Doppelgangers
Gia entered the living room, looking both ways for signs of Natalie. It was still mid-morning with the hung-over she must be nursing she must not be up yet. So she hasn’t seen the magazine yet. Though there was social media these days.
“Crap,” Gia said.
Frank grabbed the morning newspaper and magazines. Gia discovered them on the dining room table where breakfast was waiting for the family. She snatched the magazine and stuffed it in her apron.
“Gianna,” Eliot Bentley smiled as he strolled into the dining room.
Gia smiled back behind her mask. “Good morning, Sir.”
“How’s your Mother?”
“She’s better, thank you.”
Eliot’s face turned grim. “I’ve been meaning to see her. Time hasn’t been my friend.”
“Oh, don’t worry, she’s getting there.”
Eliot pulled put his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out a black card similar to the one Natalie had given her.
“Here, take this for whatever she needs. It’s loaded with enough money to last you a while.”
“Sir, I can’t accept this. It’s a lot.”
“Gianna, your Mother’s worked for me since before you were born. It’s only my duty. Take it please.”
Gianna took the card hesitantly. Gianna wondered if Eliot knew what his daughter did to Ezra. Eliot had always been a calm man but his wife was the tyrant and his daughter was the devil.
“Tell your Mom, I’ll see her when I can.”
“I can’t thank you enough—”
“Eliot!” Hanah snapped.
Oh no, Gia thought. Hanah stormed in the dining room and faced her husband.
“What the hell are you doing giving this girl your black card?”
Eliot groaned and waved Gia away. Gia stuffed the card in her apron along with the magazine and ran as fast as legs could carry her.
“Eliana’s sick. I’m just helping them out. They’ve worked for us longer than Franklyn.”
Hanah crossed her arms and inched closer to her husband. “After all these years that woman still haunts you.”
“Ugh, after all these years you’re still insecure and delusional. I’m only looking out for her. It’s because of your delusions that Natalie treats that girl horribly and makes her wear a mask.”
“Are my delusions the cause of her similarities between the girls.”
Eliot groaned, “Enough, Hanah. You’re my wife and that’s the end of it. You know how Gianna’s Father died you should be more thoughtful if your daughter can’t. I’m the reason she has no Father and Eliana has no husband. A few thousand dollars won’t hurt anyone.”
Hanah stiffened and looked away. Her husband didn’t like to talk about William Graham’s death so she wouldn’t press the topic further. Eliot grabbed the newspaper from the table and walked out into the garden through the patio door.
“I can’t believe Natalie would be this wild,” Alexa said in awe as she flipped through a magazine.
“How? She’s nursing a hangover right now,” Leslie puffed.
Gia walked in as her co-workers hovered over the magazine. She froze.
“Where did you get that?” She demanded.
“Relax, it’s Natalie’s copy and she hasn’t woken up yet. That hangover must be killing her,” Alexa commented.
Gia picked up the magazine and sure enough they were looking at pictures of her and Ezra from last night. Gianna could still feel his hands roaming up her back and his lips on her skin. Gia battled not to sigh like a love struck teenager.
She was supposed to get him off her skin and out of her mind but how could she when he imprinted himself on her skin like a permanent tattoo. She glanced at the pictures once more. Luckily the pictures had been taken from a distance and both girls had long brown hair though upon careful inspection one would notice Natalie’s natural highlights and thinner look while Gianna’s was wavier and thicker.
“Whatever, I’m sure Mrs Bentley has a ton of things for us to do. The engagement’s around the corner,” Gia said.
“She’s hired a catering company and a hundred waiters and waitresses for the event, but we’ll still be here for her to boss us around—” Leslie was cut off by a shout for help.
“Call an ambulance!” Hanah yelled. “Frank, hurry!”
The girls rushed out of the kitchen to find Hanah hollering on the staircase. Frank already had a phone in his hands.
“What’s going on?” Gia asked.
“Nothing, back to the kitchen,” Frank ordered.
“But—”
“Back to your stations. There’s nothing wrong!” Frank insisted.
With one hard look at Hanah panicking on the staircase the girls were forced back to the kitchen wondering what was going on.
Natalie had been rushed to a special emergency room. The Bentley’s had demanded the utmost discretion. Only their butler knew what was going on. With the engagement only hours away, Hanah’s head was about to explode.
“What the hell was she thinking?” Eliot blasted.
“She was only having a good time,” Hanah responded but she barely knew what she was saying.
“By getting so drunk she couldn’t wake up?” Eliot hissed.
The couple had been given a private waiting room as they hoped for the best.
“That doesn’t matter now. She’s be fine but the engagement is tomorrow, Eliot,” Hanah screamed.
“I know! But she might not be well enough by then. I’m walking on eggshells with Ezra. He won’t like this.”
“It’s simple…” Hanah straightened up. They had a solution. A body double. She was living rent free in their house. “We don’t tell Ezra.”
“Are you mad?”
“Quite the opposite. All we need is that useless girl for one night. To play Natalie. She doesn’t even need to speak. They’re nearly identical and how many times has Ezra seen the maid? He can’t tell them apart.”
“Hanah,” Eliot shut his eyes and sighed.
“Do you have a greater plan?” Hanah snapped.
“No.”
“It’s settled then. She’ll stand in as Natalie on the engagement then our business with that girl is over.”
All they had to do was get through the engagement and then Natalie would slip back in as if nothing ever happened. No one had to know a thing, they hoped.