The Impostor, A Love Story

by Tiffany Carmouche

  I couldn’t believe he was doing this. I didn’t understand why he was so nice to me. He could have anyone. I remembered with Ronald, I’d have to pay for my own Chinese food. No one had ever treated me like a princess before—except, of course, my dad.

  “Perfect, we will take this one too.” He grinned. “You are breathtaking.”

  “I only need one dress,” I started to say.

  “And the accessories too?” The lady interrupted politely making sure I didn’t mess up her sale. “They add the finishing touches beautifully, don’t you agree?”

  “They do, although she is even beautiful in yellow, waterproof overalls. Let me see one more dress and about five or so outfits, since she never lets me take her shopping.”

  “Dylan,” I walked over to him. “This is too much,” I whispered. “It’s just a few days.”

  He pulled me close, whispering, “If I play my cards right, I hope it will be more than that. This way we won’t have to go shopping when I get back in town, since you hate shopping so much.”

  Hate it? It was magnificent. I really did feel like a model or royalty or a Disney princess. I waited for the horse and buggy to drive us off into the sunset.

  “Like I said, one more dress and five or six outfits. I love these boots. What do you have that will go with these?”

  We spent another few hours playing dress up. When we got to the counter, everything had already been wrapped up and neatly placed in bags. The accessories were each boxed like Valentine’s gifts. With each outfit, he bought a matching purse and shoes. He spent more money on me in a few hours than I have spent in a lifetime on myself.

  Grabbing some really sexy lingerie, Dylan smiled, leaning over to whisper in my ear, “Well, if we have to stay in our clothes all night, I thought . . . well . . . these are clothes, right?” He leaned over and gave me a playful peck.

  I could see my face turn red in the mirror behind the clerk as I put them on the counter. “We’ll take these too.”

  “That’s my girl.” He kissed me.

  “I’m not saying you’re gonna get lucky.”

  “To see you in that . . . I’ll be the luckiest man alive.”

  The woman motioned to one of the employees to put all of the bags in the car, and Dylan took my hand and led me to a day spa.

  “Dylan, you are crazy!” I protested.

  “You will love this place.” His smile made me melt.

  “This is way too much.”

  He didn’t listen. He just took me to the counter and spoke to the woman sitting there.

  “For the lady, a manicure and pedicure and whatever spa treatment she desires.”

  “Dylan, really.”

  He again put his finger over my lips. “Shh, let me spoil you.” He leaned over, giving me a kiss. “I’ll be gone for at least four weeks, so I won’t be able to do any of this.”

  “You don’t have to. Really, I’d have been fine going to McDonald’s with you. I figured you were a poor, struggling musician. This is way too much.”

  “I am sorry, but you said I could take you shopping. We are not done yet.” Squeezing my hand gently, he assured me he wasn’t going to let me stop his pampering.

  “I have to run a few errands to get ready to go, and I still need to pick up Brenda’s wedding present and all. I’ll pick you up in a few hours. Enjoy it. I can’t believe someone hasn’t done this for you a long time ago. He turned back to the salon attendant. “Anything she wants. Actually knowing her, she will say she doesn’t want anything, so give her this spa treatment, that one, a manicure and pedicure, and her hair cut or styled any way she wants it.”

  He then turned to me. “It’s already paid for. Please relax and enjoy it. I’ll be back, and we will go to dinner before I take you to work, okay?”

  “Thank you,” I kissed him. I could have argued, but truly, he had already won. “You are amazing.”

  “So are you.”

  He kissed me goodbye and left me in the spa to spoil myself. It was so different than Ronald leaving me on the side of the road because of a drunken rage. What had I seen in Ronald? Why did I waste so many years, giving him a second, third and fourth chance?

  Dylan was helping me move on; helping me break the chains I was bound in for so long, and helping me learn to love again.

  Shit what did I just say? No, not the L-word. I had to shake myself out of it.

