Mesmerizing Purple

After Diane parked the truck, she turned to Mark, who was visibly nervous. This was the first time he would meet Diane's twin sister, Debbie.

Diane, noticing his unease, chuckled. "Relax. Debbie's not gonna bite. Just stick to our story—you're Frank's friend. If she starts grilling you with questions, I'm right here to cover you."

Mark took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anxiety. This is just another part of the lie, he reminded himself, play it cool, and it'll all work out. His palms felt clammy against the box of donuts he held, a symbolic peace offering to Debbie, who had yet to meet him.

He sighed and nodded, attempting a bit of humor to ease his nerves. "Alright, we've made it this far without blowing our cover. Let's not mess it up now."

Diane laughed a little. "Yeah, our teamwork hasn't been found out yet, so we can still move forward."

Diane smirked and stepped out of the truck first, heading toward the house. Mark lingered a moment before following suit, the box of donuts clutched tightly in his hands as if it were a lifeline. The woman chatting with Diane turned her head toward him, her brow furrowing in confusion as he approached.

Mark's pulse quickened. Debbie's sharp, grey eyes—so similar to Diane's—seemed to dissect him. Yet while Diane's eyes radiated cheerfulness, Debbie's gaze was quieter, more reserved, like someone who had weathered many storms but remained standing.

"Diane, who's this?" Debbie asked, her voice both curious and teasing. "Did you finally bring home a boyfriend without telling me?"

Diane, already tired of explaining that Mark was not her boyfriend, replied, "He is not my boyfriend, Debbie. And wouldn't you be the first to know if I had one?"

Debbie retorted, "Not unless you hide him from me, you know, like when I used to hide from Mom and Dad, which wasn't a good idea since it made me—" She stopped abruptly, feeling embarrassed to continue in front of Mark.

Diane rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, your sad backstory. How about we continue this inside? It's pretty hot out here."

Debbie, suddenly feeling the midday sun scorching her skin, nodded in agreement. "Good point. Let's get in before we all melt."

Debbie welcomed him, "Hi, I'm Debbie, this idiot's twin sister. Well, you can guess that based on our similar faces."

Diane interjected playfully, "Hey, I'm prettier than you."

Debbie rolled her eyes at her sister's comments, and Mark followed the sisters inside, still clutching the box of donuts like a shield. "Indeed, you look like a long-haired version of Diane, I'm Mark, by the way. Sorry for the late introduction."

Mark followed the sisters inside, still clutching the box of donuts like a shield. "Hi, I'm Mark," he finally introduced himself. "And yeah, as Diane said, not her boyfriend. Just a friend of Frank's."

Debbie smirked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Sure, sure. A 'friend' of Frank's. Guess we'll stick with that for now." She looked him up and down before adding, "But you know, Diane hasn't brought any men home in a long time. We were starting to think that this gal might be was gay or something."

"Hey!" Diane protested, throwing a playful jab at her sister's arm.

Mark laughed, the tension breaking a little. "Yeah, I've been hearing that a lot lately. But yeah, I'm just here because of Frank. Heard about his accident..."

Mark's voice trailed off as he realized he had no idea what kind of accident Frank had been in. Diane hadn't filled him in on the specifics, leaving him fumbling for words.

Debbie seemed to pick up on his uncertainty, but instead of pushing for more details, she simply nodded. "Well, you're welcome here anyway." She led them into the house, which had a modern design with grey walls, offering a sleek and cozy feel. The kitchen, which they passed through on the way to the dining area, stood out with its light yellow walls—a refreshing contrast to the grey.

As they entered the dining area, Diane spoke up, her tone light. "We brought donuts. Your favorite ones."

Debbie's eyes lit up, a childlike excitement crossing her face. "Oh, can I share these with Jenny and Frank's son? They're both staying with me."

Diane nodded. "Of course. The more, the merrier."

Just then, Jenny walked into the kitchen, oblivious to the fact that they had company.

She was tall with a curvaceous figure, flaunting her self-confidence in nothing more than a light-blue T-shirt and purple panties. Her slim waist only made her prominent E-cupped chest stand out more, drawing eyes as she strolled nonchalantly to the fridge.

Mark's eyes widened, stunned not just by her bold choice of clothing but also by her beauty. She exuded an effortless, almost careless confidence.

Across the room, a depressive young man sat quietly at the table, his once lively demeanor replaced by a more withdrawn presence. He shifted uncomfortably as if he wished to disappear from the scene.

Debbie's smile vanished, replaced with exasperation. "Jenny!" she scolded. "What are you wearing? We have guests! And there are men in this house!"

Jenny crumbled slightly under her mother's glare but quickly rebounded when she saw Mark. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, her earlier embarrassment fading as her gaze locked onto his muscular frame and handsome features. He looked like someone straight out of Hollywood.

Debbie cleared her throat, snapping Jenny out of her daze. "Did you hear me?"

Jenny blinked, finally turning back to her mother. "Mom, you could've given me a heads-up that we had guests. I wouldn't have walked in here like this."

Debbie sighed, shaking her head. "Honestly, Jenny...you're going to give me a heart attack one day. Put on some decent clothes, at least when we have company.'"

Despite her irritation, there was a flicker of smugness in her eyes when she noticed Mark's lingering gaze. "I'll go change," she said with a smirk.

She turned to leave, swaying her hips deliberately as she exited the room.

Diane elbowed Mark in the ribs, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Seriously, Mark? That's my niece you gawking at."

Mark coughed awkwardly, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I wasn't—uh, I mean—"

"Yeah, sure," Diane teased. "Just don't get caught next time."

Mark rubbed the back of his neck, utterly flustered. He stole a quick glance at the young man, who remained quiet at the table, his eyes distant, seemingly indifferent to the exchange.

The awkward tension in the room gradually dissipated as Debbie moved to pour coffee for everyone. Mark took a seat at the dining table, trying to shake off the embarrassment. As conversation slowly resumed, the rhythm of the household returned to normal, though Mark couldn't help but feel like the guest who had accidentally stumbled into the middle of an inside joke.