Amber By Night

In no time, she’d entered the house, breathing a quiet sigh of relief as she locked the front door behind her. Once again, another night of deception had passed undetected.

Yet her conscience would not let her forget that tonight, for just a moment, she’d thought the charade was over. Because of it, a man whom she’d dreamed of for years had asked her out and she’d had to say no.

But, he didn’t ask me, Amelia fumed. He asked that damned Amber.

She didn’t even wonder about the futility of being envious of her own self. She was too frustrated and weary. And she thought she might be coming down with something. There was a strange ache hanging around her heart.

Tyler pulled a clump of peanuts from the ground, searching the underside of the leaves for signs of leaf spot. He pinched at the small, immature nuts hanging like little ornaments on the ends of the plant roots, checking constantly for nematodes as well as the size of the kernel inside the soft shell, hoping that he didn’t find more pops than nuts.

He’d paid to have the crops sprayed just last week and crop dusters didn’t come cheap. He looked up at the clear blue sky and the tufts of gathering cumulus clouds, shading his eyes beneath the brim of his cap and searching the far horizon for the impending signs of rain that the weatherman had promised earlier this morning.

He began to walk the rows, oblivious to the irrigation system in operation. His long legs moved in rhythm to the pulsing jets of water spraying his body and the crops. He was concerned with the tiny, dark green clumps of peanut plants aligning themselves in perfect unending order down the fields.

Beneath the soil, a bountiful harvest was growing, feeding itself from the rich nutrients in the Georgia loam. And yet for the first time in his life, he felt no satisfaction in the knowledge that he was standing on money in the ground. All he could think about was sundown. And a nightclub outside of Savannah called The Old South. And a woman called Amber.

“Hey, boss,” a man yelled. “You want us to shut this down?”

Tyler looked up in surprise. For a moment, he’d actually forgotten where he was. He waved to the man in charge of the irrigation crew.

“May as well,” he said, looking up at the sky with a practiced eye. The building thunderheads were a promising sign of rain. “Give it a rest. Weatherman said rain tonight and if it comes a good one, maybe we won’t have to water the fields for a while.”

“You’re the boss,” Elmer said. And did as he was told.

“Some boss,” Tyler mumbled to himself. “I’m not even in charge of my good sense. Damn stupid that I’m trying to run this farm, too.”

“What did you say?” Elmer asked.

“Oh, hell, Elmer,” Tyler laughed. “Ignore me. I’m just talking to myself.”

Elmer laughed. “Yeah, farming will do that to you. I’ll tell you what’s wrong with you, though. You need to get you a woman.”

When Tyler grinned, Elmer held up his hands in surrender. “Not that kind of woman, Ty. You need one to come home to. You’re past thirty years old and still unmarried. Dammit man, we need to get you out of circulation. I got a daughter who giggles every time you drive by. I’d hate like hell to have to whip your ass when she turns twenty-one. You need to get yourself involved.”

An image of a tall, voluptuous woman in tight red spandex flashed before his eyes. The last thing he was interested in was one of Elmer Tolliver’s moony-eyed daughters. Tyler was already involved. He just had to find a way to convince Amber to participate.

Raelene gasped and then nudged Amelia sharply beneath the ribs. “Ohmigod! Would you look at that? He’s back! You’re gonna have to break down and put that man out of his misery, girl. What is it now…four…five times he’s been back?”

Amelia sighed, trying to ignore the way her heart raced and her stomach tied itself into little knots every time that man entered the room.

“Six,” Amelia muttered. “And wouldn’t you know it. He’s at one of my tables again.”

Raelene laughed. “Well hell, honey. Why do you think he comes here? It can’t be for the company. He sits at that table by himself all night and watches you walk. That’s why he’s here.” She laughed again at her own wit as she fluffed Amelia’s bustle. “So go on out there and give him something to remember.”

Amelia glared at her friend and tried not to wiggle as she walked across the floor to take his order. But it was impossible to stop the motion where her body was concerned. What didn’t sway, bounced. “What’ll it be?” she asked. Pen poised above her order pad.

“You know what I want,” he said softly. “But in the meantime, you can bring me a soda.”

“You could get a soda at any corner quick stop.”

“Yeah, but the service isn’t near as pretty. Hank’s missing two teeth, and his overalls don’t fit nearly as well as your outfit. I’m a bit prejudiced toward short…skintight…black net…shiny red…”

Amelia made a beeline for the bar.

Listening to him flirt was getting to be a bit painful. His voice pulled at secret places inside her belly. His eyes taunted her body to react in the most embarrassing of manners. He was wearing her down and they both knew it.

She slammed her tray onto the bar and almost shouted out her orders. The bartender actually forgot to make a wisecrack as he hurried to complete her requests. Amelia leaned her forehead onto the palm of her hand and closed her eyes with regret.

“Sorry,” she said, as he set the drinks onto her tray. “It’s been a long week.”

He nodded and smiled.

Amelia lifted her tray and then turned, staring through the dimly lit room to the table in the back. “That does it! He’s driving me crazy. I can’t take it anymore. I’m going to put a stop to this…. Now!”

She sailed across the floor, tray held high, dodging hands and sharp remarks as she quickly served the tables their drinks, saving Tyler’s order for last.

“Here’s your cola,” she said shortly. “And you win!”

He nearly forgot to breathe.

“I win?”

Amelia glared. “You know what I mean! Don’t play coy with me at this late date, mister.” She leaned forward to make her point.

He shoved his drink aside and stood up. Their faces were mere inches apart, their breaths caressing each other’s cheeks.

“When?”

She rolled her eyes and slammed her tray against her breasts, unconsciously using it as a shield between them.

“The sooner the better. Then maybe you’ll get this out of your system and I can get back to work.” But how I’ll get you out of my system later is my problem, she thought.

“How about tomorrow night?”

Amelia thought for a moment and then nodded. She started to walk away when his voice stopped her cold.

“Amber?”

She turned.

“I have a small problem.”

She waited for him to continue.

“I don’t know your last name…or where you live.”

Oh God! “Umm…it’s Champion. And don’t bother picking me up. Just meet me here around nine.”

“So late?” Tyler was hoping for more.