, but Amber could appreciate the appeal just the same.
Her family had come a long way since those early days in Cedarwood, and Amber had just as many good memories growing up on the edge of all this charm as she did bad ones. Like Johnny. She never would have met him if she hadn’t lived in Cedarwood. She made a mental note to call him. He still didn’t know about her new job.
Theo, apparently over his snit, was back to being a gentleman because he came around to open her door when they arrived in the parking lot. Mrs. Dubois, who Amber recognized from the ribbon-cutting ceremony, was seated behind a desk like a sentinel.
“Good morning, Mr. Mayor,” she said. Her gray hair was neatly sprayed into place, the sides and top slicked back as if she dared a piece to escape and break ranks. Amber guessed not many dared break anything around Diane Dubois.
Mrs. Dubois’s fond gaze slid to Amber, trailing behind Theo. Amber sized her up immediately as the gatekeeper to the office.
“Good morning, Diane,” Theo greeted her, setting a white paper bag with the Morning Glory Bakery logo on it down on her desk. Diane’s gaze rested on Amber, doubt written all over her face at what she saw. Amber knew when her measure had been taken and she’d been found lacking. There wasn’t one instance, other than with Theo, of course, where she couldn’t use her considerable charm to win people over, and she made up her mind then and there that she was going to win over Diane Dubois.
“A chocolate croissant?” Diane’s eyes lit up and she looked up at Theo adoringly.
“Never miss a Monday,” Theo said. The dimple made an appearance so quickly Amber thought she missed it. “Diane Dubois, meet Amber Hart, my new assistant.” Theo introduced them.
“I think I’ll like working here if we get treats on Mondays,” Amber said, eyeing the bag hungrily.
“Too much sugar will kill you,” Diane said dourly.
“But what a way to go,” Amber said. “I’m all ears if you have any tips or advice for taking care of the mayor. How does he like his coffee?” she asked cheerfully. Black like his mood.
Diane stiffened. “I take care of that for the mayor.”
“I can get my own coffee, Diane. I’ve been telling you that for years,” Theo said, but the fondness took any sting out of his words. “Come on back. I’ll show you around.”
The office was an interesting mix of old and new. Large, six-paned windows let in plenty of light, casting a soft glow on the exposed wood beams that vaulted the high ceilings. Vintage rugs covered newly refinished wood floors leading to a hallway of offices. ”This is Todd Myers, community outreach,” he rapped on the open door. A man in retro black glasses and a blue bowtie looked up from a computer.
”Todd, Amber Hart, my new assistant.”
Todd took his glasses off and stood up to shake her hand. ”We”ve heard so much about you.”
“All good, I hope.”
“Not all. That would be boring.” He grinned. “We”ll talk later, I”m sure,” Todd said as Theo led her away to the next door with a gold plate that read Charlotte Thornton. Amber knew of her, although they hadn’t met formally.
The Thorntons and the Clairmonts were two of the oldest families that had settled Northfield and were practically royalty. Just in the five-minute drive to work this morning, Amber had driven by at least four buildings with their last names engraved on them. Theo knocked lightly.
”Come in.” Charlotte sat behind a desk with two computer monitors. Amber assessed her expertly. Her suit was too large and a sad beige that seemed to absorb the light in the room rather than reflect it. With all the colors in the world, Amber had never understood why someone would wear that one. “Hello again, Amber.”
”Nice to see you again. Hope you enjoyed your wine.”
“Charlotte, I meant to ask you about the dinner this Saturday.” Theo said. While they talked, Amber played one of her favorite games. The makeover one.
Charlotte’s boring blouse became a vintage Gucci floral in hot pink that she’d had her eye on forever on eBay. Amber squinted, trying to see Charlotte’s hair color. Oh, yes. She’d take down that severe bun and give it some body, maybe a few highlights to put warmth into her face. And those pearl earrings were tasteful but boring. Amber was just getting warmed up when Theo cleared his throat.
