Alison ran her fingers over the top of her head. She loved her haircut. Very short on the sides and back, the top was longer. The stylist had lightly permed the top, giving her a few curls that fell neatly into place, while still looking slightly unkempt. The cut emphasized her cheekbones and brought attention to her eyes.
“Your day-to-day maintenance will be almost nothing, but overall, short hair requires more attention. Regular trimming and perming, if you like the curls, is needed to keep it the way you want it. It’s very unlike your longer hair that you can just let go until you think it’s too long.” The stylist commented, watching Alison turn her head back and forth as she admired the view from every angle. She suddenly had a thought.
“But I won’t always be able to come back here to get it done. Will others be able to maintain this style without messing it up?”
“It’s a simple cut. Most should be able to keep in trimmed and neat. But if you’re in the area and able to get in, I’ll be happy to give it a once-over.”
Alison looked relieved. He laughed at her expression.
“Would you like some tips on makeup? I can show you how to look very alluring.” He wiggled his eyebrows and gave an exaggerated leer as he spoke.
Alison looked to her mom. “Can I?”
“Me, too!” Alexa chimed in.
Sarah and the stylist exchanged looks. She nodded at him, then added, “Show them both how to downplay their looks, also. And show Alison how to change her features to look more boyish. I’ll leave you to it for the next hour or so. I’ve got some errands to run.”
Both girls made excited noises and Sarah threw a quick ‘have fun’ over her shoulder as she left the shop.
Without the girls, Sarah was able to quickly blend with the crowds on the street. She smiled to herself. Wherever they went, the girls attracted attention. Not only because they were very beautiful young women, but also because they were twins. The attention could be good or bad, depending on the situation. But in their line of work, the less attention the better. Survival mostly depended on blending, not standing out. The more Sarah thought about it, the more she realized Alison’s haircut would help in that regard. At first glance, it wouldn’t be as obvious the girls were twins. More discerning observers would still see the likeness, but most people were not very discerning. Superficial glances usually sufficed unless something drew them to look deeper. She would need to work with the girls on their city-camo skills. No question they could easily disappear into the woods or outdoors, but their skills in more populous, concrete-dominated worlds needed to increase. She chuckled to herself as she pulled out her phone to call her contacts. Setting up a scenario that would drive home the importance of blending with the crowds would be just the thing. The next couple of days should be instructive.
Just under two hours later she returned to the shop to find a young boy and girl waiting for her. She looked closely at Alison. The subtle makeup, while not completely disguising her femininity, downplayed it enough that Sarah thought the average person would, in passing, think Alison a young teenage boy. The clothes Alison had changed into completed the picture. Jeans that were not too tight-fitting and a generic-patterned shirt buttoned over a turtleneck hid her female form. Scuffed sneakers and the ball cap she held completed the picture. Alexa, on the other hand, looked every bit a young teenage girl striving to display all the current trends. Even when standing side-by-side, their twinness was not obvious. Sarah smiled.
“My, what a transformation!” She looked to the stylist. “Are these really my girls, or did you switch them out with someone else while I was gone?”
“Mom, it’s us!” the girls responded in unison.
“So I see. Or maybe I should say, so I hear. Because you surely don’t look like the two I left here a couple of hours ago, even though you still sound like them. C’mon. This calls for a celebratory lunch. I know just the place.”
She shepherded the girls towards the door. Turning back, she said to the stylist, “you know what to do about payment. If there’re issues, let me know. But all should go through smoothly. And thank you. As always, you’ve performed your tasks impeccably.”
He nodded his head in acknowledgement and appreciation. This would be a very profitable day for him. He’d known Sarah, then her husband Samuel, for years. They rewarded well when expectations were met or exceeded. But he also knew the dark side of that equation. He was careful to never stray into that side of the world. He’d heard stories. He didn’t want to be one of those stories.
Sarah chose a small family-owned restaurant she hadn’t been to in years. She wasn’t even sure if the original family still ran it. The name was the same, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. She got her answer as she stepped through the door.
“Sarah! It is my lovely Sarah, is it not? It’s been years! Why have you not been to see poor Georgio? I’ve missed your lovely face. And where’s Samuel? Has he left you all alone?”