  I remembered everyone warning me he was leaving. Do not fall in love. Whatever you do, don’t fall in love. The truth was it was too late. I had never known anyone who enjoyed pleasing me the way he did. He thought of everything. It was as if he wanted me to fall in love with him. How could I not? He could read from my soul what I truly longed for. He saw things I didn’t even see myself. Dylan embodied everything I had ever dreamed of in a man and so much more.

  “Come with me.” A tall woman took me into the spa. Utter relaxation. After hours in heaven, they sat me in front of the stylist.

  Sebastian asked with a flamboyant voice, “What are we doing with this fabulous hair?” He fluffed it in his hands as he talked.

  I didn’t know where to begin. He ran his fingers through my hair for a moment and communicated with me through the mirror. “Perhaps some layers and a few more highlights to accent the natural auburn highlights in your hair?”

  “That sounds wonderful.”

  Suddenly, Steve walked in the salon. Somehow, he noticed me and walked over to Sebastian’s station.

  “Nicole, how are you?” He sounded surprised to see me. I felt a little weird with my wet hair and all.

  Sebastian stepped behind Steve so Steve couldn’t see him and raised his brow in an exaggerated manor as if to say, “Who is this chap?” I almost laughed.

  “Hi, Steve. What are you doing here?”

  “Oh, I was shopping in the area and thought I saw you in the window.”

  I noticed the window and wasn’t sure how that was possible, but maybe there was an angle I didn’t see.

  “Oh, okay.”

  “So, do you still need a ride on Saturday?”

  “Yeah, that’d be great.”

  “Did you want to go to lunch beforehand? I might be able to get you a little earlier.”

  “Earlier would be great. Thanks for the lunch offer, but I need to get to the airport as soon as possible. The sooner we can go to the house, the better.”

  “Oh, I see.” He looked a little disappointed, but quickly brushed it off. “Okay, I’ll try to get you a little early.”

  “Steve, my boyfriend should be here soon, and I know he would like to meet you before he goes to the Slope. Could you come back in forty-five minutes or so?”

  “Oh no, I’m getting ready to head out. I just saw you in here and thought I’d say hi.”

  “I’ll see you Saturday then.”

  “See you Saturday.” He walked out the door quickly.

  When Steve left, Sebastian raised his eyebrows even higher and put his hands on his hips.

  “Should Dylan be worried? Do I see a love triangle in the mix?” He gestured with his hands.

  “My friend and I are just renting a basement apartment from him, that’s all.”

  “I don’t know girl, what window did he see you through?” He looked around and smirked. “I think he’s stalking you.” We both laughed.

  “There is a mechanic shop somewhere around here that he gets his parts from.”

  For three hours, I was pampered. Dylan came in as if it were clockwork and signed the receipt in the front. Sebastian exhibited his masterpiece, making me turn around as if I was on display.

  “Stop, you’re embarrassing me!” I tried to hold back the timid smile that was taking over my face.

  “Mmm,” Dylan strolled toward me taking my hands. “Now that is what I’m talking about.” Encircling me, he strolled, examining me from every angle. “Wow. I may have to take you hostage again tonight. I don’t know that I can let you go to work at a bar looking like that.” I knew he was just joking
, because it was their last night playing in town, and he couldn’t miss it.

  “I made reservations at Giovanni’s. Since it’s our last night together in Alaska, I wanted to take you out to dinner alone.”

  “I’m telling you, McDonald’s would have been fine.” It would have.

  When we got to the restaurant, the valet took our car. As we walked through the doors, it was obvious everyone knew Dylan. “Good evening, Mr. Richardson. May I take your coats?” They led us to our table. I loved the candlelit atmosphere and the soft music in the background.

  “Can I order for you?” he asked.

  “Sure, surprise me.” I smiled.

  “Vorreiunabottiqlia del vostromiglior vino e per iniziarequalche antipasto bruschette e ostricheripiene, grazie.”

  “You speak Italian?” You have got to be kidding. He was a musician, for god’s sake. I shook my head. There is no way this guy was for real.

