Saving Amy (15 page)

They couldn’t possibly approve of me – despite what Richard had told me. I assumed he was just pacifying me. I was too young. I had no career, no decent education. Christ, never mind his parents, what the hell did Richard see in me? I was starting to depress myself so I shook my head in an effort to scatter my unruly thoughts. Richard noticed and glanced over at me, looking concerned.

“Something wrong, baby?”

“I’m just a little nervous,” I replied, although it was a
serious
understatement. He smiled and rested his spare hand on my knee, squeezing it reassuringly.

“Amy, they will
love
you. How could they not?”

You want me to give you a list?

I dismissed his optimism and leaned my head against the window, admiring the leafy green scenery as some of Richard’s classical crap flooded the air.

In an effort to distract myself I switched my thoughts to the last three weeks. Just thinking about it seemed like a dream. It was twenty-four days since I knew that I loved him and twenty-three days since I told him so. He’d told me repeatedly since that he loved me too and even though I couldn’t figure out why, I chose to believe him. I’d never known the meaning of happiness but if this was it I would give up my life just to hang onto it for one extra minute.

It had been twenty-four days of the most blissful pleasure. Twenty-four days of making love, talking, laughing, learning to slow dance in Richard’s living room. Twenty-four days without pain, without arguments, without (too many) tormenting thoughts. Quite simply, it had been the best twenty-four days of my existence.

“We’re here,” Richard said, cutting the engine and dragging me from my delightful pondering.

We’d driven up a long (
really
long) secluded
road which
wound around a forest of the most dense and luscious green trees. My mouth involuntarily dropped open as I gaped in utter awe out of the windshield. I was staring at a gigantic, eye-twitchingly exquisite mansion. It was so big I couldn’t see both ends without moving my head and Richard’s apartment suddenly seemed miniscule in comparison.

I was so engrossed in my surroundings I didn’t notice Richard had left the car until he was by my side and holding my door open. He flashed me the wicked grin I’d grown to adore and I knew my nerves were amusing him.
Bastard.
Sliding up his sunglasses onto the top of his head he proffered his hand and I nervously took it before sliding gracefully out of the car.

He led me down the grand, gravelled path (which didn’t mix well with four inch heels) and up to the white sandstone, half-moon steps leading up to the impressive glass front door. The whole house was white stone and surrounded by a myriad of vivid green shrubs and flowers of all varieties and colours. Above me was a black metal balcony guardrail – swirled and moulded into elaborate flower and leaf patterns – which spread across the full width of the great house.

Completely overwhelmed, it dawned on me that I had fallen in love with a man who came from an obscenely, incomprehensibly rich family.
Lucky bitch,
my subconscious sneered. I mentally slapped the face behind the silent voice, feeling utterly ashamed with my thoughts.

“Ready?” Richard asked eagerly but I could tell by his playful wink that he was revelling in my suffering.

“No,” I spat, pouting like an impish child.

“Come on,” he said, dismissing my qualms and tugging gently on my reluctant hand as he dragged me into the unknown.

“Good to see you, Dicky Boy!” a tall, pretty fine looking, auburn-haired man – a few years younger than Richard at a guess – greeted while giving Richard a very masculine one-armed hug. I figured with the same rich auburn hair as Richard, he must surely be a relative.

“Amy, this is my brother David. David, meet Amy,” Richard said, addressing us both and gesturing his hand to each of us in turn. I didn’t even know he had a brother and it hit me that there was still so much left to learn about him. The thought excited me – I doubted I would ever tire of discovering new things about him.

But then, the more I thought about it…
why
didn’t he tell me? It dawned on me then, that we only ever really spoke about
me.

“Nice to meet you, Amy,” David muttered politely with an infectious ‘cheeky boy’ grin. I offered my hand but he bypassed it and leaned in for a peck on the cheek. It was unexpected and I felt my face burn instantly. “Damn, brother, you landed well with this one. She’s a stunner!”

“Fuck off, David,” Richard replied flatly. Maybe I should’ve been offended but I couldn’t help but giggle. It felt like they were both thirteen years old. In the brief moment I’d spent with him I’d noticed such a youthful, carefree charm exuding from David. I liked him immediately.

The couple from the photo on Richard’s floating shelves appeared next from one of the many doors lining the grandiose hallway. After a quick welcoming glance in Richard’s direction they skirted straight past him and headed towards me. Suddenly I felt awfully overwhelmed and terribly self-conscious.

“You must be Amy,” Richard’s mother greeted warmly. She was so elegant – the same honey-blonde bob as in the photograph with bright red lipstick and flawless skin. “It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you,” she continued before pulling me into a full-on embrace, making me blush… again. She smelt lovely. In fact she smelt just like Julie’s mom and so I knew she was wearing Chanel no.5 without a doubt. I wasn’t used to such familiarity and I patted her back awkwardly as I tried to return her affection.

Richard’s dad opted for a subtler peck on the cheek followed by a formal handshake.

“Lovely to meet you, dear,” he said, equally welcoming but in a slightly more reserved tone. “Son.” He nodded towards Richard.

“Amy this is my mother Vivienne, and Alistair, my father.” Richard officially introduced us and the mere sound of his comforting voice dissipated some of the burning nerves pulsing through my veins. Vivienne’s attention turned to Richard and she pulled him into a loving hug – a little more fervently than she did with me.

“Well, darling, this is quite the little beauty you have here…”

Me?
I felt like I should turn around. Surely she must be referring to someone behind me? She smiled teasingly at Richard and then turned it onto me.

“
Mom…
” Richard mock scolded her and I could see from the glint in their eyes that they adored one another. It was fascinating to witness and I felt a twitch in my heart as I wondered what that must feel like.

