“So can you get me those things or not?” I asked with my arms crossed, giving him a taste of his own medicine.
“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll send someone out in a bit. But if I do, that means you must practice walking in those heels. No one will believe that you’re Tiffany Lewis if you can’t walk perfectly in pumps. She’s a runway model for Christ’s sake.”
“I know, I know. Fine. I’ll practice.”
“Good, and don’t forget, the hairdresser and makeup artist will be here in an hour. They’ve both signed the NDA, but they don’t know why. All you need to do is stay quiet; they’ve been instructed not to ask any questions. Got it?”
I just had to breathe and remind myself of the money.
All that money.
2
Jacoby
“There’s been a lot of movement going on next door. Any idea what they’re doing over there?”
I set down the glass of milk and stared at my sister while she peered through her kitchen window like a peeping Tom. “How would I know?” I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand then slapped the table to get her attention. “More importantly, why would I care?”
Jessa shrugged before taking my glass to the sink. “All the women in the neighborhood love you. I didn’t know if maybe one of them told you what was going on.”
She was right. The women who lived around here were a little sweet on me, but that was because they were all much older—most were at least sixty, which was twice my age—and I helped them with their yardwork when they needed it. It wasn’t like we all sat around Old Doris’s kitchen table drinking coffee and spilling tea.
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I don’t know anything.” I only knew who Jessa spoke of because Tiffany Lewis’s name was on everyone’s lips when she’d first moved in. Granted, I’d never heard of the woman before she bought the house next door, but from what I’d learned about her, I wasn’t much of a fan.
“I heard she’s going to be on the next season of Bored Housewives, Santa Maria edition.”
I leaned back in the chair and regarded my sister. I’d never been able to figure her out. It was impossible to tell if she was interested in something or not because she used the same tone, facial expression, and body language for things she was into as well as things she didn’t care about.
“Is that really what the show’s called?” I asked, only slightly interested in the answer.
“No, but it should be.” She dried the glass I’d used for my morning milk and put it in the cabinet. She’d been taking care of me since we were little. It seemed that was a trait she’d never grow out of.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Jessa left the room, only to come back a minute later with a box in her arms. “Can you take this next door, please? The delivery guy was already in his truck by the time I got outside.”
“Why don’t you do it? It’ll give you the perfect excuse to snoop.”
She set the box on the table in front of me and rolled her eyes. “Because I have things to do, Jacoby. That’s why.”
That wasn’t why, but she would never admit it.
The truth was, we’d been through our fair share of issues growing up, and the last thing she wanted was to find her name back in the press. I didn’t blame her, though. I didn’t care to go through that all over again, either.
“Whatever, I’ll drop it off.”
Tiffany had moved in next door about a month ago, and I had only seen her once. It was a…memorable experience, to say the least. Like today, my sister had received a package addressed to her and asked me to take it over. I’d noticed that she was in the back yard by the pool, so I thought it made more sense to hand it directly to her. Not to mention, it also gave me a good excuse to introduce myself.
Big mistake.
She took one look at me and immediately deemed me unworthy of walking on her grass. In my defense, I’d just gotten off work, so my sleeveless T-shirt was decorated with sweat stains and soil, as were my once-khaki shorts. I could see how she might’ve assumed I was a hobo, especially in this neighborhood, but that didn’t make her tongue lashing any easier to take. Regardless, she’d made it crystal clear that there were those who hired landscapers—her—and then there were those who were hired to do landscaping—me.
I really didn’t want to take this package to her. For someone so gorgeous in pictures, she sure was hideous in person. I’d dealt with women like that since I was sixteen. It was something I didn’t care to ever have to deal with again.
I took the box off the table and stood. “If I don’t come back, let it be known that I left here in fear for my life.”
Jessa giggled and rolled her wrist, shooing me away with a quick wave of her hand.
As I walked through the yard on my way next door, I noticed Tiffany sitting on a lounge chair by her pool. It was like a repeat of last time all over again. The flashbacks had me nearly hyperventilating. Although, there was something different about her this time. She stared straight ahead, not moving or uttering a word. From where I stood, I couldn’t tell if there was anyone in the doorway at the back of the house, and I didn’t really want to stop and find out.
She was so vain that she was more than likely staring at her reflection.
So, I continued to her front door, exactly what she’d told me I should’ve done last time. Technically, she didn’t tell me to do
