A hand reached out and grabbed her.
“My darling, this is Nicholas Grant the young actor you are so excited about. I thought it would be a great wedding present to invite him.” Sydney gasped in disbelief. Nicholas held her hand tighter. Sydney held onto his hands as Alan peered curiously at the two of them.
“I know you find my fiancé enchanting, but it appears that you two know each other.”
Sydney smiled and took her hand and placed it under Alan’s arm. “I met him when he was between acting jobs. It’s a long story and I’ll tell you next time.”
“Your fiancé is most beautiful. Where did you two meet?” Danny inquired studying Sydney.
Sydney spoke, “Alan and I met when we were searching for my husband who died in a plane crash in the jungles of Brazil. He was an actor and I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”
“Yes, he was a promising young actor. “ I envied his success and marriage to the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“Well Nicholas, I have to introduce my wife to be to my friends, she’ll have a chance to talk to you another time. I hope you understand.” Alan said as he turned Sydney around and whisked her into the room adjacent to the staircase. Steven sat taking everything in. He stood and walked up to Danny and introduced himself.
“Hi I’m …”
“Steven.”
“How do you know me?” Steven’s radar came up and he began to look closer at Danny.
“I’m Nicholas Grant.” They shook hands. “You’re pretty famous,” Danny said trying to throw Steven off his trail. Then he walked away as if to snub Steven. Steven put his hands in his pockets, wondering about Nicholas. It was something familiar about Nicholas: his smile, his walk, the way he held his head. He spied Jeremy and Nadia. He would get Jeremy’s help because he was torn and heartbroken over the announcements of Sydney’s marriage.
“Can I take your gorgeous husband away from you for now Nadia?” Steven cupped his hand around Jeremy’s elbow and led him to the terrace.
“What is it Steven?” Haven’t you done enough to disrupt people’s lives?”
“Well, I’m planning on doing more damage.”
“What?”
“Turn around and look at that man over there, there is something strange about him.”
“I don’t follow you, Steven.”
“Look closely, look at his body. He has the same height as you.”
“Most men do.” Jeremy complained and dismissed Steven with the tone of his voice.
“Look further at his hair. Now look at his hands, and his face.” Steven stated punctuating each word.
“I don’t know where you’re going,” Jeremy stated impatiently.
“For God’s sake man you can’t recognize your own brother?’ Jeremy’s mouth opened, he took a second glance staring longer as if sizing up an enemy. Suddenly the pieces came together like a puzzle. There was no doubt now in Jeremy’s mind that the young man was Danny. It occurred to Jeremy that there had to be a reason why Danny hadn’t come home, and then it hit him. He was wearing another man’s face. But why didn’t Sydney know?
“How did you know that it was Danny?” Jeremy questioned Steven looking for a lie.
“My question is: how did you not know your twin brother?” Steven shot back aware that Jeremy didn’t believe him and didn’t care for his company. It took Jeremy a few more minutes, but when he pivoted around on his heels he spied Nicholas smiling at Sydney and Sydney rocking with her hand tucked under Alan’s arm all the while flirting with Nicholas. Jeremy still wasn’t convinced of what he was seeing until Danny placed his hand behind his hair and swirled it with his fingers. He had a habit of doing this whenever he was nervous. Jeremy had seen Danny do that many times and now there could be no doubt, yet he couldn’t let Steven know. He was certain Steven might ruin his plans.
As Jeremy stared at Sydney and Danny, he saw a glow in her face that he had not seen since before Danny left for Brazil. Her body moved freely with childish gestures and she could not stop laughing at Danny’s jokes. He too was different. He appeared to be carefree, and his body language was that of a young man courting. It was all before his eyes and it took Steven to notice.
“With that face I wouldn’t know my own child,” Jeremy murmured.
Jeremy took a glass of wine from the tray.
“Mr. Grant, can I take you from your beautiful hostess and her future husband,” Jeremy said leading Danny out on the terrace. Sydney appeared worried; she turned looking back at the two gorgeous men.
Jeremy stood a few seconds and studied Danny before stating, “Why did you stay away so long…brother?” Danny dropped his glass in astonishment. How had Jeremy found out so soon? Danny’s mind went into overdrive and then he said the only thing he could.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know you and I tried not to be rude when you rushed me away from Sydney and Alan.”
“How could you stand to let your wife marry that man?”
“Once again you didn’t introduce yourself and I don’t know why you seem to think that I’m your brother.”
“Don’t pretend not to know me because I’m one step from walking into that room and announcing to Sydney that her husband has returned. If you want me to do it then I will, because I know it’s you, Danny. There is no way I wouldn’t know my twin brother.”
Danny’s face lost color. He could no longer hold his secret, but he didn’t want Sydney to hear that he was alive from Jeremy. She would never forgive him. He wanted to present himself to her on his terms. He thought that she wouldn’t marry Alan because of her encounter with Nicholas. However, he had to leave before he cemented his plans. He was sure before he left that he could make her fall in love with him. He hadn’t planned for Alan Brule.
Danny hoped that Alan wouldn’t recognize him.
