Double Trouble: Fourteen; The botched date continues...
by Cariad
 
 

Double Trouble
~Fourteen~
By the time Holly reached the beach, she was taking baby steps; sure her heels were blistered and broken. I don’t care about authenticity, she thought bitterly. Next time we do this, I’m wearing sensible shoes! With each tiny aching step, Holly cursed her sister with new and inventive combinations of expletives.

She did not see the figure rushing towards her. “Holly!” Reese called meeting her easily. “I was getting worried. Are you ok?”

Holly shot him an eyeful of daggers. “This is the last time I wear Jules’ shoes,” she spat.

“Weren’t you wearing them earlier?” Reese asked. “In the book café?”

“No,” she said bitterly, relaxed enough around the young man that she could drop her public façade. “Jules and I had to trade places so I could come and meet you tonight.”

“Then that was your sister in the… I didn’t realize you looked so much alike! I mean she had me fooled! I guess I should have asked. I didn’t realize you were identical, identical twins! C’mon, I’ve got something to show you!” He grabbed her hand to pull her along with him.

Holly gave a cry of pain as she fell to the cold sand, cursing herself for her show of weakness.

Reese was by her side in a second. “I didn’t realize you were hurt so bad,” he said. “Here, let me carry you.” Without time for protest, Reese picked up Holly and carried her towards the rocks where a shiny telescope stood out in relief.

“Aside from my father,” Holly laughed as Reese carried her, “this is the first time I’ve been swept off my feet!”

“Well,” Reese said, “when we get to the rocks, I’ll want to take a look at those feet of yours. I know some first aid. I don’t have much with me, but maybe I can do something to help with the blisters.”

“I won’t ask you to kiss them and make them better,” Holly promised.

“Scientifically, a kiss has no effect on the speed of healing,” Reese replied.

Holly could not help but laugh. “Have you done an experiment on that?” she asked archly.

“Well, no,” Reese conceded, “But there is nothing in a kiss that could aid in the healing of a cut or bruise. In fact, you could transfer germs and bacteria that way.”

“It helps psychologically,” Holly laughed.

Reese did not reply. He set her down on the rocks and unzipped Julia’s boots. Gingely, for he knew he was causing Holly unavoidable pain, he removed the socks as well. He could feel the tension in her feet and caught a well-aimed kick before it could do damage as he hit an especially ticklish spot. “These do not look good,” he commented. “Your blisters have opened. No wonder walking was a pain. I’ll have them fixed in a jiffy.”

“Don’t tell me you keep bandages on you at all times,” she said. Without the boots, her feet were feeling better. She wiggled her toes. If it were summer, she’d have no problem with going barefoot wherever she needed go. Even if it were autumn and she did not have far to go, she would have taken off her shoes and socks and braved the cold. However, three days before Christmas, her toes were getting chilly rather quickly. Reese put the ends of her socks on her does, but did not let them cover her blistered heels.

“I’ll be right back,” he assured her. “The Seascape restaurant is just up the beach a ways. I’ll get something there for you if you keep your eye on the telescope. I won’t be five minutes.”

“You were a Boy Scout, weren’t you?” she asked.

“All my life. I was made an Eagle Scout not a year-and-a-half back. Do you want to hear about my Eagle Scout project? I was…”

“Just go and get me something for my feet,” Holly said. “You can tell me about your project when you get back!”

“Wait here!” Reese called as he took off at a fast walk.

“As if I had a choice!” Holly said to herself. Her heels were really getting cold now. The socks on her feet did not keep out the chill. If Jules were here, she thought, I’d annoy her with one of my musical parodies. And inspiration struck. “At the end of the day you’re another day colder,” she sang softly to herself to the tune to ‘At The End of the Day’ from Les Miserables. “And the sock on your foot doesn’t keep out the chill!” She thought for a moment. “And the mobile hurry past, they don’t hear us crippled ones crying and the winter is coming on fast ready to ice. One day nearer to falling.” She hummed the rest of the song under her breath, trying to keep calm.

“Hollis,” she told herself out loud, “It won’t be five minutes. Jules will call you a coward for being scared out here all alone.” She checked her watch. Two minutes had passed. She looked up at the sky. “Find the seven stars that make up the Big Dipper. One, Two, and Three make up the handle. Four, Five, Six, and Seven make up the bowl, and the last two stars are the pointer stars. They point right at the North Star.” She found the bright star in the sky. “Focus on that, Hollis,” she said, “you are not alone.”
 

* * * * *

Julia paid no attention to the commotion at the front door. Just some local punk, she thought, trying to get into a place far more expensive than he could pay for. That was not her problem. Her problem was Johnny Hotchkiss. He knew she was Julia. And that was a bad thing since she was pretending to be Holly. “You win,” she said with a huff. “You guessed.”
Jonathan smiled and swished his glass of wine. “Of course I’m right, you gave yourself away.”

“How?” she demanded.

