A Stranger Like You

by Milan Watson

  She pulled into the parking lot at the motel, slipped on her oversized sunglasses to hide her swollen eyes, grabbed her overnight bag and headed to the small reception office.

  “Hi, I’d like a room for one, please,” Ali said as soon as she closed the door behind her.

  The young girl behind the counter chewed on her gum a few more times, eyeing Ali from top to bottom before she spoke. “The rate’s on the board behind me, I need cash up-front.”

  Ali nodded, checked the board and dug in her purse for the right amount.

  The gum-chewing girl blew a large pink bubble. A musky scent drifted over to Ali as the bubble popped with a loud snap.

  “Here’s your key. Be out by ten.”

  Ali nodded and grabbed the key. She dragged her bag along until she reached the room with the number on the key.

  She nearly barfed.

  The room smelled of industrial disinfectant, truck stop floral air freshener and a mustiness that no air freshener could disguise.

  As a fresh wave of tears tumbled down her cheeks, she dragged the bag inside and slammed the door behind her. Ali made her way to the bathroom, undressing as she went. She surveyed the hygiene of the bath and decided it would do.

  She ran herself a hot bath and sat there crying until her tears dried up. By the time the water turned cold there was a pounding at her door. No one knew she was there, so she ignored it.

  Bubblegum-girl could go chew her gum and leave Ali in peace.

  The pounding continued long enough that Ali’s head started to throb. She stood up in the bath, agitated. “Keep your pants on! I’m coming.”

  Grabbing a thin washed through towel from the hook, she wrapped it around her body and headed for the door.

  As she pulled it open a foot wedged the door open. “Now I’m going to have my say,” Gabe said, pushing the door wide and moving into the room.”

  Anger short circuited through Ali as she watched him invade her privacy. “You don’t have a say, Gabe. Get out.”

  Gabe’s sky blue eyes turned a stormy navy blue as he moved towards her. “Either you’re going to let me have my say, Ali, or I’m going to make you listen.” The threat was clear in his voice.

  “How did you find me?”

  “I followed you!” Gabe all but shouted. “Shortly after I realized you didn’t hear my side. I’ve been sitting outside in my car for the better part of an hour wondering if I should wait until tomorrow, but I’m done waiting.”

  Ali swallowed the fear that clenched her throat. She wasn’t scared of Gabe, she knew he would never hurt her, but his tone of voice made it evident he was just as angry as she was.

  She moved towards the bed and sat down, focusing intently on holding the towel secured around her body as she studied the stained gray carpet.

  Gabe moved in front of her and kneeled, his hands on her knees. “I didn’t betray you and I didn’t try to steal your inheritance.” His voice still held a rough edge and Ali could feel his eyes on her. “Even before dad died I had my eye on a prime spot of land by the ocean. I told him one afternoon that I’d like to land a big enough project so I could buy that spot and build a home of my own.”

  He pulled what looked like a tube from behind his back and uncapped it. Slowly he drew out what looked like blueprints and laid them down flat on the stained carpet. “When dad died I had these plans drawn up because finally I would be able to purchase the land ... and then you came into my life.”

  Ali huffed. “And screwed up all your tidy little plans.”

  “Yes, you did,” Gabe said without hesitation. “But you didn’t entirely screw them up, Ali, you changed them.”

  Gabe pulled out a second set of prints and laid them down on the floor. “The house was going to be single story with two bedrooms, but for the past few weeks I’ve been redesigning them. I got the plans this morning.”

  Ali didn’t understand blueprints, but she could see the second set boasted a much larger two story house. For the first time she looked up, meeting Gabe’s eyes.

  “I wanted to surprise you, to bring you the plans and find out if you’d like to move in with me, into our own house.”

  Ali wanted to believe it was true, but how could she be sure? “Gabe, you used the house as security, without consulting me.”

