Another side of her

London

"I need you."

Three words.

Eight letters.

Three little words that when uttered by the right person, had the power to drag me across the planet. The right person in this case was my twin sister Cathleen. We had been close once upon a time. Those words had been tossed out at any slight inconvenience. Back then when we were still a unit.

I hadn't heard those words from her in years. And why would I? What would successful, beautiful, straight-laced, independent, has-her-shit-together Cathleen Albright ever need me for?

"I'm not sure this is a good idea." I sighed into the phone after listening to my sister explain how she had had to make an emergency business trip but also had to be present for an important dinner with some friends. "We haven't done a twin switch in years. Nobody will believe it."

I heard her clacking away on her laptop. "We're spitting images of each other. Identical twins. You do remember that, right?"

I bit back my retort. I didn't want to fight with her and I knew pointing out that we hadn't seen each other in over a year and the time before that had been an awkward family dinner where we had exchanged stilted greetings would make her clam up faster than I could say Jack. I didn't know exactly what had gone wrong between us. I missed my twin though.

"Your friends are a bunch of rich-"

"London." She warned.

I rolled my eyes. "When I inevitably use the salad fork for desert, I'll be escorted out by security and our cover will be blown."

She tsked like I was being ridiculous. I wasn't. While Cath had set out to conquer the business world and was high up the corporate ladder and still ascending, I was -well- not. I didn't dine at five star restaurants with meals on the menu I couldn't pronounce let alone afford. I didn't even have clothes nice enough to get me through the doors of the places she ate in. We were so different regardless of the same physical features we shared.

"Nobody will blow our cover as long as you don't mess this up." She said in a tone that suggested that she couldn't believe I wouldn't mess this up. "Go to my apartment, I left a green dress on the bed, shoes at the foot of the bed. Make up is on the bedside table with a purse. My doorman will be expecting you."

"Cathl-"

"He'll give you the key card that gives you access to my floor. 2945 to unlock the door. Apartment 46" she continued like I hadn't even spoken.

"Cath-"

"It's simple really. Won't take more than an hour off your night. Show up, sit in a corner and ignore everybody. Smile a little. Drink a little. Make your excuses and leave. Any questions?"

"Yes."

"London-"

"Oh, shut up for a second Cath. I've been trying to draw attention to the fact that I don't know where the fuck your apartment is."

"Oh." She went silent for a second. We lived in the same city. She had lived here for ten years and me for six and the fact that I didn't know where she lived was the biggest evidence of how far apart we had fallen. "I'll send you the address. Oh and London?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't curse."

Three hours later I was staring at myself in the full length mirror in Cath's bedroom. I had spent a full thirty minutes gawking at her apartment. It was on the top floor of a high rise building and was one of the only two apartments on the freaking floor. It was a little bit too impersonal for my taste, and looked barely lived in. There were no pictures on the wall or personal nick nacks anywhere. In fact, the only room that had any sign of life was the home office.

The apartment was done up in stark white and blacks. I itched with the urge to dirty it up a bit. But nobody could deny that it was prime real estate. The floor to ceiling windows encompassing the whole place revealed stunning views of the city's nighttime skyline.

My phone chirped, notifying me that my Uber had arrived. I gave myself a final cursory glance. The outfit I had on had transformed me into my sister. The green wrap dress fit. But I imagined it would look much better if it clung a little more to my figure. It also hit an inch past my knee. In my opinion, it was too demure by half and I would never be caught wearing this. I bet it cost as much as a week's meal.

Grabbing the black coat that hung by the front door, I left the apartment. The elevator whisked me down to the tastefully decorated foyer. The doorman gave me a small nod as I passed by him and I had to wonder if he knew I wasn't Cathleen. My walking step could have given me away. I made a mental note to change from my normal long strides to the unhurried glide of my sister.

