Alicia's Misfortune (40 page)

By: Erin Walsh

Stuffed
by the Two Rival Cowboys

© Erin Walsh 2016 – All rights reserved

Published by Steamy Reads4U

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This is a work of fiction.
 
Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either
the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner.
 
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or
dead, or actual events are purely coincidental.
 
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Warning

This book contains graphic content intended for readers 18+
years old.

If you are under 18 years old, or are not comfortable with
adult content, please close this book now.

It’s been a whole month since my ex-boyfriend, John, kicked
me out of the house because he had found someone else.
 
We’ve been together ever since we were
fifteen years old and his infidelity had hit me hard. Not only did he
disrespect me by bringing another woman into our home, he had to up and kick me
out instead of moving in with the woman. I had no family in Helena, Montana and
he knew this. I also didn’t have a dime to my name because I recently just
finished graduate school and hadn’t found a job yet.

“This has been the worse month of my life.” I said to no one
in particular. The night air was hot and I was sweating like crazy. I only had
enough money for a motel for a few more nights then I’d be homeless. “He took
everything from me.” I said as tears slid down my face. John normally paid my
cell phone bill and it was just turned off yesterday so even if I did want to
reach out for someone for help, I couldn’t. He threw all of my clothes out of
the house and it took everything in me not to strike him or that home-wrecking
slut.

I quickened my steps when I came across homeless people who
littered the streets. They constantly asked for money and even though I felt
bad for them, I needed what little money that I had for myself. “I might end up
like one of them soon.” It was a sobering thought that I hoped wouldn’t be made
into a reality. I needed a miracle to happen to me soon. I made it to the
run-down motel in one piece and smiled shyly at the receptionist at the desk. I
made my way to room 207 and closed my door quickly. I heard the headboard from
someone’s bed banging against my wall and I knew right then and there what they
were doing.

“Why can’t people respect others who have to listen to them
have loud sex?” To tune them out I turned on the too small television. There
were only three things to watch on TV: the news, a re-run of I love Lucy, and a
porno. “I love Lucy it is”. I pulled out my phone and was happy to see that I
had Wi-Fi because I needed to find a job soon. I received my Master’s Degree in
Addiction Studies and unfortunately there weren’t any jobs that were hiring in
my area. I applied for so many other jobs outside of my degree, but I was
turned away by many of them because I didn’t have enough work experience. Was
it so wrong to focus on one’s studies so that they could land their dream job
once they were finished with school? It’s not like I didn’t want to work but I
took a full course load of classes that kept me busy day and night. So it was
sad to say at twenty-four years old I didn’t have work experience.

I’d been so desperate to get a job and find some place to
live that I applied to a mail order bride advertisement. I knew that it was
silly and dangerous, but I refused to live on the streets. I lived in a women’s
shelter for one night and was shocked that some of the women there were
thieves. Each and every individual there was going through bad times and I
couldn’t understand what made someone steal from someone the same as them. “I
will never go back there.” I said to myself. I hated to stoop so low, but at
least if I was to get the mail order bride position that I’d have someplace to
live. I wouldn’t have to worry where my next meal was going to come from or if
I was going to eat anything at all. If I could only get an interview with the
man, I’m sure that he’d pick me.

I might not have had much at the moment, but what I did have
was good looks. I was five foot three inches with a slim build. Even though I
was slim I had impressive assets. I was curvaceous with big breasts and a
curvaceous round bottom to match. I kept my hair in a short bob which really made
my honey eyes glow. My hair was dyed auburn which went well with my caramel
skin color. I was quite the looker even though a lot of my make-up and hair
routine was eliminated. I was sure that many gorgeous women applied to the
position, but I’m sure that they didn’t have the full package like I did.
Brains and beauty went a long way with guys who were sick of having bimbo arm
candy women. Logging into my email I still didn’t see a message from Eric Lowe,
the man who posted the mail order bride ad. I wanted to look at his picture
again to be sure that I was willing to go with whatever if he chose me. He was
a decent looking man, not the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, but he wasn’t
bad.

