Alicia's Misfortune (23 page)

She wore a bright red dress with a slit going up just a
little bit past the thing, bright red pumps and a nice diamond necklace that
stopped well below the neckline. She just felt like dressing up. She wasn’t
sure if she was going to a formal affair, and she didn’t care. She loved trying
on pretty clothes and wearing nice things. That was one of the best things
about being rich. She could enjoy the finer things in life, and clothes were
definitely no exception.

Many of the things she wore were custom made. She had her
own series of corsets that she wore to give her the proper shape. She had all
of her dresses fitted to match her body, and she picked out all of the material
and designs herself. She didn’t go to just any tailors either, she went to
designers that were known for creating some of the most famous clothing labels
in the world. Some turned her away, they didn’t appreciate her body type, but
most were willing to create her into the living sculpture she deserved to be.
She was a beauty. She was a classic Botticelli, and she didn’t mind showing it
one bit when she showed up in her limo at the tiny cookie cutter house in
southern end of the city.

Harry answered the door wearing a simple white button up and
jeans. His house was just as simple. He didn’t like decorating much, she could
tell. He had nice black leather couches and a great T.V. He definitely took
pride in his electronics, and he took pride in his kitchen. With its all
stainless steel appliances and black marble counter tops, it was a formidable
room. She admired a man who could cook.

“Now,” he pointed to a stool near the bar. “You just have a
seat and watch me work my magic.” She laughed and did as she was told.

He chopped up garlic and marinated the fillets in that and
cracked black pepper, with a touch of salt. It was simple but looked effective.
Then he chopped mushrooms and onions. He sauteed the onions and set the
mushrooms aside. He worked silently. They didn’t need words. He was proving himself
to her and she saw why. His seductive looks and roaming eyes spoke volumes. He
liked what he saw and she did too. She wanted to get to know him.

“This is the best trick.” Everything was going perfectly and
the last things left was the mushrooms. “What you do is you sautee the
mushrooms in butter and really get them hot, with a little bit of salt and
pepper, then you add a touch of whiskey,” once he did, the entire pan went up
in flames and she jumped. He grabbed the pan and ran back, surprised, then he
simply moved the pan around to flip the mushrooms. He looked back and grinned.

She found Harold to be one of the sweetest men she’d ever
met. He cherished her, and cared for her. She stayed that night and went to his
house for dinner every night thereafter. Their lives intertwined quickly, just
like their heart.s it was a passionate romance that moved quickly and
intensely. She’d never been in love before, and the shock of it, that sweet
ecstasy, made her feel like she’d been born anew. She discovered another person
fully, in a way that she never thought possible. She knew everything about his
life, his friends, and she knew every single crevice on his entire body. She
knew every dimple, every blemish, every wrinkle and she loved every single one.
He knew just as much and loved her as fully as a man could ever love a woman.
She had that partner to sit across from her at the table and connect with her.

He liked people of substance and depth. He saw the world as
a place to be experience and enjoyed just like she did. He didn’t care about
what was in her pocketbook. He’d spent most of his career catering to the rich,
and he didn’t like most of them. He found them to be shallow ridiculous
creatures who were led by greed. He was simple, just like she was. He was happy
with his little house and the money that he made. He didn’t need to use the jet
or wear ridiculously expensive clothes. He never asked her for anything, and
insisted on paying for everything. His life revolved around making her happy
and playing the gentleman. He was fiercely independent and hardly able to be
pulled away from that. She could’ve given him anything he wanted, but he
wouldn’t allow it.

“I was thinking we could have dinner at the country club
tonight.” Harold had a playful tone to his voice. She had been getting ready to
head over there when he called.

“But the kitchen is closed today, Harold, you know that.”

“I closed it so we could have a romantic evening together.”

Why would he do that?
She wasn’t sure that was a good idea. “You might get yourself in trouble
Harold.”

“No. I paid off the supervisor. All they care about is
money. It’s a country club.” he had a good point.

“Oh. Alright.”

“Great! Wear something awesome, Lydia. I’ll see you at 6.”

“I’ll see you then.” She hung up the phone to begin getting
ready.

She chose a gorgeous black evening gown and did her hair up
in a curly up do with a diamond necklace and long earrings. She wore black
two-inch pumps that made her look like she was just under 6 feet, which she
considered to be the perfect height to be able to reach up and kiss him. This
was a special evening. It had been a year since he first cooked dinner for her,
so she wanted it to be perfect. Nothing could ruin their evening.

The limo came to pick her up, and she had herself a small
glass of champagne to ease her nerves. He was up to something.

The country club at night was a magical land of white lights
and tiny pieces art strewn about the grounds. They made it to be the perfect
garden, at night and during the day. When she entered into the reception area,
she admired the tiny marbles angel sculptures on either side of the doorway.
There was a soft orchestra playing, and the same hostess came up to greet her
with a beaming smile.

“Right this way miss.” She took her coat and ushered her
into her favorite table. Lydia held her dress and sat down. The hostess was
still smiling down at her. ‘I’ve been instructed to offer you one of our finest
wines from the wine cellar below.”