As the Uber pulled away from the curb, I had a moment of panic that everything wouldn't go according to plan. I pushed the thought away. Cath was right, it would take a maximum of three hours and then I'll be back in my bed and in my clothes. Then maybe Cath would be so grateful that we'd start hanging out and rekindling our relationship. I snorted. Maybe pigs would fly too.

The restaurant was one of those places I had always stared at from afar. Even looking at it now made my bank account wince and take cover. Cath had left me her card like she knew I wouldn't be able to pay for my dinner, and she was right. I was of course going to take advantage and order myself a large pizza afterwards.

I didn't know exactly what I was expecting as I stepped inside. Chandeliers, intimate lighting, round tables with pristine table covers, waiters in tail coats and people in expensive clothes drinking champagne. But it definitely wasn't a darkened room with a single table dead center. Candlelights flickered from random corners partially illuminating the room. Illuminating it enough that I could see a man standing by the table.

I walked forward like in a trance till I was standing a foot away from the table.

"Cath." He smiled.

Suddenly the chandelier just above us came on and at the same time, the man dropped to his knee in front of me.

Oh fuck..

I stopped breathing.

Not just because of how off plan the night was going, but also because the man kneeling before me was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. Or maybe in the world. Thick, dark, wavy hair that was a little too long brushed against his collar. His eyes were a green-gold-brown that both invited you to never look away and to avoid eye contact. High cheekbones and a shaven jawline that could cut glass with how sharp it was. I stood around five foot eight and the heels I had on added another four inches to my height, but he had still towered over me. Wide shoulders and a trim body enveloped by a dark suit and white shirt.

He was the picture of perfection.

And I had no idea who the fuck he was.

"-will you marry me?" The words snapped me back into the present and I blinked, noticing for the first time the ring he was holding out. The diamond set into the ring was simple and princess cut. It caught the light and seemed to sparkle. I almost blurted out a joke of how much I could huck it for.

"Y-yes." I whispered.

With a pleased smile, he slid the ring unto my finger and then rose to his feet. A second later, I was pressed into his hard body and his mouth was on mine. I was going to give my sister hell for this. She had better be looking forward to a lifetime in my debt for this.

"So I was thinking, since you took that leave at work, this would be the perfect time to go on a mini-vacation. I put in for a leave too. Just you and I. One week in our own private bubble."

"W-what? You- ah- but what about- uhm. I'm not packed." I managed.

This situation was quickly getting out of control. It was going from zit on my face on picture day to the fall of Rome in seconds flat, and I was thiiiis close to letting out a deranged laughter.

He shot me an apologetic little smile that had no right to be so cute on him. "I did a thing."

"A- a thing? What thing?"

"I had Jules pack a few things for you and get your passport too. So you have no excuse." He said. "We've both been so busy with work and you've just recovered from the flu. We barely get to see each other and I just got you to agree to spend the rest of your life with me. I kind of want my brand new fiancee all to myself right now. We both need some down time and I know you Cathleen, if I don't practically bully you into this, you'll never slow down enough to relax."

"Oh."

He kissed me again. Just a little brush of lips that had my toes curling in my shoes.

"Say yes." He implored, gaze intent on me. I couldn't say no to this man. I was weak.

"Yes."

Forget owing me for the rest of her life, I was going to murder my sister.

London

"Hello."

"Hello to you too, sister." I whisper yelled.

"Lon?"

"Do you know where I am at the moment, Cath?"

"You should be in your own bed. Cut the drama. Why are you calling me? I'm busy."

I gritted my teeth to keep back the loud tirade that was threatening to burst out. I had told my new fiance that I needed to use the bathroom and had locked myself in here to make this very illicit call to his real fiancee. "Congratulations. You're engaged."

"Excuse me."

"Congratu-"

"No I heard you the first time. I'm just wondering what exactly you mean by that."

"Being engaged means that-"

"London. Cut the sarcasm." It was the first time I had heard any form of emotion in my sister's voice in a while and boy, was she pissed.

