Chapter Sixteen

 

“Jordan? I know you didn’t want to take any calls this morning, but it’s Mrs. Gregson on the line for you. Tessa Gregson. And she promises she’ll only take a minute or two of your time. Do you - would you like me to put her through?”

Jordan sighed at the question his receptionist had asked tentatively. And while it was the first time Tessa had ever called him directly this way, he’d more or less been expecting a call from her all morning.

“Yes, it’s okay to put her through. And thanks, Hannah. I know I’ve been something of a jerk to everyone this morning. It was just - well, let’s call it a rough night,” acknowledged Jordan wearily.

“Hey, no problem, Jordan,” assured the perpetually perky young receptionist. “We’re all entitled to an off day once in awhile. Hold on a sec, and I’ll put Mrs. Gregson through.”

An off day, as Hannah had so diplomatically put it, was a gross understatement, thought Jordan with a grimace as he waited for his office phone to ring with Tessa’s call. ‘More like the absolute worst fucking day of my entire life,’ he told himself. But then, it was no less than he deserved for the chaos he’d caused last night.

He’d been way too much of a coward to go back inside the ballroom last night, unwilling to deal with the curious glances of the attendees who’d been witness to the debacle. And he’d been downright terrified to come face to face with either of the Gregsons - Ian because he still wasn’t convinced the other man wouldn’t throw a punch before the night was over, and Tessa because he’d already had to deal with one weeping, emotional woman that night.

So he’d escaped to the same rooftop bar he’d begged Aubrey to accompany him to, finding a table in a darkened corner and tried to drink away his woes. He’d lingered for more than two hours in order to give Aubrey sufficient time to pack her things and arrange for a hotel, knowing that she wouldn’t appreciate running into him again that evening. Fortunately, he had decided to take a cab to the ball instead of driving his own car. There was no way he would have been able to drive home safely, given his inebriated state plus the emotional upheaval he’d gone through.

Aubrey had left a couple of lights on in the condo, but she’d made quick work of clearing out the majority of her belongings by the time he’d arrived back home. Her laptop and papers were missing from the dining room table, her toiletries cleaned out of the bathroom, and almost all of her clothes and other belongings gone. It had broken his heart to realize that the things she’d left behind had been most of the ones he had bought for her - including the beautiful yellow gown, gold shoes, and diamond jewelry she’d worn to the ball just a few hours earlier.

He hadn’t had the energy, or the will, to move the clothes and shoes she had deliberately not taken with her to the depths of his closet, where he wouldn’t have to look at them every time he opened the door. Maybe that would be part of his penance for his role in this whole clusterfuck, he’d thought grimly - forcing himself to look at her things on a daily basis, to remember all the glorious moments they had shared, how happy they had been together. Until he’d been too much of a coward to be honest with her, had been too afraid of angering or upsetting her with the truth. And because of his utter stupidity, everything was now ten times as bad, ten times as messed up and complicated, and he’d wondered wearily if there was any chance at all that Aubrey would ever speak to him again, much less allow him back into her life.

But he owed it to Tessa to take this phone call, to hear what she had to say, and to make some feeble attempt to apologize to her. He hesitated, though, when his phone buzzed, and had to take a deep breath before picking it up.

“Tessa. How - how are you this morning?” he inquired tentatively.

Her voice on the other end of the line was both sad and reproachful. “Not especially well, Jordan, as I’m sure you can imagine,” she replied frostily. “After all, it isn’t every day that you come face to face with your - your twin or doppelganger or whatever the correct term is. How is - Aubrey?”

Jordan sighed heavily. “Good and pissed off. Enough so that she planned to catch a flight back home to San Diego this morning. Who knows when or if she’ll ever consent to speak to me again. Hey, entirely my fault. No one to blame for this whole mess but myself. And I must apologize to you, Tessa. If I’d known that you and Ian were going to attend last night, I would have made sure the two of you - as well as Aubrey - knew about all this ahead of time. As it was - well, when Ian told me originally that you wouldn’t be attending, I figured I’d caught a little break. Had bought myself a little more time to explain things to everyone. Fate’s a bitch at times, isn’t she?”