  “I know, I planned on discussing it with you tonight. The assessor just threw a spanner in the works. I want us to sell the house, Ali. I know it holds a lot of memories for me, but Abe liked the beach. He would want us to be happy, and I’d feel closer to him living on the beach. I wanted to make sure I could do it before I proposed it to you. But I’m proposing it now. Stay Ali ... stay in Wilmington and build a home and a life with me.”

  Ali searched his eyes for doubt or lies and found none; she only saw her own emotions reflected. She hesitantly framed his face with her hands.

  “I love you, Ali.” Gabe smiled and rubbed his cheek against her hand.

  “I love you too, Gabe.” Ali leaned in and kissed him slowly enough to kindle the heat, but also thorough enough to leave him in no doubt as to her feelings. She pulled away, smiling seductively. “One condition.”

  “Anything.” Gabe smiled.

  “We still do pizza Fridays.”

  Gabe laughed as pulled Ali into his arms. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  THE END

  Did you enjoy this book? Please leave a quick review and spread the word on either Goodreads or Amazon

  (Want some more? Keep reading for A FREE PREVIEW OF BRIDE ON THE RUN.)

  BRIDE ON THE RUN

  Sometimes running is the only answer...

  Sarah Rothman has been leading the life of a southern debutante, until her perfect world comes crashing down. Running from her wedding along with her parents’ expectations she finds herself in Maine. Sarah starts working at Oak Cottages, earning her own money for the first time in her life, vowing not be distracted by anyone or anything, until she meets Caleb Sullivan.

  Caleb Sullivan, renowned writer and playboy is a frequent guest at Oak Cottages, which to him is his writing haven. When he meets Sarah he vows to disregard the attraction he feels for her and to focus on his latest bestseller. Still overcoming the pain from losing his fiancée, he tries to lose himself in his writing to ignore the sparks that fly whenever Sarah is near.

  But when Sarah’s life is threatened, both Caleb and Sarah are forced to acknowledge the feelings they have for each other.

  Will Sarah learn to trust again?

  Can Caleb let go of the pain of the past and fall in love again?

  Keep reading the first few chapters FREE.

  ONE

  THE dress was stifling. The undergarment stuck to her body like a second skin. The temperature didn’t help. It was the last heat wave of summer; this amount of layers should be outlawed in summer, she thought.

  The car wouldn’t go fast enough. She had to get away. She felt sweat trickle down from the mass of golden curls that were expertly piled on her head; held there by bobby pins and copious amounts of hairspray; which in itself was a fire hazard.

  She only needed to get to the next town. She had a plan; the first part of it was going to be humiliating, but at least she had a plan. Her own plan. Luckily she had the forethought to fill the tank with gas yesterday; otherwise her impromptu strategy wouldn’t have worked out so well. She’d been driving for four hours; she was hungry, uncomfortable and tired of the curious stares aimed her way from others on the highway.

  A sign indicated Wilmington was only ten miles away; this would be her first stop. As she cruised into town she spotted a secondhand car dealer and, drawing in a deep breath, she pulled up. This would be the humiliating part.

  As she opened the door she could smell the freshness of a sea breeze. It smelt different in Wilmington than it did in Savannah. Somehow it was not as stifling. She started by tugging out the dress, then shifting her legs out, and finally she stood. Stares were directed her way from passersby, curious and amus
ed. She reached into the cubbyhole for her purse and closed the door, ignoring the onlookers. As she turned around a salesman approached her.

  “Can I help you, ma’am?”

  The man was in his late forties, with a balding patch and tufts of brown hair sticking out from behind his ears. She could immediately tell the suit was thrift store, but he seemed kind. She needed kind right now.

  “Yes, please. I’d like to sell you my car at a reasonable price, and take one of these,” and she waved her hand indicating to the budget range of sedans in the lot, “off your hands.”

  “Is something wrong with your car, ma’am?” he asked, concerned.

  “No, nothing is wrong, I simply need something less ...” Her voice trailed off. How did she explain this without offending the cars he sold? “Something simpler.”

  “Certainly. You can call me Hank.” He held out his hand, and offered her a friendly smile.

