Alicia's Misfortune (30 page)

“Well, girls.
 
Before
I make you lunch, I’m going to need to tackle these dishes.
 
Why don’t you both go outside for a few
minutes and let me get this taken care of first?”
 
Emily didn’t know how long it was going to
take, but she hoped it wouldn’t be more than a half hour. She rolled up her
sleeves, took a deep breath, and then dove in.
 

Although she couldn’t be sure, Emily was willing to bet that
the majority of the dishes had been sitting there for well over two-weeks.
 
She had to scrub with two different sponges
to get the encrusted remains off several plates, and the coffee mugs had what
appeared to be moldy cream at the bottom of them.
 
She shook her head in disgust and wondered
how anyone could just let his kitchen get to such a state.

When she had finally finished washing, she looked for a
clean towel to let them dry, but here was nothing except dirty laundry at the
back door. She found a single paper towel at the end of a roll and used that,
then opened up the trash can to throw out the cardboard roll only to find that
the trash was overflowing.
 
Eisley and
Anna had both disappeared outside so she didn’t have either to tell her where
the trash bags were kept.
 

Emily opened up three drawers but only found some dirty
silverware and a few paper napkins that looked like they had come from
convenience stores.
 
She felt a wave of
anxiety seep into her bones as she looked around.
 
This place needed more help than she could
have imagined and she started to wonder if she would actually be capable of
handling it all by herself.
 
Just as she
was about to give up hope on finding a clean trash bag, she saw another set of
cabinets near the dirty laundry.
 
She
stepped across the kitchen and opened the first one, and a pile of bills fell
on her head.
 

She knelt down and started to pick them up, noting that many
of them were stamped with large red letters “Final Notice.”
 
She rifled through a couple, out of
curiosity, and saw a variety of obligors.
 
Some were from the electric company, a few were from the heating
company, and a few were from someone named Felix Rose. She tried to shove them
all back in the cabinet, but they wouldn’t stay put.
 
She didn’t want Dylan to think that she had
invaded his privacy, but it was hard to think of what to do, other than tell
him that they had accidentally fallen out.
 

“Miss Emily, is our lunch ready yet?”
 
Anna came bounding into the kitchen with a
big smile on her face and Emily shook her head.

“I’m sorry, honey, but I’m still trying to get cleaned up in
here.
 
I have an idea.
 
Can you help me?”
 
Emily figured that these girls were young,
but not so little as to be excused from chores.
 
Emily decided on the spot that they would each get their own kitchen
chores form now one.
 
She appointed
Eisley as the sweeper, and Anna as the wiper.
 
She gave Eisley a broom and Anna a rag, then filled up a bucket with
some warm, soapy water.

Meanwhile, Dylan and his mysterious guests kept posted at
the table.
 
The girls’ blips of laughter
filled the kitchen so Emily was unable to hear a word of what the men were
saying. She knew that it was wrong to eavesdrop, but her curiosity got the best
of her, so she excused herself from kitchen duty and walked quietly out in the
dining room on her way to use the bathroom.

“You already knew this, Mr. McBride.
 
We told you that without this month’s
mortgage payment, we’re going to have to put it into foreclosure.”
 
The man on the right was shaking his head and
tapping a pen on the table.
 
Dylan’s face
was flushed and he said nothing when Emily drifted by. An uncomfortable silence
fell over the room, and Emily was relived to finally get inside the bathroom.

“Foreclosure?”
 
She
whispered to herself and then wrung her hands together. What was this all
about?
 
She thought back to the day Leila
had discovered the ad inside Griffin Café. Clearly, Dylan McBride was not the
successful business man that he had claimed to be.
 
Emily felt her face redden.
 
He was a liar.
 

She bit her lip and then tried to decide what to do.
 
Then she shook her head with
bewilderment.
 
What were her
options?
 
She was alone, in another country,
away from her dear cousin, with a strange man who had deceived her about his
status.
 
She wanted to cry, and almost
did, until she heard a soft rapping at the door.
 

“Miss Emily?
 
We
finished with all the sweeping and wiping.
 
Could you come out and make out lunch now?”
 