“Let’s see.” I said and read through his profile. He is
thirty-four years old and divorced. He’s an accountant with a modest income. He
owned his own home and he enjoyed to play golf along with some other things
that I wasn’t really interested in. “He’s definitely not my type.” I said
shaking my head from side to side. He didn’t sound fun at all, interesting, but
not fun. I sighed and thought about John. I hated that he was the reason why I
was even considering doing this. It was crazy, dangerous, and stupid. I also
hated that despite everything he’s put me through this past month that I still
loved him like crazy. “He’s the only man I’ll ever love this way.” It hurt to
know that I gave him my virginity and first kiss and all he gave me was
heartache. I didn’t even know that he wasn’t happy; there were no signs or
anything.

“He’s an amazing actor.” I mumbled. I wondered what he was
doing at this very moment. Was he happy with the slut that he left me for? What
did she have that I didn’t have? All these questions would probably never be
solved because John wasn’t even answering the phone when I called him. I didn’t
want to get back together with him or anything like that; I just wanted to know
why he had to hurt me like that. I shook my head because thinking about him
only put me in an even more horrible mood. I needed to focus on getting myself
out of the situation that I was currently in. My body felt sore and my stomach
grumbled. I didn’t have enough money to go out and get some actual food so I
satisfied myself with some potato chips I picked up from the store. With a heavy
heart I relaxed on the bed and went to sleep.

****

I had nightmares all night last night which caused me not to
sleep well. I sighed irritably and made my way to the small bathroom. I was at
least happy that management kept the bathroom clean because if they hadn’t, I
don’t think that I would have been able to use it. I turned on the shower and
took off my clothes. The water was hot, but not too hot as it ran down my face
and body. I couldn’t help the tears that escaped my eyes then. Nothing was
going my way and I needed a miracle to happen for me soon. I couldn’t keep this
up too much longer and I wondered what had I done to deserve this cruel reality
that I was living in now. I got out of the shower and wrapped the white towel
around my body. I brushed my teeth and went back in to the lonely room and sat
on the edge of the bed.

“I guess I could go to the library today and the DHS
office.” I said. I knew that the DHS would issue me a bridge card for food and
possibly even help me with finding a place to live. I needed to go to the
library in order to apply for some more jobs. I reached across my bed then and
picked up my cell phone. The Wi-Fi was weaker than the day before, but I was
happy that I was still able to get on the internet. I opened my email and my
eyes went wide once I saw that Eric had emailed me back. I read through his
email quickly and a smile broke out over my face. He said that I seemed like
someone he’d be interested in getting to know. He also said that I was very
beautiful which made me blush. He wanted to know if I’d meet him for dinner and
I had no qualms with that. I emailed him back quickly telling him that I’d love
to meet up with him. I was too embarrassed to tell him that I was living in a
motel, so I told him that I’d meet him there.

I got up off of my bed and went over to my luggage filled
with clothes. I would have to wash soon because I was running out of clean
clothes to wear. I pulled out a red wine colored sheath dress because I really
loved how the dress looked on me. Many of my shoes were stolen at the shelter,
but I did have a pair of black heels that would look nice with the dress. My
stomach growled as I put my clothes on a nearby chair. I walked over to my
wallet and looked inside of it. I had enough to get a sandwich from the
receptionist downstairs so that’s what I decided to do. I put on some jogging
pants and a tank top and walked out of my room feeling more confident then how
I felt last night.

