Once I convinced myself it was okay, I didn't waste another minute. I quickly untied the shiny bow embossed with the Saunders Empire logo. I took a deep breath and opened up the box.
"Wow!" I exclaimed, shocked. The doorbell rang before I could process what was inside the box.
I knew it was Amy because, before I could get up, the key was already turning and she was yelling. "Sara, I'm coming in!"
Shit. I didn't have time to hide the box, and I really didn't want Amy to see it. She was my best friend and I loved her to death, but if she saw it, the chances of me returning the box to the right owner would end. Amy was the only person who knew how to make me live on the edge and take chances. Some days, I needed that push, but this time, I needed privacy. I tried to cover the box, but she was by my side in a few steps.
"Hey, what's that?" she asked as she sat next to me and took the top off.
"Good morning, Amy," I sighed. "I was just about to figure it out."
Amy didn't speak as she lifted a jewelry box, which had been carefully placed in the center of the box. I tried to take it from her, but she pushed my hands away and opened it.
"Is this shit real?" she asked as the glare of the morning light coming in my tiny window shone on a necklace set with shiny stones.
"I guess," I answered with a shrug, taking the box from her and feeling the stones. They looked like diamonds. Big, chunky diamonds set into a necklace.
"No way this is cubic zirconium. Is this from Jim?"
"You know Jim and I broke up," I said.
"Oh yeah, the asshole.”
I didn't care to revisit my experience when I caught my then boyfriend messing around with his coworker in the printer room. He had dumped me like I had cheated on him. He had claimed he was in love with the girl and wanted to marry her. Since I was no longer in love with him, it didn't hurt as much as it could have. I had simply wished them luck and moved on.
"Sorry," Amy said, realizing her joke wasn't all that funny. “I shouldn’t talk bad about your ex.”
“That’s fine,” I mumbled. “He was an asshole.”
"So who would send you this necklace? Who are you fucking?”
“Amy!”
“Just asking. Men don’t buy jewelry for women without wanting more from them. It's absolutely gorgeous, by the way. You should try it on."
"I can’t try it on. It's not mine."
Amy looked at the cover of the box. "Says Sara Nolles here."
I nodded but didn’t explain it was probably the wrong Sara Nolles. Instead, I reached into the box and found a gold envelope. I tried to hide it from Amy, who was busy admiring the necklace. But she saw it and snatched it out of my hands.
"I swear, I’ll be so mad if you're dating someone and refused to tell me," she smirked as she ripped open the envelope and pulled out a card.
"Give it to me, Amy," I said, trying to take it from her, but she playfully pushed me aside, and using one hand, she pinned me to the chair while she extended the hand that held the card.
"Sara. It will be my pleasure if you wear this to the ball. I hope we can complete our unfinished business," she read aloud. "Eagerly waiting for you, Nick."
Amy handed the card to me and stood up, hands akimbo. "Who is Nick? Why didn't you tell me you were dating someone? I thought we shared secrets. All secrets. Eagerly waiting for you? What unfinished business?”
"Amy, it's a misunderstanding. That's what I've been trying to tell you."
"Is that a real diamond necklace?" she asked, her eyes returning to the necklace which lay on the counter.
"Yes. It's from Nick Saunders."
"Nick Saunders? Billionaire playboy Nick Saunders?"
"Yes," I said softly, too tired to defend myself.
"Are you sleeping with that asshole and didn't tell me?"
"What? Of course not. I've never even met him!"
"So why is he sending you gifts? Why is he talking about unfinished business?"
"Because I think he thinks I'm some other Sara," I told her as I walked over to the side table on my bed where the card from the day before was lying. I picked it up and handed it to Amy.