Portrait of Jealousy (The Art Models Club Book 2) (2 page)

“Um . . .good night! Hope you find the passport.”

Amber lingered another moment by the door.

“Good night, Baby! Sleep well!”

Hunter didn't even look up.

Amber plodded back to her room in shock. Next month! He was leaving next month! And worse, she was obviously sleeping alone in her own bed tonight. It wasn't like she always slept in Hunter's room at night. But the weekends were usually reserved for quality time.

Ugh! Wasn't there a lot involved to get ready for a trip like that? Hunter was going to have scant time for her. And what about his classes and the TA position? He couldn't just drop everything. Could he?

Grabbing her laptop, Amber climbed onto her bed. She pulled up her calendar and stared at the precious days remaining before Hunter left. With their class schedules and her new job, she and Hunter  didn't see a lot of each other even now.

Hey, maybe she could fly over to see him while he was there! Excitedly, she began searching for flights. But when she saw the price for one round trip flight, she quickly grew despondent. Over a thousand dollar for one ticket! It might as well have been ten thousand dollars, she thought miserably. She put away her laptop and crawled into the sheets.

How had such a good day turned into such a lousy one so easily? She sniffled. And then, for the moment at least, she was glad that Hunter could not see her. For in a few seconds she was crying her eyes out, certain that something about this trip would cause her to lose Hunter.

Amber Holloway groaned inwardly as she realized her line of customers was not getting any shorter. Although she was grateful to have a job, her feet were killing her after the double shift she had pulled the day before. Ringing up groceries was not the most glamorous job in the world. The paycheck, however, meant not having to depend on Hunter's generosity for food.

“
Miss? I still have coupons,” said the harried mom checking out.

Her frizzy hair was falling out of the sloppy bun on her head and drifting in her eyes. The infant strapped in the front of the shopping cart began shrieking. Her other child, a preschool boy, grabbed a fistful of candy and dropped the pieces in various bags in the cart.

“Now, Thomas, that was naughty,” the woman said in a small voice.

“
Mommy has to find all the candy and pay for it.”

Amber shifted on her feet. All the woman's groceries were bagged. Yet the woman stubbornly dug around in her purse for more coupons. The guy bagging groceries had already moved down the line. Amber was on her own.

She gave the next person in line an apologetic smile. He frowned and backed his cart out of the line, causing some further grumbling by other customers behind him.

Finally, the woman handed over a bundle of coupons. Amber scanned each one patiently. Several were not for the right item. Those, Amber politely handed back with an apologetic smile.

“Oh, no, I am certain that I purchased those things!”

Oblivious to the giant line behind her, the woman rummaged through the bags.

“Oh, now how did this get in here?”

She fished out several pieces of candy and lined them up on conveyer belt.

Amber rang up each piece the woman handed her. She noted her supervisor looking at her sharply. Ugh! As though she could make this woman move any faster. Finally, the woman paid and began moving away.

Her little boy, however, saw an opportunity. In full sight of Amber, he stared at her defiantly as he scooped up another fist of candy.

“I'm sorry but you can't have that unless you pay for it first,” Amber said in what she hoped was a firm but kid-friendly voice.

The little boy smiled and started to follow his mother.

“Hey, Miss!”

Amber tried to get the mother's attention. She noticed that her supervisor had spun around to stare in her direction. She didn't look happy.

Amber leaned over and tried to stop the little boy but he simple angled away from her.

Great! What was she supposed to do now? Tackle the little shoplifter?

Then suddenly, the boy found he couldn't move. A man had stepped deftly around him to block the kid's escape.

Amber's eyes widened as she recognized Hunter. Where had he even come from so suddenly?

“Hey, little guy!”

Hunter squatted down so he was eye level.

“You forgot to pay the nice lady here.”

The little boy looked at Hunter sullenly.

“My mom already paid,” he said, his little voice indignant.

Amber's supervisor watched curiously.

“Ah, but that was for the food in her cart. If you want more stuff, we need to go and ask your mother.”

Hunter spoke pleasantly. He even smiled. The smile didn't reach his eyes. Still, he did smile.

Amber looked anxiously at the mother. She was busy trying to quieten the infant. The baby's face was scarlet. Amber was certain the kid could pass for a role in an exorcist movie. As the infant screamed, its tiny back arched unnaturally as it writhed in the car seat. That surely could not be normal, she thought. Other customers maneuvered their carts in wide berth around the woman. Some people looked sympathetic but a few looked as alarmed as Amber felt.

“
No! This candy is mine.”

The little boy stared at Hunter as though daring him to say otherwise.

“No,” Hunter said, his voice even. “Everyone around you, including me and the nice cashier, saw you take candy after your mother paid. So the candy is not yours.”

The little boy threw the candy on the ground.

“I think you dropped that,” Hunter said, his voice still even.

His earlier smile was now gone. His eyes were dangerously bright.

“Why don't you pick up the candy and put it back where it belongs.”

Amber nervously checked out her supervisor's face. She seemed to be holding in a smile.

“I've got plenty of time.”

Hunter's voice was icy. He sat back on his heels, his piercing eyes never looking away from the boy's face.

