All That Glitters: Glitz, Glam, and Billionaires

by Michele Hauf

  “Yes, but will you feel the same way when you find the man you want to marry? What would you do if he didn’t offer you a great big chunk of ice to show off to your friends?”

  Vickie looked up and sneered, her head shaking back and forth slowly. “You certainly don’t know me. Just because I grew up entitled doesn’t mean that I feel I deserve it all. I’ll get my education, and then go out in the world and make a difference. Having the biggest house or more diamonds means nothing to me. Having parents who don’t look like they’re afraid of losing me or each other, is. I’m not on this quest for goods or money. I’m out to spare my parents.”

  “How are you going to do that?”

  “The way I figure it, there’s some sort of information Elsa is holding over them. If I find out what it is, then I can – how would you say? – deflate or devalue that tidbit. Blackmail is about words or pictures being withheld. I want to make that information worthless.”

  “You’re pretty smart for your age, Cuz,” Rich said, adding a wink.

  “Must run in the family. Now, let’s pay up and hit the road. We have a long way to go.”

  “About that,” Rich said, adding a fake wince of pain. “Where is our final destination? You said Woodstock and we’re here now.”

  “How far are you willing to go? I mean, it really is south of here.”

  “In for a penny, in for a pound.”

  “It’s a little place called Wolf Whistle, West Virginia…”

  Rich gasped in shock, then turned it into a groan. “I hate to cut this trip short, but I have to go see a doctor before we go too much further. I got a…a…”

  Quick, think of a disease. She doesn’t have a brother, so make up something male-related.

  “I got a man-type problem. Something I need to talk to a doctor about. I asked about one when I came in, just in case. I was hoping it would get better if I ate, but it’s still there. Come on. Let’s go.”

  “But…”

  “It won’t take long. Just a little side trip. He probably has some medicine that will help. It’s not something you can get over the counter, though.”

  Opening her mouth to protest again, Vickie realized that she was stuck. At his mercy. She couldn’t go anywhere without him. Whether there really was such a thing as a ‘man-type’ problem that could be cured by a doctor’s special potion or not, she’d have to give in just a little. At least he wasn’t trying to hit on her. Dang it!

  “Are you okay to drive? I mean, just tell me where we’re going…”

  “I’ll drive. I got the directions before we ate, just in case. It won’t take too long.”

  “But you don’t have an appointment.” Vickie suddenly paled. Was he going to take her into the woods and rape her? Had she really made such a rash decision? How stupid was she to be taking off with someone she’d just met, without letting her parents know where she was headed? Good looks and getting a zing when they touched was not a reason to be so reckless…

  Under the glaring lights of the parking lot, Rich could see Vickie’s fear about his sudden change in plans. He put a hand on her shoulder, startling her. “I’ll never take advantage of you if that’s what has you panicked. This is just a side trip. Trust me, all right?”

  “Okay.”

  “And let me go in by myself first. It really is a guy thing.”

  It was only a few miles on the map but a lot longer on the twisting roads and one missed turn that resulted in backtracking. They finally pulled up to the long motor home with a magnetic sign on the side that read ‘Doc’s Clinic. C. R. M. Strong. Knock before entering.’

  “Looks safe enough,” Vickie said.

  “I’ll be back shortly.” Rich started to leave the engine running to keep the heater going, then had second thoughts. “I’ll take the keys. When you get cold, come on in. That should give me about five minutes of guy to doctor time.”

  Grrr.

  “Hey, we don’t have time for growling at each other. Besides, I’d win that one. Still, I don’t completely trust you not to take off with my truck. I like you, but you did just sneak out with a hundred-thousand-dollar car a few hours ago.”

  Grrr.

  “Later on that one, lady,” he said, then left her in the warm truck. Fuming. Without tunes and nothing but his fleece-lined coat for extra warmth.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  The door opened right away. “Come on in,” the good-looking bearded man in his mid-forties said.

  The smell of coffee and bacon perfumed the air, the room bright with fluorescent lights and white walls, a desk and three chairs in the living room area rather than a couch. “I’m Chuck. Do you care for some coffee?”