“Thank you for apologizing, Jordan,” murmured Tessa softly. “And believe it or not, I didn’t call you this morning to give you a piece of my mind - even though Ian insisted I should do so. That’s not who I am, not the way I react. Not, of course, that you don’t deserve to be raked over the coals, as Ian says. But I’m too upset to do something like that, and yelling at you is only going to make me feel worse. I would, however, like to talk to you about - well, about Aubrey.”

“Of course. I’d be happy to tell you what I know. Though I do have a patient arriving in about five minutes, and I’m guessing it will take more time than that to answer your questions. Is there a convenient time I can call you back, Tessa?”

She paused for a moment before replying. “Actually, I was hoping you might be free for lunch, Jordan. Or coffee, depending on your schedule. And yes, before you ask, Ian is well aware that I’d like to see you.”

Jordan chuckled in spite of how exhausted and emotionally drained he felt. “Good. Because the last thing I need is for your husband to accuse me of - well, never mind. And, yes, I’d be happy to meet you for lunch. Let’s say one o’clock? Did you have a place in mind?”

Tessa was agreeable to letting him choose the location, so they arranged to meet at a quiet little bistro two blocks from his office. He replaced the telephone receiver, then leaned his head back against his leather desk chair, wondering how much shittier this day could possibly get.

His unspoken question was answered five minutes later when he realized his next scheduled patient was Jessica Coleman. As he picked up her file from the chart holder mounted outside the exam room, Jordan was barely able to resist the urge to bang his head against the wall in frustration.

He’d become something of an expert at fending off unwanted advances from his female patients over the years, even the boldest of them who would persist with their flirting despite the presence of a nurse in the room. But Jessica Coleman was in another league altogether when it came to pushy patients. She had outright propositioned him a few times during her appointments, making it very clear that she found him very attractive and wouldn’t be at all adverse to having a personal as well as a professional relationship with him. For a time, Jessica had sent him emails on an almost daily basis, most of which had nothing to do with medical issues, until he’d rather casually mentioned to her that all incoming emails to the office were first reviewed by one of the nurses before getting forwarded to each doctor in the practice. The rather risqué emails had come to an abrupt halt immediately thereafter. She’d asked him none too discreetly if she could have his personal cell phone number, just in case she had an after hours emergency, and hadn’t bothered to hide her annoyance when he’d refused, instructing her to call the general office number instead.

He had hoped that she would get the message after that, would realize once and for all that he simply didn’t date patients no matter what, but while the emails had stopped Jessica continued to create excuses - real or imagined - to make appointments with him at least every couple of months. Jordan wondered what the hell was wrong with her today, given that she’d already had her annual pap smear, been assured that she was not suffering from endometriosis but simply menstrual cramps, and wasn’t due to have her birth control implant replaced for at least two more years.

Realizing he’d need reinforcements to deal with this particular patient, Jordan beckoned urgently to Lucy, the most respected - and feared - nurse in the practice. She’d been at the office for almost a dozen years, and there was no question that she was effectively in charge of the entire place. The other nurses deferred to her on almost every issue, and none of the doctors dared to offend her. She was in her mid-forties, of Samoan heritage, over six feet tall, and didn’t tolerate bullshit from anyone - especially flirtatious patients who just didn’t know how to take a hint.

“What is it, boss?” she asked cheerfully. “I’m due to take my break in five minutes so make it fast, okay?”

Jordan grinned at her audacity, but didn’t even think of taking her to task for it, especially when he was preparing to beg for her help. “Hopefully five minutes is all it will take. I’ve got your favorite patient waiting in Room Four, and I just know if you’re in the room she’ll behave herself for once.”

Lucy made a horrible face. “Oh, no. Not the redhead with the huge fake boobs who always wears too much perfume no matter how many signs Hannah posts at reception saying that’s a no-no. What’s her phony ailment today? Or,” she added slyly, nudging him in the ribs, “maybe she’s hoping today’s finally going to be her lucky day.”