The boy cast one hopeful glance at his mother. Finally, he carefully gathered up the pieces and put them back in their appropriate spots. He looked to Hunter for approval.

“
Excellent! That's how a little man acts.”

Hunter smiled and got to his feet.

“Give me a high five!”

The little boy complied with a small grin.

“Now, let's tell the pretty lady that next time we won't try to take candy without paying for it.”

The little boy looked stricken but Hunter waited with an encouraging smile.

“I won't take candy anymore,” the little boy whispered, his head low.

“
Good job,” Hunter said, rewarding the boy with another smile.

“
Give me another high five and then go and help your mom.”

The little boy slapped Hunter's hand and then galloped towards his mom. He tugged on her leg and then tickled the baby's foot. The infant immediately stopped screaming.

Grabbing the little boy's arm roughly, the mother hurried out of the store, practically dragging her son along.

The remaining customers in Amber's line broke into applause.

Hunter blushed and bowed low.

“
So you're also a child whisperer as well,” Amber said coyly.

She quickly rang up Hunter's small basket of food.”

“Among other things,” Hunter replied, with a smirk.

“
I'd be happy to reveal them to you when your shift is finished.”

He handed her the exact amount of money for the groceries.

Amber felt herself flush.

“
5:00 o'clock,” she whispered, aware of her supervisor's curiosity.

“
Later, Baby. Don't want to linger and get you in trouble.”

Amber forced her eyes on the next customer.

“Sorry about the holdup.”

The next woman in line smiled mischievously.

“That's a keeper, honey. Don't let him out of your sight.”

Amber giggled.

“Um . . .yeah . . .thanks.”

Amber was glad she was busy because it helped her to not think so much about Hunter. She knew that look he gave her. A look that said he couldn't wait until they were alone and he could feast on her body.

At the end of her shift, she saw her supervisor approach.

“
Oh, hi Stacey,” she said nervously.

She debated with herself whether she should bring up the incident with the little boy or not.

But Stacey smiled inexplicably smiled at her warmly.

“
I normally don't like to see boyfriends coming around, Amber. But your young man completely surprised me.”

Stacey laughed.

“I wish had recorded that little boy's face when he realized that he wasn't going to be allowed to get away with stealing candy.”

Amber gaped. Stacey hadn't exactly been warm and fuzzy up to this point. In fact, this was the first time Amber had ever seen the woman crack a smile.

“Um . . . Hunter does have a way about him,” she said carefully.

“
It's okay,” Stacey said. “I still don't like boyfriends hanging around my employees. But he seems like a good guy. More importantly he turned around what could have been an ugly situation.”

Stacey held out a clipboard and motioned to a piece of paper with Amber's name on it.

“Also, I just want to say that your customer service time is really improving.”

“
Thanks,” Amber said, glowing.

Another employee called for assistance and Stacey turned away.

“Keep up the good work!” she called over her shoulder.

Amber clocked out with a smile on her face. Her feet were killing her but she didn't care. In just a few minutes Hunter would be waiting outside to pick her up. It had only been a week since she found out about Hunter's internship. She was making the most out of their limited time before he left.

As though he could somehow read her thoughts, Amber's phone buzzed with a text from Hunter.

“
Walk out door from fruit and vegetable section. Proceed left to third row. Walk back twelve parking spaces. I'll be in the thirteenth spot.”

Amber grinned. Sometimes Hunter was such a nerd. A very nicely put together nerd, she thought. But still a nerd.

The Ranger Rover was, of course, exactly where he said it would be. Hunter jumped out and ran around the car to open her door.

“
Oh, my!” Amber said. “I'm getting the full gentleman treatment. What's the occasion?”

Hunter only smiled secretly and walked back to the driver's side.

Amber sank into the leather seat with a sigh. She smiled at Hunter as he slid into his seat and started the car.

“
It feels so good to be sitting at last.”

Amber groaned as she slipped off her sneakers and wriggled her toes.

“Feet still sore from yesterday?” Hunter asked sympathetically.

“
Yeah, but at least I have tomorrow off. Maybe we can do something that doesn't require walking?”

“
Oh, that won't be a problem!”

Hunter grinned slyly.

“Do you have something in mind?”

Amber's curiosity was piqued. Usually, they wandered around museums or caught a show on the weekend.

Hunter looked over and winked.

“
I can't tell you because it's a secret.”

“
A secret?”

Amber sat up straighter.

“Come on, can't you even give me a hint?”

“
Nope!”

Hunter refused to even look at her.

“What about for a kiss?”

Amber fluttered his eyes at him in a way she hoped was sexy.

“Nope!”

Hunter kept his eyes straight on the road.

Amber pouted and unfastened several buttons of her blouse.

“
Don't you like looking at me anymore?”

Hunter sneaked a quick look and grinned.

“Oh, I love looking at you all right. But I can wait a little bit longer.”

He broke into a wide smile.

“Especially since you're going to be practically begging me to get you naked.”

Amber reached up and primly buttoned her blouse up to the neck.

“I don't think so,” she said firmly.

Hunter simply started laughing.

“I'm serious. You shouldn't just assume that you can have your way with me when you want.”

She shoved her feet back into her sneakers.