  “Rich. And yes, please.”

  “We’re all rich in our own ways,” Chuck said with a wink, then poured a cup for the obviously fatigued young man and handed it to him. “Have a seat. Sorry for the pun.”

  “At least it was a new one. Hey, I hate to bother you so early, but…” Rich sat down and rubbed a hand over his face, trying to figure out how to address the situation.

  “So early or late?” Chuck asked while his visitor sought words.

  “You called that one right,” Rich said. He brought his hand down, looked up and noticed the picture on the desk.

  Vickie.

  Or her twin. Complete with the cutest ears that stuck out just a smidge.

  “Is that your daughter?” Rich asked, picking up the five by seven acrylic frame of a teenage girl holding a twelve-inch long rainbow trout.

  “Yes, that’s Rhianna Lynn. I took that picture last year. She just turned sixteen yesterday.”

  Rich’s hand went limp and dropped to the table, the photo slipping from his grasp.

  “Whoa there, buddy. What’s going on?”

  Knock. Knock.

  Vickie quickly opened the door, not waiting for anyone to answer, her hand covering her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I couldn’t wait any longer. It’s too cold out there. Are you decent?” she asked, babbling in frustration. Her head turned side to side. “Are you in here, Rich? I don’t want to open my eyes in case the doctor’s examining you.”

  “I’m right here, and you can open your eyes… No! Wait a second. Keep them closed.”

  Rich stood up and led her to a chair. “Sit,” he told her, his eyes on Chuck.

  “I’m not a dog,” she replied sarcastically.

  Chuck’s eyes widened at hearing her voice. Face obscured by her hand and head covered with a scarf, the curls that escaped were the same color as Ria’s.

  “Okay. Open your eyes.”

  “Tori Lynn?” Chuck asked.

  “No. My name is Vickie Lynn Thornwhistle. Who are you?”

  The man’s face was ashen, his mouth gasping. Vickie could tell he was dumbstruck. “And are you okay? I mean, you’re the doctor, right? It looks like you’re the one who’s sick.”

  “I think he is,” Rich said.

  “That bacon smells so good,” a voice called from the hallway. “Oh, I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t know you had clients this early.”

  Vickie stood up and faced her doppelganger in gray sweats, her head wrapped in a towel. “Who are you?” she asked. Am I having a dream? A nightmare?

  “Shit! I mean, shoot! Who are you?” Rhianna looked at her father, his eyes wide and mouth still agape. “Daddy? Do I have a twin?”

  “Sorta,” escaped softly, then he took a deep breath and shut his mouth. “And yes, saying shit is appropriate in this case.”

  “So, who’s Ria?” Rich asked, watching Chuck for signs of lying.

  “I am,” the woman fresh from the shower answered. “Rhianna Lynn Strong.”

  Vickie noticed the hesitation when her twin said her last name. She was lying about it. Not the time to bring it up, though.

  “So, if she’s Rhianna Lynn, and I’m Vickie Lynn, who is Tori Lynn?”

  Chuck took another deep breath and shook his head. “Me and my big mouth. Shoot.”

  “No, Daddy,”
Ria said. “Now’s an appropriate time to say shit.”

  “Shit, shoot, either way, that’s why I said sorta. You aren’t twins – you’re two of triplets. You were all adopted when you were just a few hours old to different parents.”

  Vickie and Ria stared at each other a moment, then both looked back at Chuck. “So, where’s our sister?” Vickie asked.

  “And who’s our mother?” Ria echoed with the exact same tone and inflection.

  “Eerie,” Rich said.

  “Yeah, right?” added Chuck.

  “That’s an evasive reply,” Ria said. “I’m calling you out on that, as you so often say to me.”

  “Yeah, I guess I brought you up right.”

  “Yes, you did. And that’s another evasive answer,” she said, hands on hips.

  “Are Grace and Dusty our parents?” Vickie asked.

  “You know them?” Chuck asked.

  “That’s answering a question with a question,” Vickie said. “Yes, Gloria and Roger brought me up right, too,” she said, nudging her new-found sister with an elbow of camaraderie.