Jordan shuddered. “Well, it’s definitely not going to be today. Or any other day as far as I’m concerned. But I need to get her in and out of here as quickly as possible, and since she always seems a little intimidated by you, I was wondering..”

Lucy patted him on the shoulder. “Intimidated, my ass. I scare the crap out of her, boss. And I’m guessing you need old Lucy here to protect you, is that it?”

He chuckled, momentarily forgetting about the rotten night he’d had. “Please? I’ll owe you big time if you bail me out once again.”

“Fine.” Lucy sighed and checked her watch. “But Miss Hot To Trot had better make it fast. Nobody makes me late for my mid-morning latte.”

Reassured that Lucy had his back, Jordan knocked on the exam room door, then entered slowly when a throaty female voice bid him to enter.

“At least she’s wearing the hospital gown today and isn’t sitting there topless like she did that one time,” whispered Lucy under her breath.

Jordan grimaced, recalling the unwanted image of Jessica sitting up on the exam table, proudly naked from the waist up. “Thank God for small favors, huh?”

He avoided looking directly at his patient as he strode into the small room, knowing that she’d be flashing him her most flirtatious smile. “Jessica, good morning. What brings you here today? And you remember Lucy, of course. She’ll be assisting me this morning.”

Jessica didn’t bother suppressing a tiny shudder as Lucy gave her a polite but terrifying smile. “Yes, of course. And I’m here today because I’ve found a lump in my breast, Doctor Reeves. It’s cancer, isn’t it? Oh, God, I’m too young to have cancer!”

Jordan sighed as he washed his hands, in no mood to calm a semi-hysterical patient who’d likely convinced herself there was a problem that didn’t actually exist. In addition to being a notorious flirt, Jessica was also something of a hypochondriac. Still, he couldn’t dismiss her concerns without checking her out first - even though it would involve conducting a breast exam, something he was willing to bet the cunning redhead had given very careful consideration to.

“Let’s not make any assumptions, hmm? Lay back now, Jessica, and we’ll have a look. Which breast did you feel the lump in?” he inquired, spreading open the paper robe and forcing himself not to shudder at the sight of her overlarge - almost grotesquely so - breast implants. He had zero idea why her plastic surgeon had agreed to give her such oversized implants, given that Jessica was only of medium height and on the thin side, so that her huge boobs made her figure look completely out of balance.

“My right one. Oh, no. Actually it’s the left one. Hmm, maybe you should check both of them out just in case,” simpered Jessica as she thrust her chest upwards.

From his peripheral vision, Jordan could see Lucy roll her eyes heavenwards, and he motioned her closer so that the two of them were standing on either side of Jessica. With a patient as manipulative and cunning as Jessica, he wanted there to be zero chance that she could accuse him of misconduct, and having Lucy’s eagle eye closely observing the entire exam would guarantee that couldn’t happen.

He completed the exam as he’d done hundreds of times before - quickly, efficiently, and impersonally. Jessica flinched a little as his somewhat brusque touch, and was visibly dismayed when he finished up much faster than she had probably anticipated, pulling the ends of the paper gown together to cover her breasts.

“It’s not a lump,” he declared confidently. “I believe what you felt is simply some scar tissue. It’s very common with implants. We can schedule you for a mammogram just to be certain, but I would actually recommend that you make an appointment with the plastic surgeon who did the implants. He or she can confirm that it’s actually scar tissue, and then discuss what your options are about having it removed. But I’m quite sure it’s not a lump, and certainly not cancer. All right?”

Jessica sat up, not bothering to hold the ends of the paper robe together so that a considerable amount of her boobs were revealed. “Are you sure, Doctor Reeves? It feels like a lump to me.”

Jordan was already halfway to the door. “I’m ninety nine percent sure, Jessica. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this sort of condition, and it’s very easy to tell the difference between scar tissue and an actual lump. But just to put your mind at ease, Lucy can write up a referral to the radiology lab in this building. They’re on the fourth floor so you can check in on your way out to see when they can schedule you. After you get the results you should consult further with your plastic surgeon to discuss possible treatments. Take care now, hmm?”

