One Voice

"Our parents were extremely wealthy according to this report. Their names have been permanently redacted from every record available. So we may never know their identity. The records themselves were minimal and sketchy. My investigator found the young secretary who had typed up the papers to allow for us to be legally adopted. She was young at the time. She's since retired but remembered our story clearly from working with the attorney."

He continued, "She says our mother, whose only name she remembered was Pauline, no last name, gave birth to a pair of twins. Her very wealthy husband, no name given or recalled, accidentally discovered that his blood type was incompatible with our blood type. The doctors informed him that it was impossible for him to be our biological father. Back in the day, there were no DNA tests yet. Of course, he realized his wife, Pauline's, infidelity. She staunchly refused to give the name of our biological father because she knew her wealthy husband would destroy him in every way imaginable. In retaliation, her husband arranged for us to be separated and sent off to be adopted in different countries on different continents. She would never be given any information about where we were nor any other information about us. The only consolation he allowed her was to give us our first names. You, Paul, were born at 7:45 pm and I, Pierre, was born three minutes later at 7:48. You're my big brother!"

Pierre broke down and sobbed on my shoulder. He was inconsolable. We were the product of infidelity. Our mother's first name is Pauline but that's all we'll ever know about her. We'll never know who our bio-dad is. She never gave him up even in the face of losing both of us. She must have truly loved the guy, whoever he was. Something about having even this much of our story drew Pierre and me together and bonded us in the way real brothers are. Pierre and I talked long into the night. He apologized for having the security system installed without my permission first. He said it really was a great system and would protect the family and even him when he's here alerting us to any paparazzi or celebrity hounds. He said it would insult him to ask the price. Money is no object to family and I am his only blood-related family. He said the installation should be completed tomorrow and be up and running then. I thanked him, trying not to show my annoyance. Chelsea had retired to our bedroom earlier, realizing that we needed this time together. It was nice. As I was slipping into bed later that night, I tapped her shoulder for a brief conversation.

"Honey, are you awake? We need to talk for a minute, then you can go back to sleep."

She wrinkled her brow and without opening her eyes, "What do you want? It's too late for sex. I'm almost asleep."

"Sorry honey but this is important. Rachael at work informed me of a few things she learned about Pierre that I feel are important for you to know."

"Like what?" she said drowsily.

"Since learning about my connection with him, she did some in-depth research online. He's been divorced four times for cheating on his wives. In an interview, he said he's addicted to seducing married women, that he could never be faithful to one woman, and juggles multiple women at the same time for the fun of it. He's a lothario, honey. You need to watch out for him. He may be so good at it that you'll never see it coming until it's too late."

"Is THAT what you disturbed me for? He's your twin BROTHER for Pete's sake, and I'm his sister-in-law! Can't you put your petty jealousies aside? Sure he's wealthy beyond belief. That's no reason to disparage your own brother. He's been nothing less than the perfect gentleman. Maybe you could use some lessons in that department. Now put this silly nonsense out of your head and let's get some sleep before you wake the kids with your ill-advised nonsense!" I was frustrated that she so readily dismissed my warning and rolled back over. Perhaps I was overreacting to the rumors I'd heard from Rachael. Come to think of it, she never mentioned to me that Pierre had been caught of sleeping with any of his relatives, so I decided to let it go.

When I arrived home after work on Tuesday evening, Chelsea caught me up on the day's activities. Pierre had gone grocery shopping with her, something he'd not done in decades. He was tickled that everyone assumed he was me and interacted with him as such. Being the consummate actor, he pulled out his American accent and fooled them all. She said she was astonished at how eerie it was to see and hear him as me. He loved the anonymity that being me afforded him. The kids loved having two identical daddies, one at work and one at home. My stomach began to grumble again. The security system, however, turned out to be incomplete after all. It was almost done, I was told. There was one part that was back-ordered that might not arrive until next week. The project manager, Roland, promised to bring the part himself as soon as it arrived. Pierre was upset that the system was incomplete but, 'C'est la vie'.

He had Gerald pay for our babysitter and took us out to the Excelsior Hotel for fine dining. At least there I had options besides snails. There is a dance club on the lower level. It's quite popular but we had never tried it before. Chelsea danced the first two dances with me. The rest were with my brother. Since he was our guest this week, she was doing her part. Helena was dining with us also and genuinely appealed to me to dance with her, however, I graciously declined. While Pierre and Chelsea were out on the dance floor, I decided to chat with Helena for a bit.

