sang a Spanish love song. Maisie tossed a handful of change into his hat, and he bowed to her.
“I really like this city. I wouldn’t mind living here,” she said as they made their way back to the studio. “In fact, I talked to a real estate agent the other day about buying an apartment. Real estate is high, but I figure it’s an investment.”
“You’re really thinking of settling here in Vancouver?” Sera was astonished. Maisie had always said she was a free spirit; she didn’t want to be tied down; as a set designer she needed to be able to relocate at a moment’s notice. “What’s made you change your mind all of a sudden?”
“Turning forty-eight, honey.” There was an unaccustomed note of weariness in Maisie’s raspy voice. “I’m getting tired of living like a vagabond. It’s time I put down roots somewhere, and this town appeals to me. The natives are friendly, the energy’s good, there’s lots happening in theater and film, plenty of flights every day if I need to get to L.A. or other points south.”
They edged past a group of tourists having a loud argument in German.
“Now, if I could just find an interesting, mature, sexually potent guy who liked fat women, I’d be set,” Maisie added. She sounded as if she were only half joking.
“Do you think you’d ever get married again?”
“Marry again?” Maisie shook her head. “I don’t think so. Three strikes are enough for me. I’m not good at marriage. I figure there’s some secret to it that I never learned. Some couples manage to stay together for their entire lives. Look at your mom and dad, for instance. From what you say they still care for each other, and they’ve been married forever.”
“They’re old-fashioned Italian,” Sera said, as if that explained everything. “Family’s everything to them. I suppose my mother must have had times when she considered leaving, my father’s not the easiest man to live with.” Sera shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Even I’ve had times when I wanted to murder him. He’s overprotective, the typical Italian papa. He’s got a terrible temper and he’s so stubborn it makes you want to scream. He’s pretty controlling. But he adores Mama, and I’m pretty sure it’s mutual. We still catch them making out in the kitchen sometimes.”
“That’s so sweet.”
Sera knew what was coming next, and she wished Maisie wouldn’t ask.
“How about you, Sera? Think you’ll ever get married?”
“I don’t know.” Sera had dreams just as every woman had, but they’d become shopworn in the past few years. “I’d like to have kids someday,” she confessed. “But that’s not a good reason to get married. And he’d have to be somebody I could absolutely trust.”
She thought of her sister. Thanks to Gemma, Sera had learned the hard way that trust was a rare commodity.
“You gonna tell Gemma about Ben, that you’re decorating his apartment, et cetera, et cetera?”
“No. Absolutely not.” Sera’s reaction was powerful and instinctive. Even to consider telling Gemma made her uneasy. “She doesn’t feel very attractive at the moment. I don’t want to make her feel worse than she already does,” she said, knowing that wasn’t the real reason. “Besides, she may have a bit of a thing for Ben.” She did suspect that.
Be honest, Sera, she chided herself. You don’t want Gemma to know because you don’t trust her. But she couldn’t tell Maisie that, could she?
“Apparently women do fall for their doctors, although it’s never happened to me. Are you two usually attracted to the same guys?”
“Sometimes. When we were younger. Men certainly were attracted to both of us. For some guys, twins are a challenge they just can’t resist. They have fantasies about being in bed with both of us.”
“Sick.” Maisie was disgusted.
“I agree, but it’s a fact of life.” Old grievances stirred in Sera and threatened to surface. “It’s as if we weren’t separate
“I really like this city. I wouldn’t mind living here,” she said as they made their way back to the studio. “In fact, I talked to a real estate agent the other day about buying an apartment. Real estate is high, but I figure it’s an investment.”
“You’re really thinking of settling here in Vancouver?” Sera was astonished. Maisie had always said she was a free spirit; she didn’t want to be tied down; as a set designer she needed to be able to relocate at a moment’s notice. “What’s made you change your mind all of a sudden?”
“Turning forty-eight, honey.” There was an unaccustomed note of weariness in Maisie’s raspy voice. “I’m getting tired of living like a vagabond. It’s time I put down roots somewhere, and this town appeals to me. The natives are friendly, the energy’s good, there’s lots happening in theater and film, plenty of flights every day if I need to get to L.A. or other points south.”
They edged past a group of tourists having a loud argument in German.
“Now, if I could just find an interesting, mature, sexually potent guy who liked fat women, I’d be set,” Maisie added. She sounded as if she were only half joking.
“Do you think you’d ever get married again?”
“Marry again?” Maisie shook her head. “I don’t think so. Three strikes are enough for me. I’m not good at marriage. I figure there’s some secret to it that I never learned. Some couples manage to stay together for their entire lives. Look at your mom and dad, for instance. From what you say they still care for each other, and they’ve been married forever.”
“They’re old-fashioned Italian,” Sera said, as if that explained everything. “Family’s everything to them. I suppose my mother must have had times when she considered leaving, my father’s not the easiest man to live with.” Sera shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Even I’ve had times when I wanted to murder him. He’s overprotective, the typical Italian papa. He’s got a terrible temper and he’s so stubborn it makes you want to scream. He’s pretty controlling. But he adores Mama, and I’m pretty sure it’s mutual. We still catch them making out in the kitchen sometimes.”
“That’s so sweet.”
Sera knew what was coming next, and she wished Maisie wouldn’t ask.
“How about you, Sera? Think you’ll ever get married?”
“I don’t know.” Sera had dreams just as every woman had, but they’d become shopworn in the past few years. “I’d like to have kids someday,” she confessed. “But that’s not a good reason to get married. And he’d have to be somebody I could absolutely trust.”
She thought of her sister. Thanks to Gemma, Sera had learned the hard way that trust was a rare commodity.
“You gonna tell Gemma about Ben, that you’re decorating his apartment, et cetera, et cetera?”
“No. Absolutely not.” Sera’s reaction was powerful and instinctive. Even to consider telling Gemma made her uneasy. “She doesn’t feel very attractive at the moment. I don’t want to make her feel worse than she already does,” she said, knowing that wasn’t the real reason. “Besides, she may have a bit of a thing for Ben.” She did suspect that.
Be honest, Sera, she chided herself. You don’t want Gemma to know because you don’t trust her. But she couldn’t tell Maisie that, could she?
“Apparently women do fall for their doctors, although it’s never happened to me. Are you two usually attracted to the same guys?”
“Sometimes. When we were younger. Men certainly were attracted to both of us. For some guys, twins are a challenge they just can’t resist. They have fantasies about being in bed with both of us.”
“Sick.” Maisie was disgusted.
“I agree, but it’s a fact of life.” Old grievances stirred in Sera and threatened to surface. “It’s as if we weren’t separate
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