Image or Likeness

Hello...

after Capote, a writer that so inspires me, today's 40th page is one of my books.

Here we go...

Image or Likeness

Moira Bianchi

Chapter four

the horror

page 40

"It was upsetting the way she stared at him like she expected him to react to that name. He was as stone faced as before, unable to take another breath, terrified of what was coming his way. He waited. His head twirled in light speed with possibilities. Very bad possibilities.

‘Also known as Ray Anderson.’ Lalie continued.

She sighed deeply after a few seconds of unnervingly watching his eyes.

‘She is a hooker who plays me.’ Lalie whispered.

Sam had to react to that. ‘What?’

‘She plays me to your friends. She looks like me, really looks like me only a bit thinner and shorter. And she lets them do her anyway they want. Anyway they fantasize doing me.’ Lalie said in a string of words that he needed a few seconds to understand.

‘That’s a dirty joke, Lana.’ Samuel accused.

‘I know. I can’t deal with this on my own, Love. That’s why I ran to you.’ She said and turned to her side hugging her knees to her chest. ‘I couldn’t be without you for another twelve hours. I feel so dirty, Sam.’

‘It doesn’t make sense at all.’ He said enraged and folded his arms over his chest.

‘At the Africa party this woman approached me with this incredible tale of being a hooker lucky enough to look like me. She invited me to lunch Tuesday. I considered ignoring and coming home with you but I was too curious.’ She confessed.

Sam raised his eyebrows. ‘You cannot be this gullible. What if it was a kidnap?’

‘I considered that. But the lunch date was at our hotel’s restaurant and I warned the manager of a strange person I was meeting. He even gave me a safe word to use!’ She smiled wanly.

He blinked but didn’t comment. He knew his wife well enough to know that if he said what was in his throat she would clam up and it would be impossible to squeeze anything out of her.

‘At the appointed time she arrived dressed like me, even her shoes, Sam. It was like seeing my image in a mirror. She is very classy, very polite. In the bathroom when she introduced herself to me at the party she was really polite but too cryptic. At lunch she was sincere… at least I believed she was.’

She bit her lower lip so hard it almost cut skin. Sam felt his heart take a jolt but calmed himself with the assurance that she was safe at home and in one piece. He gave her a once over without moving his head just to reassure his heart she was really ok physically.

‘I want to tell you all of it. Will you allow me?’ Lana asked sounding very distant from him as if they didn’t share the extended intimacy of a loving couple.

‘What kind of question is that, Lana?’ He asked offended."

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Oh,oh... things are starting to go... wrong?...

Disclaimer: 40 pages 40 is my way to come to terms with celebrate my 40th birthday. By promoting 40 awesome books I like in no way I intend to dupe the original authors. If you, as me, like what you read, buy them!

All 40 books can be found on the right side bar. ►

All images found on Google. Kudos to the original poster.