Bought by the Boss

Chapter 2

Allana headed for Fultondale, took all the money out of the ATM that it would allow, and paid a bored looking night manager for a night at a flea bag motel with a red sign. The people outside scared her so she went straight to her room, turning every lock on the door and climbed into the dirty bed still fully clothed. She went to sleep trying to ignore the sounds through the paper-thin walls.

The next morning she woke with a smile on her face. That quickly disappeared as she saw a roach crawl across the wall. She shuddered. She could not shower in this place. With that thought in mind she made her way back to the office and checked out.

Allana decided to start from scratch so she headed to Hoover to quit her job. Daddy could find her there. She hated that job anyway.

To say my boss was shocked was an understatement. She had worked there since she was 18 and she had never so much as missed a day of work. So the idea of her quitting with no notice was unthinkable to her. She tried to talk her into staying till they could find an adequate replacement, but that was not going to happen. It was time for a change.

She left the office feeling lighter. She found a rent by the week place near the city. It was certainly nothing fancy, but as the clerk at the front desk handed her a key and a business card with the number 213 on it she could not contain the bubble of excitement that welled up inside her. With a huge grin on her face, she let herself in the room, locked the door behind herself and started opening cabinets and drawers, planning a shopping trip.

She decided she would go to a staffing agency on Monday. With a small list written on a scrap of paper she found in her purse, she headed to the store. She went to Aldi and very aware that her money would be gone faster than she wanted she bought sandwich fixings, soup, eggs, milk, tea, pasta and a few kitchen staples like salt and pepper. From there she went to the dollar store and bought things for her kitchen.

She went back home, put away her purchases and unpacked. Sitting on the sofa, she allowed the enormity of what she had done to wash over her. She had left. After all the years of abuse, years of hearing how useless and lazy, keeping quiet about what was happening at home, losing every friend she had ever had, she was finally free. Finally, in a place she didn't have to be scared walking into after a long day. Finally, the bruises could heal and be gone without the addition of new ones.

Feeling the need to celebrate Allana decided to go to a bar. She had never been to a bar, or a club, or prom or a movie after her mother died and she wanted to experience it all.

Running through the shower she decided to wear one of the two skirts she owned. Skirts were for whores who wanted to leave easy access to their dirty cunts according to her father. She smiled to herself, feeling the thrill of rebellion travel through her body. The one she picked was a blue maxi skirt with white flowers, and she paired it with a white blouse and some pink lip gloss. Now that she wasn't at her father's, she would have to invest in some makeup. Pinching her cheeks for color, she headed out the door without much of a clue where to go.

She ended up at The Pink Gorilla. She loved it immediately. The music playing over the sound system, all the people, it was a narrow bar that had a hallway feel to it. You came into the narrow entrance that opened up to the bar. Beyond the bar she could see steps that led to what looked like seating areas further into the bar.

It was Friday night, but it was still early, barely nine. So it wasn't over crowded yet, but it was busy. She sat in one of the only empty bar stools. The bartender stopped in front of her. "What'll it be?" He asked while shaking a drink for another person and pouring it into a glass.

"Umm..." She had never drank." A Cosmo." She said, naming the first drink that came to mind.

"Coming up" His eyes had already moved on to a lady in a low cut dress who walked up further down the bar. He walked to get her drink order as he made what she hoped was hers.

"Hey." Said a gravelly voice from my right. I turned to see a man about 30 with a buzz cut and stormy blue eyes. Alarm bells went off in her head.

"Hi." She said hesitantly.

With a cocky smile that she imagined he practiced in the mirror he held out his hand, "I'm Trent".

There was no way to avoid that hand without being rude.

"Allana" she said shaking his hand letting go as quickly as propriety allowed. Scanning the bar she quickly realized there was nowhere else to sit so she resigned herself to her fate.

"I've never seen you here before."

"First time" she replied shortly.

He gave her a knowing smile as the bartender deposited her drink in front of her on a little napkin. "Let me guess, breakup."

"What? Oh, no. Nothing like that. I quit my job today." She said unsure why she felt the need to justify her drink to him. She took a tentative sip of her drink hoping that would end the conversation. Damn that's good.

"Well, then it sounds like a celebration is in order."

"What do you think I'm doing?" Holding up her glass before taking another sip.

"It looks like you're wallowing to me."

"Maybe," she nodded, "but I'm okay with that. Thank you."

They chit-chatted off and on as she finished her first drink, then he insisted on buying her another. He seemed overly interested in her despite her attempts to be left alone. Unfortunately, her southern upbringing would not allow her to be outright rude to him.

"So you moved out of your father's house and quit your job all in one day?"

"Yep," she shrugged, giggling. She was feeling kind of weird. She had only had two drinks, but she had never drank before so she figured she was drunk.

"Sounds like you're running."

"Not anymore," she said grabbing her purse, when had it gotten so hot. "I'm gonna go." She said getting up grabbing the back of the stool as the bar started spinning.

"I'll walk you out," Trent said grabbing her arm firmly. She tried to shake him off but as the bar spun more she grabbed him for support.

The cool night air hit her face and the Earth spun on its axis. Is this what being drunk was supposed to feel like, was her last though as she saw the smug look on Trent's face and the world went black.