"Anything for you sister dear. I didn't think 'it's simple really, it won't take more than an hour of your night' will involve me walking into a candle lit restaurant and getting proposed to by some guy and then getting guilt tripped and brow beaten into a fucking private plane where my luggage and passport were waiting for me courtesy of some very helpful person named Jules and transported to a cozy vacation spot in fucking Florida that I'm sure costs a month of my rent per night."

"More like three months."

"Cathleen!"

She sighed, long and drawn out. "I had no idea about this. It's just a bit of a hitch in plans."

"A hitch is having to change your blouse at the last minute cause it's got a coffee stain. This is a catastrophe. I can't just fuck off for a week with your boyfriend. I have a job. I have a life. You have to come back. We can switch back without anyone knowing and put this whole thing behind us. You can buy me a family sized pizza with extra pepperoni for my efforts."

"I'm in Tokyo and I can't just leave on a whim-"

"This isn't a whim."

"Look, I think it's best if you continue playing me."

My eyes went saucer wide and my mouth gaped wordlessly. "What.the.fuck!"

"Cath? Are you alright?" My new fiance called out. I bit out a silent curse.

"Yeah. The water was scalding. I'll be right out." I replied. I waited a minute to make sure he was gone before I put the phone back to my ear. "Are you crazy?"

"His name is Sinclair. Sinclair Donovan-Wells. We've been together for fifteen months."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because if you're going to spend the week with him. You need to know the man's name."

"Uhm. No. I don't. Because I'm not staying. You can show up and switch back or I'll go out there and tell him."

"Ten thousand dollars."

"Fuck you Cath."

"Fifteen."

I closed my eyes. Fury boiling through me. "It's not about the money. I can't do this. It's wrong. I have-"

"A life. A job." She cut in. "You've mentioned. A job as a bartender at a dive bar. A job walking dogs. What else? Oh yeah, your attempts at being a writer. Did I miss any? You're not going to make fifteen thousand dollars even in a whole month and I'm practically throwing it away just for you to lie on a beach and drink Pina coladas. Take it as a job and leave morals out of it."

"You're such a bitch." I sniffed.

She sighed. "Look, everything is my fault, okay? I lied about taking a leave and snuck off to do more work. I've let my friends and Sinclair down way too much, but this deal is important to me. It's really personal to me. I need you to fix this for me. Please."

"But-"

"It's not for the whole week. Today's Friday, I'll be there by Wednesday. You can pretend to be on your period or whatever. But even if you have sex with him -"

I spluttered. "No."

"Even if you do, it means nothing. Sinclair is an attractive man and-"

"I'm not having sex with your boyfriend. That's all shades of wrong." I snapped.

"Don't be a baby. I'm just saying that if it does happen, don't beat yourself up about it. You have my express permission. Look, I know we haven't had the best sibling relationship but I have always known that I could count on you. For anything. I've got to go now but I'll have Jules text you everything you need to know. Goodluck." She hung up.

Goodluck? I didn't need luck. I needed a time machine to take me back to this morning. I would never have picked Cath's call in the first place and then maybe I wouldn't be in this awkward as hell situation.

Fuck my life.

My face in the mirror was pale and my expression was one of pure horror. I pinched my cheeks to get some blood in them and tried to look excited to be on a surprise vacation with my gorgeous man.

Sinclair was sitting at the edge of the bed, shirtless. My mouth dried up at the sight. Cathleen would burn in hell for describing this man as simply 'attractive'. Attractive didn't even begin to cut the god-like physical appearance of him. He rose to his feet as soon as I walked in and I lost my ability to breathe. His chest had a smattering of hair on it and a happy trail all the way down to his navy blue and white checkered pajamas pants that sat indecently low on his hips.

I locked my jaw tight to keep back the drool that was threatening to slide out of my mouth. His shoulders were broad. Muscular shoulders and arms and a torso that had visible abdominal muscles. He was a man that definitely spent a lot of time working on his body. My eyes were constantly being pulled to his obliques and I had to physically tear my eyes away everytime.

