AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Gosh, this was a disaster. Running both hands through my hair and gripping the strands at the back of my neck, I look upward and ask for silent help.
“Oh my God, Gillian! You got the highest bid so far! This is crazy!” Jenna pops up out of nowhere, scaring the crap out of me.
“I’m—I’m still stunned,” I respond, not able to reach her level of enthusiasm.
“I can imagine. And to be bid on by Charles, wow.” She sighs, lost in a daydream.
“Yeah.” I need to get out of here.
“Anyway,” Jenna continues, snapping out of her daze, “we already have all your information on file. We know where to find you for your date,” she says in a singsong voice, pointing her finger at me in a spiral. At any other time, Jenna and I would have really hit it off. She’s a character for sure. But I’m so lost in pretending to be my sister that I can’t even take pleasure in meeting a new friend. I’m too worried about the repercussions of tonight. “Oh, and here’s your purse. You can go enjoy the rest of your night now. Go get a drink and relax.”
“A drink. Yes. That’s what I need.” We’re both able to laugh at that.
Thanking Jenna for my purse and all her help during the bidding, I make my way back to the main floor, unsure of myself. Just before I walk through the curtains an idea hits me. I’m such an idiot. Pulling my phone from my clutch, I dial my sister, needing to talk to her desperately. I need to know what I’m supposed to do now. And find out if she and Charlie have anything going on that I should know about. Crap, I really hope not.
The phone rings a couple times before the line picks up. Instantly I know my sister isn’t back at my apartment resting. There’s a weird chopping sound in the background and the howling of wind. What the heck?
“Gillian,” I whisper-hiss into the phone. I may kill her the next time I see her. “Gillian.”
“Kimmie. I can’t talk now.”
“Well, you better get talking, missy. I’m in a real disaster of a situation here.”
“Look, Kimmie, there’s no good way to ask you this but can you keep the act up? I just need a little more time—” Her voice cuts out.
“More time? More time for what? Where are you, Gillian?” No response. Yanking the phone back from my ear, I see the line has gone dead. I’m not scared for Gillian’s safety. She seemed in okay spirits and I know she can look after herself. She is the more adventurous twin, after all. But I’m nervous about why she needs me to continue pretending to be her. Is she trying to lead someone off her trail? Crap, I had a feeling this little game we were playing would not end well.
Even more confused than I was before about what to do about Charlie, I shove my phone back into my clutch. Taking a deep breath, I leave the safe area of the backstage curtains and make my way to the closest bar.
When a cool glass of white wine is in my hand and I take that first gulp, the tension in my shoulders melts away. After this glass I should head home. Call it a night and prepare for what I had to do next to help my sister—if anything. God, that was a lot of to-dos for a Saturday where I had to go into the salon.
“What you pulled tonight was reckless and irresponsible,” a voice growls close to my ear.
Stunned, I choke on my next swallow. My nose burns with the singe of alcohol.
“What?” I squeak out, turning my body toward the man beside me so I can see who addressed me with such accusation. The hand holding my wine rests against the bar as I take in the tall, blond and very fit man glaring down at me. What kind of company did my sister work at where all the men looked like this? Gorgeous didn’t even come close to describing them all. What did I miss when she first told me years ago about her role? I really needed to pay better attention to the finer details.
“You heard me, Gillian. We can’t keep playing this game.”
“I’m not…are we….”
The man takes a long inhale, his eyes darting all over my face.
“Wait. You’re not—”
“Flynn. May I have a word?” I feel no relief at Charlie’s arrival. Shit is about to hit the fan. I just know it. Swallowing down my fear, I watch as Flynn looks back and forth between us, trying to decide what to do. “Now.” The choice is taken from him when Charlie motions to the side.
I hear Flynn curse under his breath as he follows Charlie a few feet from me. I have no idea what they’re talking about, but Flynn’s angry glare fades as they whisper back and forth. Then, throwing his hands up in what I can only guess is exasperation, Flynn spins around and marches through the crowd. It’s only when he’s disappeared from my sight that I realize Charlie has walked to my side.
I take a long drink of my wine, needing all the fortification I can get. This man is dangerous. He’s too handsome. Too tall and sturdy to be anything but a menace to my emotions. I’m attracted to Charlie and that hasdisasterwritten all over it.
Plus, he thinks I’m Gillian. He bid on Gillian to get a date with her. Maybe he likes her and has been waiting for the right moment. This is not the right moment, but how could he know that? Crap, what am I going to do? I really wish I’d never agreed to this stupid farce. Now I was crushing on a man who potentially wanted my sister and I had no idea what her feelings were.
“Are you okay? You’re looking a little pale.”
At any other time I would have sarcastically thanked him for the backhanded compliment. No one ever wanted to hear they looked like crap. Yet, right now, I was thankful for his observation. I felt suddenly sick to my stomach and this was the perfect out.
Placing my wineglass down on the bar harder than I anticipated, I take a deep breath of air.