The man who came forward was in his sixties but looked much younger. His hair was thick and without any silver. Muscular arms and a trim torso bespoke of someone who worked out regularly. Take away the stained apron and bits of sauce on his shirtsleeves, and he could pass for a serious competitive athlete. He looked past Sarah as he enveloped her in his arms.
“And who is this young boy and girl? Your children?”
The girls giggled, causing him to look again. He stepped back and smiled. “Ah, I see. A bit of deception going on here.” He looked closer. “Twins?” he asked uncertainly.
Sarah smiled. “Yes. My daughters. And you just made their day. Alison is trying out a new disguise. It appears it works. At least upon first glance.”
“Indeed. And most would not look beyond that. But I’ve known you far too long to fall for such tricks,” Georgio laughed. He looked at the girls. “You’ll need to work on suppressing your reaction. The giggle, because I truly can’t call it a laugh, will give you away every time.”
“Noted,” the girls said in unison.
“Do they always do this?” he looked at Sarah. “Speak in unison?”
“Enough that I barely hear it anymore. But it’s still disconcerting at times.”
“Come. Come. I have your usual table at the back. I’ll get my son to set it.”
“He’s still with you, then?”
“Yes. And his children now help by doing odd jobs.”
“His children? Time has gone by, hasn’t it?”
“Indeed. But come, let’s get you settled. Will you order from the menu, or should I make something special?”
“Please. Do your magic. I know whatever you bring will be delicious.”
The trio followed him to the back of the restaurant where a large booth awaited them. As they arranged themselves around the table, Georgio asked if he should bring some wine. Sarah laughed at the girls’ disappointed expressions when she told him to bring sodas and water.
The meal was all anyone could ask for and more. Georgio’s son, Paulo, came out and hugged Sarah, expressing his joy at seeing her. He introduced his children, two boys and a girl. Turning to Sarah’s daughters, he looked confused at first, then slowly smiled as he realized he was looking at twins.
“Your daughters are beautiful.”
Lifting Alison’s hand to his lips, he continued, “Even your boyish disguise does not completely hide how beautiful you are.”
Alison blushed while Alexa snorted. He winked at Alexa, then shooed his children back to the kitchen, leaving them to finish their meal in peace.
“Even your boyish disguise does not completely hide how beautiful you are,” Alexa imitated Paulo’s voice and actions with exaggerated motions.
“Zip it,” Alison said irritably.
“Girls. Don’t start.”
As they finished their meal and started on a sinfully rich dessert, Sarah summarized what the next couple of days would entail. She carefully avoided giving too much detail and advised both girls that they should spend the rest of the day studying the city’s layout. They would be working as a team. How they accomplished their mission would be for them to plan and execute. She would give them their mission instructions later. They had a bit of shopping to do before they returned to their hotel.
The girls exchanged a look. From experience, they both knew not to ask questions now. It would only annoy their mother. It was obvious she had planned something that would test them to their limits. They didn’t know whether to be excited or nervous. They decided to focus on the shopping trip.
“What are we looking to buy?” Alison asked.
“You’ll see. Finish your dessert. I want to go say goodbye to Georgio.”
Sarah slipped out of the booth and headed toward the kitchen. When she was out of earshot, Alexa looked at Alison.
“What do you think she’s got planned?”
“Hard to say. Probably a city version of one of our forest adventures.”
“She obviously knows people in this town. That makes me nervous. Do you think it will be like the ‘driving lesson’ we had?” Alexa made air quotes with her fingers.
Alison shrugged. “I hope not. But you know our parents. She’s probably been scheming with Dad to make our lives miserable. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sam has his fingers into this somehow, too.”
Alexa groaned.
Sarah returned and seeing that the girls had finished their dessert, ushered them out of the restaurant. They spent the next couple of hours picking up various items that left the girls more confused than ever.
Finally, Sarah indicated it was time to return to the hotel. Several additional items she’d ordered for delivery earlier in the day should have arrived, and she wanted the girls to have time to sort through things. She also needed to give them their actual mission instructions. Once that was done, she would let them study and plan while she left to organize other details of her scenario. She and Samuel had agreed this would be their final training mission before returning home. She wanted to make sure it was the most realistic setting she could provide, even as she worried that the recent trauma they had endured might surface and hinder their ability to fully execute their mission. The mother in her worried about her daughters. The assassin in her was merciless in making sure the girls could deliver as promised, maintaining the family reputation.