CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The car once again took them to the airport, and they took the helicopter to New York. The property where the party was being held had a heliport on it, for convenience about five miles from the house. A car met them there and took them up to the house.

The house was no house; it was a mansion. It was built on a lake, or the lake was built around it, it was hard to tell. The lawn was expansive probably five acres, and tall, beautiful shade trees surrounded it. There was a mile long cobblestone driveway that led up to a circular drive in front of the house. In the center of the drive was a garden of tropical flowers, plants, and fountains. It looked like a tiny little tropical paradise.

The large double front doors stood open, and Chloe and Derek walked in arm in arm. The foyer was as big as Chloe’s entire condo with a white marble floor and a crystal chandelier. The host and hostess, a man named Peter Ross and his wife Leticia were greeting their guests at the door. Chloe couldn’t help but notice how pretty the woman was. She was ageless. According to what Derek told her about them, the couple had been married for twenty years, so she had to be at least forty, but there was no way you would guess that if you didn’t know. She had long chestnut hair that she wore down in smooth waves and perfect, flawless mocha colored skin without a single line or wrinkle. Her eyes were hazel and so large and intense that when she looked right at you, it was hard to look away.

“Chloe, I’m so pleased to meet you and so happy you could come,” she said when Derek introduced them. “I look forward to talking with you later and getting to know more about you.”

“Me too,” Chloe lied. She was going to avoid that conversation like the plague. She could see it now, “Oh yes, I’m an exotic dancer in a private gentleman’s club on the run from my homicidal boyfriend.” No thank you.

They were led by an attendant to the right side of the foyer where there was a door that opened up to another lovely garden. This one was huge, and the party seemed to be built around it. There were pretty little tables with white lace table cloths set up, and each table had a tiny little crystal chandelier strung up above it. There were tables along the sides where the items for the silent auction sat and off in the distance was a temporary dance floor set up around a bandstand where a live band was playing soft jazz music. A huge black canopy with silver stars all over it covered it all, making it look like a perfect, starry night. It was all so elegant that it was almost dizzying.

“Are you ready to make the rounds, or would you rather we just find a seat?” Derek asked her.

Chloe looked around at all the people. She had never been too what you would call a “social butterfly.” Because of whom Jesse’s father was she had done a fair bit of socializing when they were together. That was when she wasn’t sporting a black eye or a split lip that she couldn’t show out in public. “Whatever you would rather do,” she said.

“We’ll say hello to a few of them until dinner is served,” he said. He led her over to one of the tables where an older couple and a younger one sat. The man looked up as they approached and said, “Well Derek, hello!” He stood up and gave Chloe an odd look before saying, “And who is this?”

“This is Chloe Green. Chloe this is Hank Renner, my father’s law partner. That is his lovely wife, Sydney and their daughter Casey and husband Frank.”

Chloe said hello to them all, and they each took her hand. She couldn’t help but begin to feel slightly anxious about how they were looking at her though. This whole time she saw herself so differently, than she had before, but they could see that she resembled Sarah and if they could see that Derek led her away and said, “Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” she said. “But, did you notice how they looked at me? They all knew Sarah, didn’t they?”

He stopped. Cupping her chin in his hand, he tipped her face up to look at him. He knew what she was getting at, “I’m sure they see it, but I don’t care. You’re not Sarah and your resemblance to her, although it originally brought me to you, has nothing to do with why I’m with you.”

On some level, that made Chloe feel better. It was something that she’d thought about, of course. But, the fact was that Derek had no idea why she was really upset by it. She took a deep breath to steady herself and decided that as long as they all just knew Sarah, she was still okay. Sarah was not Kelly.

“Mike Dawson, I’d like you to meet Chloe Green. Mike is a U.S. Senator. He’s bought both of his houses from me,” Derek told her as he introduced her to the man.

“I’m very pleased to meet you, Chloe,” he said. “What is it that you do, dear?”

Before Chloe could speak, Derek said, “She’s in school. Chloe’s getting her teaching degree.”

“Well, that’s admirable. I promised my wife that I wouldn’t talk politics tonight, but I do hope you vote republican. We are all for education. Oops, here she comes, shh!”

Chloe smiled and when Derek introduced her to the senator’s wife the woman said, “He wasn’t talking about politics was he?”

“No ma’am,” Chloe said with a smile. “We were talking about me going to school to become a teacher.”

“An admirable profession,” she repeated the story about being in school.

As they walked away, Derek said, “I hope you don’t mind that I stepped in on you like that?”

“No,” she said, “I appreciate it, thank you. I wasn’t about to tell any of these people what I really do. She kept picturing that conversation in her head. It didn’t go very well.”

“It’s only temporary,” he told her with a squeeze on her arm.

