Then & Now (34 page)

Pulling out of her sister’s grip Ella got up and walked to the other side of the room.
“Then what? This isn’t high school. It’s not like taking a test for you then going about like no one’s the wiser. We’re talking about our husbands and our lives.”

“Ella.”  Amy said her name calmly as she slowly stood. “This will be a chance for you to see what a curator really does. Honestly, all of his functions and Egypt stuff bores me. But you will really get a kick out of it.”

Breathing in deeply Ella eyed her sister carefully. “Can we go back to living our lives after living each others?”
Can I
? The question screamed through her suddenly sober mind. What if Amy’s life was everything she wanted? Living her sister’s life could destroy her own. She could feel her heart begin to beat wildly within her chest.

Staying right where Ella had left her Amy raised her chin. “We will never know unless we try.”

Ella glanced around the small private plane feeling a little foolish. Shaking her head she glanced down at herself. “I don’t know about this. What about my hair?  We can’t get it to straighten.”  Her hair was naturally curly. Tight spiral curls from scalp to end, was the only way they were able to tell each other apart as they were growing up.  Now, it was all she could see out of her
peripheral vision.

“Are you kidding?
You look exactly like me!”  Amy laughed as she took in Ella’s new look. “It’s like I’m looking into a mirror.”

“Really?”
  Ella tsked as she gazed over her sister’s own make-over.  More like make-under.  It had only taken her sister ten minutes to look like her, when it damn near took two hours to make her look like Amy. Her fingernails still throbbed in rhythm of her thoughts.  Fake nails hurt like the dickens, only coming in second to the bikini wax that she was sure she will remember for the rest of her life.

Amy waved a dismissive hand. “I’ve worn my hair that way before. Colin loved it.” Making a disgusted sound she turn
ed to take a glass of wine from the Flight Attendant. “Come to think of it, that was the only time he had ever complimented me.”

“I doubt that’s true.”

Amy pouted out her bottom lip. “Sad, but true.”

Shifting to face her sister fully Ella let her eyes roam over her sister’s face. “If that’s true then how did you win him over?”

Amy said nothing for several minutes before she slowly whispered. “I have no idea.”

Ella could only sit there and watched as her sister tried to hide the pain in her eyes.

“Our plane lands any minute now.”  Amy said in a rush as she turned away from Ella.  “Let’s go over everything one more time.”

Ella breathed in deep through her nose.  They had spent the rest of their vacation going over any little detail that might throw their husbands off. “I can’t believe I agreed to this. There is a huge possibility that I could screw this up.”

Amy just shook her head as she took a drink from her glass. “Trust me.  I doubt you will even see him before you leave for the exhibit.”

“Then why are we going over everything again?” Ella asked as the Flight Attendant began to walk towards them. 

“Because I don’t want Matt to catch on.” Amy replied quietly as the Attendant smiled at both of them.

“We will be landing shortly.  Is there anything I can get either of you before we start our descent?” The young woman smiled down at them as she collected each cup. 

Ella shook her head as glanced around the small plane.  Even with her sister who seemed perfectly comfortable, she felt awkward having someone waiting on her.

“Well, that’s something you’ll need to work on.” Amy giggled.

“What?”

“You’ll have to get used to people waiting on you.” Twisting in her chair Amy smiled. “We have two maids and a cook.  You will have people picking up after you, cooking for you, drawing baths for you.”

“Drawing baths?  Are you serious?”  Ella snorted.

“Hey, what can I say? I’m pampered.”  Amy giggled as buckled her seatbelt.

“Well, I’m not.”  Ella acknowledge suddenly realizing what they were about to do.

“I know; it’s going to be awesome!” Amy clapped with
enthusiasm.

Ella rolled her eyes.
“Amy, after a few glasses of wine my life might look like a nice alternative, but after living a life like the one you’ve been living…my life would bore you to tears.” Letting out a tired groan she shook her head. “I truly like my neighbor Cassie and her husband, but their idea of a big night out is dinner at the only café in town and going to see the newest movie that just came out.”

“You might laugh at me, but that sounds wonderful.”  Amy declared softly. “A nice night out with good friends…sounds normal.”

“Normal?”

“I’m looking forward to the down time.”

“Only for the first day, maybe.” Ella objected as her stomach began to turn.

Amy became quite for a moment then leaned closer to her sister. “I’ll confess, that I have been wondering what it would be like to live in your shoes.  You know? A quiet life where the only stress I have in a day is taking care of a husband and two dogs.”

Her sister’s comment only seemed to make her stomach situation worse. If their husbands were to find out, Matt would never understand. “I can’t do this.”

“It’s too late for that.”  Amy pointed out her window. “It looks like Colin decided to pick me up.”

“What!” All the air rushed out of her lungs as she watched the limo and a man come into view.  It was Colin alright, standing perfectly still with one hand tucked into his pocket while he held a phone to his ear with the other.

“Oh, I can’t believe him!” Amy huffed as she threw both hands into the air. “He came so he can
talk
to me!”

“Talk?
About what?”  Panic began to settle into her nerves.

“Ella, it’s okay.  Just tell him you’re not in the mood and you’ll talk after the opening of the exhibit.”  Amy coached. “He won’t push you.  He never does.”

“Never?” Her hands began to tremble at the thought of spending even a minute with Colin as his wife.

Shaking her head Amy handed her a designer bag.  “I can even promise you that he will get at least three phone calls from here to our home that will keep him from anything he will want to talk to you about.”

“Okay.  What about later tonight?  What if he wants to talk with
you
then?” Ella could have sworn her heart had made its way into her throat.

“If he came to pick me up, then that means he is too busy to talk to me later.” Slightly nodding her head she sighed. “Trust me; I’ve done this one too many times.”