”Did you get that?” Theo said, looking up with a frown. Amber jumped, guilty.
”Yep, got it all. Dinner party, Friday,” she said brightly.
Theo”s scowl let her know she”d been caught daydreaming, but he didn’t say anything. “This,” he said, pointing to the last office on the left, “is Neal Barclay’s, chief of staff. He”s not in right now; you”ll meet him later at the Monday morning meeting.”
And finally, at the end of the hall on the opposite side, Theo stopped. ”This is my office.” He took out a key and unlocked the door. Amber followed him inside and inspected the room. Theo’s desk was a huge mahogany monstrosity that sat in front of a large window. Various college and law school degrees hung in frames on the wall behind his desk. Photos of Theo’s father and grandfather with various dignitaries lined the wall. She would bet money they had been in those exact spots for decades. In fact, everything in the room looked like a tribute to the Clairmont family legacy.
The one bright spot was the fireplace at the opposite end of the room. There was a long, comfortable-looking brown leather couch that sat in front of it, giving the room a touch of coziness and the alluring scent of leather.
Theo narrowed his eyes. “I see that look in your eyes. I”m going to tell you this once: don”t touch anything in this office. I know where everything is, and I like it that way.”
”Okay, Mr. Mayor,” she said meekly, already wondering what the surface of his desk would look like if it were cleared off. And that box of files next to his desk must make it hard for him to find things. He really did need a pillow for that couch to warm it up. Everything was so old and boring-looking. Her creative juices kicked in, but Theo had already left when she turned around.
”And here”s your office,” he led the way out and turned into the office next to his. ”You can do whatever you want here, but don”t touch my office.”
“Got it, boss,” she saluted.
“Call me Theo.” Theo called on his way out.
She kept her mouth closed. It was a silly thing not to call him Theo, but it evened out the ever-present scoreboard and she wasn’t going to lose.
Besides, it never failed to get a reaction, and she’d take that over indifference any day.
The door closed with a snap behind Theo, and she was alone in her office. She walked over to the chair and spun it around once, twice, three times. Not bad for an office job.
In the past, she had worked in everything from a cubicle to coffee shops, and as far as offices went, this one wasn”t bad at all. It needed a serious update, though. The mayor’s office should reflect the current inhabitant, not the one in office three decades ago. She leaned back in the chair and put her feet up on the desk, admiring the way the little rhinestone buckles gleamed.
All she had to do was stick it out, work hard, and really stick it out for six months. She was a hard worker; she knew that, no matter what anyone else said. Sometimes she was a little impulsive, but not this time. She was going to be the best assistant Theo had ever had. But first she needed to know what the job entailed.
She puttered around the office, mostly changing her email signature to different fonts and colors until she was bored out of her mind, and she headed out to get the lay of the office, so to speak. She started with Todd. He looked like he knew all the good stuff about what went on in the mayor’s office.
An hour later, Amber was sitting on the edge of Todd’s desk, leaning over his arm to read the latest gossip on the Northfield Facebook page when there was a brisk knock on the door.
”Come in,” Todd said.
”We”re ready for the meeting,” Theo said after a pause. He leaned in the doorway, taking in the scene with one quick glance. Amber took the same opportunity to study him.
He was deceptively casual, with his hands in the pockets of his trousers, his maroon tie perfectly knotted, his tall body relaxed and confident without artifice in a way she was suddenly, inexplicably, envious of. He was in his element while she felt, alarmingly, out of hers.
And he was glaring at her again. Whatever. She flipped her hair and slid off the desk, making sure to flash some thigh to even things up a bit. She didn’t miss the darkening of Theo’s eyes as she did either. Point for me. “Thanks for showing me the ropes, Todd.” she purred. She paused in the doorway and looked up into Theo’s unreadable eyes. “I’m all yours, Mr. Mayor,” she said lightly.
