Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 144908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
“Past,” Amanda confirmed, moving all the way into the small room.
There were only three people working for the small financial advising business: Daniel Parker, Amanda and Ambrielle. Daniel and Ambrie were full partners and had more than their share of clients. Both were trying to persuade Amanda to finish her schooling and partner with them. So far, they had not been able to get her to see the advantage of giving up her job as Ambrielle’s assistant to work full-time as an advisor.
Ambrie’s office was large enough to give clients the idea that she was successful—which she was—but small enough to make them feel very comfortable. There were several very large potted plants growing near the huge bay windows. She loved plants, and they grew with extraordinary zest in her office due to the light and care she gave them. She talked to them often, mostly about her clients.
Ambrielle really liked the people who came to her for help—at least the majority of them. She enjoyed turning their finances around for them and helping them plan for their futures.
“Computer needs to go off,” Amanda reminded her firmly. “Seriously, you have to have some fun. Did you turn down that hot ballplayer that asked you out on a date? He was absolutely gorgeous.”
Ambrielle laughed as she obediently shut down the computer and turned to face her assistant. “He is very aware of how hot and gorgeous he is, Amanda. I have one small mirror in the office, and he spent nearly the entire time he was in here not paying attention to anything I said regarding his future with his money but staring at himself. He winked several times at himself and made a kissy face once. He even did the muscle thing. I had to call his attention back to his finances several times. It was all I could do to keep from laughing. He had the attention span of a teenager.”
“Umm, Ambrie, you aren’t going out with him for his scintillating conversation or his brains. You were supposed to be after his body.”
Ambrie widened her eyes, striving to look innocent. “I was? You failed to instruct me properly. I blame you.”
Amanda rolled her eyes. “There’s no hope for you. How am I ever going to get you to let your hair down and just plain have fun if you couldn’t even go for the hottie ballplayer? Do you know how many women would have given anything to be in your shoes?”
“Why, yes, Amanda, I do.” Ambrielle leaned forward, putting her elbow on her thigh and her chin in the heel of her hand. “I know because Mr. Hottie Ballplayer informed me several times that he wasn’t going to wait around for me when there were a good million women eager to take him up on his offer.”
Amanda burst out laughing. “I suppose it would be difficult to sleep with someone who thought so much of themselves. But he calls you three times a day.”
“Because I’m such a hottie,” Ambrie replied with a straight face.
Amanda just laughed harder. “Actually, you are, you just refuse to see it. You never even notice the way men ogle you.”
Ambrielle sat back in her chair, legs stretched out. “Really, Amanda? Like they do you? With my long legs that go on forever? And my model’s body?” She indicated her short legs, curvy hips and generous breasts, which were there no matter how hard or often she worked out and how careful she was of what she ate. “My lovely hair that will turn into a mass of frizz the moment there’s any kind of moisture in the air? I suppose there’re a lot of things men might admire about me.” She laughed again at the sheer absurdity of her assistant’s observation.
Amanda gave a little sniff of indignation. “Go ahead and ignore the fact that you’re beautiful and extremely intelligent. Men like curves and brains.”
“Intelligence scares the crap out of men.”
“Some men, yes,” Amanda agreed, “but not all men. The ones that count want a woman who can keep up.”
Ambrielle flashed her mischievous smile. “Keep up? Is that what I’m supposed to do? You should have told me that. I usually bury them with my quick thinking, and they run for the hills. And that’s before I get the chance to tell them about my background.”
Amanda groaned and ran her fingers through her artfully styled and perfectly straight hair. “I give up on you, Ambrie. Really. You sabotage yourself before you even get started dating. Although . . .” She perked up. “My brother wants me to introduce you to him. He’s already madly in love, he says. You saved him thousands of dollars with that last tip you gave us. Me. Him. The both of us.”
Ambrielle frowned. “What tip? I don’t remember giving your brother a tip. I’ve never even met him.”