She bounced it in her palm, and then, suspicion dawning, she shook it close to her ear. I loved watching Jessica figure out a problem. She was clever, and good with puzzles, as her Sudoku streak in the newspaper every morning had proven.
Satisfied that she was right and that something was inside, she proceeded to feel along the golf ball until she found the hidden button. It sprang open, and—while I wouldn’t know this until she told me later—Jessica smiled, expecting to find a necklace or something of that sort inside.
Instead, it was a diamond ring.
I heard her gasp as I lowered myself to one knee.
“Jessica?”
She was already nodding, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, her hand over her mouth to stop her jaw from dropping open.
I took the ring and held it out to her.
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, and I can’t ever be grateful enough that you gave me a second chance to be in your life. You’re the most incredible person I know, and you’re the bright star in my life. Will you marry me?”
Thank God Jessica liked my sappy speeches, because she nodded frantically and choked out a, “Yes!” before letting me slide the ring onto her finger and tackling me with a hug.
We ate the cake in bed, not caring at all if it got on the sheets.
It had taken us nine months to plan the wedding, a fact that had many people cracking up, including Jane. Jessica had wanted just a small garden wedding, and I had wanted whatever Jessica had wanted, and so here we were.
It was thanks to Mary that the entire thing had come together so quickly. Jessica had named her maid of honor, as she had promised at that first double date dinner. We had a lot of those, now—almost every week. Josh was a great guy, and through him I’d met a lot of other great people. I hadn’t realized how I’d lost most of my friends, having been so wrapped up in my work as Dr. O.
Jessica brought meaning and zest back into my life when I hadn’t even realized that it had been missing, and I loved her for it.
Mary had planned the wedding with an efficiency that was, in my opinion, kind of scary, but also amazing. Jessica had barely had to lift a finger. And since I didn’t care about anything so long as there was good food and I got to marry Jessica by the end of it, I had to do even less. I did help Jessica taste the different cake flavors, though. That was actually a lot of fun.
Jane ended up being my best woman. I hadn’t suspected when I’d called her for help with winning back Jessica that she and I would end up becoming friends, but we did. We found that we had a lot in common, but that we especially balanced each other out well. We were apparently hilarious at parties, where Jessica would just smile and shake her head at us, pretending she wasn’t as amused as everyone else.
When it came time to choose a best woman, I knew there was no one else I’d rather entrust with the rings.
The music started and we all turned to watch the bridesmaids come down the aisle. There were only two of them: Amanita and Lanie. Jessica had joked about me ‘stealing’ Jane from her, but I knew that she didn’t really mind.
Lanie caught sight of Jane and blushed as she walked up the white carpet we’d rolled out to serve as the aisle, covering the grass. I’d gotten to know Lanie as well, meeting her at the movie marathons that Jessica would hold at our apartment, and I’d gotten to talking with her.
It had taken a long time—and by a long time, I mean about a year—but eventually, she got around to accepting the fact that she liked women as well as men. After that, it took another three months to convince her that Jane did, in fact, still like her and wasn’t secretly resenting her for taking so long to get her shit together.
“It’s been a decade,” Lanie would cry into my shoulder, usually after too much wine at said movie marathons. “She can’t possibly have waited that long.”
But, as I’d once said before Amanita jokingly told me to never say again, Jane was my sister from another mister. I was going to get her with Lanie if it was the last thing I did regarding meddling in others’ romantic affairs.
Finally, one night, Jane stumbled upon me comforting Lanie in our guest bathroom.
“She does care about you,” I was saying. “Just tell her the truth, that you were scared and shoved it down so deep that you didn’t even know that was how you felt.” Lanie had shaken her head, looking terrified as I continued. “Jessica forgave me, and I behaved far worse than anything you’ve done.”
“What’s going on?” Jane had said then, and Lanie had promptly dissolved into tears and started stuttering out apologies.
I’d left them to it, so I’d never found out what was said, but it must have worked out because after that, Jane and Lanie were a couple. It was startlingly cute, how Jane with her sharp edges and harsh humor would go all soft around Lanie, smiling at her like she was something precious.
I couldn’t judge. I was sure that I looked at Jessica the same way.
The music swelled and the door opened, and I almost lost it.
Jessica looked beautiful. She was wearing a simple dress with lace overlay, a small bouquet of white roses clutched in one hand while her other arm was looped with her father’s.
She raised her head just the slightest bit, looking up at me through her lashes, and my breath vanished. I didn’t know where it went. It was just stolen from me. She looked like something out of heaven, or a fairy tale, something more than this world. I wanted to kiss her right then, desperately so, but we had a ceremony to get through first.