She smiled, “I know, and I’m glad that you understand.”

“It looks like dinner is being served. Maybe we should find our seats.” Derek found a server who led them to their table. They were seated with an attorney from New Hampshire and his wife. They also looked at Chloe funny at first, but after a few awkward moments, they began to ask her about herself, and she asked about them. Once the wife began talking about her children and grandchildren, Chloe was off the hook.

Dinner was poached salmon with a lemon mint sauce and cucumber salad and rice. The conversation between Derek and the attorney was lively, and Chloe kept his wife engaged as well. The woman also asked her what she did, and Chloe embellished on her story and told her that she would graduate soon and she already had a job lined up.

When dinner was over the dessert carts came around, and Chloe indulged in a New York cheesecake that was almost better than sex. After dinner, the host got up and talked about their cause and the reason behind their choice to support it. He told them about his son, a boy named Isaac that had passed away from a rare blood disorder at the age of seven. Since then, he and his wife had spent countless time and money to put together these fundraisers for both the hospital that had cared for Isaac and the research needed to someday cure the disease. Chloe was touched by the story and the picture of the dark haired boy that looked so much like his mother that they flashed up on the screen. When Peter Ross finished his speech, he invited them all to dance and drink and enjoy themselves, but to not forget to stop by the silent auction tables.

Derek turned to Chloe as the lights dimmed and the music started back up and said, “Would you like to dance?”

She turned to make sure the other couple wasn’t listening, and she said, “I haven’t danced like that in a very long time.”

“It’s like riding a bike,” he said, “Besides, I’ve seen you move. You’ll probably just float across that floor.” Chloe felt her face go hot at the mention of him seeing her on the pole. She knew it was ridiculous, but she couldn’t help it. Even Derek knew that working at that sleazy place embarrassed her.

“Okay, but if I step on your feet, you can’t blame me.”

“I’d be honored for you to trample my expensive shoes,” he said with a grin.

He led her to the dance floor, and she tried not to notice the strange looks that everyone seemed to be giving them. It might be her imagination, but she didn’t think so. She took the impression that they were all wondering where Derek found this woman that was the spitting image of his late wife. She wondered what they would think if they knew…No, she knew what they would think, and none of it would be good. Everyone she had met so far had been in some kind of admirable profession. She was even skimming the limits slightly with her teacher story.

On the dance floor, he took her in his arms, and they began to dance. She found it easy to forget about everyone else in the big room as long as she was in his arms. There were several other couples on the floor, and Derek introduced her to an elderly couple as they passed by. The man was a retired judge, and his wife was also, but she was a Supreme Court justice.

“What a beautiful girl you are,” the woman told her.

“Thank you,” Chloe told her. She looked at the woman’s husband who was giving her a lecherous look. She wondered if he frequented clubs like Roxi’s.

“You’re the prettiest woman here,” Derek whispered in her ear as they danced. “That’s why they’re all looking at you.”

“Thank you,” she told him, “But Derek…”

“Shh, please don’t worry what people are thinking. Please just enjoy this. I love having you in my arms. Besides, I doubt as many of them are thinking it as you are worried they are…but the fact is if they’re thinking anything, it’s about me and not you. I’m the one who is with a woman who looks like my late wife. You can’t help it that you look like her.”

“It’s just a little strange,” she said, “Don’t you think?”

“It is, yes.” He was so honest, and she loved that about him. She’d almost wished he’d lied and told her it was perfectly natural to date your wife’s twin after she died.

“What if I turn out to be her sister?” Chloe tried not to let herself think that far ahead. All that ever did for her was cause stress. Sometimes, like tonight when she imagined what it would be like to really be with him, she couldn’t help it.

“It won’t change how I feel about you,” he said.

Chloe thought about asking him how it was that he felt, but she bit that back. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to know. If he thought he felt too much, that would be too much pressure. She would leave that one alone for now.

When the dance ended, Derek took her by the hand, and they headed over to the table where the silent auction items were laid out. A nice looking older man with the same blue eyes as Derek was coming towards him.

Derek stopped and said, “This is my father,” before he reached them. If Derek hadn’t told her, it would have been easy to guess. The man was looking at Chloe curiously with those pretty blue eyes, the same way the others at the party looked at her.

“There you are,” Derek’s father said to his son. I hadn’t seen you, and I was wondering if you were coming.” He looked at Chloe then, and with a smile that rivaled his son’s he said, “Hello.”

“Hi,” Chloe said, more shyly than she had greeted the other guests. This was Derek’s father.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Derek told him. “Peter and Leticia are two of my favorite people.” He and his father shook hands and then Derek turned to Chloe. She wondered if his stomach was fluttering the way that hers was or if he felt slightly nauseated at the realization that his father recognized that she was his late wife’s twin. He didn’t show it if he did. He was as cool and smooth as ever as he turned towards Chloe and said, “Dad, this is my date, Chloe Green. Chloe this is my father, Kevin Stark.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Chloe said.

