Chapter 1
Viv slipped one foot into her leather pump while fastening her earring. “I want you guys to practice your times tables with Grandma while I’m gone, okay?
On went the next pump, followed by the next earring, small gold studs to match the thin chain around her neck.
“We will,” Dante promised from the other room. “And Diego still has to write his sorry letter to Ms. Wilson.”
“Let me worry about Diego’s note, okay?” Viv strode over to the full-length mirror beside the large window.
A window that lent light and warmth, like the others placed amply throughout the old home.
She’d grown attached to this house since purchasing it for renovation six months ago.
It offered more natural lighting than any home she’d flipped to date. She’d miss it once it was time to sell.
The sound of shuffling footsteps came from behind just as Viv spotted Diego entering the room with his gloom-face on.
“I don’t know why I have to write a dumb letter,” he grumbled under his breath.
“Because you disrupted the class,” called Dante, still on the other side of the wall.
“I wasn’t asking you,” Diego spat over his shoulder.
“I said I’d take care of it, Dante,” Viv assured, recalling the note his teacher sent home. Something about Diego distracting the class by doing some sort of dance during math. Most likely the butt-shaking dance he did so often around the house.
“I was just happy that I got the whiteboard problem right for once. I didn’t even do it for very long.”
“I know, mio caro,” Viv assured.
“And I sat down as soon as she told me,” he persisted.
“But you waved at everyone first and made all the girls laugh,” Dante blurted.
Diego clenched his fists. “Shut up, Dante.”
“Dante,” Viv warned. “Say one more thing about it and I’m going to make you write a letter about butting into your brother’s business.”
Diego’s expression shifted, revealing hints of a grin at her threat. “He thinks just ‘cause we’re twins he can be all up in my business.”
Viv hid a grin while striding across the room toward him. “It probably comes with the territory,” she said in a whisper. “But listen, I’m glad you’re getting the hang of those math problems. And as long as you try your best not to disrupt the class, we won’t have a problem, okay?”
Diego nodded. “Fine.” He spun around, headed out the door, but stopped short and added one more thing. “The girls that laughed while I waved at them…they brought notes to my table during lunch.”
Viv lifted a brow. “What did the notes say?”
He did a one-shoulder shrug. “You’re cute and stuff like that.”
She grinned and tousled his thick brown hair with her fingers. “You are cute.”
He shrugged again. “I look exactly like Dante,” he said in a whisper. “They should’ve given one to him too.”
Warm tugs pulled at Viv’s mommy heart. “You think it hurt his feelings that he didn’t get one too?”
Diego nodded.
“What people look like has less to do with attraction than some people think. There will be lots of girls that like you guys for different reasons. That’s how love works.”
A knock came to the front door—Mom’s indication that she was about to let herself in with the key code.
“Grandma’s here,” Dante chimed from the other room.
Diego darted down the hall without another word to welcome her as well.
Mom’s usual greeting rang out. “Luce dei miei occhi, light of my eyes.”
Viv’s thoughts were still stuck on her conversation with the Diego and the unique dynamics between twins. About the insecurities that constant comparison could bring.
She’d never forgotten what Duke Benton—the only identical twin she’d known before having her own—had said on the topic. Once people put you in a box, it’s hard to climb out of it.
A hot sting pricked a tiny corner of her heart at the recollection. At the end of their freshman year at Stanford, Duke had thoroughly broken her heart, proving just how difficult breaking out of that box really was.
“So who are you going to be interviewing next, Verit??” her mom asked as Viv joined them in the front room. Mom used her pen name when asking questions about her job as a freelance writer.
Viv opened her mouth to answer the question, but stopped short as the name escaped her. She thought back on her conversation with Riley Shay from Slipper Magazine, still unable to recall it. “You know what? I’m not sure that she told me.”
“When are you going to interview Batman?” Dante asked.
“Batman’s not real,” Diego said.
“I mean the actor who played Batman,” Dante corrected.
“She did interview one of the men who played him,” Mom chimed. “Right, hon?”
“Yep, I did.” Viv led the crew into the kitchen, still perplexed about her upcoming interview. “How could I have not asked who I was interviewing?”
“I want you to talk to the new Batman and get a picture with him,” Dante continued.
“Maybe someday I will.” Viv stepped over to the butcher block, a gorgeous custom piece that wheeled over to the window to double as a breakfast bar, and snatched the ring of times tables cards from its nook. “They’re doing eights right now,” she said to her mom.
Mom’s eyes lit up. “Oh, eight? That’s how old you guys are.”
“Until next month,” Diego said.
“That’s right,” she agreed. “You guys have a birthday coming up.”
“But we get to go to Disneyland first,” Dante cheered.