Ella jumped as the massive door to the airliner opened. As the door slid to the side Colin slowly came into view, along with another figure. There standing next to Colin was Matt, his arms folded tightly in front of his chest.  Had he been standing there the whole time?  She honestly couldn’t say.

“Well, it’s now or never.”  Amy smiled.

“Can I go with never?”

“No! Not now you can!”

“Yeah, didn’t think so.”  Ella breathed as she fallowed her sister down the stairs.  No one said anything for a minute as they approached the men.  Colin didn’t even get off of the phone as she came up next to Amy and Matt.

“Did you have fun?” Matt asked with a weak smile.

Amy only nodded as she glanced in Colin’s direction.

“I see you got your nails done.”  Matt stated firmly, eyeing Amy carefully.

Amy cleared her throat before she turned Ella. “My sister talked me into it.  I’m not sure I’m going to keep them, they kinda hurt.”

Ella had to hide her surprise at Amy’s response. She answered him the same way Ella would have; same small voice, with her eyes barely meeting his.  She even fiddled with her gloves before answering the question.

“Well, we should get going. It’s too damn cold out here.”  Matt grumbled as he took some of the bags that were brought to them.  “Nice to see you again, Amy.”  He smiled slightly as he threw a quick nod in Colin’s direction.

“Bye.” Amy said while she hugged Ella close. “Enjoy yourself, and call me later.”

Ella nodded to her sister’s whisper almost afraid to let go.  By the time Amy walked away and got into Matt’s truck, Ella had the courage to look at Colin. Unfortunately, the courage ended there.  She couldn’t even breathe with his deep green eyes trained solely on her.

“Hello.”  His deep voice sang over her as he shoved his phone into his coat pocket.

She smiled but couldn’t utter a word.  He was beautiful in every sense of the word.  She remembered Leya once telling them he looked like an actor, but to her he was even more stunning than that.

“Are we going to stand out here all day?  Or can we get inside the warm limo?”  His question was asked with a small smile as he opened the limo’s door.

Ella nodded as she walked slowly up to him. She couldn’t bring herself to look up as she got closer. They hadn’t stood this close to each other since the day she had first met him.  Every holiday, every weekend their parents tried to get everyone together she had avoided him.  Tried to keep her distance from the man she knew she could lose her heart to.

“Mrs. Russo! Mrs. Russo!” A woman’s voice called from behind.  Ella turned to see the young Attendant coming down the loading stairs. “Your sister left her books.”

“Oh!  Thank you.”  Ella smiled as she accepted the small pile of hardbacks.  She knew Amy wouldn’t have remembered them, even though she had stressed to her how important they were.

“Ella left her books?” He asked with his soft Italian accent slowly lacing around her name.

Bring her eyes right to his she realized that the limo’s door was the only thing separating them. 
Her on one side, him on the other. Even with the smell of jet fuel and car exhaust she could smell him. Dark spice tickled her nose as she desperately tried to think of something to say.

Amy played her role perfectly. 
Where she on the other hand was failing miserably. 
What would Amy say
? She wondered as his eyes slowly roomed her face waiting for her to say something. Knowing Amy would’ve at least come up with something clever, she dropped her gaze to the books then back to his beautiful face.

“It was my fault.”  She said quickly.  “I didn’t want her wasting our vacation.” 
That’s what Amy would’ve said.
She thought as she forced herself to get inside the limo.

As he closed the door and went around to the other side she tried to fight the urge to jump out and run like hell.  Luckily for her he was back on his phone by the time he had climbed into the seat next to her.

Amy sat on her hands while they drove to Ella’s house.  She hated driving through the canyon.  Why her sister had to live in the small town at the top of the mountain was beyond her.  She always thought that Ella would’ve gone off to college, fallowing her dreams of becoming an art dealer.  Instead she had thrown everything way.  Regrettably, Amy felt she was one of the reasons behind the decision.

“I’m sorry if you were looking forward to another ride in a limo.”  Matt said without any sincerity. With a nasty glare in her direction he continued. “How was Hawaii?  Did you enjoy your time away?”

She knew Ella wouldn’t have reacted to his tone.  Breathing slowly she shook her head. “No.” When he turned to her with a questioning lift to his eyebrow, she smiled sweetly. “I wished I had more.”

She never liked Matt.  He had always been so mean to her sister, although Amy had suspected why.  It was the same reason why she finally gave up on Colin. She had been wrong to take Colin from Ella.  When she saw the way he had connected with her sister, she had become so jealous. She wanted what Ella had, and it blew up in her face.

“Then why did you come back at all?”  Matt asked gripping the steering wheel the both hands.

To give Ella the chance she deserves
.  “Just take us home, Matt. I miss the dogs.”

As he stomped on the gas, she laughed to herself.  Matt needed a woman to set him straight, he had free reign for far too long. By the time she was done with him he won’t know his ass from a hole in the ground.

She just hoped Colin would figure it out by then.  It might be a little unorthodox, but she knew her plan had a chance to work.  She had taken something that didn’t belong to her, and this was the best arrangement she had to set everything straight.  She would have to thank Maddie if it all works out.  After all she got the idea from her.

Ella let out a slow breath, as they drove through the quiet town.  Evening was slowly creeping up on them.  The sun was setting over the mountain to the west, sending a magnificent color of gold over the ridge, illuminating the sky.  On any other day the view would have taken her breath away. Except today it was the man sitting next to her that was causing her breath to catch.

He had been on the phone since they had left the airport, not even looking in her direction as he spoke of the opening to the exhibit.  It was a forty-five minute drive and he had been on the phone for most of it.  Maybe Amy was right. Maybe this would work out after all.