“Holly would never have posed for me at the top of the stairs. But then again, Holly would never have batted doe eyes at me while I was waiting for you. So I wasn’t completely sure. And you had me convinced when she came with your purse. That was a great show,” he said with admiration, “But I’ve seen you girls at events. And I know how you behave, so I was expecting something like this.”

Julia leaned forward, intrigued. Perhaps the night would not be a total disaster. She could learn better on how to be Holly from an outsider’s point of view, and perhaps she could convince the young Mr. Hotchkiss that she was the better twin for him.

“Go on Johnny,” she said.

“And Holly always calls me ‘Jonathan.’ It keeps a formal distance.”

“So when did you know for sure?”

“When I deliberately baited you after I caught you flirting with the waiter.”

Julia’s mouth dropped open. “I never flirted…”

Jonathan cut her off with a wave of her hand. “You don’t realize you do it,” he said. “You’re very subtle about it, I must admit, but that’s just the sort of thing that differentiates you from Holly.”

“So all that stuff you said about me wasn’t true?” she asked, batting her eyelashes. “I do have standards—other than Male and Breathing. Male, Breathing, and between the ages of eighteen and forty, with a few exceptions for the exceptionally attractive!”

Jonathan laughed. “That was not all true, Julia,” he conceded. “And I think you forgot to add a net worth of over, what, one hundred million? As far as exceptions go.” He gave a wink to let her know he was not serious.

“So tell me,” she said, bringing the conversation back to its original point. “Why did you pick Holly and not me. Holly despises you.”

“I think Holly would irrationally despise any male in our social class,” he countered.
“Would you like to know where she is now?” Julia asked politely.

“Don’t tell me she’s snuggled safe in bed listening to some gothic musical.”

“Worse,” Julia taunted.

“Tell me,” Jonathan growled.

“She’s out on the beach with some local boy, stargazing,” she said smugly.

Jonathan barely twitched. “This does not surprise me. It makes her more of a challenge.”

“Why Holly,” Julia demanded. “What makes her so much better?”

“It’s not about better or worse, Julia,” he said with sincerity. “It was an issue of compatibility. Your grandfather and my father gave me a choice. They told me that I could have either daughter of Julian’s I chose, but, of course, I could only choose one.” He pulled out his wallet and took out a yellowed newspaper clipping.

Julia took the clipping and nearly dropped it in surprise. “That was from when we were freshmen at Weymouth-Hampsted!”

“Yes, I saw that when I was a senior. Because of Ethan’s and Gwen’s relationship, I always kept an eye on the newspapers for Cranes. And what do I find but Holly Katherine Crane, as a freshman, not even moved in yet, taking on the board of trustees over a banned book. Without the influence of Alistair or Julian helping her. It took a lot of spunk to catalogue every book in the school’s library and explain under the same moral guidelines why it should be banned as well.”

“Don’t remind me,” Julia groaned. “Everyone thought I was nuts until they figured out we were not the same person.”

“I admire that passion,” Jonathan said. “When the offer was made, I knew immediately which of you I wanted.”

“I’ve got passion too!” Julia protested, slamming her fork down on the table. She was not going to sit through a dinner of hearing her sister’s virtues extolled by the man she wanted!

“It’s passion of a different kind,” Jonathan said gently. “Like I said before, I’ve watched you both at functions, events, and parties, and I learned a few things about you both. Julia, you can walk through a room and have every male between the ages of sixteen and sixty ready to walk barefoot over hot coals just to catch a glimpse of you.” Julia blushed. “Holly is more inclined to sit in the background and only deal with the very young or the very old and make them feel appreciated. Julia, you are far too charming to be limited to one male. You flirt almost unconsciously,” he said.

On a completely different level, Julia felt a knot gather in the pit of her stomach. Grandfather Crane always said he had other uses for her. Holly always swore that she was being asked to be the Crane whore, but that was not precisely true, Julia realized with a flash of insight. Holly was the Crane brood mare, used for producing Crane-Hotchkiss babies. Julia knew with dreaded certainty that she was being groomed to be the Crane whore. She pushed her chair back from the table. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Jonathan immediately left the table and escorted Julia to the ladies’ room. “I’m sorry if I offended you,” he said.

Julia waved a hand negligently. “No,” she said, trying to keep the knot in her stomach from making an unsightly appearance. “You didn’t.” Safe behind the locked bathroom door, she ran to the sinks and splashed cold water on her face. Tossing cookies in a public place was frowned upon when you were four, Jules, she told herself. At nearly eighteen you should have better control! She looked up in the mirror, Holly’s makeup job ruined. Did she really look like that much of a tart? Would her grandfather really use her to get investments in Crane Industries? Another wave of nausea hit as she realized he would. “I’m not a whore,” she said as the first hot tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m not.”
 

* * * * *

Holly’s insides wrenched as Reese focused the telescope on some new star. He had returned with a bottle of water (he had to pay $2.75 for). The Seascape was little help, much to his dismay. But he rinsed her heels with the fresh water, pulled a tube of triple-antibiotic ointment out of a pocket (he was an Eagle Scout after all), and tore some strips from his shirt to make little bandages. Then he eased Holly’s socks up over her heels.
“All better,” he had said with a grin that warmed Holly’s heart.

