by King, Imani
“That can’t possibly be for me.”
“It is.”
“No,” I shook my head furiously.
“It belonged to my mother. She wanted me to give it to the woman I would eventually marry. Vivian knows this. If we’re doing this, it has to be ironclad, Destiny.”
“I can’t take this ring. This isn’t real.”
“It has to be real. You have to wear it. You need to believe it, I need to believe it. For one week, we have to be head over heels soon to be newlyweds.”
The thought really messed with my head.. I had always dreamed of that day. I had those doll house fantasies of a beautiful wedding and the man I would marry. I wanted to love and desire the man who would be the father of my children.
He was asking me to pretend to feel that way about him.
Strangely, it didn’t sound that hard.
Yet, with that kind of money on the line, I needed to stay professional at the same time. I didn’t want to endanger him and his daughter anymore than I had to.
He slipped the ring on my fingers. Instead of a symbol of our future union, it felt like lead.
Only one week. It really should have been easy. This was business.
I had to keep telling myself that.
Chapter 7
Destiny
The ring wouldn’t stop nagging at me. I completely understood what Miles was doing. I’d heard all the nonsense about needing two parents to raise a child properly. A lot of my friends had come from non-nuclear families and they were some of the best people I knew. Yet some kids with two living and active parents had ended up neurotic once they left home. People were going to be people. The support of both parents helped, but the lack of one parent didn’t determine that the child would never become a good person.
Still, appearances were everything. Vivian had enough money to wage this guerrilla war of finance against Miles. It didn’t matter that he loved Ashley and would do just fine as a single parent. To bolster his case, Miles needed someone to fulfill that mother role.
There was a knock on my door. Light, not too powerful. I pulled myself up. I had hoped to hide and avoid everyone for the upcoming week unless I absolutely needed to appear in public. I couldn’t exactly vanish from Miles and Ashley though, no matter how much I wanted to. I opened the door, and as I suspected, it was Ashley.
“Destiny, you wanna come ride horses with me?”
I blinked, and shook my head. “No, no, I’ve had enough exposure to horses for the.... decade. Let’s go with decade.”
“Are you still afraid?”
“Yes. Terrified.”
“Why?”
“Um... I guess because I grew up in the city. I’m not used to anything bigger than a dog.”
“That’s not a good reason to be afraid of Starlite.”
“It’s not, but it’s not really something I think I’m up for.”
“Come on. Daddy and I are going riding. I want you to come with us.”
Then she noticed the ring.
“Ooo. Pretty. Who gave you this shiny ring?”
A chill went down my spine. Was I supposed to relay this lie to her too? Did I clue her in on it? How did I explain this to a five-year-old? Would she understand any of this? I pulled my hand away. “I’ll tell you later, okay?” Those words were only to buy me time.
“Okay. You can tell me later... if you go riding with me.”
This kid was clever. Too clever. I smirked. I realized if I was going to spend at least a week here, I definitely should get used to the concept of horses. It would certainly beat freaking out every time I heard one of them whinny.
“Alright then. I’ll go riding with you if you don’t ask me any questions about the ring. Ever.”
“Okay, Destiny. You should get ready.”
“What’s the matter with what I’m wearing?” I was wearing a loose sundress, something to laze around in, since I was only expected to keep the place tidy and didn’t have to go full on maid.
“You can’t ride horses in a dress. You need pants and a shirt.”
“Give me a moment to change.” I looked down at her. Ashley wore jeans and cowboy boots and a long sleeved shirt.
“Hurry,” Ashley gave me a quick smile and disappeared down the hallway.
She hadn’t been able to ride in more than a week. I highly doubted her mother indulged her in this hobby.
I closed my door, and dug through my clothes. I didn’t really have anything particularly suitable for this activity. I selected skinny jeans, and a t-shirt. Ashley was wearing something long sleeved. I wished I had a long sleeved shirt as well. I shuddered to think of how I might brush my arms accidently against the horse.
I’d just have to manage.
Footwear was also an issue. I had a set of high heels and sneakers. Both were already filled with dirt from walking around outside, and I quickly saw why boots were the official footwear of the west.
After dressing myself as best I could, I stepped out to meet Ashley.
“You sure you want to go horse riding with that stuff?”
“It’s the best stuff I have.”
“It’s okay. We’ll take it easy so you don’t get hurt. Come on!” She cheered, running ahead. I just sighed and picked up the pace behind her. This girl definitely found her passion and she found it fast.
Coming out to the fields, Miles was already out there, taking Starlite out of the stable, and saddling her up with lots of extra restraints. No matter how much he taught her, she was still a little girl, and his little girl for that matter, so I half expected him to stuff Ashley into a full suit of armor before letting her ride.
Miles caught sight of me. “She managed to rope you in, huh?”
“She’s clever,” I replied. “Really clever.”
He looked down at my legs. “I didn’t know they made tights out of denim.”
“They’re skinny jeans.”
“I guess they are. I like what I’m seeing.”
I shook my head, amused by his nonsense.