I arrived at the restaurant earlier than expected so I
decided to go to the Barnes and Nobles that was conveniently located across the
street from La Belle’s Italian restaurant. I was happy that Eric had chosen
this place because it was one of my favorites. I skimmed through a few books
making it appear that I was going to buy one, but when eight o’clock came
around, I walked out of Barnes and Nobles. When I made it into La Belle’s I saw
Eric speaking to the host. He looked a little bit different then the picture
that was on his profile. He was handsomer than what I initially thought. He was
around six feet with broad shoulders. His hair was wavy and slicked straight to
the back and he had light facial hair. His eyes were the same enchanting black
that they were in his picture. He looked more put together, almost similar to a
male model who was just starting out in the business.

“Eric?” I said walking over to the two men. Eric turned
around and looked at me with his eyes widening in appreciation.

“Maria?” my name rolled off of his tongue like fine wine. I
shivered at the intensity at how he was looking at me. “It’s nice to meet you.
Wow you look gorgeous if you don’t mind me saying.” He walked over to me then
and stared at me awkwardly. “I don’t really believe in shaking hands with a
woman. May I hug you?” I blushed and nodded my head. His strong arms wrapped
around me and I almost drooled by how delicious his cologne smelled. I guess
his picture really didn’t do him justice. I didn’t think he was bad looking to
begin with, but he didn’t look this hot in his photo.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” I said and he smiled and looked
at the host again. I pulled my dress down because I could feel it rising every
time I walked.

“I’ve made a reservation for Eric Lowe.” The man scanned
through his list and then showed us to our seats. I sat down with ease even
though I was really nervous. I looked at Eric then and he was grinning from ear
to ear and I blushed.

“Sorry if I’m a little awkward. I’ve never done this type of
thing before.” Even though I was confident with the way that I looked, talking
was a whole different story. I’m a pretty outgoing person, but I didn’t do
things like blind dates or even considered being a mail order bride before.
Then again I was with a man that I thought loved me and wouldn’t do anything to
hurt me.

“That’s alright.” Eric said and smiled at the waiter who
placed our menus on the table. “Do you prefer red or white wine?” Eric asked
and I thought about it for a moment. I was a fan of both, but I was in the mood
for white wine.

“White,” he said to the waiter and the waiter told us that
he’d be back with our bottle soon. “Forgive me if I stare at you too much,
you’re incredibly beautiful.” I blushed again and shifted in my seat. I wanted
to make a good impression, but the way that he was looking at me made me a
little antsy. “I’ll try to tone it down a little bit for you though.” Eric said
and I laughed. I could tell that he was trying to get me to relax.

“You’re very attractive too, better than your picture.” He
grinned revealing a perfect row of white teeth.

“I don’t know why I used that picture of me honestly. It was
the only picture that I had.” I nodded my head and listened to him intently.
“So tell me about yourself.” Eric said and I inwardly sighed. I knew this
question was coming, but I still wasn’t ready for it. I told Eric all of the
good things about me leaving out the bad break-up and the fact that I was
practically homeless. I didn’t want him to think that I was some sort of nut
case trying to bum a free room from him. I was the latter though, I needed that
room.

Eric told me about himself and he was really interesting. He
left out a lot of things on his profile that would have drawn me to him
instantly. Not only did he enjoy going to concerts hosted by people that I actually
listened to, he also enjoyed going to arcades.

“I didn’t really have a chance to do things like that when I
was growing up,” he said slightly embarrassed. “It’ll shock you to believe that
my parents were strict.” He told me more about his life and I told him more
about the finer aspects of mine and I was impressed by him. Even though he was
older than me by a decade, I felt at ease with him and I couldn’t even tell our
age difference as we spoke with each other. I liked the fact that he was able
to turn on being professional and then turn on be casual when it was needed.

“The food was really good, thank you for inviting me here.”
I said as I ran my hands through my hair. He gave me another one of his warm
smiles.

“The pleasure is mine Maria. I really had a good time
tonight.” Eric looked up and motioned the waiter over to us. “We’ll take the
bill now.” Once the waiter walked away Eric turned to me again. “I’d love to
see you again if you don’t mind.” I smiled brightly as I thought that I’d
probably win him over. The waiter brought over our bill then and he gave the
man his credit card without looking at the bill.