The sweet voice sent a wave of warmth through
her body and she sighed.
 

“Sure thing.
 
Just
give me a second.”
 
Emily pulled her hair
up into a pony tail, splashed some cold water on her face, then opened the door
and headed out of the bathroom.

Emily wasn’t surprised with what she saw when she opened up
the refrigerator door.
 
Inside were
half-eaten dishes of food with mold on the tops of them, and a variety of empty
condiment jars.
 
She pulled out everything
from the shelves and then wiped down the insides with her soapy water.
 
She threw out the moldy food and then
rearranged the condiments.
 
Amazingly,
she found a couple slices of cheese that were still good, and she used them to
make the girls grilled cheese sandwiches.

She had just finished wiping down the kitchen table and was
about to place their sandwiches down when Dylan popped his head inside.
 
“Hey, Emily.
 
I know this was supposed to be your day to relax.
 
I apologize, but I had some unexpected
business to deal with.”
 
He whispered and
then looked around the kitchen.
 
“I can’t
believe it.
 
Look what you did in here.”
 
He covered his mouth with his hand and then
shook his head. “I’m truly amazed.”
 
He
looked at Emily and then, in a gesture that took her completely off-guard, gave
her a huge hug.

Emily blushed and then served Eisley and Anna their
lunch.
 
“This is great!
 
I love grilled cheese!”
 
Anna piped up as soon as Emily set down her
plate.
 
Eisley had a similar
reaction.
 
The girls ate with enthusiasm
and Dylan disappeared back into the dining room.
 
After Emily had cleaned the lunch dishes and
mopped the kitchen floor, she heard the men get up and she watched Dylan lead
them to the door.

“I think I should talk to you tonight, Emily.”
 
Dylan appeared in the doorway after he had
bid the men goodbye.
 
He had a troubled
look on his face and Emily tried to act as if she didn’t know what could be
troubling him.
 
“And, I am sorry to tell
you this, but I’m not so sure we’ll be able to go to the barbeque place
tomorrow.”
 
Dylan hung down his head and
Emily felt a pang of pity for him.

“It’s fine, Dylan.
 
I
came here to fulfill the position of care-taker for your nieces as well
as…”
 
Emily paused when she thought about
it.
 
“…and wife.”
 
She smiled and then shrugged.
 
She figured that right now she might as well
try and make the best of it.
 
If the man
didn’t have money to pay his mortgage, then he certainly didn’t have the money
to pay for her flight back to England because she had changed her mind.
 
In a sense, she decided with some reluctance,
she was stuck.

As the day progressed Emily found herself braiding
pig-tails, washing and folding clothes, wiping down windows and rearranging
furniture.
 
She felt like a tornado had
erupted within her and that she had to move with it to keep up her
momentum.
 
Dylan let her do whatever she
wanted, relieved and appreciative that someone had finally stepped in to help
him with his life. When it came time to settle down for the night, Emily was
exhausted.
 
She walked wearily toward the
bathroom and then ran herself some bath water.
 

“You know I have some great bath salts if you’d like to give
them a try.”
 
Dylan popped his head in
the bathroom just as Emily was about to get changed.
 
She smiled and then looked at his face.
 
His chiseled cheekbones defined his angular
face and his soft blue eyes reminded her of the sky on a Lancashire
afternoon.
 

“I’ll try them.
 
Thanks.”
 
Emily moved a little
closer and then waited as Dylan handed her the jar.
 
She set the salts on the edge of the tub and
then waited for Dylan to leave.
 
But he
didn’t.
 

“You know, as my wife, I have a few expectations when it
comes to physical contact.”
 
Dylan moved
closer and took Emil’s hand in his.
 
“I
hope that’s not a problem for you.”
 
He
smiled and then brushed his body up against hers.
 
She tried to relax but it had been so long
since she’d even kissed anyone that she didn’t know how to react.
 

“I hope that I can provide what you need.”
 
Emily smiled and then moved a little
closer.
 
Dylan leaned in and kissed her
on the forehead.
 
Emily closed her eyes
and inched a little closer.
 
Dylan
wrapped his hands around her waist and then slowly pulled her sweater over her
head.
 
