believe what she was seeing: Jessica had just walked into the restaurant dressed in an exquisitely tailored, slate-grey, Armani suit. She, and an elegantly dressed older man, were immediately seated at a reserved table near the window.
"What the hell?" Maddy mumbled under her breath, unable to take her eyes off her friend.
“What?” Her client, Jim Bryant, asked. “Is something wrong with the food?”
She waved him off, telling him it was delicious as she tried to figure out what was going on with Jessica. She ’d never seen her look like this. And to add to that, Maddy had suggested they have lunch together earlier that morning but Jess had begged off, claiming she had to take Danny to the dentist.
So what was she doing here now? And who was that elegant older man?
Maddy studied Jess from afar ––her hair was pulled back into a sophisticated knot at the nape of her neck, a style she'd never seen on Jess. And even from this distance Maddy could see diamonds sparkling on her earlobes.
What in the world was she up to?
Maddy looked at her lunch companion, realizing she’d missed what he just said. "I'm sorry," she said apologetically.“What did you say?”
"I was wondering if you think something downtown might be better," he repeated. "You know, more space for the money."
Maddy tried to focus. The last thing she wanted to do was to lose this deal. Jim was looking for a space for new art gallery. He’d made a killing in the tech sector, and was looking for a place to park his money and indulge his interest in art at the same time. If she could get him interested in the space that had recently come up in Santa Monica, it would mean a huge commission for her. In the process she hoped to get to know him better and indulge in many more lunches. Possibly even dinners. After all, he pretty good looking, and loaded.
The problem was that ever since Jess had walked into the restaurant, Maddy had barely heard a word he'd said.
"I suppose downtown would be desirable pricewise" she said, forcing her attention back on him. "Though in terms of convenience ––I have a place in Santa Monica that would be perfect. It's right near the promenade and would bring in tons of foot traffic.”
"Let ’s take a look," he said. "Why don't we go this Saturday? Maybe have dinner afterwards?"
Maddy smiled. "Sounds great.” She glanced over and noticed that Jess's companion had left the table and was walking towards the men's room. Now was her chance. "Jim, excuse me a moment I have to say, hi, to a friend."
Maddy rose from her chair and without waiting for a response, walked quickly over to Jess's table.
"What’s going on? I thought you were taking Danny to the dentist," she said slipping into the empty seat across from Jess. She looked at her friend critically. Something wasn’t quite right but she couldn’t put her finger on exactly what. “You look fabulous. Where’d you get the suit?”
"Excuse me? Do I know you?" came the reply.
Maddy looked at her, confused. "You're not leading some kind of secret life, are you? Like trying to get your money in other ways…” Maddy said with a forced laugh.
When the only answer was a cold stare, she wondered if the woman in front of her really was her frien d after all. Though they had the same features, she was nothing like Jessica.
Maddy mumbled her apologies and was about to stand up when a hand reached out and covered hers.
“Wait. You think I'm Jessica, don’t you? Are you a friend of hers?”
Maddy stared at woman more puzzled than ever. “ We’re good friends,” she said.
"Well I ’m Ally. Jessica’s sister. Don’t tell me she never mentioned me."
Maddy sat back in her chair, stunned. “ She never told me that she had a...”
“ A what...a sister?"
"A twi n. An identical twin.”
Ally shrugged, amused. "Sometimes I'm surprised myself by how similar we are. In looks anyway. So how is dear Jessica?"
"She's okay," Maddy said, studying the woman even more
"What the hell?" Maddy mumbled under her breath, unable to take her eyes off her friend.
“What?” Her client, Jim Bryant, asked. “Is something wrong with the food?”
She waved him off, telling him it was delicious as she tried to figure out what was going on with Jessica. She ’d never seen her look like this. And to add to that, Maddy had suggested they have lunch together earlier that morning but Jess had begged off, claiming she had to take Danny to the dentist.
So what was she doing here now? And who was that elegant older man?
Maddy studied Jess from afar ––her hair was pulled back into a sophisticated knot at the nape of her neck, a style she'd never seen on Jess. And even from this distance Maddy could see diamonds sparkling on her earlobes.
What in the world was she up to?
Maddy looked at her lunch companion, realizing she’d missed what he just said. "I'm sorry," she said apologetically.“What did you say?”
"I was wondering if you think something downtown might be better," he repeated. "You know, more space for the money."
Maddy tried to focus. The last thing she wanted to do was to lose this deal. Jim was looking for a space for new art gallery. He’d made a killing in the tech sector, and was looking for a place to park his money and indulge his interest in art at the same time. If she could get him interested in the space that had recently come up in Santa Monica, it would mean a huge commission for her. In the process she hoped to get to know him better and indulge in many more lunches. Possibly even dinners. After all, he pretty good looking, and loaded.
The problem was that ever since Jess had walked into the restaurant, Maddy had barely heard a word he'd said.
"I suppose downtown would be desirable pricewise" she said, forcing her attention back on him. "Though in terms of convenience ––I have a place in Santa Monica that would be perfect. It's right near the promenade and would bring in tons of foot traffic.”
"Let ’s take a look," he said. "Why don't we go this Saturday? Maybe have dinner afterwards?"
Maddy smiled. "Sounds great.” She glanced over and noticed that Jess's companion had left the table and was walking towards the men's room. Now was her chance. "Jim, excuse me a moment I have to say, hi, to a friend."
Maddy rose from her chair and without waiting for a response, walked quickly over to Jess's table.
"What’s going on? I thought you were taking Danny to the dentist," she said slipping into the empty seat across from Jess. She looked at her friend critically. Something wasn’t quite right but she couldn’t put her finger on exactly what. “You look fabulous. Where’d you get the suit?”
"Excuse me? Do I know you?" came the reply.
Maddy looked at her, confused. "You're not leading some kind of secret life, are you? Like trying to get your money in other ways…” Maddy said with a forced laugh.
When the only answer was a cold stare, she wondered if the woman in front of her really was her frien d after all. Though they had the same features, she was nothing like Jessica.
Maddy mumbled her apologies and was about to stand up when a hand reached out and covered hers.
“Wait. You think I'm Jessica, don’t you? Are you a friend of hers?”
Maddy stared at woman more puzzled than ever. “ We’re good friends,” she said.
"Well I ’m Ally. Jessica’s sister. Don’t tell me she never mentioned me."
Maddy sat back in her chair, stunned. “ She never told me that she had a...”
“ A what...a sister?"
"A twi n. An identical twin.”
Ally shrugged, amused. "Sometimes I'm surprised myself by how similar we are. In looks anyway. So how is dear Jessica?"
"She's okay," Maddy said, studying the woman even more
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