  “Oh, Lord. I knew this day was coming…”

  “Hey, Doc. That’s more evasiveness. My parents brought me up right, too,” Rich said. “Just don’t tell me I’m related to them, okay?”

  “Unless Dusty and Grace are your parents, no, you’re not related.” Doc ran his fingers through his long salt and pepper hair. “Why are you here?”

  Vickie turned to Rich. “Yeah, why are you here? And you never did have a ‘guy problem,’ did you?”

  “You’re the only guy problem I have,” Rich said. “While you three reconnect, can I go to my truck and get some sleep? I’ve been driving all night after a full day of family and birthday parties and rescuing damsels in distress and… I just need an hour or two. Please?”

  “Ria, show him to the back bedroom and give him an extra blanket. I don’t want him passing out. He’s too big for me to move around.”

  “You’ve moved bigger,” Ria said.

  “Not without hurting for the next three days,” he replied.

  “Just saying…”

  “Do you two always talk like that?” Vickie asked Chuck.

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. Like she’s your wife. You’re not weird like that, I hope.”

  “Ew! No!” Chuck said in disgust. “She’s my helper here at the clinic. This place isn’t much, but it’s all we can afford with how much we charge. We don’t take insurance, don’t have any foundations funding us, and part of my mission is to be mobile. I’m all over the place in this thing. I fix people up, and then I’m on my way.”

  “Like in Wolf Whistle?” Vickie asked.

  “Do you know why they called it that?” Ria barely paused before answering her own question. “It’s because the wind blows so hard, it sounds like it’s whistling when it blows through the trees and rocks.”

  “And cracks in the door and window seals,” Chuck added. “We left there years ago. How do you know about that?”

  “I found an old money order made out to my mother,” Vickie said. “What was that all about?”

  “She loaned me money. I paid it back. I called that old motorhome we had The Whistler because it was so drafty. Her loan helped me buy this one. It was used but in much better shape and ten feet longer than the previous one. It’s not as negotiable in the hills, but we manage to find a place big enough to park for a month. The little towns and hollows are happy to have us around to treat those who need it. We stay put until clients stop showing up.”

  “So, does that mean Rhianna’s homeschooled?”

  “You can call me Ria. Yes, I’m homeschooled. Can I ask you a question? Oh, I just did, didn’t I? Oops. Another question. What I’m getting at is, are you sick?”

  “No,” Vickie replied, embarrassed at someone telling her she was inadequate.

  “Hey, Dad. Let me take this one. Go finish your coffee and breakfast. I’m giving this beautiful young lady a check-up. Something’s wrong with her and she doesn’t even know it.”

  “But…but…we just met!”

  “It’s either me or Dad, but one of us is going to find out what’s going on in that skinny pasty body. You forget: he and I both know what you should look like.”

  “She’s got you there,” Chuck said. “She sees herself in the mirror every morning. You may be beautiful, but I agree: you don’t look right.”

  “We’re not going back where Rich is, are we?”

  “Nope.” Ria ushered her to the tiny room on the other side of the office living room combination. “This is my bedroom.” She pulled down a cabinet door and revealed a bin of personal belongings, including a pink stuffed unicorn.

  Vickie reached up and touched it. “An ooni-corn! I had one almost like it. I was obsessed with them when I was little.”

  “Really? Me, too!” Ria pulled the animal out and gave it to her. “Hold onto her while I check you out. First, take off your shirt.”

  “Can I leave on my bra?”

  “As long as I don’t see anything suspicious, sure. This place is still chilly, even if it isn’t as drafty.”

  Jacket and tee-shirt off, Vickie crossed her arms across her chest and shivered, her bony shoulder bones sharp and angular.

  “Geez, woman! You’re not much more than a skeleton! Don’t your parents feed you?”

  “Yeah, they noticed, if that’s what you mean. My nanny says I’m too fat. She’s bony and thinks I should be, too. If I eat, she makes my life miserable. I swear she has cameras hidden everywhere. If I so much as sneak an olive, she lectures me for an hour on how I’ll never get a husband, that fat people have no self-control…”

  “Have you told your parents about her?”

