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.Her mind a blank, she decided to think about it later and opened Philip’s envelope instead.In it, she found pages of instructions.One was a welcome letter to PB Representations, France.Another detailed her duties for the company; the others were instructions to set up an email address for the Sinful Services website once she chose a name.She thought that was especially weird, but there was little about her current situation that wasn’t.The longer she lay in bed, the more she wanted to call Colin.She figured she should, just once.Amara glanced at the time on her phone and sorted through her call log until she found his number.Her finger hovered over his name for a long moment, and just before she pressed it, she decided against it.She checked the last voice message he left her instead.“I am so pissed off at you,” Colin said, and despite his words, she found herself closing her eyes to relish the sound of his voice.He was speaking quietly, slowly.“I don’t even think I can speak to you.Actually, I know I can’t.Can’t believe you would leave me.Just like that.” Amara realized that Colin was very, very drunk.The ache in his voice was killing her.She wanted to reach into the phone and hold his face, just to look at him one last time.To kiss him, just once more.She couldn’t hold back her tears as she continued listening to his voice.“I should have said this before, a million times.so I’m saying it now.I love you, Amara Maloof, more than the stars in the sky.” With that, Colin hung up.Amara sat there, in silence, absorbed in the void of nothingness left by the absence of his voice.“More than the stars in the sky,” she whispered back to the empty room.AMARA STEPPED INTO the dining room just as the clock chimed on the 7th hour.She’d rushed to be on time and had worn a maxi dress she’d found in the closet of her room.Thankfully it was black so no one could see the wet marks her hair was leaving down her back.She’d washed it and had to let it air dry since she couldn’t find a hair dryer.So much for “packing light.” The gold sandals she wore kept getting caught in the long hem of her dress as she walked, and she gathered the loose material in one hand as she entered an empty dining room.The large table was adorned with two plate settings and fine china.Celeste was still setting the table while Amara admired a replica painting of The Girl with the Pearl Earring.She was stunned at how beautiful it was, painted with dark red colors instead of light blues.Absorbed in examining the beautiful reproduction, Amara didn’t hear Vivienne walk into the room until she was standing beside her.“Exquisite piece, don’t you think?” Vivienne asked, startling Amara.“Yes, very,” she responded.“How was your flight, darling?” Vivienne asked as Amara turned to her.She greeted her with one kiss on each cheek and led her to the table.Her big blue eyes shot towards the open door as soon as their butts hit the chair.“Celeste! Wine!” she demanded.“The flight was fine.”Celeste walked in quickly, pouring red wine in both of their glasses before excusing herself.“Good.Do you have any questions? Did you think of a name?”Amara took a deep breath, taking her time to let it out.“I have a lot of questions.”Vivienne raised an eyebrow.“Start asking.Have you met Chloe?”“No.Was I supposed to?”“Celeste!” Vivienne shouted, making Amara jump in her seat.“Where is Chloe?”Celeste walked back into the room, responding to Vivienne in French.Amara only caught a couple of words during their rushed conversation and couldn’t piece anything together.“You may meet Chloe tonight,” Vivienne informed Amara.She didn’t care, but nodded anyway.“The name.I don’t know how to pick one.”“You just choose whatever name you’d like, there are no rules.Well, try not to be distasteful,” Vivienne said, scrunching her nose as if she smelled something foul.“Okay.do I need to tell you now?”Vivienne let out an exasperated sigh.“Tomorrow morning, Mademoiselle.That’s your deadline.”“Okay.Email, why do I need an email with my fake name?”“Pseudonym, Mademoiselle.Pseudonym.fake name sounds so.retched.” She made another face.“Pseudonym,” Amara repeated, trying not to roll her eyes, even though she was becoming slightly annoyed.Celeste brought their food and placed it in front of each woman.It was seafood pasta that smelled delicious, and it made Amara’s stomach grumble.“You’re not allergic, are you?” Celeste asked in a voice that made Amara glad she wasn’t.“No
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