I was soooo fucked.

"Hey."

"Hey." I replied shyly. I didn't know how to act around him. No matter what Cathleen said, I knew the jig was going to be up any moment from now.

"Are you okay? I've been waiting for you to complain about the color of the curtain or something." He grinned.

I decided to wing it. "I'm still kind of taking in the whole day. And I guess I'm not as fully recovered as I thought I was. I felt a bit dizzy earlier."

His expression immediately twisted into one of concern. "Do you need to lie down? I'll turn off all the lights and we can just stay in bed."

My phone buzzed. I winced. "Okay, so a little confession. I've maybe been doing some work remotely. Nothing big. Nothing strenuous I promise. I just want to be at the top of things a bit, I need to know that everything I've worked my ass off for isn't currently burning to ashes or I won't be able to relax."

His smile was fond. "I wouldn't trust you if you suddenly turned into someone who wasn't such a workaholic." He stepped forward and brushed his lips against my forehead. "Do your thing. I'll come find you in an hour. And then you have to turn off your phone for the rest of the week. Promise me Cathleen."

"I promise."

"Good girl."

My belly swooped, a shiver went down my spine and my vagina sat up and took notice. I waited till he had thrown on a shirt and gone off to explore before I had my two minutes freak out about two simple words getting me more turned on than I had been during my last one night stand. I was in trouble and there really seemed to be no end in sight for how disastrous this was turning out to be.

My ringtone tore me out of my reverie. I glanced at it to see an unfamiliar number.

"Hello."

"I've been texting you for forever. Why do you have a phone if you won't reply your texts?"a girl's voice snapped at me.

"Uhm. Who is this?"

"I'm Jules. I'm Cathleen's personal assistant and can I just say that I'm not in support of whatever the fuck parents trap esque fuckery is going on here."

"Tell that to Cath." I rolled my eyes. If someone had asked me to envision what my twin sister's assistant will be like, I'd go for a carbon copy of her. Staid, perfect and proper. This cursing person that sounded all of fifteen years old couldn't be in my sister's employ. "You're Cath's assistant?"

"Don't ask. Just listen. I found out scant minutes ago that my boss is in fact in Tokyo and I packed a suitcase and bought sexy underwear for her twin sister. The last thing I want to do is explain Kitty and I's very problematic relationship."

Kitty? Had she just called my sister Kitty? The world was definitely coming to an end.

"First of all, you have to have your phone on at all times."

"Impossible. I just promised Sinclair I'd turn off my phone for the rest of this vacation."

"Oh God." She groaned. "Can you fake an accident and pretend you just lost all your memory then?"

"I'm a shit actress. Cath's the one who got all the parts in plays."

"You can't see me but I'm ripping out my hair at the moment. Okay. How long do we have?"

"About fifty minutes now." I shrugged

"Well, let's make this count. Sinclair is the CEO of the Wells company. He's a wall street shark. He's a billionaire or maybe a trillionaire. Who can keep up with these things amiright? His birthday is on the fifteenth of July. You met at a horse race sixteen months ago. Mutual friends...uhm, let me see. Taylor Arnolds; she has an art gallery. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Lucas Armerick. Look, it won't matter. Both of you never talk about people."

"What do we talk about?"

"Work." She groaned. "This isn't going to work. Fuck. Just act like you hate everything and everybody is beneath you."

"Very helpful." I chuckled. "I'm way more freaked out than I was before this call."

"You're freaked out? I've known Kitty for three years and I'm just now finding out she has a twin sister. My mind is blown."

I blinked. "Sh-she never mentioned me?"

"Not once."

If I had had any previous doubts about my place in Cathleen's life, I was now sure. I was less than a dirty little secret. I was just- nothing. No wonder she wasn't scared of her boyfriend being suspicious. Why would he think anything was different? To him, he was with his girlfriend/fiancee who was one person with one face. He had no idea that there was an imposter with the same face. To everyone else, I just didn't exist.

