Chapter 8 #2
“I beg to differ. I lived on restaurant food for three months before Edith moved to New York with me. The ladies at the diner started thinking I was making up the little woman and just wore a wedding ring to keep people from bothering me.” Jonathon closed his laptop.
“But now, I appreciate a home-cooked meal when I’m away from Edith.
My wife is an amazing cook. I would have married her just for that skill, except I fell in love with her. ”
“Good save.” Rarity smiled as she watched Romeo stand, stretch, and then sniff toward the casserole dish. “We probably better get that into the back room before he jumps.”
“I’m taking him out for a stroll. Do you want me to take Killer too?” Jonathon unwrapped the leash and took the one Rarity handed him. “Don’t eat all the casserole without me.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” Rarity said, knowing Shirley’s propensity for baking more than she could eat on her own.
As she finished up the order that they’d been adding to all day, she heard the door open. “That was fast. I guess it’s hot out there.”
“It’s really hot out there, but I don’t think I’m the one you thought came inside,” a woman’s voice answered. “I’m Talia Brooks and I’m looking for a Darby Doyle?”
Rarity looked up, and it was Darby’s double. The one they’d seen the other night. “Hold on a second. She’s in the back. Darby? Can you come out?”
Darby hurried out, a brownie in her mouth. She asked around it, “Do you need help?”
She froze as she saw the woman in front of her. She took the brownie out of her mouth and wiped the back of her hand over her mouth. “I knew they said you looked like me, but wow. Besides the clothes, you look just like me.”
“Or what you might look like in a few years. I believe I’m a little older than you are.
” Talia walked up and pushed Darby’s red hair away from her eyes.
“Just as I suspected, no crow’s-feet. So, you do exist. Friends saw you the other night with Mason here at the signing.
They all thought it was me. Especially since he and I, well, we were an item years ago. ”
“He said I reminded him of someone, but he didn’t say much more about that.” Darby looked shocked. “They told me that you’re in the movie business and live in California?”
“Yes, guilty on both counts. I’ve lost touch with most of my family, but I haven’t heard of anyone living out here in Arizona. Most of my distant family lives in Boston, if they aren’t in the old country. What about you? Do you have a lot of family here?”
Darby shook her head. “Just my grandmother, but she’s gone.”
Talia’s phone rang. “Sorry, I need to get this.”
She turned away, taking a few steps toward the door.
“So, this is weird,” Rarity said, smiling at Darby.
“You’re telling me. I know you guys said she looked like me, but this is like looking in the mirror. Except the clothes. She has upscale threads. Maybe she’ll send me some of her castoffs. Movie people don’t wear the same thing twice, isn’t that what they say?” Darby looked hopeful.
“I think that’s actresses, but we don’t know what she does yet.” Rarity nodded toward the approaching Talia to let Darby know she was coming back.
“Sorry, things are going bad around the memorial. The other producers don’t want to use the new movie for his send-off.
They want to use the spider one again. I guess they think they can make more money off the other one in an LA release.
” Talia rolled her eyes. “You’re never hot until you’re dead.
Mason should have faked his death years ago.
They would have loved his last picture.”
Rarity swallowed. For the second time in as many days, she was left without a response.
Obviously seeing her discomfort, Talia laughed.
“Sorry, I’m just upset. I’ll be more appropriate the next time we chat.
Darby? It was so nice to meet you. Maybe we can have dinner on Thursday or before I leave town?
I’d like to explore our roots. Maybe we’re related distantly. Wouldn’t that be a surprise.”
Darby made arrangements to meet Talia at the Garnet on Thursday night, and then the woman left the store.
Jonathon came in a few minutes later. “Did you let Darby leave without a second? Or did she sneak out? I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“Hey, I’m right here, okay?” Darby came out of the back room. “Shirley says the casserole’s ready. Do you want me to put a ‘Closed’ sign up?”
“You go eat and I’ll get a plate and come out here.” Rarity nodded toward Jonathon. “And I can tell him about our visitor.”
“Sounds good.” Darby disappeared back into the room.
Rarity looked at Jonathon. “Darby’s doppelganger was just here.” She explained Talia’s stop and how she’d heard about Darby. “So she decided to stop in and meet her.”
“Weird. They could be twins. Or mother and daughter,” Jonathon muttered as he unclicked Killer’s leash and tied Romeo up to the chair again.
“You can leave him untied,” Rarity said. “He should be okay.”
“There’s no way I’m letting him go today. Maybe tomorrow when I bring him back. He gets spooked in new places. He almost ran off at Drew’s. Edith would have killed me. She loves the mutt.”