courtesy check to make sure that everything’s working alright. Weren’t you?” I turn to face Sam, my eyes begging him to follow along with my story.
“That’s right,” he says, gradually nodding his head. “I was coming to make sure Ellie here was satisfied with my work. I take servicing my customers very seriously.”
I can actually feel new freckles popping into life across my chest at Sam’s innuendo. The memory of him ‘servicing’ me last night prompts a delightful shiver down my spine. I shoot Amber a quick glance over my shoulder to see if she’s buying our story. She’s locked Sam into a staring match. I’ve seen Amber stare people down before; it never ends well for her opponent.
“Yes, well, I assure you that I, I mean Luanne, was very satisfied with the service. Thanks ever so much for stopping by! Really, come back any time,” I say, ushering Sam to the door.
Sam turns and walks ahead of me, stopping at the door to wave goodbye to Amber.
“Really, any time,” I say again, doing my best to vocally push him out of the shop.
“I may just take you up on that. Effie, was it?” he asks, teasing me.
“Ellie, actually.” He’s so going to pay for that later.
“Right, Ellie. I guess I forgot. You two ladies have a good night,” Sam says, smiling at us. His dimple winks devilishly at me before he turns to leave the shop. Once the chime over the door has fallen silent, I chance a look at Amber. She’s wearing the same shrewd expression Luanne fixed me with this morning.
“I’m going to ask you a question, Ellie, and I want you to promise you’re going to tell the truth.”
“Okay,” I say, fingers crossed behind my back.
“Are you dating that guy?”
“What? No! Of course not. I just broke up with Tim a few weeks ago so of course I’m not dating anyone. You’re such a silly-billy!”
Amber moves quickly and catches me in a vise-like grip, grabbing my shoulders to hold me in place. Her black rimmed eyes are truly terrifying. It’s like she can see into my soul. “First,” she says, quietly, “don’t call me a silly-billy. Ever again.”
Oh crap, she’s going to make me into a voodoo doll.
“Second, I want you to promise that you’re not now and have no intention of ever dating that guy.”
So she didn’t buy my little act with Sam. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s simple. Stay away from him.”
“But why?” I ask, disturbed by the seriousness of her tone.
“He’s not a nice guy.”
“But he is nice. He’s sweet and attentive and I don’t know if you noticed it, but he’s got the cutest dimple on his right cheek. Did you see it? It winked at us when he left the shop.”
Amber shakes me somewhat violently then brings her face within inches of mine.
“Don’t fall for the dimple, Ellie. The dimple is bad.”
“It’s bad?”
“Yes, it’s a very bad dimple and it has sex with lots of girls it never calls again.”
“But it seems like a perfectly nice dimple. The kind that would rescue a girl when she’s lost her shoes and then would make her pancakes for breakfast.”
Amber shakes her head from side to side, her face stony and earnest. “Don’t fall for the dimple. That dimple has done more damage than my voodoo dolls ever could.”
I don’t want to believe what Amber’s telling me. She doesn’t even know Sam. How could she know his dimple’s up to no good? I spent the night with both of them and when I woke up this morning, wrapped in his strong embrace, I felt safe. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe. Amber’s intentions may be good for once, but she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
“But—” I start.
Amber loosens her grip on my shoulders. “Listen, don’t make a big deal out of this, okay? But I sort of like you. I mean, I think of you as a friend or whatever. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Her touch is gentle and her face contorts strangely. On anyone else I would’ve recognized empathy immediately, but on Amber, it looks more like constipation.
“But—”
“But nothing. It was one thing with that tool-bag Tim. I knew you’d see him for what he was sooner or later and come out a stronger person, but this guy, Sam, he’s different. He’s got a reputation and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
I feel like I must’ve fallen into a bizarre dream because I’ve