One
Her hand reeled back before meeting my cheek. “Don’t you dare speak to me like that ever again.” She spun on her heels and disappeared down the hall, leaving me in shock.
“Natasha, what was that?” my sister asked.
Shaking my head, I rubbed away the redness, as if I could. “Mom's angry with me again. She does this to herself. She’s the one who always brings up the subject of my future. I don’t know what I want to do!”
My sister pressed her lips together, gears turning inside her head.
“I’m expected to be perfect because I’m the oldest. It’s as if it’s a sin to not know what I want to do with my life at twenty-two. It’s bullshit.” I marched out the door with my car keys in hand and no destination in mind.
I drove down to the shopping center. I wasn't looking for anything in particular. My roads crossed at the intersection of pleasing my mother and pleasing myself. I was coming to the conclusion that my mother would get her way. Per always.
My fingers brushed along the sleeves of many shirts in a variety of colors. What stood out to me the most was how expensive they looked. Expenses. That’s what college was, and yet mom was begging me to go into debt for a degree that may not get me anywhere.
Maybe she was right. Maybe if I jumped at the opportunity, I would figure out my passion.
Something cold and hard rammed into my side. “Oh, shit! I’m so sorry,” a female profusely apologized. She pulled her cart away and pulled some money from her bag. “How much?”
My nose scrunched up as I eyed the fifties in her hand. “You don’t have to pay me. It was just an accident.”
She was quick to shove the bills back into her bag. “If you insist.”
At that moment, our eyes locked, and the resemblance between us became uncanny. I could have been looking in a mirror if I hadn’t known any better.
Seconds passed, and I cleared my throat, whipping around to look elsewhere. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to stare.” Yet I glanced back anyway.
“But you do.” She put her purse in the cart, leaning against the handle. “You see it. We look the same.”
I swallowed my curiosities. They always said everyone had seven doppelgangers. Mine just happened to live in the same city. “We do. It’s odd to see myself, but I guess you feel the same.”
“Unlikely.” A grin grew. “I feel...ecstatic. This is exciting! Not a lot of people always get to meet their twins. So, tell me, when were you born? Just before this gets weirder, let’s confirm whether or not we are twins.”
People gave us a few strange looks here and there, but it didn’t surprise me that they couldn’t mind their own business. I would have been just as nosy had I been in their position instead of my own.
“I was born in March 1998.” I tucked some hair behind my ear, unsure of what to do with my hands.
She fixed her shoulders. “Ah, I see. Not twins then. I was born in 1995. Well, it’s still pretty cool. What is your life like?”
My eyebrows lifted as I gave her a look. “Nothing interesting. I have a mother who won’t get off my ass about my future plans. No boyfriend. My younger sister is the blessed child. What about you?”
Her fingers twirled the strap of her purse. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I have all the money I could ever dream of. I have a sexy husband and a big house. But the bigger the house, the more room there is to feel alone.”
It struck me as odd that she would refer to her husband as sexy the first time she mentioned him to me, but I didn’t think much more of it.
“I wish I could say I had money. Then I could pay for a degree my mother wants me to have,” I mumbled under my breath.
“You do want money?” she asked.
My cheeks flushed. “Well, wouldn’t everyone? I mean, it won’t fix my problems, but it sure will help.”
She chewed on her lip. “What if I propose a deal? Okay, so here’s the thing. I have money with me. I could get myself a good job or career that would please your mom. You could figure out your future. This could work, right?”
“What could work?” I drummed my fingers against the leather of my wallet—of course not real leather by any means.
Her eyes darted to a few places that were anywhere on me. “What if we switch lives? I mean, it seems to work in the movies.”
I almost choked on the laugh that escaped me. “Whoa, whoa. This is far from a movie, and you have a husband. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with him and I don’t know if this would really work.”
“It could. My husband and I aren’t exactly in love. You and I look the same. Why not try? You’re at a tough spot, and you should have some fun. This would be a sporadic moment of adventure.” She pulled a shirt off the rack, admiring the fabric. “You could be rich, too.” Her eyes peeked at me from above the neckline.
I shook my head, unsure of how this could be pulled off. “You mean to tell me you pretend to be me and I’ll be you? For how long? I don’t even know your name.”
She grabbed a piece of paper from her purse and handed it to me. “Cara. My name is Cara Phillips.”
I furrowed my brows at the number on the card. “This is your business card?”
Cara shrugged her shoulders. “Well, when you have money as I do, you can make your own business cards. So, uh, what do you think of this idea? It could work for a week or two. Is there a reason to say no?”
I searched every inch of my brain for a reason to say no, but my mom’s face came into view instead. The sting of her slap caused my skin to tingle, the sound still ringing in my ears. I was willing to take the opportunity to get away from her for even just a week.
“I don’t know you. How can I be sure this is a switch?” I asked.
She nodded and hung the shirt back on the rack. “You can’t be sure. However, you have my business card. You can call. Text. If I’m setting you up, they will trace the card to me. You’re a twin of mine. I wouldn’t want to kill you.”
Those were just words, and words meant nothing. “You could be using this to kill me just so you’re the only doppelganger left.”
The look in her eyes said something else, something I couldn't quite catch. She tilted her head to one side. “I find it amazing that we look alike. I don’t want to kill you. You don’t have to take this. However, the offer is still on the table.”
As she turned to walk away with her cart, I chewed on my lip and shouted, “Wait!”
She looked back at me. “Yes?”
I needed some adventure in my life, something to inspire more out of me. Not having a passion for my future was not doing me any good. “Let’s switch lives.”
Her lips curved upward, then she clasped her hands together. “Oh, this will be fun! Okay, we should switch clothes and make sure we are prepared for this.”
“Prepared?”
“We have to tell each other a little about ourselves so this comes off naturally. If they ask you about me, you have to be able to answer.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the dressing rooms.
We both switched outfits and came out, admiring ourselves. “You look just like me. Dominic will never even know the difference.”
“Dominic?” I asked.
“That’s my husband.” She pulled off her wedding ring and gave it to me. “You should know that I’m a pretty reserved wife. Dominic tries hard, but I’m just not always up for talking. He’s a good guy, though. My maid’s name is Felicia. She’s usually pretty nice. Our butler is Tom. He’s got very sarcastic and snide remarks, so act like they never bother you. I was born in Eagle Rock, California. You know my birthday. Your name is Cara Phillips. That’s spelled with a C, and two Ls for the last name.”
I nodded, rocking on my feet. “Seems easy. Your name is Natasha Blue. You have no idea what you want to do with your life. Your sister tries to help, but she’s the baby. They always get the most attention and love. You don’t have anyone else in your life besides the two people who don’t accept you as you are.”
She handed me her purse, taking the money with her. “I’ll make them accept you. Nobody is going to figure this out. Call me when you arrive.” She grabbed my keys. “Which car is yours?”
“It’s the black Honda parked in the third spot from the front.” I looked out the windows of the shop. “Yours is probably the red convertible, right?”
She flashed a smile, giving me a small nod. “Indeed. I’ll see you soon, Natasha. Cara, I should say.” She walked out of the front doors and hopped into my car.
I watched her drive out of the parking lot as I walked to my convertible, sitting in the front. “So, this is it. I’m a rich wife now.” I put on sunglasses and looked into my rearview mirror. “But Natasha, we do not approve of cheating. Cara will be home soon, and it is not our right to be with her husband. Respect that they made their vows to each other. You were never a part of that. Focus on what you want to do with your life.”
That last command would be the hardest to follow. It seemed so far away. Which career would I be able to fit into?