Before Jeremy interrupted them, Sydney said that she would let Danny peek in on her children and now Jeremy had ruined that.
“What do you want me to say?” Danny paused, “Yes, I’m your brother.”
“How could you do this to everyone who loves you?” Jeremy said shaking his head in disbelief while glaring at Danny. There were no hugs, there were no handshakes, and there were no sighs of relief. “How are we going to break this to Sydney? Some one has to do it,” Jeremy stated determine to tell her that instant.
“You can’t say anything just yet. Give me time,” Danny said grabbing Jeremy’s arm as he took a step, then looking into Jeremy’s eyes. No longer a mirror of him. Now he had his own identity and for a strange second Danny enjoyed it.
“She’s getting married within weeks. How are you going to stop her?” Jeremy questioned with his eyes staring at Sydney as she held on to Alan and sometimes turned around searching for Nicholas and wondering what kind of mischief Jeremy was stirring up.
Jeremy knew that Sydney was enamored with Nicholas, the man Danny had become, by the way she smiled at him. He had never seen that smile for him or the man she would marry. He was more than jealous, but he tried not to show it to Danny. He tried not to reveal the heat of passion that soared through his body every time he came into close contact with her. He tried not to reveal the rise in his manhood that occurred whenever someone mentioned her name, or he smelled her perfume, and he tried not to reveal the longing for her he had since he first met and fell in love with her.
The two brothers felt a presence and both turned around to see Sydney standing and gazing at them.
“Jeremy, my guest is waiting for a tour,” Sydney said smiling and taking Danny by the hand. “Nicholas asked to see my children and I have time now.” Danny looked relieved and flattered that Sydney wanted him to see their children. He turned quickly from Jeremy and walked with Sydney in the direction of the stairs. Sydney saw Jeremy’s face turn red then flush of color. Her intentions were to get Nicholas from under the influence of Jeremy. Sydney knew that everything Jeremy touched, he would eventually spoil.
As Danny strolle
d with Sydney, she continued to hold his hand and she led him to the winding stairs.
“Why did you leave so sudden, Nicky?” Sydney questioned him like a lover that had been jilted.
“I had to work.”
“I thought that I would never see you again.” Sydney sounded vulnerable. There was a crack in her voice and her tone was that of a teen-age girl who had been stood up on her prom night. It was refreshing for Danny to see Sydney behave in this manner. She had always been a tower of strength and now she was finally showing her outward weakness toward a man and thankfully, that man was him. “You could have stayed on at the house and I would have raised your salary.”
“I’m no gigolo. I pay my way, a man does what a man should do and a woman like you…” he stopped and looked into her eyes and continued his conversation, “takes a lot of money and time to make happy.”
“You don’t know me. All I need is you.” Sydney swallowed hard. Danny paused, and then took her hand to help her walk to the top of the stairs as Jeremy and Alan looked on at the bottom, wondering whether when she descended the stairs she would be theirs or Nicholas.
“I explained to you I have young children and that I’m a widow. Did the children run you off?”
“It wasn’t the children.” He shook his head. “I wanted you as much as you wanted me.”
“Then why did you leave me after making love to me? You never called or answered my texts.”
“I had to make a living… maybe give you the things you need. To compete,” he said looking away.
Sydney cupped his chin with her hand and brought his face to her. “All I need is you.”
“Aren’t you going to marry Alan?” Danny said curious for the next answer.
“I don’t know anymore, because you have confused me. I need a father for my children. And your talk of giving me things has the sound of my dead husband. Just look at what happened to us.” Sydney walked away from Danny and he followed her into the baby’s room. She looked down on her baby sleeping. She had so much and yet again, she had nothing. She would give everything away just to see Danny once more, she thought.
“Why are you crying?” Danny wiped away her tears with a wave of his hand across her cheeks. “He’s a beautiful boy,” he whispered bending down to get a better look.
“He will never know his father.” She dried her eyes and picked up her baby who continued to sleep. Then she handed the baby to Danny.
Danny held the baby. He rocked the baby in his arms. Sydney felt that she knew this man but from where? Where had she seen him before? Maybe it was his pictures that had been posted on every billboard in Los Angeles and New York, she thought. She could not shake the feeling of who he reminded her of.
He had been so kind and gentle when holding the baby as they walked into the room to see the twins and finally in Sean’s room.
There lay his eldest son, Sean. His first son. A tear fell from his eyes. “Why are you crying?”
“It’s what you said about not knowing his father. I know what it’s like not to have parents.”
Sydney noticed the sound in his voice and felt the empathy and it occurred to her that he was indeed the man she wanted because of his gentleness, and he even cried when he saw her children. That sealed it for her. But how could she tell Alan, and maybe Nicholas didn’t want her as much as she wanted him?
Nicholas escorted Sydney down the stairs and into the arms of Alan. He then left the party without telling Sydney. As matured as he had become inside, he was still jealous of anyone that came close to Sydney. Sydney distracted, kept looking around for Nicholas until Alan noticed. “I see I have a rival. Sydney, if you love me, marry me next week.”
“It’s too soon, Alan,” Sydney said begging for time.