  “Sarah Rothman.” She shook his hand. It was firm and soft.

  As he led her into his office, she was glad he hadn’t yet mentioned her attire, or questioned her request. His office was small, and smelt of stale coffee, doughnuts and lemon polish.

  He indicated where she could have a seat, and went to sit behind an old scuffed desk. On it were pictures of two teenagers, a girl and a boy, and a middle-aged woman. Sarah took this to be his wife and children. Somehow she felt comfortable with this stranger; she took a deep breath, knowing she wanted to explain her decision to him.

  “You must be wondering why I’m wearing a wedding dress.” She gave a cynical laugh.

  Hank smiled kindly. “Well, the thought has crossed my mind, but I thought you’d tell me when you were ready. I guess you’re ready now?”

  “If I didn’t get in my car and start driving four hours ago, I would’ve been Mrs. Elliot by now. But somewhere between getting my hair done and putting on this dress, I realized that’s not what I want.” She folded her hands in her lap and looked down at her perfectly manicured nails.

  “Couldn’t you just explain that to the groom?” Hank enquired.

  “Yes, yes I could. But the problem isn’t the groom, it’s our parents, as this is more a merger of two families than a love match, and they wouldn’t listen to reason. So I need to disappear for a while until they realize this wedding isn’t going to happen.” It felt good, Sarah thought. Saying it out loud didn’t make her feel so horrible for leaving without explaining it to Grant. She knew deep down he felt the same. Boxed into a corner with no other choice.

  Hank nodded, and didn’t voice an opinion; he could see from the determination in her blue eyes she would’ve ignored his views, so he decided to rather help her. “So how can I help you disappear?”

  “I can’t use any of my credit cards, or my father will track me down. He’s good at finding people. The car outside is paid for. If you can buy it from me at a reasonable price, I can buy something cheaper yet reliable and still have enough money left to get by for a few months.” Sarah started fiddling with her watch; what if Hank didn’t want to buy the car?

  “Well, we don’t normally purchase Porsches ...” His gaze went past her to the fire engine red Porsche Cayman GTS looking very out of place in his lot. “There isn’t really a market in Wilmington to re-sell them, but let me make a couple of calls and see what I can do. Would you like to maybe get out of that dress while I do that?”

  “I’d love to, but as I left in a hurry I have nothing with me except my purse.” An ironic smile crossed her face.

  “My daughter left her bag here this morning on her way to the mall. She’s going to a sleepover tonight.” Hank looked Sarah up and down. “You look about her size; see if you can’t find something in there.”

  Hank reached under the table and passed Sarah a flowery tote.

  “But what about your daughter? What will you tell her?”

  “Don’t worry about her, she has enough clothes to clothe half of Wilmington, go on now.” He pushed the bag into Sarah’s waiting hands. “You’ll find a ladies room around the corner.”

  She thanked him and made her way there, clutching the tote to her chest. Entering the ladies room, she found an empty cubicle and she set it down, catching sight of herself in the mirror.

  Bright blue eyes looked back at her, framed with a few of the golden curls that escaped the pins. The bulk of her hair was taken up and decorated with little blooms of baby breath.

  The dress, which she didn’t choose herself, fit her perfectly. She had never been extremely thin, but had always been comfortable with her curves. The dress was strapless and the bodice clung to her breasts, accentuating their size. It clocked out from the waist down to form a beautiful silhouette. Though it was wrinkled from the driving, it was still brand new. She decided to keep it; she might be able to sell it later if she needed more money.

  Sarah found a pair of skinny jeans, a Daytona t-shirt and a grey hoodie in the duffel bag. She barely spared a second glance for the sexy lingerie or the short mini skirt in the bag; obviously Hank’s daughter had more than a sleepover planned. She smiled to herself as she dressed.

