“What if somebody sees us? What if they think I’m Darci? What if they think she’s cheating on Shane?” Kalissa had absolutely no desire to mess up anybody’s life.
“It could happen,” said Megan, looking thoughtful.
Kalissa put the jeans back. “Maybe I should cancel.”
“You can’t cancel. He seems like a great guy. And what are you going to do? Never go on a date again?”
“Maybe we could do something a little less public.”
“There’s always the symphony. It’s dark in there.”
“I have no interest in the symphony.”
“Yeah.” Megan nodded. “Besides, at a snooty event like that, everyone really would think you were Darci.”
“This is a problem.”
Megan lifted the jeans and handed them, along with the top to Kalissa. “It’s not your problem.”
“It’s Darci’s problem.” Kalissa tried to work her way through the ethics of the situation. “I at least owe her something for being my sister. Don’t I?”
“So, tell her.”
“That I’m going on a date?”
“That you exist. Give her a heads up. That’ll keep the reporters from blindsiding her with it.”
“I could call her,” said Kalissa. “Or drop her an e-mail.” An e-mail sounded a lot less intimidating.
“She’ll think you’re a wing-nut.”
“Maybe. Probably. I could send her a photo.”
“She’ll assume it’s her, or that it’s photoshopped like you did.”
Kalissa thought it through. “I could hold up today’s newspaper, so she’ll know that it’s current.”
“That would be a great way to meet her security team or maybe the Chicago Police.”
“I’ll phone her,” said Kalissa, deciding it was the best option. “Do you suppose our voices are alike? Would she recognize it?”
“Just stop by her office,” said Megan. “Colborn Aerospace has its own building down by the river. There’s a huge sign.”
“How do you know this?”
“I internet searched her, of course. Didn’t you?”
“No. Not really. Okay, maybe a little bit. I found out she has the same birthday as me.”
“Surprise, surprise.”
“Just drop by her office,” Kalissa pondered out loud. “Say, hi there. I’m your twin. If anyone asks you why you were on a date at the Navy Pier tomorrow, you can let them know it was me.”
Megan chuckled. “Try on the jeans first. But, yeah, that’s basically it.”
“I could be in and out in five minutes.”
“With the jeans?”
“With Darci.” Kalissa couldn’t quite shake the fear that any contact would be an intrusion on Darci’s life. “If she doesn’t want to talk. If she’s too busy. I’m in, I’m out, she’s warned, we’re done.”
“I’m guessing she might have a few questions for you.”
Kalissa decided it was the best course of action. What Darci did with the information was entirely up to her. But it was colossally unfair to risk the press running with the story before Darci, and especially Shane, knew the truth.
* * *
“Shane Colborn is on line three for you,” Emma Thatcher, the Ellis Aviation receptionist, announced through the inter-office phone line.
Riley moved the receiver from his ear and stared at it for a moment.
“Riley?” Emma’s voice came through the tiny speaker.
“Are you sure?” he asked her.
“He claims to be Shane Colborn.”
“Did he say what he wanted?”
“You want me to ask?”
“No. That’s fine. I’ll take it. Thanks, Emma.”
“No problem.”
Riley pulled his thoughts together, waiting a beat before pressing the blinking button. “Riley Ellis here.”
“This is Shane Colborn.”
“What can I do for you?” It was the first time Riley had spoken to his half-brother in more than a decade. They’d exchanged approximately three sentences their entire lives. And not one of them meaningful. Beyond that single moment when they were both teenagers, Shane ignored him. It was clear Shane preferred to live in denial.
“I understand you’ve put in a bid with Askeland Airlines.”
“Where did you get that information?” Riley had no intention of either confirming or denying it.
“From Richard Price, the VP of purchasing.” There was an edge of annoyance in Shane’s tone. “He’s hinting that your price is surprisingly low.”
“You expect me to discuss my price with you? You expect me to discuss anything with you about a bid that may or may not exist? You have heard of collusion, right?”
The annoyance in Shane’s tone ramped up. “I’m not asking you to collude.”
“Good.”
“This is a courtesy call.”
Riley scoffed out a cold laugh. “So far, this seems real courteous, Colborn.”
Shane’s tone was a growl. “There are also laws against predatory pricing.”
“Those laws are there to protect small companies. You’re a billion dollar conglomerate. I’m not even a tenth of that.”
“The law goes both ways.”
“You’d be laughed out of court.” Not that Riley was doing anything remotely illegal.
“You could be laughed into a jail cell.”
“We’re leaner than Colborn. That’s just the way it is.”
“We have a reputation for excellence.”
“That and a tell-all book from your former mistress accusing you of collusion and corporate espionage. Are you spying on Ellis Aviation?”