"So Ms. Moreno..."

She interrupted me, "Helena, please. Ms. Moreno is my mother," she giggled.

"Thank you, Helena. I didn't want to be presumptuous. What is your background, if I may ask? Moreno is Spanish is it not?"

"How astute. Yes, it is. I was born in Spain. My parents divorced when I was seven and my mother moved us to France for her new job at the consulate. I've lived there ever since. I took English in school and learned Spanish and French natively.

"Your English is quite good. I can barely detect your accent except for when you're speaking to Pierre in French. Alas, I'm not bi-lingual. I'm curious, are you Pierre's personal assistant, secretary, girlfriend, or what?"

"Or what," she replied.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It means that I'm whatever he needs me to be. If he needs a personal assistant or secretary?, that's me, someone, to run his errands?, me again, take care of anything or anyone he wishes me to?, that's what I do."

"Are you saying that there's nothing you wouldn't do for him?"

"Pretty much," she admitted. "He compensates me very well. Basically, my life revolves around him, his wants and his needs, 24/7, and I don't come cheaply."

"But doesn't that make you...."

"What? A professional escort? You may call me that if you wish. For what I get paid, I don't care what you or anyone else thinks of me. One day I'll retire and live the life of luxury in the manner to which I've become accustomed."

"I appreciate your forthrightness. I don't judge you, Helena. On the contrary, I find you enigmatically fascinating."

She chuckled at my remark. "I've never been called that before."

"It's reserved for special people," I kidded. She gave me the oddest look as I said that.

Later that night as we readied for bed, Chelsea wouldn't take no for an answer. She cleaned my clock and emptied my balls in the process. I couldn't help but wonder which of us she was thinking of at the time. I do not doubt that his cock is the same size as mine so I let it go.

The next day, Wednesday evening, Chelsea was acting a bit off. She wouldn't look me directly in the eye but had cooked my favorite dish and waited on me hand and foot. I thought it odd at the time and thought I'd caught Pierre giving her a wink when he thought I hadn't noticed but she didn't acknowledge it. He acted like the cat that had eaten the canary. I wondered if the tension meant something else was going to happen that I might not appreciate. Pierre was effusively friendly to me. He had that aura of something exciting on the horizon but was keeping it under wraps for the time being. He shared his childhood memories with me to help me know him better. His wealthy grandmother on his adoptive father's side had left him a trust of a million and a half Euros. He received a first-class acting education from the finest universities in Europe and his wealth snowballed from there when he was seated on a very popular sitcom TV show in France.

He even talked about us possibly doing some TV work or movies together. I feigned interest but nothing was further from the truth. He seemed genuinely pleased beyond measure to have a twin saying he could tell that we were growing closer every day and he wanted it to continue. He strongly urged me to consider the possibility of my family moving to France to be closer to him saying he would take care of all expenses for the move. He indicated that my educational and work credentials would easily transfer lucratively over there. I thanked him for his generous offer and politely said I would give it some thought but there's no way in hell I'd ever make that move. When I joined Chelsea in bed that night, she gave off all the signs of unavailability for sex.

"What gives? What's up with you tonight, Chelsea?"

"Everything's fine, Paul. Please don't press me. I'm trying to be a good girl and not spill the beans."

"You mean you're keeping a secret, from me? Your husband? Let me guess, it's Pierre's secret you're keeping from me, right?"

"I swore I wouldn't say a word but yes, I'm helping Pierre with a WONDERFUL surprise for you tomorrow! Please don't ask any more questions. I'm about to burst as it is. You're gonna LOVE it, you'll see!" She said animatedly.

So THAT'S why she was so discombobulated tonight! Why was Pierre doing all of this? First a very expensive security system and now what else? Chelsea is beside herself with excitement about what is going to happen tomorrow to the extent she can't get in the mood for sex. What a letdown. She said she'd make it up to me. I have a feeling I'm going to be unhappy about my surprise tomorrow.

