Page 40 of Misadventures With The Mistaken Twin
“Ha! I knew you two got together,” Goldie added triumphantly.
Lorraine laughed, and not in a ha-ha funny sort of way. Clearly, she was losing her mind.
“With lover boy here? Yeah, right. I saw you. This morning. Driving with Ronald. Remember, you told me you'd be leaving around nine? Well, you were a little late, but I was definitely able to follow you.”
“I wasn't with any man but?—”
Jack squeezed my shoulders. “Miller, I think there's an easy explanation for this.”
All eyes were on him. Goldie remained frozen where she was, her head tilted as if she were trying to listen extra closely. Lorraine was breathing heavily, but was listening, and so was I.
“Violet's home,” he said.
“Your imaginary twin?” Lorraine asked incredulously.
Realization dawned on me. That weaselly, two-timing, look-alike, conniving sister. “Lorraine, I think we can get this resolved right now.” I pulled my cell from my pocket, speed dialed my sister.
“Hey, V,” Violet answered after the third ring.
“Are you back in town yet?” I asked.
I heard some rustling, a door slam. “Doing laundry.”
“Hey, listen, I'm at Goldilocks and someone dropped a package off here.” I wasn't about to ask her about Ronald and the voicemail I'd left for her. She could duck out with some excuse and I'd be stuck with Lorraine. I wanted Violet and Lorraine in the same room to work this out.
Lorraine was watching me with interest, but obviously still didn't believe the twin story.
“There's some confusion if it's for you or me, so I need you to come down,” I told Violet.
“Right now?” Violet sighed. “I've had a long day and I need?—”
“Yes.” I cut her off. Enough about what she needed. “I need you to come downright now!” I pushed End and wanted to strangle my sister through the phone. Jack squeezed my shoulders in what I thought was a very reassuring gesture.
Goldie must have come to her senses as she came around the counter and pulled up a stool for Lorraine. “Here, you have a seat. Tell me what on earth happened to you.”
Lorraine seemed pacified by Goldie's attentions, by the strange clucking noises she made. Lorraine settled down once she got comfortable. She pointed to her leg. “This, from skiing.”
“Um, excuse me?” a customer asked, interrupting Lorraine right at the good part.
Since Goldie was doing her tending bit, I stepped up. “What can I do for you?” I wanted to hear Lorraine's story, but the customer came first.
The man was in his fifties with a pot belly and a receding hairline like Homer Simpson. Light coat. He was one of those men whose internal temperatures burned extra hot because he was sweating, little beads dotting his bald forehead when the rest of us were cold, even with our long underwear beneath our clothes.
Everyone stared at him. Jack, Lorraine, Goldie and I were giving him more attention than he probably wanted. Poor man.
“I...um,” he leaned in close to me, all but whispered, “I rentedCream PieAcademylast week and wanted to know if there was a sequel.”
“Sure, let me check,” I smiled at the man, trying to reassure him Goldilocks was a discreet place to shop. I went behind the counter and looked under the C's.
“You went skiing today?” Jack asked Lorraine while I was occupied. I turned to look back over the counter. Drat, I wanted to hear this.
“I was following you,” she pointed at me again. “You and Ronald went down the mogul run. I don't do moguls. You were too fast for me and I fell, broke my ankle. Ski patrol had to bring me down the mountain then an ambulance took me to the ER. They know me by name over there now.”
Maybe it was safer with me behind the counter. Sounded like a painful, miserable experience.
I turned back to my search when I realized Homer was waiting a little impatiently.Cream Pie, Cream Pie, yes. There it was. I pulled the movie and handed it to Homer, now standing at the counter. He seemed to be looking at me differently since he thought it was my fault Lorraine broke her ankle. I smiled at him, hoping he'd think I was innocent.
“Four dollars, please,” I said.