"Are you single?" Terri hissed. No hello; she just wanted to know.
Zack laughed. "You are direct today. Yes I am."
She relaxed in her seat. "So why is it that you are still single?"
Terri meant for the question to stay in her head but it jumped out and it sounded aggressive and demanding.
Zack smiled. "You want my dating history?"
"No." She flushed. "I didn't mean for...forget it."
Zack ignored her flustered mumblings and shrugged. "I have had exactly three serious girlfriends in my entire life."
"Three!" Terri stopped pretending that she was not interested. "How come?"
Zack raised an eyebrow. "That should be a good thing. Guy has only three girlfriends; he likes you, which means he is not a player. He takes relationships seriously."
Terri frowned. "Those girls just now..."
"Were very friendly. They are models. They invited me to their after party at the hotel this evening. I told them no." Zack grinned. "You were jealous."
"I don't know you enough to be jealous." Terri glared at him. He was just so effortlessly good-looking.
"We can get to know each other, hazel eyes." Zack looked at her and grinned. "I have two days left on this island. How many do you have?"
"I don't know yet." Terri shrugged. "My mission is not over."
"Mission." Zack shook his head. "You are not a spy or something, are you?"
"No." Terri grinned. "Not a spy."
"But you are so secretive." Zack smiled. "Am I ever going to get to know you, Lola?"
"I am sure of it." Terri nodded.
"How?" Zack leaned toward her and looked into her eyes intently. "Are you going to come to Jamaica and look me up?"
"I will," Terri whispered.
"How old are you?" Zack asked
Terri paused. "Twenty-four, and you?"
"Thirty-five."
"You are really good-looking," she added dreamily.
"Well, thank you for the compliment." Zack grinned. "Your eyes are really beautiful. I have never liked somebody without really seeing their face fully before. This is a novel experience."
"So why only three girlfriends?" Terri brought back the conversation to his girlfriends.
Zack shrugged. "I value quality over quantity. My very first girl, I met in college. We were together till law school and then we broke up. It was a mutual thing, no broken heart songs were necessary.
“When I was in law school, my second girlfriend realized that she didn't want to be with a lawyer. It's a good thing that she did because we almost got married.
“My third girlfriend—well, we recently broke up. And you?"
He hadn't skipped a beat between recounting facts of his relationships.
"Me?" Terri flashed her hand nervously. "I have never had a boyfriend."
"You don't say." Zack looked at her quizzically. "What's wrong with you?"
"I am picky and I am too lazy to go kissing frogs before I find my prince." Terri stopped talking. Frogs and princes was a little bit too close to Lola's situation. And kissing. She had kissed him back like a starving person who had seen food for the first time last night.
He looked over at her knowingly. "So do I qualify as prince material? Since you kissed me last night."
Terri flushed. "It's yet to be seen."
Zack lay back in his lounge chair and chuckled.
*****
They explored part of the island together. It was pretty large, she realized. The interior was filled with birdsong and it was dark and humid. The trees were fighting for dominance and they created a perfectly cool canopy in the interior. The tour guide had told them not to go too far but there were no dangerous pitfalls inside. They passed three cabins in the interior. They were empty.
Zack looked through the window of the first one. "I see binoculars. Maybe some bird lover set up shop in here."
Terri joined him and looked through the window and at their reflections.
She couldn't quite believe that she was here with Zack. She looked at him and smiled.
"What?" Zack grabbed her hands in his and turned her to him. He brought her fingers to his lips. "You know, rarely do you meet somebody and instantly feel so deeply. It’s as if, I don’t know, we have known each other forever."
Terri nodded. "It's true."
Zack kissed her hard on the lips, causing them to tingle. "It would be something if we told our grandkids that we met at an island hotel, fell in love and got married after a week."
"Zack," Terri gasped, "are you serious?"
"As a judge." Zack grimaced. "But I am probably being fanciful."
"No." Terri blinked rapidly, tears on the verge of falling. "I feel the same way."
Zack brought her closer to him and hugged her. "We should be getting back."
They had walked quite far inland, Terri realized. She looked at her watch; it read quarter-to-three. The boat left at six.
Most of the other people were on the yacht listening to music and partying. Only a few came inside. The true bird lovers had hopped off the boat as if it had a plague as soon as it landed. A couple of other people had brought picnic baskets.
She wished she had thought of that.
They had taken a few steps away from the cabin when it started to rain. It started innocently enough, a light squall and then huge drops of rain. Not ordinary rain either, a heavy shower that was completely unexpected.
The place, which was speckled with weak sunlight, was suddenly much darker, the kind of darkness that descended at dusk.
"Come," Zack said pulling her toward the cabin.
Luckily the door didn't take much maneuvering to open.
When she got inside it took a while for her eyes to adjust to the dark interior. It was furnished very basically. It had two rocking chairs, a queen-sized bed with a very large snake skin spread across the wall for decoration, and a chest of books.
There was a fireplace. Terri couldn't imagine why they would need it in a tropical setting. But she saw some blackened pots nearby. Maybe that was where whoever stayed here cooked. There was also an old AM/FM radio with a slightly crooked antenna. She headed for it. "I haven't seen one of these in years."