  Amazingly it fit. The t-shirt clung to her skin, she would need to get another one soon, but she simply slipped the hoodie on and zipped it up. She poked about in the bag for shoes, and found a pair of sneakers a size too big but better than the high heels. Bundling up her wedding dress and the three inch heels, she grabbed the tote and headed back to Hank’s office.

  When she entered, Hank was still on a call. She carefully placed the bag next to his table, and put her dress in the chair and looked at Hank expectantly. He indicated she could sit in the other chair while he finished up.

  After a few minutes Hank hung up the phone, scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to her. “That is what I can give you for your car. I know it’s a lot less than what you originally paid for it two years ago, but that’s the best deal I can find today.”

  Sarah looked down at the piece of paper, looking completely baffled. “But ...”

  “As I said,” Hank explained, “we don’t normally acquire these types of luxury vehicles. I have a friend out of state that does. So he said I can buy it on his behalf and he’ll wire you the money tomorrow morning. I know you said cash, so I asked him to wire the money directly to me, and then you can pick it up in cash in the morning?” He looked at her expectantly, waiting for an indication of her thoughts regarding his suggestion.

  Sarah stared at the piece of paper he handed her, dumbfounded by the amount, when she realized he was waiting for her to speak. “Hank, thank you for your trouble. And of course I understand this is the best you can do. It’s more than I expected. I’ll take it!”

  Hank smiled and offered his hand to seal the deal. “So what do you say we go pick out one of those reliable babies I’ve got on the floor out there?”

  Sarah laughed and followed him outside. After much consideration, and debating options, she decided on a nondescript grey sedan. Hank promised her it was reliable and if it gave her any troubles in the following six months, he would gladly pay for repairs.

  After signing the paperwork, he offered the keys.

  “You can’t give me the keys, Hank, I haven’t even paid yet.”

  “Don’t worry, you’ll be a flush woman in the morning,” Hank laughed. “Anyway, I didn’t think you’d like to spend a night in Wilmington driving around in that conspicuous monstrosity you have.”

  At Hank’s description of her car, Sarah couldn’t help but laugh as well. “Of course not. Thank you.” She took the keys from him and picked up her purse. “Hank, can I ask one last favor of you?” Sarah looked at him questioningly. “Could you maybe borrow me money for a motel for tonight?”

  Hank reached into his back pocket, and handed her some notes.

  “Here you go, little lady. You can find a decent motel not too far up the road on the left. Come by tomorrow around nine a.m., and we’ll get you on your way.”

  Sarah thanked him and walked tow
ards her new grey sedan. As she climbed behind the steering wheel, she felt as if she was finally in control of her own life.

  TWO

  THE following morning Sarah woke up disoriented. It took her a few minutes to realize where she was, and why she was there. She then took a quick shower and dressed in Hank’s daughter’s clothes again; her only other option was the wedding gown.

  There was some cash left over after paying for the motel and she decided to stop by thrift store on her way to Hank. She needed another pair of jeans and a few shirts and clean underwear. As soon as the paperwork was sorted this morning, she wanted to stay on the road for as long as possible, putting as much distance between herself and her former life.

  She met Hank at the exact time agreed to, and swiftly signed the agreement. Hank gave her a briefcase with the cash inside for her car, then handed her an invoice for the grey sedan.

  “That can’t be right,” Sarah queried. “This is much less than the price that was on the hood yesterday afternoon.”

  “It’s not that much less, and I acquired her for a bargain. I think you’re going to need that money if you’re planning on disappearing for some time.

  “Thank you, Hank, but you’ve been more than kind enough.” Sarah counted off the bills she owed for the car, paying the hood price and the loan, and gave him a few hundred more.

  “What’s this for?” Hank asked, surprised. “That money’s not going to get you far, if you give it away so freely.”

  “You’ve helped me; you lent money to a stranger, gave her your daughter’s clothes, and paid all the bank fees on drawing this amount of cash. It’s only fair.”

  Hank saw her determination and realized there was no quibbling over her decision. He took her hands in his. “Thank you.” Tonight he would take his wife out to the new Steak Ranch in town.