“I don’t mind at all. I’d love to see you again as well.” I
said as I tried to fight down the urge to scream “yes!” I was getting ahead of
myself, it’s possible that he’s taken the other women that he interviewed on a
second meeting as well. The waiter came back over with Eric’s credit card and
thanked us for coming. Eric pulled out some bills from his wallet and placed it
on the table.

“Come on.” He said and I hustled out of my seat. We walked
out of La Belle and he looked around. “Where’s your car at?” He asked and I
looked at him dumbfounded.

“Oh, I didn’t drive here.” I said trying to sound as normal
as possible. “I took a cab and I’ll catch a cab to get back as well.” Eric
shook his head.

“I feel bad that you took a cab here.” He said looking at me
with concern. “You don’t have to worry about catching a cab, I’ll take you
home.” My face heated up then. I couldn’t let him do that.

“You don’t have too.” I said quickly and readjusted my
dress. “I don’t want you to go through all of that trouble. Please don’t worry
about me.” He looked at me long and hard then he sighed.

“I get it you’re uncomfortable with me taking you home. Let
me at least call you a cab and give you the money for it.” I wanted to refuse
his offer, but when he pulled out several twenty dollar bills, my words stopped
in my throat. I needed the money bad and if he decided to choose another woman,
I’d at least have money for food and a few more nights at the motel. He took my
hand gently in his and placed the money in it.

“Thank you.” I said softly. I was incredibly embarrassed but
thankful as well. He smiled again and hustled towards the curb when he saw a
taxi about to pass us by. The taxi pulled over to us and Eric opened the door
for me.

“What’s your phone number by the way? I’d like to call you
tomorrow.” I couldn’t tell him that my phone was cut off so I did the next best
thing and lied.

“Sorry, I broke my phone recently and I’m waiting for my
company to send me the new one.” He frowned but nodded his head.

“Alright I’ll just email you then. Have a good night Maria.”

“Same to you” I said and he closed the door.
 
When Eric was out of sight I told the driver
that he could drop me off around the corner because I didn’t live that far. The
man looked at me in confusion in his rearview mirror, but he didn’t say
anything. Thankfully I had three dollars on me so I had given it to the driver.
I didn’t wait for my change I just exited his vehicle with a smile on my face.
I walked down the still semi-light street and I knew that I had to hustle
because it’ll be getting dark soon. I didn’t want to be out at night walking
out of fear someone would think that I was a prostitute because of the way that
I was dressed. I might have been wearing some five inch heels, but I was
walking like I was wearing sneakers.

“Hey baby, you working?” A man who smelled strong of weed
asked when I walked passed him. This was exactly why I wanted to hurry and get
to the motel because the men around these parts were on the prowl. I said
nothing as I quickened my steps and I cursed myself for not taking the cab.
When I got back to the motel and went into my room, I slumped onto the bed. I
was still not over what John did to me, but even though this would be more like
a business proposition, I felt that Eric could take my mind off of John. I
pulled my phone out of my purse and I was shocked that I had an email from Eric
already.

I hope you made it home safely. I had a really good time
with you this evening and I hope that I can see you again soon. Tell me your
availability so that we can make it happen.

Eric.

I smiled as I read the message thinking that there was no
way that he’d pick anyone but me as his bride. I was pretty much free all day
every day when I wasn’t out looking for a job. I didn’t want to tell him that
though and thankfully he didn’t ask me anything about what I did for work. It
would have been embarrassing to tell him that I never really had a job before.

I’m free tomorrow if
you can squeeze some time in your schedule for me?
I wrote and hit send.
Instead of waiting for him to message me back like an over-enthusiastic child,
I decided to take off my clothes and jump in the shower. I made a bad choice
when I decided to walk home in the hot Montana air. As I showered, I thought of
Eric, John, and where I was doing with my life.