Identical Imposter

Traci opens the front door to her twin sisters one bedroom lavish penthouse, she stands there while scanning the place, then hesitantly walks in closing the door behind her. She takes a few more steps entering into the living room adjacent to the kitchen. She proceeds to walk over to the drapes which are covering the beautiful floor to ceiling windows with a view of Downtowns best skyscrapers. She opens the drapes wide, brightening the entire penthouse. Traci looks out at the view for a few moments when she’s startled out of her daydream by her cell phone ringing. She goes for her pocket to fetch her phone.

“Hello,” she answers.

“Hey Traci, how are you feeling?” A soft concerned voice ask on the other end.

“I’m fine mom, how about you? How are you holding up?”

“Well, I guess I’m okay as I could be right now, just was checking on you”, her mom responds.

“I’m at Tori’s right now about to start packing some of her things up before the movers come next week.”

“Oh really, would you like for me to come help?”

“Not right now mom maybe this weekend, I just need some time alone, I just can’t believe that I’m about to sit here and pack my twin sisters life in these boxes.”

“I know honey, her mom softly responds.”

Traci continues, “I just don’t understand how someone can hit a jogger in broad daylight and no one sees anything!”

“Yes honey, I know but the detectives have been working and prayerfully they’ll come across something to help us figure this out, now are you sure you don’t want me to come over to keep you company and help pack, I’ll bring brownies?” Her mother says in a cheerful tone trying to lighten the mood.

Traci laughs, “no I’m okay mom thanks, I’m about to get started, call you in a few hours, okay?”

“Okay Traci, if you change your mind call me, love you honey.”

“Love you too mom.” Traci hangs up, “okay let’s get started,” she states to herself.

The sunset starts to peak behind the skyscrapers as Traci is still moving throughout her sisters house. She goes into Tori’s room heading for the walk in closet. She opens up the glass door revealing shoes, purses, and clothes of different prints and vibrant colors of fashion. Traci looks amidst all of the items and decides to call it a night.

“You need a whole day dedicated to this closet miss Tori!” She laughs to herself and turns to walk out. As she’s heading out she spots an old purse that her and Tori received together 10 years ago for their Sweet 16. Traci grabs the purse excitedly, “oh my goodness Tori, why have you been hiding this from me?!” She opens the purse and finds a small black notebook, a cell phone.

“What the heck is this stuff?” Traci sits on the floor of the closet and opens up the black book. She goes to the first page and it’s a list of men names written in Tori’s handwriting in different colored inks. She fumbles through a couple of more pages and its the same format with a guys name, number, dates, and dollar amounts. Some guys names are written in black, green or purple, but one in particular is in red. A “Mr. James Peterson,” Traci reads aloud. “Who the heck are these guys?” She puts the book down and picks up the cell phone, she presses the power button turning on the phone. Traci tries to navigate through the phone but it’s locked.“ Shoot,” Traci thinks for a moment then try 0311 which is her and Tori’s birthday, the phone rejects it. “Shoot,” Traci then notices an option for facial recognition, she excitedly holds the phone up to her face and it unlocks. “Yes!” Traci starts to search through the phone where she’s starting to see some of the same numbers and text messages from the names in the book. The phone rings making Traci jump. She looks and the name reads Dan, “who the heck is Dan?” Being curious Traci answers the phone, “hello? “

“Monica my love, finally I thought you had fallen off this earth and left me my beauty!”

“Excuse Me?!” Traci responds irritated, “who the heck is Monica?!”

“Oh Monica my darling I love when you pretend to be someone else. Just calling to make sure we’re still on for this Saturday, I had to wait weeks for this date?“

“No, you must have the wrong number there is no Monica here!”

“Ouu my darling, well who would you like to be this weekend Heather, Rhonda?”

“No, see you must be mistaken,” then Traci looks at the black book,“ hold on one second.”

“Of course my love,” he responds.

Traci puts the phone down and picks up the black book and starts fumbling through the pages, she stops when she sees Dan name written in green scheduled for Saturday’s date. It then dawns on Traci, that her lovable, sweet innocent twin sister was an escort! Traci gasp. “OH MY GOD!”

”Are you okay baby,” she hears coming from the phone.

Still in shock she grabs the phone, “umm yes, just one more sec,” then she presses the mute button. She grabs the black book again and looks at Dans name that has an amount of $1000 next to it. “A thousand dollars, just for a freaking dinner date?” Traci fumbles through the book where she reaches the very last page that has different colored asterisks. Black equals regular dinner date, Purple equals her favorite clients, Green equals big spenders dinner and sex and Red equals danger, no more dates! Traci starts to inhale and exhale to calm herself. She grabs the phone, “hello Dan?”

“Yes my love,” he answers.

“Unfortunately...” he cuts Traci off.

“Please don’t reschedule me, I’ve been waiting forever to see you again, I’ll pay double!”