Theo’s eyes slid to her throat of all places, then back up to her eyes so slowly it felt like he was dragging his big hands over her body. “Follow me,” he said coolly.
Amber followed him down the hall, admiring his shape from behind. The man could wear a suit with the best of them. She fanned herself.
The conference room was at the end of the hall, where Neal and Charlotte sat on either side. Theo sat down at the head of the table and Amber took a seat next to Todd and pulled out her notebook. She thought it was a nice touch, the notebook and the pen she had behind her ear. Very diligent.
“Neal, this is Amber Hart, my personal assistant,” Theo introduced.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Neal said, looking her over. He lingered a little too long staring at her breasts. Amber summed him up immediately. Mid-sixties, slick suit, even slicker combed-over hair.
He was the epitome of a certain kind of man creeping into his later years with a hard-on for proving he was still a ladies’ man, all the while holding women in disregard. She had encountered men like him plenty of times before. He glanced at Theo, taking his seat at the table, and lowered his voice. “You look familiar. Have we met before?”
“I’m sure I’d remember if we had.” She tugged her hand back from his damp grip.
“I believe it was at the pub. Weren’t you giving a show on the bar?” Neal said blandly enough, but Amber caught a subtext that made her eyes narrow.
”All right, Charlotte, give us a rundown of the finances,” Theo directed. He slipped on a pair of black-framed glasses. Oh, my. The Clark Kent look really worked for the mayor. He looked up and caught her staring. His lips curved in that sexy little knowing half-smile and a dimple started to show. Amber panicked and pointed at her chin. You have something right...
He frowned and wiped at the nonexistent speck on his jaw. Here?
She shook her head. Other side.
He wiped the left side and looked at her suspiciously.
She nodded, beaming, and went back to pretending to take notes. The pages were filled with her newest design idea. She had found a bolt of gauzy white fabric at Goodwill for a steal and was drawing sketches of dress ideas while Charlotte strung together numbers so fast that she stopped listening. Idly, she noticed that Theo, Neal, and Todd gave her one hundred percent of their attention. Even Neal was taking notes, and she got the impression he didn’t listen to many people.
She studied Charlotte curiously. Lord knew the woman didn’t command a room with her clothing. A small-boned woman with sharp, dark eyes and thick glasses that did nothing for her green eyes, Charlotte seemed to want to blend into the conference room with her matching, boring tan suit. Her neckline didn’t show even a bit of cleavage. There was something compelling nonetheless about her that Amber tried to name until she got bored and looked for a distraction.
From where she sat, she could see out the window to Main Street, where a little dog was trying to hide itself behind a large planter filled with begonias outside the bank. She looked again. Was that Puddin’? She peeked back at the conference table where everyone was still engrossed in Charlotte’s boring report. No one would notice if she crept off to the window and took a look.
She got up and tiptoed over so that her heels wouldn”t make noise and looked out the window. There was a familiar tail poking out, but she couldn”t make out whether it was Puddin’ from where she was.
”Are we boring you, Miss Hart?” came a lazy drawl from behind her.
”No, not at all, just checking the weather,” she said, taking her seat again. That loser son of Mrs. Bovenzi probably kicked her out again. She made a note in the margin of her still-empty notebook to check behind the planter later.
”All right, Todd, what events do we have coming up?”
Todd adjusted his gingham bowtie. “We have the Finger Lakes for a Cause Charity Dinner event on Saturday night. I have you down as a plus one with Addison LeVine. Is that still the case?”
Amber looked up interestedly. Theo was already shaking his head. ”No. It’s just me.”
“The plates were pricey,” Todd said. “Is there anyone else you could bring?”
“Theo, this would be an excellent opportunity for Amber to meet your supporters. She’ll be working closely with them in the coming months as the campaign events gear up,” Charlotte said.
“Actually, Pippa Shelton would be a better choice,” Neal interjected. “We could leverage her media coverage and influence with the younger demographic of women we need.”
