nothing more than a wet figure of misery and rage, trudging to regain entry. My socks pushed out water with every tread, damaging my shoes and no doubt turning my toes into raisin-skinned ice cubes.
‘Amber,’ I called out with as much composure as I could manage. ‘Excuse me, anyone? Can someone get your manager right now, please?’
I didn’t want her to see me as some unstable head case because something unsavoury had happened. She needed to see me as everything my wretched brother was not. But boy was it hard. I was pissed off and begging for vindication.
‘What’s the matter?’ one of the receptionists asked me. She was very attractive and quite young; a colleague of Amber’s whose name I’d forgotten.
‘I need to speak with Amber, please,’ I said with less enthusiasm.
I followed her back into the offices where I’d taken drinks with the staff only moments before and looked for the stunning redhead with the verdant eyes.
‘Josh?’ Amber said from behind me as the other girl led me into a small office.
‘Amber. I—I’m …’
Don’t say anything along the lines of ‘pissed off’ .
‘I’m sorry to bother you again,’ I said in a brilliantly executed docile tone.
‘Of course you’re not bothering me,’ she protested with concern.
‘It seems someone’s slashed my tyres while I was in here with you lovely people,’ I explained, perhaps laying the sarcasm on a bit too thick.
‘Slashed your tyres?’ Amber gasped. She was truly shocked by the revelation, looking almost as dejected as I felt.
‘Yes!’ I exclaimed animatedly. ‘All four are practically shredded by a freehand artist who deserves a good beating, in my opinion.’
‘Oh my God,’ she said, placing her slender hand across her lips.
‘Listen, can I use your phone to call the police? The battery on my phone is flat.’
I made a serious effort to maintain my composure, but I was about to blow at any minute.
‘Of course, please,’ she said sympathetically and showed me to the seat opposite her desk in the tiny, untidy office she had to work in.
I called the police to report the incident, more for insurance purposes than for any real assistance in catching the perpetrator. Amber gave me my privacy while I spoke on the phone, but she carried a look of despair.
I watched her shapely body and those mesmerising tresses as she walked away. My eyes followed her to the large window that overlooked the street. Oddly, Amber walked straight there as if expecting to see something below the window, as if the perpetrator was still there and she knew exactly where to look. Although I hadn’t known her for long, I knew for sure she would never keep such knowledge from me. Perhaps she wouldn’t disclose it to anyone else, but to me, she would. At least that was what I hoped.
After I completed the call, I crossed my legs, settling in for the long wait despite the officer assuring me he would be out soon to take my statement. Once I had a crime number, I could contact my insurance company to arrange for the towing company to collect the car and take it to a garage to have new tyres fitted.
Judging by the average police team’s swift response time for something not so urgent, I figured it would take me roughly until the end of the business day to get everything sorted out and the red tape cleared before life could return to normal. On one hand, the inconvenience drove me crazy. On the other, I got to spend more time with Amber Cross and her merry crew.
‘Josh, I feel so bad about this. Please, let me pay for your tyres,’ Amber offered.
I couldn’t stop looking at her: the manner in which her nose twitched, the way in which her pristine eyes glinted and the softness of her clear silky voice.
‘Josh?’ she repeated, catching me staring for a tad too long this time and snapping me out of my silent admiration.
‘Don’t worry about the tyres, Amber,’ I declined gracefully. ‘My insurance people will have it sorted in no
‘Amber,’ I called out with as much composure as I could manage. ‘Excuse me, anyone? Can someone get your manager right now, please?’
I didn’t want her to see me as some unstable head case because something unsavoury had happened. She needed to see me as everything my wretched brother was not. But boy was it hard. I was pissed off and begging for vindication.
‘What’s the matter?’ one of the receptionists asked me. She was very attractive and quite young; a colleague of Amber’s whose name I’d forgotten.
‘I need to speak with Amber, please,’ I said with less enthusiasm.
I followed her back into the offices where I’d taken drinks with the staff only moments before and looked for the stunning redhead with the verdant eyes.
‘Josh?’ Amber said from behind me as the other girl led me into a small office.
‘Amber. I—I’m …’
Don’t say anything along the lines of ‘pissed off’ .
‘I’m sorry to bother you again,’ I said in a brilliantly executed docile tone.
‘Of course you’re not bothering me,’ she protested with concern.
‘It seems someone’s slashed my tyres while I was in here with you lovely people,’ I explained, perhaps laying the sarcasm on a bit too thick.
‘Slashed your tyres?’ Amber gasped. She was truly shocked by the revelation, looking almost as dejected as I felt.
‘Yes!’ I exclaimed animatedly. ‘All four are practically shredded by a freehand artist who deserves a good beating, in my opinion.’
‘Oh my God,’ she said, placing her slender hand across her lips.
‘Listen, can I use your phone to call the police? The battery on my phone is flat.’
I made a serious effort to maintain my composure, but I was about to blow at any minute.
‘Of course, please,’ she said sympathetically and showed me to the seat opposite her desk in the tiny, untidy office she had to work in.
I called the police to report the incident, more for insurance purposes than for any real assistance in catching the perpetrator. Amber gave me my privacy while I spoke on the phone, but she carried a look of despair.
I watched her shapely body and those mesmerising tresses as she walked away. My eyes followed her to the large window that overlooked the street. Oddly, Amber walked straight there as if expecting to see something below the window, as if the perpetrator was still there and she knew exactly where to look. Although I hadn’t known her for long, I knew for sure she would never keep such knowledge from me. Perhaps she wouldn’t disclose it to anyone else, but to me, she would. At least that was what I hoped.
After I completed the call, I crossed my legs, settling in for the long wait despite the officer assuring me he would be out soon to take my statement. Once I had a crime number, I could contact my insurance company to arrange for the towing company to collect the car and take it to a garage to have new tyres fitted.
Judging by the average police team’s swift response time for something not so urgent, I figured it would take me roughly until the end of the business day to get everything sorted out and the red tape cleared before life could return to normal. On one hand, the inconvenience drove me crazy. On the other, I got to spend more time with Amber Cross and her merry crew.
‘Josh, I feel so bad about this. Please, let me pay for your tyres,’ Amber offered.
I couldn’t stop looking at her: the manner in which her nose twitched, the way in which her pristine eyes glinted and the softness of her clear silky voice.
‘Josh?’ she repeated, catching me staring for a tad too long this time and snapping me out of my silent admiration.
‘Don’t worry about the tyres, Amber,’ I declined gracefully. ‘My insurance people will have it sorted in no
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