She stood still and let him
explore her body with his hands.
 
“You have
a beautiful body, Emily.”
 
Dylan sounded
sincere and Emily could feel a sensation of heat rise within her core.

He ran his hands over her shoulders and then started to rub
them in long, rhythmic motions.
 
Emily
sighed, feeling all of the tension from the day release from inside her.
 
Dylan moved closer and kissed the nape of her
neck, sending Goosebumps down her spine.
 
Just as she was about to open her eyes and make her move to kiss him,
they both heard a loud crashing sound downstairs.
 
Dylan bolted out of the bathroom and jetted
down the steps.

“Everything’s okay.
 
It was the dogs!”
 
Dylan called up
to Emily and then went about shooing the two Rottweilers out of the kitchen and
away from the trashcan that they had toppled over. Eisley and Anna were sitting
in front of the television watching an episode of Sesame Street.
 
Dylan ran his hands through his hair.
 
Even though Emily was obviously tired, he was
exhausted, too.
 
The stress from his
earlier meeting, coupled with the ongoing chaos of his home life, made for one
weary man at the end of the day.

He trudged back up the stairs and then rapped on the
bathroom door.
 
Emily was in the tub, her
head resting on a washcloth, her body completely submerged in the warm,
soothing salts.
 
She smiled when he popped
in.
 
“I won’t bother you.
 
The girls are watching a show, and I’m going
to out them to bed shortly.
 
Why don’t
you come into my bedroom when you’re finished?
 
We can spend out first night together.”
 
Dylan gave Emily a seductive grin, and Emily tried not to giggle.
 

“Okay.
 
I’ll come in
as soon as I’m dressed.”
 
Emily winked
and then closed her eyes as soon as he closed the door.
 
She wondered if they were moving too
fast.
 
After all, they had just met.
 
She reminded herself that this wasn’t a
typical relationship.
 
As part of the
agreement, if Dylan wanted sex, then she would have to provide.
 
After all, this was a marriage of
“convenience.”
 
Emily sighed and then
slid further under the water.

A slight breeze blew in from Dylan’s window.
 
Emily could make out a few photographs on his
wall, a dresser, and a huge mound of laundry in the corner.
 
She walked slowly toward his bed and then let
down her hair which had been pulled up in a bun from her bath.
 
Dylan turned around and reached for her
hand.
 
“I’m glad you came in.”
 
He pulled her closer and then sat up.
 
He was in only his boxer shorts, and Emily could
make out the muscular definition in his chest when he leaned closer.

“I know that as your wife I’m going to be asked to serve you
in different ways, so I just wanted to tell you that I’m aware of my
obligations.”
 
Emily knew that she
sounded too formal and that Dylan was a casual sort of man, but she couldn’t
shake her sophisticated English upbringing. Dylan smiled and then moved over so
that she could get into bed with him.
 
Then he pulled up the covers so that they were both snuggled deep
inside.

“You know, oddly enough…”
 
Dylan whispered to Emily as she reclined on her side.
 
“…I feel a strong connection to you, already.
 
Isn’t that peculiar?”
 
Dylan smiled and then nuzzled his chin
against her neck.
 
Emily smiled and then
turned to face him.
  
She was wearing her
cranberry colored pajamas that Leila had bought for her birthday last
year.
 

“I feel a sort of connection to you too, oddly enough.”
 
Emily chuckled and then wrapped her arms
around Dylan’s neck.
 
He drew her close
and then opened his mouth to meet hers.
 
Emily waited with anticipation and then, as if a sort of dance, they
explored each other with their tongues, both of them taking the time to taste
and touch and tickle with their mouths.

Dylan reached for Emily’s breasts and playfully squeezed her
nipples.
 
He loved the way that they felt
in his hands and he craved even more of her body.
 
Emily sighed with delight as he caressed her
body, moving from her breasts to her buttocks, and then down her thighs and
between her legs.
 
Emily knew that under
other circumstances, she would have told a man to stop, that they were moving
too fast.
 
Yet with Dylan, she felt that
it was appropriate.
 
After all, she was
now his wife.
 

“I want to feel all of you.”
 