Sinclair

Something was wrong.

I didn't know exactly what it was but I just knew something was really, really wrong. The feeling had started as soon as Cathleen had said yes to marrying me. I had thought that maybe it was just nerves about taking this big step, but that wasn't it.

I had to wonder if I was making a mistake. Was it too soon? We had been together for over a year and this was the next logical step. Cathleen had never talked about starting a family and maybe that was something I should have brought up before proposing, but I wasn't even sure I wanted to start a family. I didn't know what kind of father I'd make. Mine had been an asshole. I didn't have any blue print on what a good father was supposed to look like.

Cathleen and I were perfect in every way. We just seemed to slide together like well lubricated wheels in a machine. She understood me and I got her too. We were both busy and driven people and never made demands on each other's times. It had worked perfectly in the beginning but I had to admit that of recent we had started to feel more like business partners than a couple. Hell, I'd probably know more about my business partner than about her.

She didn't exactly hide things, she just didn't talk about herself. I couldn't even tell if she didn't like to, if she was hiding something or of she just couldn't be bothered. I didn't want to think about these things at the moment though. She was a private person. Some people just were.

You've never met her parents, a voice in my head said. Maybe they weren't close.

But she's never even really talked about them.

The voice in my head sounded suspiciously like my best friend Luce. He hadn't exactly told me that asking Cathleen to marry me was a bad idea. At least not in so many words. He had accused us of barely knowing each other and I had brushed it off at the time.

But now...

I stepped into the large hut that was going to be our home for a week. I wondered what Cathleen thought about it. I had been to her apartment twice and it looked a hell of a lot like mine. Minimalist and curated entirely by an interior designer. The hut was the picture of chaotic design and yet it all felt very relaxing. Even the different colored couches, chaise lounge and multicolored pillows somehow worked.

The bed was by far the most interesting part of the room. It was a four poster king-sized bed with a comforter and quilt that looked like a rainbow had thrown up on it. I had been very specific about not wanting the bed adorned with roses and shit. The last thing I wanted to do was spook Cathleen. She was already acting extremely skittish. It was why I hadn't argued earlier when she wanted to catch up with work. If she needed It to feel in control again then who was I to stop her. I knew that getting to where she was had been doubly hard for her even if she didn't like to talk about. I knew what douches most men in power could be. Especially to a young, pretty woman on the rise. She was probably undermined at every turn and had to do double the work to prove herself. I understood all of that. I understood her not wanting to broadcast our relationship because she didn't want doors to be opened to her because of my name. She was as Independent as they came and it was one of the reasons I had been attracted to her.

But sometimes. Just sometimes, in my deepest fantasies, I thought about being a hero to my woman. Her knight in shining armor that could save her and protect her. I thought about being needed by my woman. It was crazy and I tried not to think about it too much.

Cathleen was a prize. An all round prize. I hadn't been able to keep my eyes off her the first time I had seen her and that feeling hadn't changed one bit. She was a knock out, and she knew it.

"I couldn't find a menu. Do you have any ideas for dinner? I'm starving." All my thoughts came to a screeching halt. Cathleen was in my shirt. It was something that had never happened before and something I hadn't thought I'd love so much. The feeling of satisfaction that bloomed to life in my chest was more than a little disturbing.

Her mahogany brown hair was in a bun at the top of her head, exposing the planes of her face. She had the most beautiful blue eyes ever. The color so light that it appeared silver in some lighting. They looked almost translucent. Her mouth was a work of art too; plump, red mouth that was just begging to be kissed, the top slightly fuller than the bottom. If she ever tire of putting old, white, entitled, know-it-all guys in their place, she could easily make a career as a model. She was far more astounding than all the ones that threw themselves at me anyways.

The black t-shirt she had hit just mid thigh and I ached to know if she had on anything under my shirt.

"I planned for us to dine outdoors today. Are you up for it?"

"Okay. I'll go get dressed."

Fuck no.