Formalities over, we followed Richard’s parents and David down the extravagant hallway and through a set of arched, frosted glass double doors. We were in the living room – or
a
living room at least. I suspected in a house this size there were probably several more similar rooms dotted around the place. The room was unexpectedly modern in contrast to the traditional pale cream and dark wood hall.

There were two plump, white leather corner suites, a matching four-seater and two matching recliners. They were all angled towards a tremendous, real log fire surrounded by a white stone
fireplace which
mirrored the exterior of the house. I noticed four different pictures of Richard’s sister Kate speckled around the place and my mind began to wander as I tried to imagine the pain this family had been through. I guessed money couldn’t buy you everything.

“Bethany?” Vivienne called, using her hand as a makeshift megaphone and making me jump. Bethany? Another new name… Moments later a girl – fifteen-ish at a guess – burst into the room and I could tell by how beautiful she was that she was part of this fine-looking family.

Like everyone else she flew straight over to me without so much as a glance in Richard’s direction. So this was what the new toy in kindergarten felt like? I was winded when without warning, she lunged herself onto me – almost knocking me over.

“Oops, sorry!” she apologised when I stumbled. “I’m just so excited to meet you!”

Seriously, what the hell has he been telling these people?

I smiled clumsily. I was in a room full of strangers who seemed to know all about me and it felt unnerving that I knew
nothing
about them. I didn’t even know some of them existed until a few minutes ago and I couldn’t seem to prevent myself throwing a chastising glance in Richard’s direction. His brow furrowed at my reaction – clearly not comprehending why I was feeling a little pissed.

“Dinner is almost ready, Mom,” Bethany said, finally removing herself from my personal space.
So he has a sister too?
Rightly or wrongly I was feeling pretty put out – did he not think I was important enough to tell me about his family?

We made our way to a large dining room with dark walls that were humbly lit by a handful of subtle wall lanterns and a lavish chandelier that spanned the full width of the twelve-seater mahogany table. The table was festooned with fine china, silver cutlery, crystal glasses and a plethora of freshly cut white lilies. It looked like a royal banquet and I was suddenly feeling very out of my depth.

Alistair sat at the head of the table on one of the ornately carved, mahogany chairs with plush, red velvet seats. Richard sat beside him - looking awfully suave in his grey suit with the top three buttons of his crisp white shirt undone – and I beside Richard. David stood opposite me topping up our glasses with white wine and I assumed Vivienne and Bethany were preparing dinner in the kitchen. They joined us moments later and took up their seats adjacent to David. In all honesty I was grateful for the empty space beside me… until I started to wonder if there would be any more new faces joining us.

I watched curiously as Vivienne and Bethany relaxed into their seats, engaging in idle chitchat. They showed no signs of moving and so I decided someone else must have been preparing dinner.
Another new face?
Seconds later a woman – late forties maybe, dressed in a long black pencil skirt and fitted white blouse – entered the room with four plates balanced effortlessly along her outstretched forearms.

“Amy this is Gracie. My parents’ housekeeper,” Richard clarified. I nodded, smiling timidly.

They have staff. Of course they do,
my subconscious snickered – making me feel stupid.

It surely went with the territory when you were so obscenely rich. I shuddered at the realisation and I had never felt so overwhelmingly…
ordinary
. The heat from my disloyal cheeks radiated through my face as they began to burn, followed by a gentle squeeze of reassurance on my knee under the table. I looked up to meet Richard’s eyes and he flashed me a playful
wink which
instantaneously melted any traces of nervousness from my system.

Staring down at my starter I now realised why Richard’s food was always so pretentious – he’d been raised with it. I was faced with an array of elaborate silver cutlery in size descending order on either side of my plate and it was only because I’d seen snippets of Pretty Woman I knew to work from the
outside-in
. I caught Richard doing his incredulous eyebrow thingy as he watched me pick up my fork. He seemed unexpectedly impressed that I knew what I was doing.

I’m not a complete imbecile,
I thought – inwardly rebuking him.

I poked around the showy plate of food and although I was sure it probably had some posh-sounding name, to me it was shredded pancetta on an open flat mushroom with some kind of green herb sprinkled on top for effect. It tasted delicious and I flushed when I noticed I’d finished before anyone else.

“So, Amy… I trust my boy is treating you well?” Vivienne asked with her warm smile. She was so easy to like.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more from him. You have a wonderful son, Mrs Lewis,” I replied honestly – my heart beating noticeably faster as I thought of everything he’d done for me. She smiled at me and then Richard and I could tell she already knew.

“Richard tells us you’d like to go into real estate someday,” Alistair interjected.

Did he?

“Well, you have definitely chosen the right family,” he continued without waiting for my response. Then he winked as if I should understand his little quip. I forced a giggle out of politeness – or maybe nervousness – but I had no idea what he was talking about.

While chatter continued around me I ransacked my brain for clues as to where the hell Richard got the idea I dreamt of being a realtor from. I briefly remembered making a joke about the insane amount of money they legally steal from people while I was still absorbing the enormity – therefore expensiveness – of his super-sized apartment. Maybe he took me too literally. Or maybe he just had to tell them
something
… anything that made me sound more enriching than I actually was.

I was abruptly pulled back into feeling out of place and itchy heat began to crawl up my neck and settle in my cheeks when I realised I didn’t belong here with all these rich, focused, intellectually stimulating people. I had never been so painfully aware of just how little I had to offer the magnificent man sitting next to me. I had nothing.

I
was
nothing…

I was grateful when Gracie re-entered the room, snatching me out of my self-pitying episode and interrupting Alistair before he had chance to press me further about my non-existent aspirations.

“There’s a phone call for you, Mr Lewis,” she formally informed Richard’s father. Excusing himself, he stood up and left the room.