  “Only a little bit. Someday I’d really love to travel to Venice, Tuscany, and Rome. I‘ve been waiting for the right person to take with me.” He took my hand in his, bringing it to his lips. “Venice is a magical place, and I wouldn’t want to be there with just anyone.”

  “I know . . . to travel in a gondola in Venice is my dream . . . and the cobblestone roads in Tuscany. I have always wanted to travel to Assisi.”

  “St Francis, my favorite saint.” The corners of his mouth lifted. He didn’t cease to amaze me. God, to go to Italy with him. I couldn’t let him see the longing in my eyes and quickly changed the subject.

  “So what did you order us?”

  “A bottle of their finest wine to begin and some bruschetta antipasto and stuffed oysters.”

  “Oysters? Think you’re going to get lucky?” I bit back my smile, lifting my eyebrow.

  “A man can dream.” He leaned forward. “I keep envisioning you in that silk lingerie. They are clothes, right?”

  “You’re so bad.” I felt my cheeks get warm.

  “Listen, since I’ll be leaving from Seattle to go back to the Slope, I wanted to give you this now.” He handed me an envelope. “It’s hard to do anything from there.”

  “What is this?”

  “The money to bring your daughter here. She should be with her mother.”

  “Dylan, I really can’t accept this.”

  “Yes, you can. If you want to pay me back, that’s fine. But you shouldn’t have to wait till you earn enough money. Who knows how long that will take? And you really don’t have to pay me back. I want to do this. You’re not letting me get you a car or an apartment or anything. At least let me help you bring Jessica here.”

  I loved hearing him say her name. I’d pay him back, every penny. “I won’t be here when she gets here, so I got her this.” He handed me another envelope. “I don’t really know what four-year- old girls like. I’m more in tune with women, who are a little older, but I thought she may like this.”

  I opened the envelope and found a business card for the children’s store.

  “You said she will have her own room. I thought you all would have fun picking out the theme together. They have my account information and will bill me for whatever you buy. I personally thought the princess bedroom sets were to die for.”

  His exaggerated gesture and tone of voice made me smile.

  “But I wanted you to be the one to decide.”

  “Dylan, I really can’t accept all this.”

  “Sure you can. It will be fun. I really am betting she will choose the princesses—even I liked the princess bed. And I know she will love this carousel horse also. And if she’s a tomboy, well they have this really cool Tarzan bed with a rope swing and everything! I wish they had these when I was a kid!”

  “Dylan, what am I gonna do with you?”

  “I can think of a few things.” He kissed me. “I wish I had grabbed you and kissed you the moment you caught my attention. I wasted so much time; I’d have had a lot more time to spoil you.” He grinned, taking my hand to his lips and kissing it.

  How could I accept all of this? I was starting to feel a little guilty.

  “I really can’t take all this.”

  “Shh, I want you to. It’s already done.”

  Dinner was delicious. Dylan took my hand, and we walked toward the valet attendant. As we waited for the car, he explained, “Tonight I have so much I have to take care of before I return. Washington will be fabulous, I promise. You can surprise me. Any of those dresses are stunning on you.”

  As we got in the car, he reached in his pocket and pulled out one more envelope. “I got your plane ticket. I figured if you left by four o’clock, you would have a half hour to get ready for the wedding. I know that’s not a lot of time for a girl, but I don’t see how you could make it back from Wasilla in time to catch an earlier flight.”

  “That sounds perfect.”

  “Come straight to the church, okay? There is money for a cab in the envelope. I’ll be busy with my sister, so I can’t pick you up. Here is the address of the church and the reception.” He handed me the invitation and the airline ticket. “Don’t be late to the airport—it’s a full flight. I also left money in there for you to take a cab from Wasilla so you can get to the airport on time.”

  “You really don’t have to give me cab money.”