Zack smiled. "Me either."
She turned the on button and it crackled to life. It was battery operated
"Whoever stays here maintains the place," Zack said as he opened the cupboard. "Tin food to feed an army."
Terri found a station that was playing music.
She sat down in one of the armchairs and threw her foot over the edge. "Now this is nice."
"Not as nice as the suite," Zack said, sitting beside her in his armchair.
Terri smiled. "At least we found it. I would not want to be out in that."
The rain was coming down in bucketfuls and occasionally a leaf or two got beaten into the window glass and slowly slid down the window in slow motion, as if it were holding on.
Zack looked at her in the half-light. David Foster’s song Just For A Moment came on.
He smiled. "Sing this for me."
"No." Terri giggled. "I am not going to."
"You do know that your voice is very good."
"I've been told." Terri grinned. "I even won a vacation at a karaoke last night."
"Is that your secret?" Zack leaned in closer to her. "You are an undercover singer and you do not want your adoring public to know?"
"No." Terri moved closer to him, until their lips were barely an inch apart.
"I have been thinking about you and why you are so mysterious."
Terri smiled. "And what did you come up with?"
"You have a very rich, indulgent father who allows you to flirt around the world and stay anywhere you want to."
Terri smirked. "Really? Why couldn't I be a self-made millionairess who is taking a well-earned vacation to escape from my very punishing schedule?"
"Not impossible," Zack said. "So you are an actress? Model?"
Terri chuckle
d. "Mmm." She was acting as Lola right now; that wasn't far off the mark.
"More actress than model."
"I would have said model." Zack raised an eyebrow. "You do look very good caked in mud and from what little of your face I have seen, I would say you are stunning."
Terri felt her ears go warm.
"So what plays or shows or movies have you done?" Zack asked. He was serious.
"Would you quail if I tell you that I worked for adult television?"
Zack looked at her lips and then nodded. "I would quail."
Terri grinned. "I am not really an actress. As a matter of fact, I am between jobs at the moment. I used to be a flight attendant."
Zack whispered, "Where are you based right now?"
"Right now, my address is fluid. I could be based in Kingston, Jamaica shortly."
Zack pulled her to him. "You promise?"
"Yes," Terri whispered.
He bent toward her, then hesitated. Terri didn't think, she simply reached up, clasped his face and brought him to her.
His mouth closed over hers. His kiss was gentle, soft and sweet. But she could feel him trembling and she knew what was happening, that he was fighting to control what was raging through him.
Through them.
"Zack," she sighed.
He groaned and his arms swept around her.
They ended up on the bed. Mazzy Star's Fade Into You played as his caresses got deeper.
They stared into each others eyes in the half-dark. They shouldn't be doing this. It was too soon, they weren't married, her parents would kill her, Terri thought for one panicked moment, but then she stopped thinking.
Chapter Fifteen
Lola woke up once more to the noise of a house under construction. She had a quick shower and went downstairs in what she was considering her work clothes: khaki shorts and a tank top.
She heard Reuben in the kitchen. He was on the phone. "Yes, that's a good idea. I'll run it by Terri."
Lola inhaled shakily. Another day impersonating Terri. Would this be the day she cracked and did something totally out of Terri's character?
She plucked a tangerine from a fruit bowl and slowly peeled it as he finished his conversation with whoever was on the phone.
He hung up and looked at her contemplatively. He caught her staring at him—cataloguing his features and admiring the way he looked like the best thing on the planet in his dusty denim pants that molded him in the right places and his gray knit shirt that stretched across his chest.
"Hey," he said, intruding on her drooling once-over.
Lola lowered her eyes from his. "Hey."
"That was Yuri. You really need to give your brothers and parents your secret phone number. They were worried. They haven't heard from you."
Lola looked up at him. And then back down at the tangerine. As usual the atmosphere between them was heavy with unasked questions and unexplored emotions.
"Yuri and Troy are planning a charity in Pops' name. They wanted to know if it is something you would be interested in?"
"Charity." Lola frowned. Of course Terri would be into charity; accepting on her behalf shouldn’t be a big deal. "Yes, sure. Are you in?"
"Definitely but I am not sure what they are thinking of," Reuben said contemplatively. "I was thinking of adopting a basic school or something in the community. I think the charity should focus on the community where Pops spent most of his life. Wouldn't you agree?"
Lola nodded. "I agree."
Reuben smiled. "I told them about the choir competition. We can overnight at Yuri's place. Troy can come up for the evening and we can have a family get-together."
Lola's eyes widened in fear. "No. I can’t."
"You can't what?" Reuben asked.
"I can't go," she said hoarsely.
"Because of the tension between us?" Reuben asked, coming even closer toward her.
"No." Lola looked at him as he inched even closer to her. They were almost nose to nose. "Well yes," she whispered. "Reuben, this has got to stop..."
