Her whole life, Erin Tate felt like she was constantly being bossed about by her twin brother, Joe. Without a mother or father around, Joe seemed to think he was in charge of her, despite only being eight minutes older.
When Joe decides for both of...
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*Erin's P.O.V*
I stared back at my reflection in the full length mirror in front of me and sighed. I was wearing a white shirt tucked into a black pencil skirt as well as black stilettos. My hair was tied into a messy yet somehow professional looking bun.
I didn't want to be wearing any of this. I didn't want to even be a part of my brother's plan, but he'd roped me into it and I'd never had the backbone to say no to him. I hated myself for that.
"Erin! Are you ready? Debbie will be here any minute!" Joe suddenly shouted through my door making me roll my eyes.
"Yeah, coming!" I shouted back, glancing at my reflection once more and straightening out my skirt before walking over to the door.
"Remember, you're name isn't Erin. It's-"
"Lucie Murray, I know. And your's is Tom Waterhouse. You've told me this about a thousand times, Joe." I cut him off as I shut my room door behind me.
"I just want to make sure you don't forget. I can't have you calling me Joe when she's here." He said.
"I know that. I'm not an idiot." I snapped. I wasn't going to let him patronise me and treat me like an imbecile.
"I know you're not an idiot, E. We just can't afford to make even the slightest mistake in case we blow our cover." Joe told me.
"Whatever." I grumbled, walking into the living room/kitchen of the penthouse. I heard Joe's phone ping as he followed me in.
"That'll be Graham," He said, taking out his phone and reading the text, "Debbie's here and he's about to bring her up here. Make yourself busy when she gets up here."
"Busy doing what?" I questioned.
"I don't know, assistant things." Joe shrugged. I rolled my eyes at how unhelpful he was.
Of course, in our alter ego roles, he got to be the important, rich businessman while I had to pretend to be his assistant.
Joe began pouring himself and Debbie glasses of champagne for when she arrived and before long, the door creaked open. I glanced up to see a gorgeous woman walk in with light brown hair styled in a neat up-do, wearing pretty much the same outfit as me just with a black blazer over the top. Debbie Dingle.
"Hi." She said, making herself known to Joe who turned around.
"Hello," Joe replied, looking like he was caught off guard slightly, probably by how fit she was, "glass of champagne?"
"Well, I'd prefer a beer." Debbie said honestly.
"Me too. Lucie, would you mind?" Joe glanced at me and I nodded, turning around to grab a beer from the fridge, rolling my eyes when my back was to them at the way he ordered me.
"Here," I said after I'd opened the beers with the bottle opener.
"Thank you," Joe took them from me and handed one to Debbie.
"So, where's Mr Big?" She asked as she took a sip.
"If you mean Mr Waterhouse, he's here." Joe replied nonchalantly.
"So, go on then, what's he like?" She questioned further, "okay, let me guess. Grey, old, puffy-looking. Big gut hanging over his trousers from all the high living?" She paused, probably waiting for Joe to say something in agreement. When he didn't, she took a sigh before continuing, "impatient, arrogant, rude... Go on, how many did I get right?" She took a step towards Joe, who had a small smirk on his face.
Well, she was wrong about him being grey, old and puffy-looking, and about the big gut. But she was right about everything else.
It was at that moment that Graham walked in.
"Our clients are arriving on the later flight from Hong Kong now," He told my twin brother before looking at Debbie, "ah, I see you've found Mr Waterhouse."
Debbie turned back to look at Joe in shock before recomposing herself and asking Graham, "where's the butler?"
"I'm sorry," Joe answered the question that wasn't for him, "it's just so rare that I get to meet the real person when I'm doing business. To be fair, I was pouring the drinks and dressed like a penguin. But, no butler today, I'm afraid. We do, however, have my glamorous assistant, Lucie." He gestured to me and I have a small smile.
"You're just, maybe, slightly younger than I expected." Debbie admitted to my brother.
"Well, I could say the same about you."
"Right, well, being young and fit doesn't give you the right to be rude. Which you were, rude. Exploiting my mistake." Debbie said.
"What can I say, I'm an opportunist." Joe replied with a hint of a smirk.
*
"As I said, we'll be able to provide you with a replacement car. You're into property development, yeah?" Debbie spoke. She, my brother and Graham were now all sat down discussing business.
"We build and sell large scale investment properties to wealthy overseas investors. Residential and commercial." Joe replied.
"So, image is everything," Debbie assumed, "the restaurants you take your clients to, the cars you drive them round in. I will be able to offer you a cash discount if you pay for the full lease up front."
Joe wasn't happy with Debbie's offer as he let out a short sigh, "I'll level with you; I'm all for a bit of smoke and mirrors, but you lied to me. It's a trust issue. Graham?"
"Your one and only car was stolen, you don't have a replacement, your insurance company refuse to pay the claim and now? Now you're broke." Graham listed.
"How do you know all this?" Debbie asked in shock.
"It's his job to know," Joe answered, "he checks all of our business associates out. Thoroughly."
"Well, the car will be found, there's a slight cash flow issue which our deal can solve, and I am refinancing."
"You're winging it," Joe told her, "and while I admire your nerve, and your cheek, I don't need the hassle. Plus, I've already leased another car. But, thank you."
"So, you had no intention of doing business with me today?" Debbie asked in disbelief, "So what did you get me here for? To humiliate me?"
"That's a little self-absorbed. I wanted to give the courtesy of telling you to your face." Joe told her, but that wasn't going to change the pissed off look on her face at the moment.
"You know, you and me, we're not so different," Debbie began, "we both get people to pay for things upfront. Investment flats, cars. Good business sense."
Joe simply chuckled.
"Don't you dare laugh at me," Debbie warned him, "your whole sad little life is rented. This apartment, the cars, the bling. I'm sure that tuxedo's due back in the morning, isn't it?" I couldn't help but smirk. He may be my brother, but he was rude and he was arrogant and there was nothing wrong with someone who wasn't afraid to put him in his place when he deserved it.
"I don't need you," Debbie continued, "or your hokey line of credit. I would rather work with people with real money. And brains. Oh, and maybe a few manners."
"Entertaining as this is," Joe stood up when Debbie did so he was level with her, "are you done? Only, I've got somewhere to be."
"And where's that? To ruin somebody else's business?" Debbie challenged.
"I thought we'd established you didn't have a business to ruin." Joe retaliated.
And that was the last straw as Debbie turned around and walked out.