He was out of the exam room like a shot, practically jogging down the hallway to his office where he shut himself in as though a horde of barbarians was going to ram the door in. He’d always hated predatory women, and Jessica Coleman was pushier than most.

How different Aubrey was from Jessica and others of her ilk, he thought. But then, Aubrey was so beautiful and sexy and utterly tempting that she would never need to actively pursue a man, or try to attract one’s attention. It would be just the opposite, in fact, with Aubrey needing to beat interested men off with a stick. Jordan didn’t need anyone to tell him how lucky he’d been to have snagged a prize like her. And he definitely didn’t need to be told just how idiotic he had been to let her get away.

He’d hardly slept last night, having been worried sick about Aubrey and wanting nothing more than to call her up and make sure she was okay, that she’d gotten to her hotel safely, to see if she needed anything. But she’d been so angry with him, and so adamant that he leave her alone and not try to contact her, that he’d forced himself to respect her wishes. Still, he’d been hard pressed not to text or email her last night or early this morning or right this very minute, longing to know where she was, and he was willing to cut off a limb just to hear her voice.

But hard as it was going to be, Jordan resigned himself to giving her the space she needed right now. She had every right to be furious with him, as well as feel hurt and confused. He wondered if Aubrey had already contacted her parents, asking what if anything they might know about Tessa, and if there was any possibility that the two women could be related. The same sort of questions, he realized, that Tessa was likely to ask him over lunch.

He made sure to arrive at the bistro where he’d agreed to meet her five minutes early, asking the hostess for a table in a quiet corner where he and Tessa could talk privately. Jordan knew exactly when she walked in the door, since every masculine head in the place turned automatically in her direction. Even for a weekday lunch engagement, she was dressed to the nines, as the old saying went, looking every bit like the elegant, sophisticated wife of a very wealthy man would be expected to do. She wore a short-sleeved, olive green shirtdress of some lightweight fabric, expertly tailored to fit her tall, curvy figure to perfection. Her discreet gold jewelry coordinated with the buttons on the dress, while her sling-back pumps and leather satchel were nearly the exact same shade of taupe. Tessa had pulled her long hair back into a sleek ponytail, her makeup minimal but expertly applied.

She was thirty years old now, he realized as he stood to greet her, a full five years older than Aubrey, and as such there were some subtle differences between the two women. Whereas Aubrey still had that youthful glow, Tessa’s looks had matured beautifully. She was far more subdued than Aubrey, of course, and Jordan guessed that there would always be an air of vulnerability about her, no matter how old she was.

And, for the first time since he’d met Tessa five years ago, he was startled to realize that there was no spark of awareness as she reached the table, no ridiculous little flutter of his heart when she was near. He would always notice and appreciate what a beautiful woman she was because, after all, what normal, red-blooded man wouldn’t? But there was no longer the urge to yank her into his arms and kiss her senseless, no impulse to flirt with her until she blushed a becoming shade of pink, or the tendency to curse his very bad luck that Ian had seen this rare jewel first and made her his own.

Meeting - and falling in love with - Aubrey had been responsible for those changes, he recognized, even as he clasped Tessa’s hand lightly in his. He no longer had to pine in secret for someone else’s woman, or entertain ridiculous, unrealistic fantasies about her, because he had his own woman. A woman who was much better suited to him, who made him laugh and smile and enjoy every minute they spent together. A woman who could have been the love of his life if he hadn’t screwed things up so badly.

“Hello, Jordan,” greeted Tessa quietly. “Thank you again for meeting me this afternoon.”

He held her chair out for her, sliding it in once she’d taken a seat. “There’s no need to thank me, Tessa,” he assured her, sitting down across the small table from her. “In fact, I should probably be thanking you for not having greeted me with a punch in the face. I wouldn’t have blamed you in the least if you’d had.”

She smiled faintly, and up close he could now detect some faint circles under her eyes and a strained look around her mouth. “Violence never solved anything,” she replied. “Though I did have to convince Ian of that last night. He was - not especially happy with you.”