Dylan whispered in her ear and then rubbed her inner thighs with his
hand.
 
She cried out with pleasure as he
moved his fingers inside her warm, wet hole.
 
It had been so long since a man had touched her sacred world of womanhood
that Emily just wanted to enjoy it.
 
She
had no expectations and she had no hang-ups, either.
 

Dylan pushed her legs wider apart so that he could wedge
himself between them.
 
He loved her scent
and her shape.
 
It had been a long time
for him, as well.
 
His previous marriage
had been a sexless one, and his wife, Ginger, had always made excuses for why
she didn’t want to make love to him.
 
Along with the fact that he eventually caught her cheating, it made for
some trying tests of self-confidence when it came to his performance in the
bedroom.
 

“You feel really good, Dylan.”
 
Emily finally felt relaxed.
 
She moved closer and spread her legs
wider.
 
Dylan’s fingers explored her
precious bounty and Emily cried out with pleasure.
 
She didn’t even worry about Eisley or Anna
hearing them, although she hoped and assumed they were both sound asleep.
 
Dylan slowly climbed on top of her and
pressed his manhood against her body.
 
Then slowly, and with precision, he thrust himself deep inside of
her.
 

Emily cried out as soon as he penetrated her.
 
She clung to his waist and pulled him closer
to her body.
 
“Yes, Dylan.
 
This is wonderful.”
 
She whispered in his ear and then rubbed her
hands across his back as he continued to pleasure her with his body.
 
A shaft of moonlight swept across the room
and Emily briefly felt as if she were back in Lancashire.
 
She remembered how moonbeams would cut across
her bedroom floor on clear nights, and she briefly longed for the chance to go
back.

Dylan glided in and out of Emily’s body, taking the time to
find out what she really enjoyed.
 
He had
wanted to be with someone who appreciated him for so long now that the
sensations he felt with Emily were almost too much to bear. He wanted to get to
know every nook and cranny of her delicate, elongated body.
 

“How does that feel, baby?”
 
Dylan whispered in Emily’s ear and continued to glide in and out of her
wet, warm hole.
 
Emily was in a state of
ecstasy, and she ran her fingers across Dylan’s back as he continued to thrust
in and out of her with rhythmic bursts.
 
It wasn’t until almost an hour later that the two erupted in a shared
crescendo, and then collapsed into each other’s arms under the grace of the
moonlight.

When morning rolled around, Emily realized that they had
never even spoken about the secret meeting that took place in the dining room
the day before.
 
She wanted to find out
what was going on, but she also didn’t want to inflict unnecessary tension onto
their gently budding relationship.
 
Emily
rolled out of bed to make coffee around seven a.m.
 
Dylan joined her downstairs shortly after.

“Good morning, Emily.
 
Last night was incredible.”
 
Dylan
gave her a kiss on the cheek and then sat down at the table while Emily poured
them both steaming mugs of coffee. “I hope you feel the same.”
 
He grinned and then took a sip of his
drink.
 
Emily sat down and twirled one of
her long tresses around her finger.

“I had an amazing night, Dylan.
 
I really did.”
 
She knew that she had to say something or it
would eat her up inside all day.
 
“But,
we never got around to talking about your business meeting, and…”
 
Emily’s voice faltered.
 
“…and I think we need to get a few truths out
on the table.”
 
Emily nodded her head,
hopeful that Dylan would be accommodating to her request.

“I’ll tell you all about it as soon as the girls are out and
about, okay?”
 
Dylan reached across the
table and gave Emily a kiss on the cheek.
 
But the conversation never happened.
 
Eisley and Anna went back to school on Monday, and Emily spent the first
three days of the week scrubbing the floors, changing the bed sheets, grooming
the dogs, and preparing meals.
 
By the
time Wednesday rolled along, Emily was more tired than ever.

“I just wanted to tell you that you’re doing an excellent
job around here.”
 
Dylan poked his head
into the bathroom Wednesday night while Emily was in the tub.
 
However this time she didn’t smile.
 
In fact, she didn’t even look up when he
called her name.
 
Dylan inched closer to
her face and then squatted down to eye level. “What’s wrong, Emily?
 