But that changed as her gut warned her something was wrong with Julia. She tapped Reese on the shoulder. “How far is the Seascape?” she asked.

“Do your feet hurt again?” he asked. “I can run back to see if they’ll be any more help.”

“Could you carry me?” Holly asked, her intestines twisting.

Reese looked from Holly to his telescope.

“I’ll buy you a new one if this one is harmed in any way,” Holly said. “I need to get to the Seascape. My sister is there and she needs me!”

Reese picked her up with no more hesitation. “Is it a twin thing?” he asked.

“Yes, damnit!” Holly swore. “And I’ll let you do any studies on it you want to!” She clung around his neck. “I’m sorry to yell, but I’m desperately worried,” she said in a calmer tone.

“Hang on,” Reese said stopping. “Let me get you in a better position.” He heaved her up over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and started into a jog. Julia’s boots and his telescope were forgotten on the rocks. Reese was out of breath as he put her down on the sidewalk of the Seascape’s main entrance, earning strange looks from several patrons. In socked feet, she marched up to the concierge and demanded to be escorted to the table at which Jonathan Hotchkiss was dining.

“I am greatly sorry, madam,” the concierge said, sneering down at Holly and her socked feet. “But we do have a dress code here. No shirt, no shoes,” he said pointedly, “No service. And we do not allow the rabble in to visit—especially not with our important patrons.”

Holly grabbed the scruff of his shirt. “Listen here, you donkey’s rear,” she spat, her blue eyes sparking in anger, “I am Holly Crane, and if you enjoy your position here, you will show me to Jonathan Hotchkiss’s table, you month-old pile of human excrement!”

“I will speak to your father of this,” he huffed, but started escorting her to the private table regardless.

“Good,” Holly replied with her best society sneer. “And I’m sure he will enjoy hearing how you snubbed the daughter of the most powerful family in this town. And I’m sure I will enjoy watching you clean the leavings of all the people here, and perhaps some soap will transfer itself to you and cleanse you of your foul stench.” She flashed him a deliberately fake smile, showing both her dimples. As they came within sight of Jonathan waiting at the table alone, Holly dismissed the concierge and worked up a new fury. Her first action was to take Jonathan’s wineglass from his unsuspecting hand. “This is obviously expensive,” she observed with a sneer, “so I will not waste it by draining it down the front of your shirt. What did you do to Julia?” she demanded.

“Nothing,” he spat back. “She is in the powder room. She didn’t feel well.”

“Obviously,” Holly said coolly, “if she had to spend the evening with you, any sane female would be sick.” She whirled on her socks and stalked off towards the bathroom. She found the door locked.

“Jules,” she called through the door, “open up, it’s me, Hollis.” The lock clicked and the door opened. Julia dragged her sister into the bathroom and re-locked the door.

“Thank god you’re here,” she whispered, her eyes red from crying.

“What did he do to you, Jules,” Holly demanded, “I will make him pay, I swear.”

“Nothing,” Julia protested. “He only made me realize something.”

“What?” Holly asked, grabbing a fresh handful of tissues.

“You’re so lucky, Hollis,” Juila said. “You only have to sell yourself to one person. I just realized that Grandfather’s going to use me as his personal…”

Holly wiped fresh tears from her sister’s face. “We won’t stand for that. We’ll make his plan backfire. Instead of a flirtatious young woman, he’ll get a cold fish.”

Julia sniffed and managed a weak smile.

“We’re a team, Jules,” Holly said, “and if we have to do tag-team relationship wrecking, then so be it. Because I’ll be you, and I won’t flirt back.”

“What happened to you feet?” Julia asked, noticing the bandage bulges beneath Holly’s socks.

“Your boots gave me blisters,” Holly confessed.

“We’re a fine pair, aren’t we?” Julia smiled and gave a deep sigh.

“Are you ready to face the world?” Holly asked. “I’m sure Jonathan will understand if I take you home.”

“How,” Julia wondered. “You don’t have any shoes.”
“They’re back at the beach,” Holly said. “I’ll buy you a new pair if anything’s happened to them.”

Julia began to giggle nervously, which Holly thought was better than weeping. “I want to go home, Hollis,” Julia whispered. “And I want a big bowl of popcorn and some chocolate too.”

“We’ll get you your comfort food,” Holly promised.

“But you have to eat it too,” Julia said. “If I get fat, you have to get fat too.”

“I promise,” Holly said, “We’ll be a pair of old biddies with matching beehives and spectacles. And we’ll constantly have the house repaired so you can get a nice view of the young worker’s butts.”

Julia grinned. She let Holly open the bathroom door only to find a horde of waiters restraining a pair of young men. One was dressed entirely in black and the other was in jeans, a flannel shirt, and an old parka.
 
 
 
 

Chapter 15
Chapter 13
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