My bride-to-be took her spot beside me and I tried hard to pay attention to what was being said rather than just staring at her like an idiot. I wasn’t sure that I completely succeeded.
After we kissed and the audience applauded, I whispered to her, “I am so fucking happy that I answered Mary’s text.”
Jessica grinned at me in response.
The reception was held inside, since there had been a prediction of rain, and there was room on the dance floor for everyone. But first, there was dinner. Jessica had insisted on everyone sitting down and enjoying the meal rather than fending for themselves at the buffet, and I had agreed.
Then, it was time for my speech.
I stood up, clinking my knife against the side of my glass.
“If you could all settle down for a second? I know, the cake’s going to be delicious, but you’re not getting any until I get to talk about how awesome I am.”
There was laughter, and I relaxed a little. I had been worried about that—some of Jessica’s family were here that I’d never met before, and I was concerned that they would mistake my humor for genuine arrogance.
“As you’ve probably figured out by now,” I began, “I’m madly in love with Jessica. But what most of you may not know is how we met, which was through a mistake. I used to have a side job showing women who needed to relax a good time. Mary knew about this, and asked me to work for her friend Jessica, who was experiencing some stress.”
I had modified the details of our meeting a bit, just like Jessica had done with her parents, in order to protect Jessica’s privacy. I probably deserved to have all of my dirty laundry out in the open, but she didn’t. Although she was now happily getting orgasms on a regular basis, I knew that now wasn’t an appropriate time to bring that up.
“Here’s where the mistake comes in—I said yes, even after Mary told me that Jessica wouldn’t know the real reason why I was meeting with her. Previously, all my other clients had known that I was being hired to spend time with them and show them all the best spots in the city. Jessica, however, thought I was just a nice guy who’d been stood up and needed a replacement date.
“It was wrong of me to lie to her like that, and eventually, like all liars, I was found out. Those of you who know Jessica—and there are a great many of you here tonight—know that honesty is her first and best policy. So, you can imagine her reaction when she found out the truth.”
There were some chuckles from the audience, mostly
people who hadn’t been at Mary’s wedding that night and so were probably imagining a much more hilarious scenario where Jessica punched me or did something equally violent that I no doubt deserved.
“But here’s the thing about Jessica—she is the kindest person I know. Did you all know that she got into the cosmetics business because she wants everyone to feel beautiful for who they are? Did you know that she promotes the idea that women should do themselves up for themselves first, and others second, and that you should love yourself no matter what?
“Did you know that when she was told by previous boyfriends that she wasn’t good enough, she went out of her way to find all the ways that she could make the relationship better for them, instead of just giving up, like I know many of us would have?
“She has forgiven me for what I did, the mistake that I made. That, I think—more than anything—shows her loving heart. She is always the one taking care of her friends. She organizes the parties, plans the trips, holds them when they’re sad, and, of course, celebrates fully with them when they’re happy. She’s the most giving person that I know, and that’s why I try to spoil her rotten, so that we can even the scales up a bit.
“So, while you all will be toasting to the both of us—and I’d like to think that you should, because we work well together and make each other happy, and we’ll continue to do so for the rest of our lives—let’s take a moment to raise our glasses to Jessica.”
I raised my glass and everyone followed suit.
“To Jessica,” I said, “And the best mistake that I ever made.”
Jessica stood up then, kissing me before I could take a sip of champagne.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too,” I replied, meaning it even more now than I had back when I had first said it.
I hadn’t thought that it was possible for our love to grow even more, but it did, little by little, every day.
I couldn’t wait to see how much more I loved her fifty years from now.
The End
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SOLD: To The Hottest Bidder
Layla Valentine
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Copyright 2017 by Layla Valentine
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the explicit written permission of the author.
All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.
Chapter One
Emily
I felt my phone vibrate in my purse and hastily glanced up at the clock. It was already after five, and I knew Maddy had made reservations for six. My sister was well aware that rush hour traffic in Los Angeles was a pain to deal with, but she also knew that Cleo’s was one of the most popular new restaurants in town, and she’d had to reserve a spot when she could get it. Quickly, I gathered my files and stepped into the hall, heading for the front desk.
I’d been looking forward to the evening for quite some time. As a nurse, it was difficult for me to find time to get out and enjoy myself. It felt like I was always either just getting off work or having to rush home and get to bed early so I could start an early shift the next morning.
It had been a while since I’d seen my sister. Though I’m technically her older sister—by three minutes—we are identical twins. Physically identical, anyway. As far as our personalities and professions are concerned, we are as different as night and day.
I enrolled in college as soon as I got out of high school, determined to make a career for myself in the medical field. I studied hard and worked long hours to pay for my tuition, and got a nursing job the day I was given my degree.
