Double Take Chapter 3

"What happened, Baby?" she asked.

"My board broke in two, and the top half hit me in the face."

"My God, you're lucky to be alive."

The doctor standing beside his bed nodded his head. "It's a good thing he had a nose guard on that board, or he might have been blinded."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Yes. Other than a broken nose, he's going to have nothing to show for it."

"Can you fix his nose?"

The doctor gave them both a reassuring smile. "We've already set it. One of the nurses found an old copy of Surfer Magazine with Sandy Lane's profile in the waiting room. Talk about good luck!"

* * *

Sandy was released from the hospital later that afternoon. Ashley had been so preoccupied with his condition that she hadn't had time to think about what it might mean to their relationship. As she was driving them back to Redondo Beach, it all hit her at once, and she started to cry. Sandy looked over at the tears streaming down her beautiful face, and tried to comfort her. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"Oh Sandy, they cancelled the show!"

"What?"

"It was in Variety this morning."

"Shit." Sandy always knew it was too good to last – the money was ridiculous – but as the news started to sink in, he realized why Ashley was so upset. "You lost your job and your twin sister in one day."

Ashley said nothing as she stared straight ahead, blinking back the tears.

"Ashley, this is a big break for you. Now that you're out from under Darla Palmer's contract, you can really do something with your career."

Ashley knew this was true. When she checked her cell phone while Sandy was in surgery, she had six messages from her agent telling her about calls from different studios, production companies, even a Broadway play. What scared her most was the prospect of losing Sandy, now that their fantasy world on Wet Girls had come to an end.