“Amber,” Theo said abruptly, “you’re free on Saturday.” He pinned her with those blue eyes.
It was more of a statement than a question, and she bristled. She wasn’t free. She had plans. She always had fun, exciting plans on Saturday nights, especially now that she didn’t work at the pub. It was her regular bath date with her electronic boyfriend. “I’m bus—,” she started.
“Good. It’s settled,” Theo said briskly.
“I have the perfect dress to wear,” Amber said. “I just got found this cute vintage Pucci?—”
“No!” Theo almost shouted it. “God, no. Just...just take this and buy something with a lot of...fabric.” Amber opened her mouth to protest, but Theo reached into his back pocket and pulled out a black card. Amber’s mouth snapped shut. “Here. You’ll need something to wear. It’s a black and white theme. You and Charlotte can take a half day and go shopping for something appropriate.”
She really wanted to tell him where to stick that shiny, beautiful card, but also...shiny, beautiful card in her hot little hands for a day of shopping? Please. She wasn’t a fool. She made grabby hands and Theo slid the card over. This time he didn’t hide his smile.
“You”re going to bring her?” Neal said, clearly trying to mask his shock. ”Are you serious?”
Theo looked over. ”Is there a problem?”
“Look,” Neal said, “the Finger Lakes dinner is a black-tie event. It’s all about optics and perceptions at this stage of the election campaign, and Amber’s not exactly...” Theo’s brows drew together, and Neal hurried to add, “the typical guest. We need to be on our game and no offense,” he nodded curtly toward Amber, “but you’re relatively risky.”
Amber grinned. “If you’re worried I’ll start dancing on the bar again, I only do that when the dollar bills come out.”
“Yes, I’ve heard that,” Neal murmured.
“Enough,” Theo barked. He leaned forward and pinned Amber with steel blue. “There are people there that I”ll need you to talk with and make connections. Is that something you can handle?” He raised an eyebrow. It was a challenge if she ever saw one.
”Of course I can.” She jerked the card away and tucked it down her bra, safe and sound. “I can talk to anyone.”
“Theo, your campaign can’t afford unpredictability right now,” Neal warned.
“Relax, Neal, I’ve got this in the bag.” Amber winked at him, and Neal’s expression darkened. She shrugged. Not her monkeys, not her circus. If Theo wanted her there and handed over his credit card, who was she to argue? “Come on, Charlotte,” she said. “Let’s go shopping.”
”Lord save us,” Theo muttered.
Amber metCharlotte at Mrs. DuBois’s desk. “Sure we can’t tempt you into coming shopping with us, Diane?” Amber asked playfully. “I’ve got a black card and I know how to use it.”
“I should hope you use it liberally.” Mrs. Dubois eyed Amber’s skintight pencil skirt and top. “Your workwear looks like...you’re gasping for air.”
Amber winked and pointed toward her head. “Us blondes don’t need much,” she said, twirling one long, pink-tipped end.
Mrs. Dubois’s lip quivered before she ironed it flat with her top lip and buried her nose back in the stack of files.
Almost gotcha. She’d have the woman laughing by the end of the week.
Charlotte and Amber walked down to one of the upscale stores that lined the Erie Canal. There were a few hidden gems down there that Amber visited, but the store Charlotte dragged her into wasn’t one of them. No consignment clothing in this place. The racks were filled with designer names and matching price tags.
Amber looked over, noticing how Charlotte’s eyes lingered on some of the more daring dresses on the mannequins. Amber pointed to a black sheath dress. “This would look great on you. It’s...less beige.”
Charlotte laughed self-consciously. “I only have this one personality, I’m afraid.” She plucked at her suit coat. “Boring beige.”
Amber turned toward her. “Did you ever play dress up as a kid? What were your favorite outfits?”
