Читать книгу Shadow Lane Volume Eleven: The Venus Club A Novel of Sex, Spanking and Modern Love - Eve Howard - Страница 8

“Yes. I brought Mr. Newton over there for the opening and Mr. Newton bought graphics from him last night.”

“So, you’ve attracted Anthony Newton’s attention too, have you? How many millionaires do you plan to collect before sophomore year?” he laughed.

“He knelt down to me and kissed my insteps.”

“Wow.”

“Do you think he’s submissive?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Should he get some sort of discount for spending so much?” asked this child of several shopkeepers.

“Sounds like he’s more interested in you than a discount.”

“At first I thought he was just returning my favor from last night, bringing him Mr. Newton. But now I think he’s interested in me.”

“Yes. I’m sure he is. I hear he’s a nice young man. Well educated. Cornell, I think. As far as the discount goes, cash gets him 20% off,” said Hugo.

“Well, I won’t keep you. I just wanted to let you know.”

“By the way, you also get a five percent commission on the sale, Amanda. So you’ll have some extra pocket money for Europe next month.”

“I don’t need that. You’re already paying me to work here,” she protested, ever mindful of the large tuition bills Hugo was coping with. He had insisted on paying her to working in the shop that month and had arranged for her to charge all her groceries at the local food coop, which her mother had adored and had situated her original psychic shop opposite so many years ago.

Laura emerged from the consummately modern Italian bathroom, clad in a sumptuously embroidered white cotton eyelet batiste gown set that clove to her curvaceous bosom and small waist and swirled romantically about her legs. She came and sat on his knee, stretching out her graceful legs to show off the white satin pearl sewn slippers they had chosen to match the gown. He put down the phone receiver and locked his arms around her waist.

“In 20 years of doing business I never sold twenty thousand dollars worth of wood off the floor in one day, and Amanda does it her first week at the shop,” he revealed with wonder.

“Oh how wonderful! How did she manage it?” she demanded, unconsciously bouncing on Hugo’s lap with the shared euphoria of the big sale.

“I guess Raphael Price is pretty taken with Amanda.”

“I’ve never met him, but I’ve heard he’s very good looking,” Laura said, winding her arms around Hugo’s neck and breathing in the scent of expensive Italian soap. “Does she like him?”

“If he’s that good looking, I’m sure she likes him.”

“It sounds like poor Colby is getting cut out,” said Laura.

“Oh, I don’t think he’s in any real danger,” Hugo laughed. “He’ll have her to himself in Europe and then they’ll go back to school together. And if she’s as good at keeping secrets as her mother, he’ll never be the wiser about Mr. Millionaire.”