Page 55 of Pages of Amber
Amber looked at him where he sat forward in his seat, his arms bracketing hers on the table. They had leaned in as though they were sharing a secret. It kind of was. “As long as you stop with the nickname.”
“I didn’t hear you say no.”
“I didn’t say no,” she confirmed.
His smile grew, stretching from one end of his face to the other. It was a glorious sight.
“Let’s go see the stars.”
“Delicious as always, Dottie.” Her mom praised as she folded her napkin.
Dottie smiled, her eyes bright as she packed up the dessert plates. Her reaction was understandable. Amber’s mom was in a good mood today. So was she. As her mom stood to leave, Amber blurted out, “I’ll be in the studio. I’m working on all of Kitri’s variations for the audition.”
Her mom paused. She tipped her head to Amber across the table. “Good.” The singular word shot her hopes high. “I’ll be attending a conference call in my office all night. We’re about to close a huge deal for the company. I don’t want to be disturbed.”
She left the room after delivering her final order. Amber hastily shoved the last spoonful of fruitcake into her mouth.
“Slow down, missy. You sure you’re only headed for practice?”
Amber froze. Her lack of subtlety had given her away. Dottie eye-balled her. “Didn’t think so. I’ve never seen you rush dessert to get to the studio.”
She forced herself to swallow, looking up at Dottie with pleading eyes. The older woman huffed, throwing her hands. “Get out of here, you little troublemaker. And use the back door, will you?”
She squeezed Dottie in a tight hug and hurried from the dining room. She grabbed a sweater and scarf to ward off the chill of the night. Her purse swung from her shoulder as she bent to tie her shoes. Amber contemplated tying up her hair, but decided to leave it down. The wintery chill had almost fully dissipated, but having her hair down would provide a little heat. As she snuck down the stairs, a text came in.
Noah was here. She had asked him to park two houses down for safe measure. Following Dottie’s order, she creeped out the back fort, tucking her keys into her purse. Noah’s smile greeted her when she settled into the passenger seat of his truck. His eyes remained on her, soft and searing as she buckled up.
“What?” she finally asked.
He blinked slowly, as if he was afraid she would disappear. “Nothing.” The smile peaked through again. “I can’t believe I got you to say yes.”
“Calm down, boy genius. We’re going stargazing, not to the altar.”
Noah adjusted the gear, his smile expanding to the corner of his eyes. She couldn’t look away. He had been smiling so easily lately. It was a good thing, except when it made her heart patter in her chest.
The drive was silent. They drove farther out of the city, leaving behind the traffic, the noise, the smells. Amber drew down her window for more of that fresh air. Her hair whipped around her face but she was too relaxed to care. They passed high-rise apartments that turned to houses that turned to fields. Finally, Noah took a right turn, his truck rumbling over the grass. He parked underneath the canopy of trees before a large meadow.
“We’re here,” he announced. Her skepticism must have been clear on her face. Noah thumped her arm. “I told you to trust me.”
She did. The realization left her stunned. Her next movements were automatic as she climbed out of the car and stepped towards the meadow. A breeze rushed by her, surprisingly warm against her skin.
“Ready?” Noah called out. He stood by the car, a blanket she had missed was folded under his arm.
Ready for what? She got her answer when he turned off the car.
The sky above her exploded with stars. Millions and millions of them twinkling in all their glory. A gasp left Amber at the sight. She could almost reach out and touch one, pluck a star from the sky to cherish forever. The stars were bright and voluminous against the only blanket of night.
She couldn’t recall seeing anything more breathtaking.
“Noah, this is– They’re beautiful.”
“I told you to trust me,” his voice was low as he stepped up to her side, their shoulders touching. “You know what would make it even better?”
She dropped her head. “I don’t think anything can.”
He smiled again. The blanket unfolded from his grip as he flapped it. He laid it down on the grass, patting the sides to make sure it was flat then kicked his shoes to the side and laid on the blanket. He unraveled the scarf around his neck, bunching it up and placed it beside him.
“For m’lady,” he said. Amber was sure she was fantasizing the moment. “Don’t leave me to stargaze alone,” he goaded.