“Not really,” Charlotte said. “I mostly just studied. I went to school and studied. I was a wallflower for most of school. The only boys that would talk to me were Theo, Grant, and Ford, and that’s only because they were practically family,” she said ruefully. “I guess I just never really bloomed.”
“How do you feel about that?” Amber asked carefully. She wasn’t trying to force a metamorphosis on the woman, but trying something new couldn’t hurt.
Amber thought back to all of her looks over the years. Maybe she was an extreme case, but she changed her looks more often than she changed her socks.
“I suppose you could say that I have always followed the path that was in front of me. It’s comfortable that way.” She glanced at Amber with a little smile. “Boring too.”
Amber fingered the lace hem of a black slip dress. “Yeah, I get that. And the flip side is that I’ve tried on so many that I’m not sure which version I started with.”
“I envy you,” Charlotte said. “You’re not afraid to take risks.”
Amber let out an indelicate snort. “Oh, I’m afraid all right. This,” she pointed at her Marilyn outfit, “makes me feel a lot braver than I really am.” She held up the black dress. “Sure you don’t want to try this on?”
”Don”t you think that looks a little...” Charlotte hesitated, and Amber knew that only good manners stopped Charlotte from finishing the sentence.
”...slutty? Trashy? Sexy as hell?” Amber prompted her. She held up the black slip dress thoughtfully. “Yeah, it could be a little shorter.” She looked over at Charlotte, who paled. “You could totally pull this dress off, though.”
“I don’t think it’s quite the look I’m going for,” Charlotte said diplomatically.
Amber shrugged, ”It’s just a look. Think about how you want to feel, then pick what to wear.”
“I want to feel . . .” Charlotte looked embarrassed.
“Tell me. I’ll make it happen.”
“It would be fun to feel sexy for a night, I think,” she said hesitantly. “No one ever looks at me that way.”
“Hold my beer,” Amber said, then laughed at Charlotte’s expression. “We’re going to make a little sexpot out of you yet.”
“Oh, no. That’s not what I want,” Charlotte said quickly. ”I have a little black dress I bought in college that will work. Still fits perfectly.”
Amber winced. She’d bet money that Charlotte’s dress was a shapeless box of a dress. “How about something like this?” She held up another black gown. It was classic with a twist. When she turned it over, a low plunge in the back turned the dress from stately to subtly sexy. It was perfect.
“I suppose that would work,” Charlotte said doubtfully.
“It’s perfect. Demure with a hint of sexiness that will make you feel like a million bucks.”
“I guess it can’t hurt to try it.” Charlotte held out a dress. “I think something like this would look beautiful on you,” Charlotte suggested, bringing out a demure white dress from the rack. It was elegant, with a high neck and long, filmy sleeves—and so very boring.
”Hate it,” Amber said immediately, dismissing it. Yet, as she glanced at Charlotte”s hopeful expression, she hesitated. “Maybe if we shortened it?”
”I know it might not be quite what you”re used to, but this event is formal,” Charlotte explained. “With Theo in a tux and you in this, you two would be striking together.”
The reaction to that interesting choice of words she filed away to examine later.
Amber studied it a while longer until a new shape came together. Yes, that’s exactly how she wanted to feel. “Okay, I’ll take it.” She grabbed it off the rack. Charlotte let out her breath and smiled.
“Come on,” Amber said after they checked out. “Let”s spend Theo”s money on something fun.” She grabbed Charlotte’s arm, and they headed up the cobblestone sidewalk until Amber took a sharp left into the chic French lingerie store.
“Here? I don”t think . . .” Charlotte stammered.
“Don’t think,” Amber said firmly. ”The boss said get whatever we need.”
Naughty, shimmery bits and pieces of satin and lace draped over mirrors and dressers in the soft light. She dragged Charlotte over to a wall of bustiers. ”Look at this white one,” she said, fingering the delicate whalebone and lace. The front demi cups were daring, revealing just enough to tantalize, yet the white gave it a touch of innocence.
”I wouldn”t even know how to put that on,” Charlotte said.
