Rebecca Russell - The Substitute Fiancée

“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 she was under a lot of pressure.”

“It probably doesn’t help that you’re both so different. You’d never go for a rock like this for an engagement ring. Your house is so warm and cozy, and while this place is beautiful…” Carla’s voice trailed off as she studied the funky chrome light fixtures suspended from the ceiling. “It’s a little—”

Dana leaned against the green marble vanity. “Cold and pretentious?”

“Not at all,” Carla protested. “I was going to say modern.”

“Stay focused ladies,” Jessie pleaded. “It’s because my sister and I are so different that I’m in a panic.”

“Jessie, hon, I don’t want to add to your worries, but have you thought about what happens tonight after the fund-raiser? Let’s face it, you and Jenna are completely different when it comes to relationships, too. You like to play it safe and take your time getting to know someone and she’s more, well, adventurous. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but she and Mac are probably sleeping together, don’t you think?”

An all too familiar queasiness crept up on Jessie and she clutched her stomach. She’d been stressing over minor things like nails and makeup, when a much bigger problem existed. “Oh, God. You’re right. I mean, she’s never talked about it, which is strange for her, but still, odds are you’re right. What am I going to do?”

Dana patted Jessie’s shoulder. “With your nervous stomach, by the end of the night you’ll probably really be sick and then you won’t have to act.”

Jessie groaned at the prospect and hoped she had plenty of antacids in her purse.

“I know it looks like Jenna has set you up and lied,” Carla said. “But you’re the one who’s always telling me to keep an open mind until I have all the facts.”

Carla gently cupped Jessie’s chin and turned it until she faced the mirror. “Jessie, as crazy as Jenna makes you sometimes, she’s your sister and is depending on you. You can do this. You’ll just be playing pretend for a couple of hours and I doubt you’ll have to worry about opening cans of soda at a posh fund-raiser. And you can take your pick of excuses—a headache, cramps, upset stomach. Unless he’s a jerk, he won’t press spending the night, right?”

Jessie forced a smile and cursed the fact that her friend knew how much family meant to her. “Right.”

“That’s my girl.” Carla grinned. “Now, put on the ring before you forget.”

Whatever her sister’s reasons for leaving behind her engagement ring, Jessie had no choice. As she eased the three-carat ring onto her finger, uneasiness and panic raced up and down her spine. No prior deception, no prank had ever felt so wrong.

Still, Jessie couldn’t let her sister down.

“I’ll help you with the makeup, Jess. Dana, you choose an outfit, something dressy, but not too flashy. And try to find one that’s tea length so she doesn’t have to worry about hose.”

Dana saluted and hurried into the walk-in closet. “Wow,” she called out. “I feel like I’m in designer-label heaven.”

Carla rubbed her hands together, her expression gleeful as she surveyed a drawer crammed full of every cosmetic imaginable. “Trust me, Jessie, you’re going to knock Mac off his feet.”

Jessie believed her friends had the skill to make her look the part, but she had tons of doubt regarding her ability to pull off the act if, as Carla claimed, being glamorous required attitude more than anything else.

On the positive side, the awkwardness of her new nails now seemed a minor problem compared to the concern over her sister’s absence, Jessie’s guilt for deceiving Mac and the worry of how she was going to keep him out of her bed at the end of the evening.

Mac fought a sense of foreboding as he rang the doorbell to Jenna’s apartment. Who would he find tonight? The confident, bold Jenna of old or the new, uncertain, vulnerable Jenna of late?

He disliked disruption in his routine and was still on edge from this morning when, for the first time ever, he’d found it difficult to concentrate on his work after he’d returned from the bridal shop.

His mind had continually drifted back to his reaction to Jenna’s confession to feeling overwhelmed by wedding plans. An immediate protectiveness had surfaced out of nowhere, unnerving him to the point he’d made the quickest possible exit from the store.

Unfortunately, all he’d managed to accomplish that afternoon was rearranging the piles on his desk and reading the same brief three times without one word penetrating his unfocused brain.

He heard a clinking noise, a muffled curse, then the door opened. Jenna’s one hand gripped the tips of the fingers of her other hand, but at least she was dressed and looking her usual glamorous self. Relief ate away at some of his uneasiness.

“You look amazing, as always, Jenna,” he said as he drew her close and kissed her on the cheek.

She pulled back and chuckled. “I have to, or everyone will be looking at you!”

“Not a chance with you in the room.”

Mac swore he detected a slight flush on Jenna’s cheeks, but discarded the idea since she didn’t embarrass easily. Must’ve been the lighting.

“It’s settled then, Mac. We’re both gorgeous!”

Her smile seemed forced. She reached for her evening bag on the end table and held it against her stomach as if the minuscule purse were a protective shield. But what or who was she guarding herself against?

Jenna wasn’t afraid of anyone and was certainly no blushing innocent, so he blamed his vivid imagination tonight on either the lighting or exhaustion.

“Ready?” she asked.

“I was born ready, Jenn,” he replied in typical fashion, already anticipating one of her glib comebacks.

Instead, an unmistakable rush of color spread across her face and he could no longer deny something was different about Jenna today. Their usual banter had never caused a reaction before, not even the times they attempted to outdo each other with sexy double entendres.

Was her odd behavior a result of her having second thoughts about getting married?

He gave himself a mental shake. Jenna was the type of woman who knew what she wanted and went after it, a trait he admired. She’d be the last person to question her decision.