just be in the way.”
He smiled, but seemed distracted. “Now you’re sounding like the old Jenna. You were right. We do make a great team, and part of it is because you’re just as driven as I am.”
Jessie would never comprehend work being a person’s only priority, but guessed she didn’t have to. Jenna put her career first, as did Mac, and that was obviously the life they wanted. If her sister was happy, nothing else mattered.
He glanced at his watch and stood. “I need to get back to the office. I’ll pick you up at eight.”
Oh, Lord. The fund-raiser. If Jenna followed her recent pattern of not returning calls when it proved convenient, Jessie would have no choice but to continue the charade into the evening.
Her sister would know the appropriate attire for the gala, but Jessie had no clue. “What suit are you wearing? I don’t want to clash.”
“My Armani. Dark blue,” he said, then absently brushed his lips across her cheek, his mind obviously already focused on the work waiting for him. He opened the door, then disappeared into the hallway.
As Jessie closed the door, she fought back the urge to call after him and ask if he planned to work on his wedding day and during the honeymoon, then quickly reminded herself it wasn’t any of her business.
Besides, she had bigger, more immediate issues to worry about. The party was only seven hours away.
“Will you be taking the dress with you?” the consultant asked through the door. “Or do you want it sent to your apartment?”
“Send it, please.” Jessie had enough to deal with right now. With great care she hurried out of the dress, then grabbed the phone from her purse and called Jenna. Voice mail. Not a good sign.
Jessie left an urgent message for Jenna to call back immediately, along with a reminder about the fund-raiser that evening.
“Is there anything else I can do for you, Ms. Taggert?”
“Not unless this store sells fairy godmothers,” Jessie mumbled as she threw on her own clothes. She wasn’t a pessimist by nature, but she couldn’t summon much hope that her sister would call, let alone return home in time to attend the fund-raiser.
She never should have promised to keep her sister’s absence a secret.
“Did you say something, ma’am?”
“No. I’m all set. Thanks.”
All set for disaster, Jessie silently added, if her sister remained out of touch and out of town.
Jessie had to prepare for the worst, which meant that in the next seven hours she needed to come up with a plan for how to transform “Plain Jane” Jessie into “Glamour Gal” Jenna.
Chapter Two
“I have a bad feeling about tonight.” Jessie took a seat on the small bench in front of her sister’s bathroom mirror. Her two closest friends, Carla and Dana, stood on either side of her.
“Think positive thoughts,” Carla replied. “And quit frowning. You’ll get wrinkles.”
Jessie reached for the can of soda in front of her, struggled to flick the tab, but soon gave up rather than risk ruining her newly painted nails.
She stared at her hands and the French manicure. Tips had been added to her own nails to make her even more identical to her mysteriously absent sister. Already she was beginning to feel like someone else and she didn’t like it one bit.
Dana reached for the soda, opened it and gave the can back to Jessie.
“Thanks, Dana.” Jessie took a drink and hoped the carbonated beverage would calm her stomach. “How does Jenna, or anyone for that matter, function with nails this long? I can’t even open a soda with these things.”
Carla shook her head and sighed. “Jessie, hon, you’re missing the whole point about the advantages of being a glamorous woman.” Petite, curvy and beautiful with big blond hair, Carla had “former Dallas debutante” written all over her.
She was also self-deprecating and generous to a fault, which made her a great neighbor and an even better friend. “Men will fall over backward to do whatever you need done, whether it’s opening a can or a door. But glamour is as much about attitude as it is looks.”
“And I’m sure you’ll get used to the nails,” offered Dana, a fellow teacher and terrible liar.
“In two hours? I doubt it. Since Jenna has refused to return my calls, it would serve her right if I just told Mac the truth.”
“It would, but you won’t,” Carla chided. “You made a promise and besides, she’s your sister and family sticks together.”
“Sister or not, once I know she’s okay I’m going to strangle her for putting me in this position.” Jessie pulled her friends close. “Thank heavens you’re both here. I wouldn’t have a chance of pulling this off without your help.”
Carla had called in favors to get a last-minute nail appointment and Dana, who had put herself through college working as a hair stylist, had tugged and poked Jessie’s hair into an elegant updo.
They had driven in separate cars to Jenna’s downtown loft apartment, since they needed access to her makeup and clothes and that’s where Mac would pick Jessie up for the party.
The entire time, Jessie had kept her cell phone on and within sight, praying that she’d get the call saying Jenna was back in town and ready to jump back into her life.
“Trust me, this is more fun than doing laundry, my usual Saturday plans.” Dana peered into a basket on the counter filled with sample-size soaps and lotions. “Hey, isn’t that Jenna’s engagement ring?”
Carla reached for the ring and held it up for all to see. The huge, clear diamond sparkled under the lights. “Sure is. But why would she leave it behind?”
Dana’s eyes grew wide. “She wouldn’t, unless she knew all along she wouldn’t be back in time for tonight. Jessie would need it to pull off the switch.”
Jessie’s stomach protested at the possibility that her sister had planned to be gone for the fitting and the party. That she’d set up her twin to be a part of such an uncomfortable deception.
“According to Mac, Jenna’s been acting strange all week, but she hasn’t mentioned anything to me.” Jessie wished she knew if her sister was just experiencing a severe case of cold feet or if she was in real trouble, or something else entirely.
Carla frowned. “Don’t twins have a special connection, you know, where you sense what the other one is thinking or feeling?”
Jessie nodded. “I’ve experienced some of that, but it’s not so simple.” When they were younger, she had competed against Jenna for their parents’ attention. As teenagers, their desire to be seen as individuals had kept her and Jenna from being super close, like many twins. “I think I’d know if she was in real danger,” Jessie added, “but all I got from her last phone call was that
