Forced Match

(2)

When I enter my brand new home I'm not greeted by my beloved hubby, but instead by a girl who looks around the same age as me. She has dark hair that's tied up in a bun along with dark skin. She's gorgeous. I've always been jealous of people with darker skin tones because I'm pale to the point it's almost sickly. For some strange reason, I can't tan; I burn. Curse naturally tan people! Her green eyes grow wide as her eyes finally focus to mine and she tries to disguise the surprise on her face.

"You're Allison Blanche?" Her petite figure shifts nervously.

"Alice Blanche." I correct her. Only my mom calls me by my real name, even though she knows I hate it when she does. She especially likes to use it when I've done something I shouldn't. Typical mother. "Oh wait, I guess my last name is Jordan now huh?" I let out a huge breath. "It's the hair isn't it?" I ask.

"Pardon?"

"You were expecting someone much more sophisticated than me." I flash her a smile. "My hair used to be long and mousy brown. When my parents announced that I was going to marry Memphis I cut my luxurious long hair short, and dyed it red as an act of retaliation. If you can't tell, it didn't work." My parents used to fawn over my hair so I thought cutting it off would at least show them how serious I was about not marrying Memphis.

"Oh." The girl giggles while covering her mouth. Like laughing is something to be ashamed of. She motions me into the gigantic house and helps me carry in my luggage.

"So your name is?" I ask.

"Oh!" She winces. "Sorry, I'm Samantha...the maid." She looks like a scared little mouse. I feel sorry for her. Did Memphis make her this way?

"Sam suits you better and let's just call you the house cleaner. I don't like this "maid" title." Sam looks even more surprised than when she first saw me at the door. "You're going to be my new best friend!" I laugh aloud.

"Um....Allison..."

"Alice." I correct her for the second time.

"Alice, I don't think that's my job." She shifts nervously. At least she sort of speaks her mind.

"Who cares? Memphis doesn't like women right? So therefore he's obviously not going to like you or me. Us girls need to stick together." I throw an arm around her shoulders which causes her whole body to jump and she accidentally drops one of my bags. She motions to pick it up but I beat her to it.

"You're not what I pictured. That's a good thing!" She shows me her first smile. She leads me upstairs to my room. It shouldn't even be called a room; it's almost the size of a small house. I suddenly feel very tiny and anxious. I feel alone.

"Is something wrong?" Sam touches my shoulder. I appreciate the gesture. Her doing this makes me know that we'll be amazing friends.

I sit on the bed and she does the same. I then throw myself back violently. She doesn't do this but carefully lays down beside me.

"This house is so huge for only two people. Are you living here too?"

"I have the option to but..."

"Please stay here!" I turn my head to face her. "We'll have so much fun, it'll be like living with a roommate! I don't want to be stuck here with Memphis alone. He'll probably ignore me anyways and I have a fear of...." I pause to find the right word. Only one comes to mind. "Jerks."

Sam bursts into a blinding smile and we both enter a laughing fit. I'm glad she bought that. Not that I'm not scared of jerks who isn't? Unless you know how to fight then there no need to hid what you're thinking about them. If they mess with you they'll regret it. My real fear lies within being left alone.

Note to self: Google what "the fear of being alone" is called.

"Sure I'll stay!" Giggle. "How could I leave you here with HIM!" She emphasizes. I'm glad that she's more relaxed with me now.

"Thanks Sammy!" I hug her and she returns it. "How is it that in this day and age that I'm the one that had to get a Marriage of Convenience!?" I say the last part in a high and mighty tone making fun of the synonym.

"I take it you Googled Arranged Marriage."

"I had to find all the different ways to make fun of the word. I mean, I had to find some way to brighten up the situation. Making fun of it seemed like the best approach."

"You're strange." She eyes me suspiciously but I can see a secret smile within her eyes.

"And you're seriously tiny. How old are you anyways?" I question.

"Twenty one."

"You're kidding! You look younger than that but with confidence you'd look more you're age. What did Memphis do to you?"

"Nothing." She quickly says but then rolls her eyes. "He's like a barking dog. Go do this! Go do that! I know I'm considered the "help" but I'm still a person. I figured you'd be the same way but thankfully you're not."

We make several trips to my car and back up to my bedroom. This would've went a lot faster if a certain someone would've helped but he seems to like playing the MIA card...not that I expected him to care about me, but Memphis could've helped out. He doesn't have to ignore my very presence.

Anyways, after four long hours, Sam and I have finally transformed my neat and foreign room into a place were an actual human being could live. We replaced the soft pink sheets of my bed with blue/purple spotted ones. We gathered all eleven of my wonderfully colorful pillows and scattered them across my bed....and floor. We threw out the expensive looking figurines and doilies, replacing them with makeup, every hair product known to womenkind and wine glasses (I collect them). I set up my own personal bookcase while Sam put my clothes in the closet and then we collapsed downstairs in the kitchen while drinking coffee.

"To be completely honest I was dreading this job but now that you're actually normal and fun, I'm thrilled for what's next to come." Sam chugs her coffee in one go. I, on the other hand, am staring deeply into the dark liquid unable to see my reflection.

"How long is Memphis going to stay locked up in his room? I know that we're only married because we were forced to but that doesn't mean he has a right to act like I don't exist. I still haven't even seen him in person."

Sam chokes on her second cup of coffee. She blushes but continues with what she was about to say.

"You've never met him? How's that possible? You had a wedding didn't you?"

I shake my head lifting my eyes to her perfectly shaded face. "The plan was that we'd both meet each other when we sighed the marriage agreement. The day that we were supposed to finally see each other, he bailed. I went to sigh the papers and his half was already sighed. He refused to see me." I chuckle. "He really is a whimp."

"Maybe it's a good thing that you didn't see him then. You said so yourself, you have a fear of jerks."

As fate would have it Memphis just so happened to be the biggest one in history.

Yep, Sam and I are going to be wonderful friends in this house of horrors.