“Yeah,” sighed Jordan heavily. “I’m not exactly Mister Popularity at the moment, am I? But thank you for convincing your husband not to use me as his punching bag. I’ve seen him in action at the gym, after all, and what he can do with those fists is a pretty terrifying sight.”

Tessa gave a slight shake of her glossy blonde head. “He would never do anything like that, Jordan. Unless, of course, it was in self-defense, or to protect me or the children. And he’ll calm down eventually. He wasn’t too thrilled about my asking you to meet me today.”

Jordan gave a short, sardonic laugh. “Probably the understatement of the century. I’m surprised he didn’t insist on coming along, just to make sure I didn’t put the moves on his wife. Don’t think I haven’t noticed over the years that he’s never left the two of us alone. But I hope you know, Tessa, that I would have never seriously considered - ”

“I know,” she assured him gently. “Despite how much you flirt, you’re still very much a gentleman, Jordan. And I always knew you’d never cross a line, that you would never attempt to take your , er - ”

He grinned. “My not so secret crush on you any further than some harmless flirting?”

Her cheeks pinkened, as they so often did when he teased her. “Yes.”

Jordan waved a hand in dismissal. “Believe me, Tessa, there were many times when I was sorely tempted to do a hell of a lot more than just flirt with you a little. A woman like you doesn’t come around very often in a man’s life. But I could tell from the very first time I saw you and Ian together that there would never be anyone else for either of you. I never believed in falling in love or fairytales or soulmates, but I figured the two of you just might be the exception to that rule. At least until I met Aubrey.”

Tessa’s smile faded rapidly at the mention of the other woman. “You care for her then, Jordan? You didn’t become involved with her just because, well, you know.”

“Because she looks exactly like you, Tessa?” he replied knowingly. “I’ll admit her resemblance to you was the reason I initially approached her, but after talking to her for less than ten minutes I realized that the two of you weren’t much alike. And after spending time with her in Hawaii, and especially since she came to visit me here, I can truthfully, honestly say that I love her exclusively for herself. Aubrey is her own very unique, very special person, and that’s who I love. Not, as your husband so charmingly phrased it last night, because she’s a substitute for the woman I really want.”

Tessa placed a hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry he said something like that, Jordan. And even sorrier that Aubrey apparently overheard him. Ian is - well, not only protective but also extremely possessive. At least where I’m concerned. I’m sure he didn’t mean it to come out quite that way.”

“Sure he did,” said Jordan with a chuckle. “Your husband never says anything he doesn’t mean. And I’m sure he’s been dying to tell me to back off for a very long time now. He said the only reason he never said anything before last night was because it would have embarrassed you.”

She gave a brief nod. “He’s right, it would have. And, well, I do like you, Jordan. Very much. I’ve always sensed that beneath all of your charming, flirty ways you have feelings just like everyone else. And I never, ever wanted to hurt your feelings. I mean, obviously if you had ever crossed a line, tried to take things too far, I would have stopped you. But I knew you would never do that. I trusted you not to. Besides,” she admitted somewhat reluctantly, “while I’m admittedly crazy in love with my husband, I couldn’t help feeling flattered by your attention. I doubt very many women could.”

“Careful,” he teased. “If I can’t find a way to convince Aubrey to speak to me again, I may have to resume my campaign to steal you away from Ian. In the meanwhile, why don’t we order lunch?”

He gave their orders to their waitress, watching as Tessa steeped a tea bag in the pot of hot water she’d requested.

“Aubrey’s a tea drinker, too,” he observed idly as he stirred a packet of sugar into his tall glass of iced tea. “The only time I’ve seen her drink coffee is when she’s ordered a frappuccino. And I always told her that was more like a milkshake than coffee.”