I hugged and kissed my children as usual before heading to work Thursday morning. I was relieved by the normalcy and reward I felt at work Thursday. It seemed the people I helped cope with the tragedies of life physically, gave much more in return to me for my efforts. I couldn't imagine a more fulfilling profession. I knew I would never move to France but was trying to think of a way to let my brother down easily. The day passed by quickly. I almost dreaded leaving my respite for the tumultuous chaos that awaited me at home. I decided to face head-on whatever it was that I had to look forward to.

When I arrived home I saw a fancy blue sports car parked on the street in front of my house. I wondered if it belonged to one of Pierre's friends or coworkers who were visiting. If we had yet another celebrity in our home, Chelsea would be bouncing off the walls. Her head would get so big she'd have difficulty walking through doorways. Was a visiting celebrity to be my surprise? I hoped not. Things were chaotic enough as it was.

I parked my car in the garage and the kids ran to greet me as I entered the house. Leave it to them to keep me grounded and centered. Their arms around my neck and kisses are irreplaceable. They are the delight of my life. I girded my loins to discover who or what would be my surprise of the day. When I entered the den, my jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Chelsea was dressed in an elegant slinky black dress that fit her perfectly. It accentuated all of her beautiful saucy assets.

"What do you think, honey?" She asked me exuberantly.

"That dress looks expensive. Where did it come from?" I innocently inquired.

It came from Paris," Pierre injected. It's made of the finest French silk chiffon. I had it custom-made for her measurements. Doesn't she bring that dress to life? Magnifique! As I said, you have a beautiful wife, mon frère," he repeated. "She has been so good to me, it's just a tiny token of my appreciation," Pierre said as he too was dressed to impress in his multi-thousand dollar tuxedo.

"I see. What's going on? And whose car is that parked out there? Do we have another visitor?" I entreated.

"Oh no, honey. It's just the three of us. The sitter will be here in a few minutes. Pierre insists on taking us out again tonight to celebrate. That's why we're all dressed up," she informed.

"Oui," Pierre inserted. "I took the liberty of ordering you a new tuxedo also to match mine from measurements that your lovely wife provided. It's on your bed."

"Yes, honey. It's right there waiting for you. Why don't you go ahead and put it on and we'll be on our way to celebrate?" Chelsea advised.

I gave a wan smile. "And what is it exactly that we're celebrating?"

"Wonderful news!" She gushed. "But Pierre will tell you after you're dressed."

Ten minutes later I came down the stairs wearing one of my regular suits. "What? What happened? Why aren't you wearing your new tuxedo, sweetie?" She questioned.

"The pants were a bit tight," I lied. "I couldn't quite manage them. But I'll be okay in this suit."

"Idiots! I'll have their heads!" Pierre angrily exclaimed. "I do not suffer incompetence!" he fumed.

"The tuxedo is fine, Pierre. There's not a problem with the suit. The problem is with me. I've put on a couple of pounds recently and got too big for my britches. When I lose a pound or two, I'm sure it will fit perfectly. Thank you for the gift of the fine clothing on behalf of me and my wife."

"Gift? Ahhh, oui, the clothing. But that is nothing, brother. I have a lot of time and connection to make up for with you. And because you and Chelsea have been the consummate hosts to have me here so close with you this week, I have three things I wish to share with you right now before we go out celebrating. The sports car parked outside on the street is a brand new French-made Venturi Fetish automobile. It took some doing to get one delivered here so quickly. It is named the Fetish considering the sensations this car gives you when driving it. It is our French counterpart of your American Tesla but is way costlier and sports a lower profile. Did you know the French were the first to produce an all-electric vehicle? It is yours free and clear, my twin. The title is already in your name and I dare say that you will be the talk of the town every time you take it for a spin." Pierre just smiled at me.

So THIS is what Chelsea and he were keeping secret from me! My mind was spinning, wondering how much such a specialized car might cost but I did not dare ask. It had to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. "I don't know what to say, Pierre. But I'm afraid it's too much. I can't accept such an expensive gift," I pleaded.

"It is nothing and it is already done, Paul. It is the least I can do for someone who I have come to love so deeply in a very short time. You're the only thing I never knew I always wanted. Now that you're in my life, I want nothing to ever keep us apart again. I want us to spend much time together from now on. There is, however, something else I would like to call your attention to." Pierre handed me a Manilla envelope.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Open it and see, sweetie," Chelsea excitedly urged.