"On a second thought, I think we should stay in." I backtracked hurriedly. "We can call the front desk and they'll bring dinner over. There's a bit of a chill in the air and you've just been ill. I don't want you outside in the cold."

She smiled and I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw a hint of relief in her expression. "I wonder if there's pizza."

I laughed.

"What?"

"This vacation may have been the best idea I've ever come up with. You? Pizza? I have got to see this."

"Isn't the point of a vacation to do things differently than you would do in your normal life?" She raised a challenging brow at me

"Fair point." I conceded. "I'll call the front desk. Toppings?"

"Pepperoni and more pepperoni."

"I'll order red with that because why not?" I asked.

"They'll think we're crazy." She giggled. I gaped at her. I had never heard her make that sound the whole time we were together. I liked it more than I ought to. "We're in this gorgeous place by the sea where the menu is probably 'sea food extraordinaire' and we're about to taint their sacred walls by eating pizza and red wine. We'll get kicked out." She groaned dramatically.

"They won't if they know what's good for them."

"Ohh." Her eyes lit up. "What are you going to do them, big, strong sir?

"Buy seven crates of eggs and lots of toilet paper and do some redecorating." I winked.

"Gassssp. Don't tell me. Let it not be so. Sinclair has a naughty side."

And you have a fun side that has been the most closely kept secret I wanted to say.

"Don't tell anybody. I'll lose my wall street cred."

She made a zipping motion against her mouth, then whispered from the side of her mouth. "Our little secret."

The resort worker that delivered our pizza and wine shot us a stupefied look before hurrying away like she didn't want to catch whatever crazies we had. It sent Cathleen into a bout of laughter. "You can't eat pizza without watching TV. Thems the rules."

"I'm not a big fan of TV." It was an understatement. I couldn't remember the last time I had sat in front of one. My life was work and going to parties to form connections for work. I wouldn't even know what to watch on TV if I wanted to.

"I'm this close to giving you back your ring Sin." She shot me a look of disgust that had my lips twitching.

Had she just called me Sin?

Cathleen didn't tolerate nicknames. She called me Sinclair and I called her Cathleen. None of that Cath nonsense for her. Pet names were also another huge no for her. She had told me once that they reminded her of being sexualized by men from work. I had never called her one again.

I had never thought I would be having a heated debate about what mindless show to watch with Pizza, but here I was.

"I'm not a big fan of TV but I absolutely loathe reality shows. Nothing about them is reality. These things are curated and scripted. "

She shot me a dirty glance. "I don't like you."

I grinned. "You agreed to marry me. I think you like me enough."

"I knew I'd regret saying yes. I just didn't think it'd be this soon. You've rejected every suggestion I've brought up and I don't see you coming up with any."

"I told you. Not a big fan."

"This isn't working. Okay, how about we play a game." Her grin was too devious. Anybody in their right senses would have backed away as fast as their legs could carry them, but for some reason, I wanted to go all the way to the bottom of who Cathleen was and this felt like merely a tip of the iceberg.

"Sure."

She threw her head and let out a throaty laugh that stirred something down south. I swallowed. Fuck, I wanted to nip at the exposed column of her neck so bad. The desire felt decidedly feral. "You won't even ask what the game is. It's comforting to see how much trust you have in me."

"I don't trust you, I'm just feeling rather reckless."

"Oh? Does that mean you'd be down for some bondage and discipline." She waggled her eyebrows.

I smirked, trying to push the image of Cathleen naked, trussed up and presented for me out of my mind and failing woefully. I shifted to hide the situation in my pants. "Depends on who's getting bound and spanked."

"And if I say it's you?" She asked.

"If you're going to be in form fitting leather, then we have ourselves a deal." I said.

At that, Cathleen's face did something else that I'd never seen or thought I would like so much. Her cheeks went rosy red and she ducked her head shyly. Then she peeked at me from beneath the curtain of her hair hiding her flaming cheeks. "You're the worst."

"No take backs."