That they did. Viv’s mom and dad were taking the twins to celebrate over spring break. A fact they talked about at least three hundred times a day. Viv had chosen to stay back and refinish the deck, something that might not happen if the interview took her out of town.
“You really don’t know who your interview’s with?” her mom asked again.
Viv shook her head. “I know, it’s weird.” Sure, she needed the money; half of what she’d made on her last house was in a savings bond and the other half was dwindling fast with the renovations for this one. But accepting a job without knowing her subject? She’d never done that before.
“You know what?” she decided while hurrying over to the fridge and snatching a cheese stick from the drawer.
“I trust Slipper that it’ll be somebody worth interviewing.
I think she said he’s getting like a twelve-page spread with a photo shoot, the works.
Sounded like I might get to travel to someplace exotic for the shoot during the process. ”
“Oooh, that would be neat,” her mom said. “So it’s a he not a she?”
Viv shrugged. “That’s the impression I have.”
“But you’re not sure…” Mom said in her thinking voice.
“Would we get to come too? If it’s somewhere exotic?” Diego asked.
Viv leaned down, captured the little guy’s face between her hands, and planted a kiss to his forehead. “Probably not, mio caro.”
She did the same with Dante. “I better get going.” She tossed an arm around her mom and gave her a squeeze. “Thanks again for helping with the boys.”
“It’s my absolute pleasure,” Mom cooed. And well Viv knew it. Thank heavens the twins had such loving, involved grandparents. Viv couldn’t imagine playing the role of single mother without them.
Mom followed her through the dining room and toward the front door. “So, are you going to meet him today? The guy you’re interviewing?”
Her mom was a real fan girl of several of Hollywood’s finest. Already, Viv had interviewed one of her favorites, which said something considering Viv’s unique specialty. She only interviewed high-profile people whose reputation had been soiled in some way. Those needing redemption.
“I bet it’s one of three people,” Mom said. “Thomas Findsley from all of those soap operas.”
Yep, that one made sense after word of his recent affairs hit the news.
“The gold medalist who got caught fraternizing with one of the judges…what’s her name.”
“Leighona Stone?”
“That’s it.”
“So who’s the third one?” Viv looped the strap of her purse over her shoulder before second-guessing herself. She creaked open the custom bench seat where she stashed some of her extra handbags.
“I really do love this home, Vivia,” her mother said. “I mean, you’re going to have a hard time parting with it when the time comes.”
Viv nodded, feeling the truth of it in her gut. “I know. But I’ve got a lot of money tied up in it. Plus, I want to keep renovating other homes in the valley, you know? Up the value in this area.”
Her mom sighed. “I know. I love that about you.” Her eyes widened suddenly. “I can’t wait to hear who your interview’s with.”
Viv smiled. “I’ll call you as soon as my meeting’s over. Bye, guys.” She gave the twins a final wave.
A waft of warmth greeted her on the sunlit porch. Her shadow stretched over the pavement as she hurried down the porch steps toward her car.
“I didn’t tell you who I think the third one could be,” Mom called.
Viv pointed her remote at her Mustang until it let out a beep. “Who is it?” When the reply didn’t come right away, Viv glanced over her shoulder.
Hesitation played over Mom’s face. Pinched lips and that heavy tilt of her head. “I don’t know if I should say.”
Viv scrunched her forehead. “Why?”
“Because it’s…well, due to that whole scandal with the live TV wedding and all, it just seems like Duke Benton is probably seeking redemption about now.”
Viv felt the blood drain from her face and rush like lava to her heart. “Oh.”
“I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I know how you feel about him.”
“No,” Viv assured as she climbed behind the steering wheel. “It’s fine. And let’s just hope that it’s not him.” She closed the door and gripped onto the wheel with both hands. Viv released two heavy sighs before sliding the key into the ignition.
The muffled sound of Mom’s voice carried beyond the windows. With the press of a button, Viv slid the passenger side down. “Yeah?”
“What would you do if it was?” she called.
A knot of anger dug into the center of Viv’s chest as she considered that. “A shot at redemption? From me, of all people?” A cold laugh slipped from her lips. “That’s not going to happen.”
Now Mom was racing down the steps, holding a hand to her chest as she went. “Vivia Maria Tripoli,” she started. “You can’t go by the name Verit? and give someone a biased report. That’s not how we raised you.”
But Viv only grinned. “I know that. If it ends up being Duke, then I’ll reject the job altogether.” With that, Viv turned to look over her shoulder and backed onto the street. She forced herself to breathe out through pursed lips, slowly against the wild thumping in her chest.
The sidewalks of the neighborhood might be quiet and calm, but the sudden spike in Viv’s heart—the frantic voices in her mind—were anything but. She shook her head. Please don’t let it be Duke Benton.