"I think if we did this," Reuben lowered his lips to hers slowly and deliberately toward hers. When their lips met, it momentarily shocked her motionless and then she began to feel. Her whole body quivered. His lips were firm as he held her captive to his kiss. He cupped her neck and brought her even closer to him. Her heart quickened in beats and she gasped against his lips.
"Kissing cousins." Solji's laugh had them springing apart. They both looked at him in the doorway.
Reuben didn't look particularly embarrassed.
"Give me a minute, Solji." He cleared his throat.
Solji nodded and stepped out of the kitchen.
He looked back at Lola and gave her a half-smile. "I was wrong. This didn't solve anything."
Lola stared at him, her heart still doing that weird thumping rhythm. Terri was going to kill her.
"Maybe the kiss was not a good idea. Are we going down the wrong path here? We should forget that this ever happened. Ever. Put it out of our minds. Go back to how we were before you came by on Monday," she said, her cheeks growing warm.
Reuben looked at her for the longest while. "I don't know how possible that is going to be. At least now we know."
"Know what?" Lola swallowed.
"That it's not just my imagination. We can’t go back, Terri." He swiped his hand across her cheek. "And now that we have opened that can of worms we are going to have to deal with it."
"How?" Lola's voice trembled.
"Well first, you can't stay here with me anymore," Reuben said hoarsely. "Having you around is driving me crazy. I want to do this the right way."
"Do what?" Lola's lips trembled.
“Court you—not a long and drawn out courtship either. We announce that we are an item to the family. We have known each other all our lives. I don't think we need to wait to get married..."
"Reuben, no!" Lola put the distance of the kitchen between them. "This can't happen. Please!"
Reuben opened his mouth to persuade her otherwise but he heard Solji whistling outside, too close to them for this kind of conversation.
"I am going to talk to him." He looked at her, a warning in his eyes. "We are going to face this together. We can't sweep this under the carpet, Terri. I love you. Maybe I always did and things are just coming together. How do you feel about me? Please, no more games."
Lola opened her mouth. "I love you too, Reuben, but I..."
"Don't worry." He came over to her. "Trust me, life will go on. People will get over their shock about us. We are not the first cousins to get married. Of course it will be weird that we have the same surname but those are just minor matters."
He went outside and Lola slumped on the counter. She was in deep trouble, messing up Terri's life. This had to stop. Reuben was right about one thing: she couldn't stay here with him.
She headed for her room. She needed to go back to Treasure Beach and wait until Terri called. She packed her bag deliberately and slowly, brushing out her hair and putting the hazel contacts back in.
*****
Terri had a huge smile on her face when she waltzed into the Al Jerza Suite a little after her Emerald Island adventure. It was nearly six-thirty and she was on a high. She didn't even want to think about what she had done and consequences or guilt. She was sure that that would come later.
She kicked off her shoes and went right into the living room area of the suite and paused.
Paravina was lounging in the settee, a sparkly blue hijab covering her hair. And Ajmal was in a dark suit, his face grim.
"Madam," Ajmal said stiffly.
"Ajmal. Paravina." Terri could feel the solemnity in the air. "What did I do?"
Ajmal folded his arms. "Your security surveillance shows that you have been spending time with a male who is not a relative of the Al Jerza family."
Terri swallowed. They had been watching her?
"It raised my suspicions enough to check the conversations on your telephone and I re
alized that you are not the real Lola Montega."
Paravina gasped. "What are you talking about, Ajmal?"
"This lady, Terri Scarlett, looks like Lola Montega and they switched places, obviously."
Terri's heart deflated. She sank down on the nearest settee.
"Is this true?" Paravina asked sharply.
"How can you prove I am not Lola?" Terri asked, bluffing.
"Your phone conversation for a start," Ajmal said stiffly. "Actually, it would be better for you if you weren't Lola Montega. Your behavior of the last few days would make sense to the Master when I report it."
Terri covered her face. "Lola does not want this marriage to Hamad. I offered to pretend to be her and convince him that a relationship between them couldn't work."
Ajmal sighed.
Paravina looked at her incredulously. "How were you going to convince Hamad not to consummate the marriage?"
"I don't know, act like a crazy animal. Run out in the lobby without my hijab and sing bawdy love songs. That was my latest plan."
Paravina laughed. "He would probably treat you like you are insane! That would solve nothing."
She looked at Terri softly. "It is good that you wanted to help your friend but it was unwise. In our world, you do not stand a chance against a man like Prince Hamad. He is a powerful man."
Terri looked at her beseechingly. "Can you still help her to get out of the contract?"
Paravina looked from Terri to Ajmal. "I will try. What are your plans, Ajmal?"
He sighed dramatically.
"I will have to report this switch. The master returns tomorrow. The real Lola Montega should be installed here by his return."
Terri looked at Paravina fearfully. "You promise to get her out of the marriage? Please."
Paravina nodded. "I promise to try, but that is all I can do."
Chapter Sixteen
Lola had her bags packed and ready to go in a matter of minutes. She was loading them in the car when Solji came around, a pencil at the side of his ear.
"You leaving, Terri?"
"Yes, I am."
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