“I’ll have a chardonnay and a glass of cold water to go
along with it.”

“Wonderful! I’ll have that right out.” The champagne hadn’t
done its job and she was still extremely nervous about what was going on. Maybe
he just wanted an anniversary dinner. Butterflies were swimming in her stomach,
banging against the walls, and the wine couldn’t come soon enough.

* * * * *

Crow was not a fan of the country club. He hated everything
about it. Terrible things happen when the rich get together. They laugh at
other people, they give themselves a circle jerk about how great they are, and
they figure out which country is cheaper to outsource too. He didn’t like that
fact that the pace was built on the backs of laborers like his father.

He revved his motorcycle engine when he pulled up to the
guard’s house. “Excuse me, sir. I’m going to have to ask you to leave. This
place is for members only.”

He reached in the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled
out a tiny piece of paper. It was a guest pass that his father had gotten for
him. He handed it to the guard and yell, “Fu** you,” as soon as the gate
opened.

He took the helmet off to reveal a head of shaggy black hair
and walked into the service entrance with it still under his arm. When he
walked into the kitchen, he didn’t even bother to wipe his feet.

“What the fu** do you think you are doing, huh?” His father
Harold was running up to him with a mop in his hand.

“Fu** you,” Crow took out a cigarette and before he could
light it his father picked up a glass of water and threw it in his face.

“You wanna get your rent paid this month? I invited you here
as a favor. You could just go without the pay and find yourself out on the
streets.”

“WHAT!” The sound was leaving the kitchen. It was a good
thing that she wouldn’t be there for a while. He could’ve ruined the whole
thing. “You remember that oil fire in the last place? It would be a shame to
have this entire thing burn down wouldn’t it.” He’d dried off enough to get a
cigarette going.

“Do the damn dishes and get yourself an apron. I need your
help with the salads. I don’t care what you burn down. You’re not going to ruin
tonight.”

“I hope she tells you to fu** off.” he went back to the
dishes and scrubbed them as fast as he could. He chopped the vegetables, then
went out bck to smoke a bowl. He wasn’t about to sit around and wait to see
what happened. He had all of the trays ready, and everything they needed to
have a great evening.

“How was the steak?”

“Divine.” Harold took Lydia’s hand and met her eyes, then he
took a guzzle form a glass of fine merlot.

“Come walk on the beach with me.” The moon was a radiant
light revealing tumultuous waves ripping back and forth along the shore line
and tickling against her bare feet as her dress blew in the wind in back of
her.

He pulled his hands from her grasp and his lips crashed
against hers. His warm breath made her shiver. She loved this man. That was
probably the first time she’d ever admitted that to herself, but he said it
aloud, softly.

He got down on his knee and pulled a box out of his pocket.
“Oh my God!” She burst into tears. This moment was the most amazing moment
she’d ever experienced. A year ago, she was sure that it would never happen.
Nobody had ever loved her like this, and she had never felt this way before.
The only time this happened was in her dreams, but it happened just like this.
She loved the beach and she’d always imagined that this was where she’d be
proposed to, on this exact spot, and there she was barely able to see through
her tears. When he took her hand, he was so warm, a comfort in the cool night
air.

“I think I loved you from the moment I met you, Lydia. I
thought for sure you’d turn me away. You were too rich, too beautiful to love a
simple cook like me, but over time I came to realize that you were also down to
earth and simple just like I am. This has been the most amazing year of my
entire life, and I never want to it end.” She was shivering and balling like a
little girl. “Lydia Hutchins, will you be my wife?”
         
“Yes!” He cried just as much as
she did when he sat up and hugged her. He put the ring on her hand and knew for
certain that it would never leave. They walked hand in hand up to the country
club to enjoy their dessert.

There were two covered platters on the table when they got
back, and Lydia decided a nice sugary treat would be the best way to end their
magical evening. He pulled her chair out for her and helped her sit down, then
moved to his side and waited till she was seated just like a gentleman.

“Thank you,” she said. “Did you know I’d say yes.”

“Everything about you, Lydia, has always seemed too good to
be true. I still can’t believe you’re here with me. It’s the most beautiful
thing I’ve ever experienced in my entire life.”

He lifted the cover off of her dish and the alcohol started
coming up. She truned to the left and puked violently, then turned back to see
a cockroach the size of her fist on top of her flan with a sticky note on top
that said, “I love you new mommy.”

“I’m so sorry. Let me get you home.”

“What’s his fu**ing name!?” Harold’s face was beet red. “How
old is he? Is he there with you? I will hunt that little shit down to the ends
of the fu**ing earth!”

“Calm down, Lydia. His name is Crow. He’s 19 and he is most
certainly a little shit.”

“He can’t come to the wedding.”

“That’s already been planned out. He knows he can’t go and
doesn’t want to.”

“What crawled up his ass!?” Harry laughed.

