AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Isn’t it obvious?” she asked, her accent more pronounced than before.
“Because we’re doppelgangers.” She looked at me quizzically. “We look alike.”
“Ah, yes. Very much so.” I could tell she was having a difficult time with this.
“While I very much appreciate the money, the tip, and the envelope Leonardo gave me, I do need to be at work in a little over an hour.”
“Yes, of course. The diner where you’ve worked for almost two years. That will be followed by the evening shift at the lovely clothing store where I found this adorable blouse. You will rinse and repeat over the next few days other than the performance tomorrow night of the fabulous play you were in. It’s such a shame your ill mother won’t be able to see your performance. I personally thought it was brilliant.”
I was momentarily shocked that she knew personal things about me. A sick feeling tore into my system and I jerked to my feet. “I don’t who you are, but I don’t like people being nosy in my business. That’s not cool, lady.” I noticed Leonardo out of the corner of my eye, hovering like a vulture.
“Please, don’t be alarmed. You’re right that I was far too abrupt.” Maria also stood, her face twisting as she stared at me.
I debated what I was going to do and couldn’t help but notice she was obviously in some kind of distress. “Fine, but you need to tell me what’s going on and more important, who you are.”
“I appreciate your assertiveness. I’m usually that way. It’s just this last week has been so… unexpected.” She looked away, pressing three fingers across her mouth, closing her eyes briefly before addressing me again. “My name is Maria Rossi. I’m from Sicily.”
I folded my arms, staring at her intently. What little she’d told me meant nothing to me.
“I came to your beautiful country and to this city with my family to meet my potential fiancé.”
“Potential? And you’re just meeting him?” There were already two things wrong with this picture.
She nodded, brushing hair from her face as she sat down once again. And I could swear her hands were shaking. “Yes. In my world, marriages are often arranged. I know very little about the man other than he’s rich and as powerful as my family is in Italy.”
I found myself sitting involuntarily, eager to hear the rest of this already crazy story. “Go on.”
“We were hoping to finalize details for the wedding, but things changed.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Relationships can be difficult.” I wasn’t certain what she wanted me to say at this point.
She smiled, but I could still gather a sense talking with me was bothering her as much as not knowing was bothering me. “Yes, they often can. I know this might seem strange to you, but I need your help.”
I felt as if I’d been dropped into some rabbit hole. “How can I help you? You’re obviously rich and travel with a bodyguard.”
“That’s because I need to. My family has many enemies.”
Oh, perfect. Who was this girl? “Why?”
She seemed even more uncomfortable. “Let’s just say my father is a very dangerous and influential man in Italy. There are those who want to take away what he’s worked so hard to build.”
Hence the reason for her bodyguard. “I still don’t know how I come into play.”
“When I arrived in this country, I was excited at the prospects of the future. While you maybe not understand why an arranged marriage is important, it is still a way of life in my country. My parents’ marriage was arranged and they love each other very much. I had hopes that my future would be full of happiness and family.”
“What’s stopping you?”
She looked toward the windows, obviously finding it difficult to divulge her personal problems with a stranger. Meanwhile, I glanced at my cheap Timex watch, trying to figure out when it would be appropriate to walk out. Yes, I could tell she was struggling but the girl was as dramatic if not more so than I was.
And the uncanny resemblance was almost creepy.
“I wasn’t feeling well a little over a week ago. We’d been in town only a few days and when I fainted, my father insisted that I be taken to the hospital. After a series of tests, it was determined that I have a rare blood disease possibly caused by a toxin. The doctors have yet to determine the cause.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that and I’m not trying to be rude, but I still don’t know what that has to do with me.” Although my instincts were starting to kick in and I didn’t like what I was thinking.
“Yes, well. It’s not only rare. It’s fatal.” She lifted her head, finally looking me in the eyes. Hers were filled with tears.
Now I felt like a shit. I wasn’t normally so rude. Wait a minute. I’d been brought here to a meeting with a stranger. She owed me an explanation. “Maria, I am very sorry. Are you certain there’s nothing they can do?”
