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Chapter 1
Daniela
The moment I walk through the door I know I’m in for it. My sister’s anxious expression tells me more than any words might. She’s gotten herself into trouble—again. I’m just hoping it’s not serious.
Gabriela and I might be identical in looks, but that’s where things end with us. Don’t get me wrong, I love her to death, but her brain doesn’t always stop her mouth when it should. She’s a free spirit, flitting from this job to that, without a care while I’m in the same job I’ve had since I graduated college at twenty-one.
We’re now twenty-five. Still living together because despite being opposites, we are best friends, and sisters. Not to mention with her job hopping she wouldn’t be able to afford a place without my steady income.
“What have you gotten yourself into now?” I ask, setting my workbag down on the table. Our favorite takeout is on the kitchen bar, telling me that my sister is majorly trying to butter me up, which means I’m not going to like it.
“I swear, it’s not that bad,” Gabi says, holding out a glass of red wine for me with the smile that always makes me cave.
“Which means it’s worse than bad,” I retort, downing half the glass, waiting to hear what she’s gotten herself into this time.
“Daniela…” she starts, and I shoot her a glare because no one ever uses my full name. Mainly because everyone butchers it. I know there are different pronunciations of it depending on where you’re from, but I cringe when someone calls me Dan-yel-ah rather than Dah-ni-yel-ah. The pronunciation of it stems from our mother, and hearing Gabi use my full name makes me miss her more than on a normal day.
Our mother was originally from Mexico. She met our father when he went down for spring break during college. He fell hard for her, married her, and brought her up to the US with him. They had us three years later when our mom was only twenty-two. We had twenty years with them before they were killed in a car accident, leaving me to take care of Gabriela and finish college. Something I did in three years thankfully.
I got my job as Mr. Wilmont’s assistant just days after graduating, and it’s covered the costs for both of us. Even with me needing a new professional wardrobe. At least Gabi doesn’t spend all of our money on clothes—although at times I wish she’d buy something with a little more coverage. I know we both have decent bodies, we’re the same size in everything, but she likes to show off whereas I’d rather not have to worry about hands creeping where they shouldn’t.
“Dani…seriously, it’s notthatbad.”
“Your face, the takeout, and the wine all combined, says it is. So, what did you do?” I ask her, taking a seat on the barstool. She wrings her hands together and bites her bottom lip, a sure sign she’s trying to decide the best way to say what she’s certain will irritate me. “Out with it already. I can’t fix it if I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“Okay, I may have insulted one of Chef Tyler’s biggest investors on accident. You know he wants to expand and promised me the manager job when he opens the new restaurant,” Gabi begins, babbling on about the new job until Ihold up a hand, trying to get her back on topic. “Sorry…where was I?”
“Not telling me how you insulted your boss’ investor,” I offer, staring at her harder.
“Right, well, the hostess and I were chatting, and she said she’d just set up another reservation for the man, and Imighthave made the comment that he clearly must think that because his last name is Prince that every woman must want him. And that he wasn’t that good looking, and I didn’t understand how he got even one woman to go out with him unless he paid them,” Gabi admits, and I can’t stop the groan that falls from my lips.
“Don’t tell me he was still on the phone and overheard?” I state, pleading that it’s just her boss that’s pissed off right now.
“Worse,” Gabi says, and my brow rises skyward. I down the rest of my wine when she goes on, “He was coming out of the office with Chef Tyler and they both heard it. The man stormed out the door telling him he no longer needed any reservations. Chef Tyler followed him out and about ten minutes later, when he returned, he told me unless I go over to Mr. Prince’s and apologized in person, not only was he pulling his investments, meaning no new restaurant, and no new job, but also that I’d be fired, and he’d let Mr. Prince blacklist me all over town.”
“What do you need me for then?” I ask, understanding her issue now. Gabi likes working for the restaurant, it’s the only job she’s found that she’s stuck with for more than three months.
“Because I can’t stand the man and there’s no way I can apologize to him. He’s an arrogant asshole that sneers at every woman he sees, and don’t even get me started on his dates. I’m not lying when I said I can’t understand how they go out with him unless he pays them or they’re hoping for a big fat allowance after landing him,” Gabi grouses.
Just listening to her is enough to make me dislike the man, but with the glittering fury coming from her eyes, I know theonly thing that will happen if she goes to see him is her making things worse. “So you want me to pretend to be you and go apologize for you?” I guess.
“Please,” she pleads, fluttering her lashes at me. “Everyone falls all over themselves when you smile at them, so it shouldn’t take much. Just say I’m sorry, tell him I was having a bad day—or you know, you were since you’ll be me.”
“When exactly are you supposed to go apologize to the man?” I ask, wondering if I can’t just get it done with now.
“Tomorrow at ten a.m.,” Gabi says, and my eyes widen in shock.
“Tomorrow at ten? I can’t, Gabi.”
“You have to Dani, for me, please…” Gabi pleads, and I shake my head no at her. “You know how much I like my job…”
“And you know thatmyjob pays our bills, has paid our bills for the last four years, and I can’t just leave my boss in the middle of a merger meeting to go apologize as you,” I counter. “Any other time and I’d do it, but not tomorrow. There’s no way I can do it tomorrow.”
“Can’t you just call in sick for one day?” Gabi asks, slumping down on the bar, her face falling when I shake my head no her way once more. “You always complain about the meetings because you never do anything during them. So why can’t you miss just one?”
“Because it’s my job to sit there, Gabi. Even if I’m bored out of my mind I’m still required to be there. This meeting is one that I’ve worked for the last six weeks to get set up and I’m not about to risk something happening to it because I’m not there. I have to get the room set up, make sure we have coffee and pastries…”
“I could do that,” Gabi says, stopping me short. “Seriously, it’s just like setting up a catering, which I handle all the time atthe restaurant. I could pretend to be you for a morning, and then switch at lunch.”