Amber studied it. She opened the bag with the dress she had just purchased and finally nodded.
Charlotte grew nervous. “What are you thinking?”
”I”ll take this one,” Amber said firmly, pulling the white bustier down from the shelf, ”and this too.” She grabbed a matching set of thong and garters. ”OK, your turn. What stands out to you?”
Charlotte immediately shook her head. ”JC Penney is more my style.”
”Yeah, that”s not gonna work,” Amber said. ”This is a fancy event, right?”
”Yes, but nobody”s going to see my underwear,” Charlotte said.
“If they”re lucky, they might.” Amber raised her eyebrows and wiggled them. ”Come on, anything you want. What would make you feel your sexiest, most beautiful self?”
Charlotte looked around the store, and an expression of intense longing flashed so quickly Amber wasn”t sure she caught it. She followed Charlotte”s eyes to a set of pastel pink bra and panties. It was sheer, so sheer that it did less to cover her than to frame a lady’s softest parts. There was delicate green lace embroidery edging the cups of the bra and the matching panties. It was insanely sexy while also demure. Amber nodded in approval. Definitely Charlotte’s vibe.
“We”ll take one of those,” Amber said to the saleswoman. She looked Charlotte over critically. ”In a small, and I”ll take the white one in medium.”
”I really don”t think Theo?—”
”I really don”t think about Theo either. Come on, let”s go.” And she marched them up to the cash register and pulled out the shiny black card.
“That was really fun,” Charlotte said on the sidewalk. “Thank you for going shopping with me.”
“We’re not done yet,” Amber said. The black awning of her friend Lucy Merchant’s beauty salon was visible in the distance. She grabbed Charlotte’s hand and headed that way. “We have one more stop.”
The Pretty Parlor was quiet when they walked in. A woman with a clipboard had their back to them. “Hey, Lucy,” Amber called. Lucy Merchant, Amber and Allie’s childhood friend and neighbor from Cedarwood, turned around with a smile.
“Hi, what are you doing here?” Lucy asked. “Time for a touch up?” She looked over Amber’s pink ombre.
“No, not for me this time. This is my friend, Charlotte.”
”How do you do?” Charlotte greeted Lucy politely.
”Charlotte needs a makeover,” Amber announced.
”Oh, no, I don”t need a makeover. I like my hair. I haven”t cut it in ages,” Charlotte protested.
“I know. We”re gonna fix that,” Amber soothed. “Just a little change. Do you trust me?”
Charlotte hesitated. “I think so. But no pink,” she rushed to add.
“No pink. I promise. Remember, we’re just trying on something new,” Amber said. She met Charlotte’s wide eyes in the mirror, and they weren’t talking about hair.
”Well, okay, but if I”m going to do this, then I want you to try something new too.”
”What?” Amber asked, skeptically. “I’ve tried everything.”
“What if you skipped the pink this time and let your natural color come through? I think that would look beautiful on you.”
Amber looked herself over critically in the mirror. She remembered the day she had Lucy color her hair pink. Mrs. Pearson had just let her know that she was moving, and Amber wouldn’t have a job.
Instead of picking up the classifieds, Amber had gone out looking for something to distract her. She was going to miss that old lady. The sadness welling inside her had needed an outlet bigger than she could come up with, so she ended up in Lucy’s chair with pink highlights.
And she loved them. But she knew them for what they were: a distraction. She was really good at coming up with distractions.
She fingered the curls thoughtfully. “I suppose that”s a fair trade,” Amber said. “Lucy, what do you think?”
“Sure. I’ve always wanted to see your hair a little shorter,” Lucy said. “Maybe up to your shoulders. It would show off your pretty face,” Lucy said. “Something a little more sleek. A little more ‘I am woman, hear me roar.’ What do you think?”
Amber looked in the mirror and wondered what Marilyn would do.
She shrugged. “It can’t hurt to try something new.”