Tessa smiled faintly. “That doesn’t necessarily mean she and I are related in any way. Lots of people prefer tea over coffee. But I would like to know as much as possible about her, Jordan. At least what you know about her background, her family, where she was born, that sort of thing. There are so many gaps in my family history, so much I don’t have a clue about, that I have to at least consider the possibility that Aubrey’s some sort of cousin or other relation. I know there’s an old saying that each of us has a twin somewhere in the world, but I’ve never really believed that. However, I don’t think it’s just a coincidence that we look so much alike.”

Over lunch, Jordan shared the limited amount of information he had about Aubrey’s family history. Tessa tensed up immediately upon learning that she’d been adopted, but then looked rather dismayed to discover that she had been brought up in San Diego.

“I know for a fact that I’ve never lived there,” she remarked. “Which is rather surprising, considering what a gypsy my mother was, and how often she moved us around. But she didn’t like California very much, and while we did live in Palm Springs once we never came any further west.”

“Oh, but Aubrey wasn’t born in San Diego,” he recalled. “I remember now because she was telling me how her parents first met. They were both professors at the University of New Mexico. Which I believe is located in - ”

“Albuquerque,” finished Tessa tautly. “Which is one of the many different places my mother and I lived over the years. In fact, we may have passed through there two or three different times. How old is Aubrey?”

“Twenty-five. And her birthday is in February, if that helps at all.”

Tessa shrugged. “I’m just not sure, Jordan. I would have been not quite five years old at the time, considering that my birthday is in May. And while I remember certain things from when I was that age, I definitely don’t recall my mother having another child or being pregnant.”

“I can’t say I remember much of anything when I was that age,” acknowledged Jordan. “Not until I was a little older, like seven or eight, and even then some of the memories are fuzzy. So it’s not all that surprising you might not recall that time in your life too clearly. But do you think you were at least living in New Mexico at the time?”

“Maybe. We moved around so often it would be almost impossible to say for sure. But I know I went to kindergarten in Santa Fe, one of those fleeting childhood memories that we have sometimes. And I would have started school in September of the year Aubrey was born, so I’m almost certain we were living somewhere in the state at the time. I’ve started to do a little digging around here and there, some research, asking for school records and things so that I can try and establish some sort of timeline of my childhood. Needless to say, my mother couldn’t be bothered with that sort of thing. Not to mention the fact that I lost everything we owned - photos, papers, documents - in an apartment fire when I was sixteen.”

“The same fire that killed your mother, I take it,” Jordan commented somberly.

“Yes. Ian must have told you that, because it’s not something I usually care to talk about,” murmured Tessa. “It was the worst time in my life, Jordan, and considering how many bad times there were that tells you something. At least Aubrey seems to have had a happy life, good parents, that sort of thing. Did she ever discuss her biological parents?”

He shook his head. “She knows nothing about them. Her choice, apparently. Her parents - her adoptive parents - have always been willing for her to learn about her biological family, but Aubrey insisted she didn’t want to know. She adores her parents and her two brothers, and said they’re the only family she’d ever want or need. But I get the impression that she would have her parents blessings if she changed her mind about it.”

Tessa hesitated. “The last thing I want to do is upset Aubrey more than she’s already been. But all I’ve been able to think about since seeing her last night is whether or not the two of us might be related in some way. And, well, you’re going to think this sounds crazy, but even though we didn’t say a word to each other I felt this weird connection, something I couldn’t explain even if I tried. I’d like to at least reach out to her and ask if she’d be willing to meet me, talk to me. Do you think she’d agree?”

“Possibly. I can’t imagine why she’d be angry at you, since you were just as much in the dark about this whole doppelganger thing as she was,” mused Jordan. “So if you’re asking me for her contact information, I’m happy to give you her cell phone number. Whether or not she’ll take your call or agree to meet with you is anybody’s guess.”

“I understand. And that’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

Tessa handed him her cell phone so he could enter Aubrey’s number into her list of contacts. He gave Tessa a wry smile as he returned her phone.

“If and when you speak to Aubrey, I don’t suppose you’d like to put in a good word for me?” he asked meekly, trying his best to look contrite.

But even though Tessa laughed at his sad puppy dog face, she shook her head. “Sorry. You’re on your own there, Jordan.”