  Vickie shook her head. “I can’t.”

  “Or won’t… So, let me approach this another way. What’s the worst that can happen if they fire her?”

  “She’s already blackmailing them. I just found that out yesterday. Or was that earlier this morning? Anyhow, after my birthday party…” Vickie paused, her eyes glistening in recall of Grace punching Elsa.

  “What’s wrong? Or what’s right?” Ria asked. “Now I know what Dad sees when something’s going through my head. What you’re feeling is showing on your face.”

  “Oh, it’s right, very right.” Vickie grabbed the rainbow afghan from the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Okay, so here’s the thing. I was about four when I first met my real mother – our birth mother – but I didn’t know who she was. I was never told I was adopted. Everything led me to believe that I was just a late-in-life child. So, one day I kinda got rescued by a woman whose father is my father’s – adopted father’s – cousin. One thing leads to another, and we’re in each other’s lives. I sort of get a set of godparents.

  “I started suspecting there might be more of a connection when I was thirteen. I confronted Grace – our mom – and she admitted a truth. Not the complete truth, but something she thought would satisfy me. She told me that her mother and my mom – the woman who brought me up – were sisters. None of them got along, so they just ignored each other. That was also her reason why we looked so much alike.

  “I didn’t get a clue that we were even more closely related until Grace – Mom – punched out Nanny Elsa at my birthday party. She got all wound up when she was slugging it out and referred to me as her daughter. Afterward, she said it was because I was her goddaughter. She tried throwing in a few other smoke and mirrors remarks, but I saw through them. Plus, I saw the shock in her face when she realized that she had claimed me out loud.”

  “Before I get all distracted with Mom…” Ria inhaled deeply with the word, savoring it, then licked her lips, determined not to get distracted. “Why did Mom punch your nanny? I assume Nanny Elsa is your nanny.”

  Vickie turned her head and showed her the ear that was still itching and burning. “Elsa talked me into getting my ears clipped. This one got infected.”

 
; “Ooh. That looks painful. I noticed the difference when I first saw you. I think I should have Dad check that out. So, lie back real quick and let me poke and prod. I think you look so pasty because you’re malnourished and fighting an infection.”

  “Do you know how weird this is?” Vickie asked. “You look and sound just like me. You’re not a phantom or a dream.” She reached up and touched her arm. “So weird.”

  “Yeah, I do know, because I get the same feeling. Dad never told me, either.” Ria’s fingers deftly felt for an enlarged liver or other abnormalities, then satisfied she was in good health, offered her a hand to sit up.

  “Yeah… And there’s another one of us out there somewhere…” Vickie said dreamily.

  “Yeah…” Ria echoed. “Really weird.”

  “Can I get dressed now?”

  “Sure. Hey, let me give you a tank top to wear under everything else. Keeping clothing right next to your skin helps insulate your body heat. After you’re dressed, I want Dad to look at that ear.”

  “Gotcha. Sis.”

  “Back at ya. Sis.”

  Both girls shivered in excitement with identical shoulder shrugs, then laughed the same short, “Hah!”

  “This is going to be so much fun!” they said at the same time.

  “Or not,” Vickie groaned. “I still have to go home. I don’t live that far away, but I have to go back and make things right for my parents.”

  “Get dressed, then we’ll get Dad to fix you up.”

  Chuck inhaled deeply at seeing the infected wound, resisting the urge to comment on the sloppy work. He stood in front of her and asked, “Have you seen anyone else about this. Other than the person who did the deed?”

  “Yeah, Papa Doc cleaned it up last night. He didn’t have any lidocaine so let me have a drink of whisky to help numb the pain. How can anyone drink that stuff?”

  “They drink it for effect, not flavor. Or so they tell me. Who is this Papa Doc fellow?”

  “He’s kind of like a grandpa to me. A. B. C. Armstrong is his name. Actually, I have lots of surrogate grandpas. Hal and Silas claim me, too.”