“Yes, a pleasure,” Derek’s father said. He had lost the curious look, or he was hiding it well. He was an attorney. Chloe knew from experience that they were fabulous actors.

“I was on my way over to speak with Judge Taylor about an important matter, but I’ll be back. Chloe, I can’t wait to get to know more about you.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said. When he was gone, she turned to Derek and said, “Um, blindsided a little bit, thank you.”

“I’m sorry. I really intended to tell you my father would be here. Work was so hectic this week, and we really didn’t get much of a chance to talk. It just slipped my mind.”

“He saw it too. Did you see the way he looked at me?”

Derek gave her an indulgent look and said, “Maybe, or maybe you’re just a little bit self-conscious. It doesn’t matter. My father wants me to be happy. You make me happy.”

She almost told him that he made her happy too. She could feel it, but she couldn’t say it. Either it was too soon, or she was too out of practice. She let it go and instead said, “Let’s go look at the auction items.”

Derek took her hand again, but before he led her over to the table, he said, “I really am sorry that I forgot to tell you he would be here.”

“It’s okay,” she said. Her insides were quivering. She wasn’t angry with him, but she wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take. She hadn’t realized just how overwhelming it was going to be.

When Chloe saw the things on the table that they were bidding on, she was shocked. This was no theme basket auction like she helped arrange for the rec center or the parks renovation projects. There were sailboats and classic cars and even a vacation home at Martha’s Vineyard. Derek put down a bid for the car and the boat and then he turned to Chloe and said, “See anything you like?”

She couldn’t let that pass. She ran her eyes slowly down his body and then back up again. When she reached his face, she said, “I think I do.”

He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers softly. Her body wanted to respond, badly but she held back. She reminded herself where they were. It was bad enough that she was already attracting so much attention. She kissed him softly and stepped back so she wouldn’t be tempted to let it go further. As she did, a man stepped up behind her, and she stepped on his foot and bumped into him.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!” she said, turning to see who she had run into. When she saw his face, she froze. Her head was screaming at her to run, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. It was like being paralyzed. She literally could not move. The moment that she’d feared and dreaded for so long was here; she was staring her past in the face.

“It’s perfectly fine,” he said with a smile. He didn’t seem to recognize her. Was it possible? Could she be that lucky? No, if she were that lucky, she would have never met his son in the first place.

She heard Derek laugh and say, “Of all of the people to step on Chloe you have to pick Mr. Donovan. The illustrious District Attorney of New York.”

Derek was kidding, or so he thought. Chloe thought he was right. Of all the people, Derek was shaking hands with Vince and smiling. Vince Donovan was still staring at her face, and although his own face hadn’t changed at all, she could see it in his eyes. They suddenly widened, and she knew that he knew who she was. Jesse’s father recognized her. He would tell Jesse who would be out of jail in a matter of days.

“Chloe…is it? So nice to meet you,” he said, holding out his hand. Chloe looked at it like it was a snake. She couldn’t touch it. He repulsed her.

The thoughts were racing inside of her head. She wanted them to slow down so she could breathe. Her mind was accelerating so quickly that it couldn’t focus on the small things like normal bodily functions like breathing. Her breaths were coming in gasps, and she started to feel like she was going to black out. Her heart was hammering against her chest, and the room had begun to spin. Jesse’s father was still looking at her and Derek was now too.

“Chloe, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

She had to get out of here. She felt sick. She was going to vomit, right here. She was going to pass out. She could feel the darkness creeping in, coating her insides. She needed air, or in seconds she was going to be on the floor in a fetal position, curled up in her own vomit. She turned and rushed as fast as she could without making too much of a scene.

She could hear Derek behind her, calling out her name. She couldn’t stop, she had to get outside. Her lungs felt like someone was squeezing them now and her chest had begun to hurt. She thought maybe she was having a heart attack, but she didn’t want to do it here. She had to make it outside in the real air. As she rushed through the front doors and out into the night air, her stomach lurched and gurgled. She started running then until she made it out of the driveway and onto the grass and then she stopped and gulped at the air, swallowing it whole, like she couldn’t get enough. She had to lean against a tree to hold herself up.

“Chloe? What the hell is going on?” Derek’s hand was on her shoulder. She shrugged it off. She didn’t want him to touch her. She didn’t want anyone to touch her. This was such a huge mistake. She couldn’t tell him what was going on. She couldn’t if she wanted to. She couldn’t speak; her whole world was spinning out of control.