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She finished wriggling her right arm into its sleeve and picked up her cell. Given the communications with her newfound loo
kalike, she no longer ignored that particular bing. The two of them had messaged back and forth a bunch of times since Sunday, and Gia was starting to really look forward to hearing from her new Facebook pal. Dani was warm and witty, and while their worlds were very different in some ways, they were very much alike in others. They both had demanding careers and warm, loving families, plus a riot of who-could-top-whom storytelling.
Yup. The message was from Dani.
Hey, Doppelgänger. I was thinking about you and wondering if your day was turning out to be as exhausting as mine. Then I remembered that you deal with humans—brides, no less (are they human?)—while I deal with animals (they’re better than humans). So, any way you look at it, your exhaustion trumps mine. Surgery on a bullfrog versus pulling apart two humping people? No contest.
Gia began to laugh. Dani not only had a great sense of humor, she told it like it was. Very Midwest refreshing. If Gia were as frank as she, she’d be out of a job in a New York minute.
She scrolled down, and the next paragraph surprised her.
I’ve been working without a break for two years now, and my boss just kindly informed me that I need to take several mental health days off. As it so happens, I met an old flame at a recent veterinary conference, who, just my bad luck, lives in Cleveland. I thought I’d fly there for a day (and a night ) and then maybe continue on to New York. I know you’re crushed with work, but I’d LOVE to meet you. What do you say? It’ll be midweek next week, so it won’t interfere with your “wedding weekends.” Can you swing it? Just let me know and I’ll start packing.
Gia felt a surge of anticipation. This would be Dani’s first real trip to New York, since the only other time she’d been here was for a day-long job interview. It would also be their first chance to meet, hang out, and get to know each other. How exciting was that? Gia would swing it, no matter what she had to move around to make it happen.
Quickly, she replied to the message.
Hey back. I’d be thrilled to have you here, and to introduce you to the really-not-so-scary Big Apple. The people are mostly great, and their pets are the best-dressed ever. I envy their wardrobes, and so will you. Most of all, I’d love to have the chance to get to know each other and to talk in person. I feel as if it’s been months rather than less than a week since we first connected. Just send me your itinerary when you have it; I’ll even pick you up at the airport. And since my look-alike couldn’t be anything but trustworthy, you’ll be staying with me, so don’t bother booking a hotel.
Not two minutes after Gia hit send, her cell phone binged again.
Great, thanks! I’m calling Gabe now to see if Cleveland is a go. Right from there, I’m coming to New York. I’ll be booking my flights online ASAP. I’ll send you my whole itinerary tonight. In the meantime, you can start planning our nonstop talk ’n tour. Later!
Later, Gia messaged back with a grin.
Still smiling, she slipped her iPhone into her handbag. Another week and she’d be meeting her look-alike. That would be a blast. And given that Dani seemed to have as much energy and stamina as she did, Gia would make it a whirlwind two days, crammed with all the City had to offer, leaving lots of talk time.
She’d plan it all out tonight.
5:30 p.m.
He blew off his mound of paperwork and came straight home. Without so much as a trip to the bathroom, he headed to his computer to do what he was being paid to do. Good money. Good cause. Great perks. He had full control of Danielle’s video camera and microphone. He had a front-row seat to her life, and right about now, he’d love some playtime, hopefully watching her strip down to that lacy bra and thong of hers. But movie time would have to come later.
Quickly, he logged on to Danielle’s computer and downloaded the information captured by his spyware. The keystroke logger reported everything she typed.
The data popped up. He scanned the screen.
Shit. A message with an itinerary—an itinerary that led straight to New York.
He grabbed his burner phone and made the necessary call.
Todt Hill, Staten Island
“Get ready for takeoff,” Lina told Brianna in a teasing voice. Her father had sent a driver and a Town Car to pick the two of them up at the St. George Ferry Terminal. The first few minutes of travel had been uneventful. But the fun part was about to begin.
“Takeoff ?” Brianna’s forehead creased in question. She’d never had occasion to visit Staten Island, but when Lina had invited her to dinner at her family home, Brianna had jumped at the reprieve. She was still shaky from Monday’s meeting with Claire and Casey. Claire had all but told her that the vibes she was picking up off the T-shirt meant things were about to get much, much worse. She and Casey had even taken a few more personal items of hers with them when they left. And reassurances or not, Brianna was a basket case.
She felt a little guilty about going to Lina’s parents’ when she’d been putting off seeing her own. The problem was that, much as she adored her mom and dad, the next visit she had with them was going to be intense and emotional. She owed them an explanation. She was a lousy liar, and they also had the right to know. But meeting Lina’s folks would come without that burden. It would, hopefully, be an evening of relaxed conversation and home-cooking—just what Brianna needed.
She was about to reiterate her question about takeoff when the road ahead provided her answer.
The driver downshifted, and the Town Car began climbing up the steepest incline Brianna had ever seen in New York City. The initial part of ascent was flanked by condos, apartments, and a school playground. But as they climbed higher, the scenery changed. Magnificent homes and estates began to appear, many of them gated, most of them boasting ornate statues and exquisite lawns.
Brianna blinked. “This is where you grew up?” she asked Lina in astonishment. She’d known Lina was wealthy, and she’d expected her to have lived in some exclusive area, but these houses looked like castles.
“Isn’t it cool?” Lina grinned, staring out the window, clearly immune to the grandeur and more intrigued by the natural landscape. “Todt Hill is the highest natural point in the five boroughs, four hundred ten feet above sea level, and made entirely out of rock.” She turned to give Brianna a mischievous look. “When I was a kid, I used to dream of sledding down the full length of the hill. Talk about the fearlessness of youth. I once made the mistake of mentioning that dream to my parents. They took a sled off my Christmas list—permanently.”
“Do you blame them?” Brianna asked.