“He misses his mother.” Angie passed away three years before
Lydia met him. She died of cancer, and they didn’t talk about it much, because
she knew that he still missed her, but he was moving on. “He thinks of this as
me betraying her.”

“Well, he’ll come around.”

“You don’t know him. He won’t come around. He’ll just try to
make things a living hell for us.”

Maggie was Lydia’s best friend, and aside from Harold, one
of the few people she trusted in the entire world. That meant that she was the
first person she called when it was time to deal with the wedding planning.
Harold didn’t want much part in it. They both wanted an intimate wedding, with
very few people and a tiny reception. The entire thing would be held at the
mansion to make things easier. They met for luch at the Garden to talk about
the preparations.

Maggie wore a tight lavender mini-dress that showed off her
perfect body with her brown pixie cut and perfect makeup. Her style was simple,
but flashy and elegant.

“Hey, Lydia. So tell me everything.” they both sat down and
she began telling her about the proposal.

“Well, that’s wonderful. It must’ve been a perfect night.”
Lydia sighed.

“It wasn’t. Apparently, he asked his son to help with the
dinner and when I opened my dessert plate there was a huge cockroach on it with
a note on it.”

“What’d it say?”

“I love you new mommy.” Her tone was dripping with disdain.

“Is he coming to the wedding?”

“Harold told me that he wouldn’t be allowed to go, and that
he’d already told the boy that.”

“What do you know about him?”

“His name is Crow. He drinks and smokes. He doesn’t have a
job, and he rides a motorcycle.”

“You know,” Maggie could barely hold back her smile, “when
we were younger, that would’ve been the perfect guy.”

Lydia scoffed and, as they ate their lunch, they began their
planning for the wedding. They worked out every detail from the decorations to
the flowers, to the dinner. By the time lunch was over, all she had to do was
call the various companies and make sure everything delivered and setup on
time.

* * * * * *

Neither one of them wanted to wait very long. It was April
when he proposed and the wedding was set for August. As the weather got hotter,
and the cold northwestern air changed into the balmy summer heat, they started
to get a little excited.

Everything was perfect. The foyer, banquet hall and the
terrace were covered in white roses and tiny lit candles. The date was set to
correlate for the full moon, so during the reception guests could see it
shining on the water. Her terrace was overlooking a private beach where they
held the ceremony.

The reception dinner was amazing. All of it came together
perfectly and led up to their first night together, when they finally fell into
bed and decided that they would never leave.

They were sitting up and eating a simple breakfast in bed
after a passionate evening when Lydia looked over to Harold and said, “You’re
staying here. All my things are here, and I have quite a bit more than you do.
I’m used to my lifestyle.”

“What about my house?”

“Well you paid it off right? Imagine having a few extra
hundred thousand sitting in a bank account.”

“I guess you’re right. It would be nice to live here, Lydia.
The mansion is beautiful, and I can’t ask you to give up all your things to
live in a cookie cutter.”

“I wouldn’t have done it anyway.”

One the preparations had been made, he was able to relocate
everything in less than a week. All he had to do was sell the property which
would go quickly since it was in relatively good repair, and the neighborhood
was in demand.

Lydia had everything she’d ever wanted. She had her love
nest and a beautiful husband that cherished her, everything about her, and
would always love her no matter what.

* * * * *

Crow pulled up to the apartment and got off his bike. He was
tired. He’d spent all day applying for shit jobs, one after the other. His
friends at the Burger Plank had promised him a place on the line, so he was
able to give himself some time with Jerry. He walked up the flimsy staircase to
the second story and took out his key. When he opened the door, he was assault
by the smell of old resin, rotten feet and rancid dishes. He couldn’t come back
every day and deal with that, but as long as he was unemployed, Jerry was the
best thing he could find.

He looked disgusting. He hadn’t showered in months and his
greasy hair was everywhere. He was wearing nothing but some old stained gym
shorts and a tank top.

“What are you doing here,” he asked.

“The hell do you mean what am I doing here? I live here.” He
must’ve been so high he forgot where he was.

“No you don’t. You gotta pay up. You said that you were
getting that job today and I called them. You didn’t. I talked to the manag--

“Looking like that?” He got up in his face. His breath
smelled like rotting roadkill.

“GET THE FU** OUT!” A tiny fleck of spit landed on his face,
like he was being drenched in a pile of old shit.

He picked up three hundred dollar bong on the rancid coffee
table and threw it off the balcony outside the front door. It shattered into a
million pieces. Jerry tried to run at him, like a filthy rhinoceros but Crow
tripped him and ran out the door.

Curtis was the first person he called. They’d been best
friends for more than 10 years, and he was always good for a place to stay if
he was in a bind. He’d never say no. Crow rode his bike out to a nearby park
where he could sit down and get his head together then he dialed his number.

“Hey, what up?”

“Fu**ing Jerry just kicked me out.”

“Shit.” He was silent for moment, which sounded terrible. “I
wish I could help you, but Janet kicked me out and I’m headed over to my
parent’s house right now.”

“Fu** man, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”