I pulled out a stack of papers that had my signature on every page. I remember these papers well. I had recently signed over my soul on these mortgage papers when I purchased the house about six weeks ago. I had only made the first payment on the house since that day. Right on top sat the deed of trust, stamped and signed showing it as paid in full. Perhaps I didn't know the value of the car, but I damn sure knew the amount of my $950,000.00 home loan. It was a thirty-year mortgage. I was suddenly feeling light-headed after the realization of what I was looking at sunk in.

"But what?....How?....I mean...." I stuttered before Pierre interrupted me.

"I wanted to do something special for my twin brother to show you how deeply being in your life has affected me. I could buy you fifty such houses and still be in your debt, Paul. The wealth and richness of love and fraternity that you have already given me are beyond compare. Don't even TRY to say no! These two tokens of my love and affection for both of you give me great joy. This is the beginning of a new life for the both of us and I can't wait to see our bonds continue to grow."

"Isn't he amazing? Isn't this wonderful, Paul? I sobbed for joy when he first mentioned it. I was stunned beyond belief," Chelsea exclaimed. "It was all I could do to honor my word to Pierre and say nothing to you until he had everything lined up. I'm shaking again right now at the generosity he has shown us."

When I looked at my twin, we both had tears in our eyes. They were tears of joy, love, and admiration. "This is so....unexpected, Pierre. I'm at a loss for words. Again I say it is too much but I won't rob you of the joy so prevalent in your face. I've felt similar joy when working with many of my patients. I'm immeasurably grateful, Pierre. You honor Chelsea and me and we can't thank you enough."

Pierre rejoined, "Oh, tut, tut, tut. We must hurry so we don't miss our reservations. I have another minor item to discuss with you but it can wait until our evening repast. We'll talk about it then." Pierre suggested. Chelsea and I both fiercely hugged him before heading out to his waiting limo.

Helena and Gerald were waiting for us in the limo. Before being seated, I took a quick walk around the Venturi Fetish car and whistled out loud. Pierre beamed in delight at my approval and said, "She's a beauty, isn't she?" I nodded confirmation. Once in the limo, Helena, Pierre, and Gerald were speed talking in French. At least it seemed like speed talking to me. I didn't understand a word they were saying but knew that they had to catch up on business and I didn't mind a bit. I was still floating on a cloud after the two shocks I had just received. After being the recipient of unparalleled generosity, I felt guilty for being so petty about the tuxedo. It fit perfectly but I was being stubborn about having something forced upon me in such a manner. But the gifts of the car and house were beyond the pale. I never felt so small as I did at that moment.

While they were having their French conversation during the ride which included a lot of chuckling from Gerald and furtive glances at me by the three of them, I used my cellphone to surreptitiously look up the value of the French Venturi Fetish sports car. There weren't many on offer here in America but the ones I saw were priced in the neighborhood of $425,000.00. I suddenly realized that my twin brother had altruistically gifted me an amount totaling somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,375,000.00 as if it was nothing. It was a truly humbling experience for me. We were taken to an exclusive restaurant whose chef created epicurean delights. Not recognizing a single word on the menu, I asked the waiter to expound descriptive details about three specific items I was considering. When one of his descriptors mentioned the word steak, I immediately went with that option. Pierre ordered for Chelsea and she seemed happy for him to do so. While we were waiting on our food, Pierre shared his idea.

"Paul, I can't tell you how much it has meant to me this past week for you and your lovely wife to invite me into your home, your life, and most of all your heart. I have to leave for my home in France on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, several business affairs require my attention. It occurred to me that I would be an inconsiderate scoundrel not to reciprocate and invite the two of you to join me all next week as my guests. It would be even more wonderful if you could arrange to remain there for two weeks instead of one. We still have much to learn about each other and it would afford us both opportunities to do so. I would be busy with work matters off and on during the days, similar to your work schedule this past week but my evenings would all be yours. I would love nothing better than to show you the best of France. I am hoping that you might come to love it as I do and at least consider the possibility of relocating there so we could stay close. Now that I have you in my life, nothing would please me more than to have my twin brother nearby every day. Would you mind inquiring at work tomorrow about being off all next week enabling you to visit me? It would mean the world to me. All as my treat, of course."