“I need to take you into Cheyenne and get you some real outdoors-wear. You can’t be dressed like you’re going out for a night on the town on a horse.”
“This is hardly night on the town clothing.”
“Then I want to see what is.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
I just shook my head. “I’ll cope with this for now. So, how’s your experience in teaching people how not to fall off these things?”
“I taught Ashley and Vivian. A few other folks.”
“No certification?”
He laughed, and approached me, putting his hands on my shoulders. “Trust me, you’ll be fine.”
Miles definitely had a way of soothing me. “Okay.”
“I got the perfect horse for a novice city slicker like yourself.”
“Are you going to make her ride Mildred, Daddy?” Ashley piped up.
“Mildred seems like just the horse for Destiny, sweetcake.”
Ashley ran ahead again, and Miles followed right behind her. They stood outside a stall and opened Mildred’s gate. She was a horse with a dull coat of gray, she looked old and weary.
“Mildred here is a rescue.”
“What, like a dog?” I said.
“Her owner was about to send her to the proverbial glue factory, I caught wind of this, bought her up, and brought her here. The old mare still has some pep to her, even if well... she’s old. She’s about twenty five. That’s good and silver for a horse.”
“You sure she should be ridden then?” Oddly, I was hoping they didn’t have a horse for me but Miles had a full stable of horses.
“She’s healthy now that she’s had good care. She’ll love a good gallop. Horses can get a bit stir crazy, just like humans. They like to earn their keep to really be happy.”
Tepidly, the horse left her stall as Miles led her out.
“Ol’ Mildred isn’t going to give you any surprises. She’s the perfect horse to learn on. You’re not goin
g to win any races, but Mildred is calm and sure footed.”
He tossed a saddle on her, did some technical stuff I had no idea how to describe, and then offered me his hand.
I took it, and he helped me climb onto the horse. “Get your feet in the stirrups. It’s the first step in getting your balance.”
True to his word, old Mildred stayed steady, as if she were used to inexperienced riders. Me? I was still shaking. Sure, I was only about four feet off the ground, but a lot of stuff can happen in four feet.
While I was struggling to stay on the world’s calmest horse, Ashley had a step ladder and was already on top of Starlite and rode her out of the stall with complete confidence.
“How on earth is she doing that?”
“I’ve been teaching her for a year, and she’s loved it the entire time. If she wanted you to come, she clearly wants to share her favorite hobby with you.”
“I don’t know, I still expect her to buck me off and trample my face in.”
“Mildred? No.” He laughed as he shook his head. He took the reins and started to lead Mildred, with me on top of her.
I held on for dear life.
“You know a horse can tell if you are scared.”
“But I can’t help it.”
“Relax, Destiny. I’m not going to let the mean old mare brutally kill you. Everything’s going to be all right.” He flashed me a grin. Sure, he meant it in humor, but I could tell that he wanted to calm me down.
He led me along a little faster, still no faster than his walking speed.
“Just get the feel of it. To a good horsewoman it feels natural, like Mildred’s legs were your own.”
While I was timidly being led around like a five-year-old, the actual five-year-old was already galloping around the perimeter of the ranch.
“How long did it take Ashley to get the hang of it?”
“One day. But she’s special. Young people learn quickly, and she took to it like nothing. My little horse riding prodigy.”
I had to admit, I was sort of jealous. She looked to be having the time of her life. Sure, I didn’t think it took much to entertain a five-year-old, but what she was doing looked a heck of a lot more fun than what I was doing.
It also looked a heck of a lot more terrifying.
“Breathe, Destiny. You’re too tense. Don’t scare Mildred.”
“Sorry, sorry. I think I’m getting the hang of it.”
“Can I let go of the reins yet?”
I looked down at him and gave him the meanest look I could muster. “Don’t you dare.”
Chapter 8
Destiny
The ride lasted awhile, eventually I reached a point where I didn’t need Miles to guide the horse to prevent me from having a panic attack.
Of course, the good times couldn’t last forever. Again, Miles got called to Cheyenne for more bureaucratic nonsense, so I was left alone with Ashley once more.
In one day, she’d taken a one-eighty on me. I guess she didn’t have a lot of friends out here, and being shuffled back and forth didn’t exactly open her up to plenty of play-date opportunities
I shared a frozen pizza with her for lunch. Cheese, because of course, she’s five.
We were finishing our meal when she leaned in over the table. “Hey, Destiny.”
“What’s up?”
“You wanna see a secret?”
“Hmm?”
“I got a secret room full of clothes. You said you didn’t have much. Maybe you can find some there.”
I laughed. “Sure, I’ll see it.” I doubted I would find anything. I wasn’t a big woman by any means, but I wasn’t going to fit in Ashley’s clothes either.
Again, she bolted up, took me by the hand, and started to pull me along. I wondered if I was supposed to be her new step-mother if it was wise to be her best friend too.
I stopped my thoughts for a moment. I wasn’t going to be her step-mother. The engagement was a farce. Sure, Miles was one hell of a handsome man who I wanted to see a lot more of. But after all this was over, I doubted he would want to marry me. It was more likely that he would loathe me.