Maddy, on the other hand, chose an entirely different route. Using the assets she had been blessed with, Maddy chose to pursue modeling, and had since become one of the more prominent faces to be seen on the magazine covers of Los Angeles. I didn’t envy her; in fact, I was proud of her for her ability to make it in such a viciously competitive field.
I pulled my phone out of my purse to check my taxi app as I headed for the hospital’s exit, hoping my ride was already waiting for me. I sent a quick text to let Maddy know that I was just off work and on my way, and to go ahead and order our first round of drinks. Though we weren’t as close as we once were, Maddy knew what I liked.
I wanted to get to the restaurant as soon as possible, but my apartment was on the way, so I decided to stop and change into something better suited for a night out. After all, it had been weeks since I had last seen my sister, and she was a professional model. Identical to her or not, I was going to have to make an effort if I wanted to look the part.
Asking the driver to wait outside my complex and promising I’d only be five minutes, I booked it up the stairs and into my apartment. I yanked off my scrubs and the clothes under them as I walked through the living room to my bedroom.
After slipping into a small red cocktail dress and letting my long, auburn waves fall about my shoulders, I went simple yet sultry with my makeup and spritzed on some of my favorite perfume. I couldn’t help but smile at myself as I glanced in the mirror and looked over my attire. I looked like I was getting ready for an actual date—not a date with my twin sister.
It had been a long time since I had gone on any kind of date with a man, but I couldn’t say that I felt like I was missing anything. I was so busy juggling work with my social life, I didn’t see how I was going to fit a relationship into my schedule, anyway. Besides that, the brief encounters I did have with men often originated from them mistaking me for my sister.
Maddy the Model. Maddy, the girl with the looks and the attitude to match. Maddy, the girl every man wanted but no man could handle. Yes, whenever I got asked out, I knew that the man in front of me wasn’t picturing some nurse walking around a hospital in scrubs—he was picturing my twin sister, rolling around on the hood of a sports car in a tiny string bikini.
Maddy was the fun one, not me. Ever since we were young girls, she was the one who was always pushing the limits. She was the one all the boys wanted in high school, and often spent time in detention. She was the one who had all the cool stories—she was the one who had all the fun.
I grabbed my clutch and hurried back down the stairs, hoping that my ride wasn’t too irritated with having to wait for me.
The car was waiting in the same place I had left it, engine still running, and as I apologetically slipped into the back seat, my phone went off once more. Maddy was becoming impatient for me to get there.
I rolled my eyes.
A few minutes later, I was walking into Cleo’s, my heart beating with anticipation as I walked through the doors and scanned the tables for my sister.
It wasn’t at all unusual for people to do a double take when we were in the same room together—especially considering how alike we looked but how different our fashion sense was. Even if I was dressed in something I would consider adventurous, my sister would view it as boring or conservative.
I spotted Maddy sitting at a table near the bar, staring down at her phone. She looked up and smiled as I walked over, then quickly got up and threw her arms around me.
“Emily! It’s so good to see you! It’s been too long!” she exclaimed, not at all concerned with the attention she drew from others in the restaurant.
“Yes, it has
! How are you?” I asked as I gave her a quick, tight squeeze.
“Oh, you know how it goes. Been here, been there, been back again. I just got a huge shoot scheduled over in Singapore—I’m supposed to be leaving in a couple weeks.”
Maddy ran her finger around the rim of her margarita glass as she spoke, and I felt a slight twinge of jealousy in my chest.
“Singapore! Wow. I don’t know if I’ll ever set foot outside of the U.S., let alone go anywhere exotic.”
My tone belied my jealousy, though I could see that Maddy sensed at least some of it.
“I don’t know. At least you have a job that helps people. I mean, if I were to find someone all torn up and mangled from a car accident, I wouldn’t have a clue what to do with them; all I have to do is pose on a beach and look pretty.”
Maddy had an absent look in her eyes as she spoke, but she was quick to recover with a flashy smile.
“Yeah well, I have to admit that there are times I feel trapped in my job. It’s the same old story, day after day. I don’t work in trauma anymore, so my shifts largely consist of administering medication to patient after patient. It’s an important job, yeah—but Maddy, I’ve never done anything…daring.”
I looked down at my drink as I spoke, ignoring the emotion that tightened my throat. Maddy reached over and placed her hand over mine, then gave it a squeeze.
“Hey now, don’t do that. Your life is plenty exciting, and if you don’t think that it is, why don’t you do something about it?” She gave me a mischievous grin and I smiled as I shook my head.
“And what on earth would that be? Decide to take a different way home from work one day? Ooh, that would be really adventurous!” I rolled my eyes as my sarcastic tone showed my sister how unconvinced I was, and she gave me a look.
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