Amanda's Guide to Love by Alix Nichols Read Free Book Online Page B

Jeanne put her glass on the table. “You used to come here
for lunch at least twice a week. ENS is still around the corner, but you
disappeared.”
    Amanda smiled. If Jeanne continued
with this line of questioning, she’d come to the right conclusion all by
herself, and Amanda wouldn’t have to utter the painful words.
    “I’ve been busy,” she said.
    “Have you been transferred
somewhere? Did you get that big promotion your former boss had promised?”
    “The new one passed me over.”
    “Oh no. I’m sorry, honey. Well, I’m
sure the new guy will appreciate your qualities, too. Just give him time.”
    Amanda looked her friend in the
eye. “He fired me.”
    “What?”
    “You heard me right.”
    “When?”
    “A month ago.”
    Jeanne leaned forward. “You waited
a month to tell me you lost your job? I thought we were friends.”
    “We are.”
    “Friends ask friends for help when
they fall on hard times.”
    “I know. But I couldn’t.”
    “Why not?” Jeanne’s mouth twitched.
“Lost your asking cap?”
    Amanda hesitated. “I’ve always been
the successful one, and now I’m . . . unemployed. And alone. And
you’re a business owner engaged to a great guy.”
    “That’s so twisted, woman.” Jeanne
put her beer down. “May I remind you that last year, I was in a very tight
spot, professionally and emotionally? And you were there for me . . .
in your unique Amanda way.”
    Was she? Amanda recalled sharing
some of her Guide to Perfection wisdom with Jeanne. She also recalled
the sympathy she’d felt for her friend’s desperate circumstances. And look how
nicely things had turned out for her!
    Her spirits rose. “So, how does it feel to be
a proprietor?”
    “If we don’t count the times I feel
crushed by the weight of responsibility or the length of my to-do list, it’s
amazing.”
    “No less?”
    Jeanne grinned. “I’m the one
calling the shots around here, and it’s empowering as hell.”
    “What about the headwaiter—that guy
who walked out the day you bought the bistro?”
    “Didier,” Jeanne prompted.
    “Right. Did he come back to grovel
at your feet?”
    “Nope. He bought a bar somewhere
around Pigalle.”
    “In the red-light district? What
kind of bar is it?”
    “I don’t know. Anyway, the
neighborhood is gentrifying , so I wouldn’t
jump to conclusions.”
    “OK. Who’s the new headwaiter?”
    “Manon. She’s young, but she’s been
working her tail off.” Jeanne sighed. “She won’t be able to go on like this
forever. I’ll have to hire a new waiter. We’re one man short.”
    “Should be easy with all the hungry
students in this city.”
    Jeanne nodded. “But enough about
me. I want the full lowdown on your situation. Even if there was no love lost
between you and the new guy, you were too valuable to the company to sack you
like that. What happened?”
    Amanda sighed. “It’s a long story.
But I promise I’ll tell you soon.”
    “I’ll remind you.”
    “How’s Mat? Are you still happy to
be engaged to the hottest politician in the country?”
    Jeanne chuckled and went on to
share the latest anecdotes from Mat’s new campaign and their life. As usual,
her stories gave Amanda a few good laughs, a few pangs of envy, and a glimmer
of hope. Happiness was a rare beast, a chameleon hard to spot on the surface of
daily life and even harder to capture. But it was real. It wasn’t an imaginary
unicorn born from people’s desperate thirst for beauty. It existed.
    If Jeanne had managed to trap and
domesticate one of those chameleons, then so could she. After all, she was
prettier and better educated. She had excellent taste and impeccable manners.
In short, she was near perfect. All she had to do was find a great new job and charm a youngish business shark that she could build
a future with.
    How hard could it be?
     
    * * *

Chapter Four
    The Companion Pact
    ~ ~ ~
    A Woman’s Guide to Perfection
    Guideline # 4
    The Perfect Woman knows how to
manage her male