I can tell that you aren’t happy.”
 
He frowned and then waited for her
response.
 
Emily just sighed.

“Dylan.
 
We agreed to
talk about your business meeting.
 
That
was three days ago.
 
Since then, you
either have excuses as to why it isn’t a good time, or you just blow off my
questions, completely.
 
I don’t think I
can be in a relationship, not even a marriage of convenience, with someone who
can’t respect my need to communicate.”
 
Emily felt relieved to have finally spoken her mind.
 

Dylan stood silently for a few minutes, and then threw his
arms up in the air.
 
“I’m sorry,
Emily.
 
I really am.
 
It’s just been a hectic week for me, and I
wanted to make sure that what I talked about with Felix and Ray was set in
stone, you know?”
 
Dylan looked at Emily
with a hopeless expression in his eyes.
 

Emily understood that it might be hard to discuss touchy
matters with a woman that he’d just met, but she recognized that part of her
own livelihood was connected to the outcome, and that there needed to be clear
expectations about how they would proceed with this together.
 
“I get what you are saying, Dylan, but you
need to understand that when I responded to your ad, I thought that I was
putting myself in contact with an established business man, with a man of
stature and probably of power.”
 

Emily shook her head.
 
She didn’t want to come right out and tell him that she was sorely
disappointed because that would only be partially true.
 
She liked Dylan.
 
She was attracted to him.
 
Even if he wasn’t rich, it probably wouldn’t
change her opinion of him, anyway.
 
Yet
she still felt entitled to better answers than the ones he was giving.

“I am a man of power.”
 
Dylan stood up straighter than usual.
 
He gave Emily a confident stare and then suddenly looked down at the
floor.
 
“I mean…”
 
He sighed and then looked away.
 
The dogs barked outside and Emily could hear
the screen rattling inside the frame of the door’s window.
 
He shook his head and then sat down at the
kitchen table.
 
“Sit down, Emily.”
 
He looked at her with hesitation, and she
slowly sat down in the seat.

“I can tell that there is a lot going on here, Dylan.
 
I am not a dummy.
 
It’s obvious that your life isn’t exactly
smooth sailing.
 
But…”
 
Emily paused and then reached out for his
hand.
 
“But, I’m your wife now, and even
if I’m only a wife of convenience, like your ad stated, I’m still your wife, so
I still need to support you.
 
But for me
to support you, I need to be informed.
 
Does that make sense?”
 
Emily felt
pained inside because she knew that this conversation was going to be difficult
for him.

         
Dylan nodded
his head.
 
“It all makes sense,
Emily.
 
It’s just that…I don’t really
know where to start.
 
There are so many
layers at work here, and all I wanted was to find someone who could help me get
back on my feet, who could step in as my better half and turn things
around.”
 
Dylan nodded his head in
affirmation.
 
“And Emily- so far, you’ve
done just that, and then some.”
 
His eyes
lit up and he forced out a smile.
 
“I
feel blessed to have met you.
 
Really.”

He couldn’t believe what he was saying.
 
After all, he had just met Emily.
 
Who was he to assume that he would really go
on to develop stronger feelings for her?
 
What if he changed his mind?
 
Worse yet- what if Emily changed her mind?
 
He knew from the past that relationships were
unpredictable, and that anything could change overnight.
 
But he wanted to forge ahead with a newfound
trust in the world, and in their blossoming relationship.

Emily was quiet for a minute and then she smiled.
 
“You know, I have an idea.”
 
She flicked a long tress of hair over her
shoulder and then got up from her chair.
 
“Why don’t we play a little game tonight?
 
For every question that you answer
completely, I’ll let you have one part of my body all to yourself.”
 
Emily knew it sounded kind of silly, but she
figured that maybe by enticing him and making the heavy matters feel less
dominating, she could start to understand more of what was happening at 3532
Running River Road.

Dylan smiled and then nodded his head.
 
“Okay.”
 
He gave Emily a mischievous grin and then leaned in across the
table.
 
“I’m ready to play your
game.”
 
He reached for her hand and then
kissed her on the cheek, feeling as ready as ever to lay it all on the line.