  “Please don’t be late. I don’t want you to go meet this guy without me, and I’ll be worrying about you the whole time. There’s no way to get in touch with me, because I’ll be at my family’s disposal. It’s my baby sister’s wedding. I won’t be able to enjoy it until I know you are safe. Please don’t be late.”

  “I’ll be fine. I promise. Are you sure you won’t let me say no to any of this?”

  “I’m pretty hardheaded.” He smirked. “It would be rude for you not to accept it.” We pulled into the parking lot at work.

  “You are totally amazing.” I leaned over to kiss him.

  He gently touched my face, looking into my eyes, “It’s going to be so hard not to kidnap you tonight.” He smiled. “I’ll see you in a little bit.”

  I kissed him again. It was hard to say goodbye, even though he’d be back on stage in just a few hours. “Thank you, Dylan. Thank you for everything. I can’t even begin to tell you what you mean to me.”

  “Shh.” He touched my lips. “Anything for you.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  I took Steve’s business card out of my purse and called his number. The answering machine kicked in, so I left a message. “Hi, Steve, it’s 1:20. I didn’t know if you’d be here soon.”

  If we didn’t leave soon, I’d never make it back in time for the flight. I wondered where he was. I thought he was coming early. I paced the floor impatiently. At around 1:45, he finally gave me a call.

  “Nicole, I’m sorry. I am just getting out of the parts place. It took a lot longer than I thought it would. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

  “I’m worried about the time. I have a flight to catch.” I hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should come at all.

  “I can give you all a ride to the airport once you’ve seen the house.”

  “Are you sure?” If we came right back, I could make it in time. “I can’t be late.”

  “Yeah, that will be fine.”

  “Great.”

  Because of the time, I was a little nervous about going, but I knew it was important. The drive to Wasilla seemed so long. I kept checking the time. An eternity passed. The truck finally rumbled down the long gravel driveway toward his house. My dress and small suitcase were squished in the back seat with Emily. I didn’t want to put them in the bed of the truck to get tossed around like a rag doll.

  We parked in front of his mechanic shop and got out of the truck, pulling my things out so Emily could squeeze out the back. The lovely house was set up on a tiny hill. Facing us was the huge, beautiful bay window he had told me was perfect for watching the northern lights.

  We made our way up the sidewalk to the front door. The
sidewalk also wound around the house.

  “I will show you that a little later.” He pointed off in the direction the path followed.

  We entered the house on the second floor in the living room.

  “This is our living room.” Steve began the tour.

  “Wow! Nicole, look at that view.” It was priceless. The bay window revealed the wonder of Alaska. We could see the miles of woods and the beautiful mountains in the distance.

  “And here is the kitchen,” Steve said. The cathedral ceilings made it feel open and airy.

  “Upstairs is my bedroom, the boys’ room, and the nanny’s bedroom. And downstairs . . .” He began walking down the stairs. “These are the rooms I’m renting.” The hall connecting the stairs to the rooms was small, but there were no water damage stains on the ceiling. Off to the left were the doorways to each bedroom. We examined each one. The three rooms were average sized, but each had their own bed, dresser, and closet.

  “This is nice, isn’t it, Emily?”

  “Yeah, this is great.”

  “The laundry room is across the hall. The washer is broken, so I just get my clothes done at the laundromat.”

  “That’s what we are doing now anyway.” We walked back upstairs.

  “Wait till you taste the nanny’s pot roast. She’s a really good cook. And she uses the table in the dining room here to teach the boys to read. But I think what your daughter will like is. . .” He opened back up the front door and walked around the side of the house. Emily and I followed.

  “I think she will love this.” Steve took us around the corner. It was adorable. The pathway led to a little pastel house the size of a large shed. The outside was decorated with lollipops and painted as if it were the original gingerbread house.

  “This is the best part,” he continued, showing us inside. He turned on the light and the faucet. It had electricity and running water! There were stacked wood bunk beds and a little table and chairs.

  “Jess is going to love this.”

  “I wish I had one of these when I was a kid,” Emily added.