Ashley led me off to some corner of the house I hadn’t been to yet. I had minded my own business and didn’t go snooping around. This house contained more space than a father and daughter really needed.
Miles had mentioned that he wanted to pass the house down. Possibly he wanted a bigger family than just Ashley too.
“In here, in here!” She called. I walked into what was most definitely a woman’s room. The colors, the mirrors, it all was pretty self-evident. The bed was made, and the room felt utterly un-lived in.
“Who’s room was this?”
“My Mommy’s. She left all this stuff behind when she and Daddy got into a fight.”
“She didn’t take any of this stuff with her?”
“I asked her and she said it was all garbage. She’s wrong though. There’s treasure here!”
“Treasure?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah! Over here!”
She was standing in front of an open wardrobe, peeking her nose in.
“What are you getting into?”
She opened it up, and there was a whole heap of clothes in a pile. They didn’t smell like they were dirty, just stale and unused which matched the emptiness of the room. “We can play dress up! There’s lots of good stuff in here, Mommy bought more stuff than she ever needed. Or used. But now we can play with them!”
“We?”
“You wanna play dress-up too don’t you?”
“I don’t know.” I picked up the clothes. This woman had the oddest taste in fashion. Everything from Hawaiian shirts to overly elaborate dresses. Did Miles just give her an open checkbook to spend with or something?
“I like this one,” Ashley said, grabbing an evening gown. “It’s shiny.”
It was a gaudy yellow green. “You going to put it on?” I said, raising an eyebrow.
“You bet!”
She threw it over her head. It trailed on the ground due to her lack of height, and looked silly since she was still wearing her t-shirt and shorts. She didn’t care though. She stood at the mirror and started to dance. She thought she looked fantastic, and I wasn’t going to be the one to tell her otherwise.
“You going to put anything on, Destiny?”
I guess I was following the Ashley school of style. I found a bright red Hawaiian shirt. It looked like some eye searing nonsense the loudmouthed chef Guy Fieri would wear. I stepped in front of the mirror, doing the buttons, trying to look as professional as I possibly could.
“You gonna dance with me, Destiny?”
“Hmm? I’m not really wearing a dancing shirt.”
“What’s the point of playin’ dress-up if you’re not going to dance? It’s part of playin’ dress-up!”
Part of me wanted to argue the rules of dress-up, but then I remembered it’s not so much a game as being silly and that she’s five. She probably makes up all sorts of weird rules if she thinks it’ll let her have more fun.
So I went along with it. I did the most awful dance I could think of to go with this awful, awful shirt. It made Ashley laugh so I guess in this game, I was winning.
“Do you know how to do the fancy dance stuff, Destiny?”
My mind flashed back to the damned metal pole which was too often my workplace. I shook my head, knowing she was far too innocent to suggest that.
“Like in the ball rooms at weddings and stuff?”
“Oh sure. I, um, went to school for it for awhile.” A half truth. I mean, I was taught, but I hardly would say I went to school for it.
“You can go to school for dancing?” It looked like I just blew her young mind.
“You need to be really good to do it. It’s a lot of hard work and practice.” I didn’t know of many women more hardcore than the few ballerinas I’d met. That stuff seemed more injury-prone than the NFL.
“Maybe I can go. Can I ride horses while I’m danc
ing?”
“Um, I guess?” I shrugged. It seemed obvious, but I was going to tolerate it. She’s a kid.
“Fun! Let’s dance, Destiny!”
She took my hand, and I decided to just roll with it. I tried to lead her with a bit of a waltz, trying to recall the sort of things I’d seen in movies. She spun around and had to side step around the trailing dress that threatened to entangle her feet.
I took her and leaned her back in a very G-rated version of the tango. She was having the time of her life. Her happiness was contagious too. I could forget what I was, if only for a moment. I started to see why Miles adored her so much, and suddenly couldn’t understand her mother’s neglect.
Sometimes though, no matter how clear your mind is, all it takes is a moment for reality to come screaming back at you.
“Nice to see someone is getting some use out of her ridiculous wardrobe,” a masculine voice suddenly piped up.
I looked over and saw Miles as I was dancing with Ashley.
I’m a stripper and I was dancing with his daughter.
I almost outright dropped Ashley, but I caught myself, and set her down, trying to look innocent.
“What’s the matter? You weren’t doing anything wrong,” he observed.
If he only knew. “Do you always have to sneak up on me like that? What are you, some sort of ninja?”
“I’m sentimental, I’ll admit it. I love moments like this. You seem to be a little factory in producing them with my daughter. I just wanted to enjoy the show from afar.”
“Daddy, do you like my dress?” Ashley said, showing off the puke green evening gown.
“It’s very pretty on you. You wear it well, sweetcake.”
She laughed.
I just wanted to vanish into thin air. He didn’t know I was a stripper. He didn’t know anything about me. He had only been completely and utterly kind to me.
“So, I was seeing that you were trying to do some fancy moves there.” He said, approaching me, and looking me in the eye with that oh so seductive glare of his. “But I noticed you were struggling a bit due to the size of your partner.”