“I don’t want any man to come between us.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I have entrusted my life savings to you. I trust you, I just need some time.” Sydney looked up at Alan and tried to calm him.
“You have been different since you met Nicholas.”
“You’re wrong, Alan. Don’t be so jealous, it takes away from you statue as a confirmed bachelor. I liked those qualities about you.”
“My heart was conquered the day I met you.” He smiled with a wicked grin. “I can’t wait until we’re married.” Sydney looked away.
“That’s what I want to tell you. I want to put off the wedding for a few more months. There is so much I have to do.”
Alan moved closer to Sydney and she could tell that he was not pleased with her decision. “Why now Sydney?” I thought we had been over this and everything was settled. I’ve sent invitations out everywhere and it’s late to have cold feet.”
“I just want a few more months. Can you give me that Alan?”
“Yes, anything.” He kissed her hand.
Alan didn’t have a few more months. He had invested Sydney’s money into a project that he couldn’t afford. He had to get Sydney’s confidence and that meant she had to become his wife soon.
Chapter 8
A Hot Time
Sydney finally crawled into bed at three in the morning, still reeling from Alan’s sudden rush to the alter and Nicholas heated conversation that penetrated her senses and left her indecisive and weak.
How could she marry a man just to give her children a father? Couldn’t she continue her heated affair with Nicholas and keep Alan hanging on just incase Nicholas didn’t work out. It’s not that she was a stranger to such deception. She had practiced that all her life and still somehow, it had worked out. Nevertheless, the things she didn’t control were life and the day to day uncertainties of it.
Sydney remembered how Nicholas had been so gentle when he held her baby.
The thought of Nicholas caused her whole body to tingle and hope for another night when he would come to her and sleep with her if just for one night. Sydney could not shake off the feeling of despair and lust thinking of Nicholas and Alan. How can she break the news to Alan? It was hard for Sydney breaking away from a man. This was something she wasn’t good at. She found this out when she had tried to extricate herself from Robert Farrell.
Some men want a woman to get out of their lives as fast as they enter, yet her curse was men never wanted her to leave.
* * *
Danny lay in his trailer waiting for his final scene of the day. His thoughts centered on his family, and how to reveal to Sydney that he wasn’t Nicholas, but Danny. Would she walk away from him or would she understand what he had gone through? How could he tell her about his anguish? Yet he didn’t think that Sydney would understand his plight. Would she marry Alan out of spite? Would she still love him with his lies and deceptions?
He didn’t know Sydney. Who ever knows anyone? Now he was facing the most important time in his life, and he didn’t have a clue. Danny jumped up reached for his phone and called his friend—Max.
“Max, I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. What am I to do about my family?”
“Go home! Walk into your apartment and say, Sydney, I’m home. Danny is home baby.”
“It’s not that easy. She thinks I’m someone else.”
“If you continue the way you’re going it’s going to get harder and then you and Sydney will be back on the same merry-go-round.”
“I have to think about it, Max.”
“Don’t think too long Danny.” Max put the phone at rest on his table. Danny didn’t rest. He dialed Sydney’s number and she answered eagerly.
* * *
“This is…”
“I know who it is Nicky. I received your flowers, but that was two weeks ago.”
Sydney lapsed into her thoughts of the past few weeks. Each day passed she became more enamored with Nicholas. What was it that drove her insane with passion? Is it the one time that he made love to her and she could swear that it was Danny in the bed. Is it the way he walks? That slow easy predatory gait that Danny had. What is it Sydney pondered? She prepared to dress for bre
akfast, the maid knocked on the door and she entered; she sat a basket of flowers near her bed.
“Well Mr. Brule is busy early this morning,” Sydney said as she opened the card.
“I don’t think it’s from Mr. Brule, he appeared to be upset when the florist delivered them. He looked at the card and told me to bring them up. He just waved his hand.” Sydney measured her steps to the basket of red roses. She read the note.
“And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;
What are all these kissing worth, if thou kiss not me?”
Love, Nicholas.
Sydney was impressed that he knew the poet Shelly. He was just like her Danny in some ways but not all. He was so brazen as to send her flowers when he knew that she was engaged to Alan. Just the idea of him being so cocky made her want him more and more.
Sydney’s focus returned to Danny. “Why did you wait so long to call?”
“Are you still going to marry Alan?”
“Should I marry him?” Sydney braced for the answer.
“That’s not for me to say. Are you sure your husband is dead?”
“Nicholas, why would you mention Danny? Can’t you ask me not to marry Alan?” Sydney said anxious and with a break of her voice. Danny could tell that she wasn’t certain about Alan and she was confused about her life. He was not happy at the thought of making her unhappy. Yet he trusted her enough to feel that she wouldn’t marry Alan.
“Nicky please tell me something.” There was more silence.
“Do what you think is right.” Danny mistakenly uttered into the phone. His mind was on working and building what he had before the accident. There had to be sacrifices and he felt Sydney would understand once he came back to her and declare that he was indeed Danny and he could still take care of her once more. Danny felt that he could not compete with Alan. He felt intimidated at the prospect that a rich man wanted his wife.
“Nicky, do you realize what you are saying to me?”
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