Not knowing how to respond Traci said, “I’ll see you Saturday!”

“Thank you my love!” He hangs up.

“Sorry buddy, but Tori or Monica, or whoever the hell you’re looking for will NOT be there Saturday!”

As shes walking to the door her sisters cell phone rings again. She looks at the screen and it’s an unsaved number. “Oh no, no more calls!” She tosses the phone inside one of the boxes and proceeds to walk out but then she hears a male voice. “Hello?” Traci looks inside the box to see that she has accidentally answered the phone. “Shoot!” She picks up the phone to end the call but the phone is on FaceTime and Traci is now looking at one of the most gorgeous man she has ever seen.

“Tori, is that really you?!” The deep tone asks her.

“Umm hey, hi,” Traci tries not to seem nervous.

“Hey there, how are you, how have you been?”

“I’ve been okay, umm look I really can’t talk right now.”

“So when can you?” He smirks.

“I’m not sure, I’ll give you a call back!”

“Okay well how about dinner? The guy ask with persistence.

Traci sighs, “no I’m not going on a date with you okay!”

“I’ll pay double he responds quickly!”

“No I don’t want your $2,000!”

“$2000?” The guy ask puzzled.

“Yes!” Traci answers.

“I know it’s been a while since we seen each other but your leaving off a zero sweetheart!”

“What?” Traci response confused.

“The last time I seen you I paid you $10,000 so double would be $20,000!”

Traci looks at the phone with big eyes. “You okay?” The guy ask.

“Umm yeah give me a sec,” Traci puts the phone on hold. “$20,000 just for a freaking dinner date with a gorgeous man? Okay, I can’t believe I’m about to do this.” Traci takes the phone off hold, “hello?”

“Yes, I’m here, so dinner?” This time he ask with a big gorgeous smile.

“Yes Dinner, that’s fine!”

“Really?!” The guy sounds over joyed. “Okay how does tomorrow night at 8pm sounds?”

“Sounds great,” Traci smiles.

Traci walks up to the big mahogany doors takes a deep breathe then knocks. The door opens and there is the beautiful specimen that was on the phone last night. “Lord have mercy,” Traci thought to herself.

“Well hello beautiful,” he comes in to give her a hug, “come in please!” Traci steps inside.

“Thank you for coming, right this way.” He leads Traci to a kitchen island that has a candle lit meal for two.

“This is nice.”

“Thank you,” he reaches to pull out her chair, Traci takes her seat. He pours two glasses of wine and hands one to Traci.

“Thank you.” Traci blushes.

“Let’s make a toast,” he raises his glass, “To rekindling old friendships,” he clinks her glass and they both take a sip.

“ Okay, before we start dinner I know business first,” he gets up and retrieves a bag. “Here you are, $20,000.”

Traci grabs the bag and opens it and sure enough, it’s bundles of cash.

“Oh my, umm okay.”

“Who are you,” he ask?

“ What, Traci responds,

“Who are you? Cause you’re not Tori!”

Just then Traci starts to feel dizzy, she tries to stand up but faints.

Waking up with blurry vision and a pounding headache Traci scans the windowless room. She goes to grab her head and notices her hand is chained up! “What the heck?!”, Traci starts pulling frantically on the link.

“Hey sleepy head,” Traci turns abruptly to see the gorgeous guy standing there smiling.

“What the freak are you doing, what the freak is going on?!”

“I should be asking you the same question, showing up pretending to be someone YOU ARE NOT!!” He yells. “With your cheap clothes, flower scents and taking large lump sums of money in a bag TORI WOULD NEVER!” Traci starts to cry! “Tori likes fruit scents, expensive things and would NEVER accept that much cash in a bag like a WHORE!”

“Im sorry,” Traci mumbles though her cries.

“It’s fine, you must be Traci, the twin sister she never talked about but I found out about after Tori and I’s mishap.”

“Mishap?” Traci puzzled.

“ Yes, she put a restraining order out on me cause I wouldn’t stop calling or coincidently showing up at places that she was at!”

“What? She never told me this!”

“Yeah, then 3 weeks ago I showed up at the park just to try and have a conversation with her to let her know, I’m better, I’m okay now and she starts screaming!”

“Oh! My! God! YOU KILLED MY SISTER?!”

“I DIDN’T MEAN TO I LOVED HER!!! I WANTED TO MAKE HER MRS JAMES PETERSON!” Traci is crying hysterically.

“It’s okay baby,” he walks over to her. “The universe has given me another chance! With you!” Traci looks in disbelief. “Now, I’m going to Tori’s to grab some of her perfumes and clothes for you to put on, need anything else while I’m out?”

“Please don’t do this,” Traci begs.

“Shh, you‘ll be fine, be back in about a hour, and no sense of screaming these walls are sound proof that’s how I built this room, see you in a bit,” he closes and locks the door behind him.