The Impostor, A Love Story

A Love Story

by

Tiffany Carmouche

Table of Contents

COPYRIGHT

A Love Story

Tiffany Carmouche

©2012 Copyright Tiffany Carmouche

*This is a work of fiction. Elements inspired
by a true story.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may
be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means,
including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the
case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews
–without permission in writing from the author.

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hard work of this author.

Copyright ©2012 Tiffany Carmouche

Published by C&C Legacy

Cover Design by Earthly Charms

Interior Design by Benjamin Carrancho

Copy Editing by Snadra Udall

Author Photo by Creative Flows

To find more about Tiffany Carmouche

Web Page:
http://www.tiffanycarmouche.com

Author Page:
http://www.facebook.com/TiffanyCarmoucheAuthor

Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15747559-the-impostor

Email:
[email protected]

Twitter://twitter.com/tiffcarmouche

Next book in series Obsession and Sacrifice
http://tinyurl.com/c7xrpe2

To my beautiful daughters Rochelle and
Martina,

There is no way for me to express the love,
the pride, the respect, and the pure joy, I have in the two of you.
You have given my life meaning and hope in dark times, and filled
me with happiness with our “coffee time” talks! (Which is any hour
of the day, and sometimes doesn’t involve coffee-the only thing
important is that we are together.) Watching the two of you grow
into the amazing young ladies you have become has been such an
honor. I am so proud of who you are and all you strive for. You are
my best friends. You are my life.

Rochelle- My Blue Eyed Princess. When you
were born, I had no idea how I was going to give you all the things
in life you deserved. Escaping to Alaska with you is a memory that
will always be etched in my mind. We traveled the world together,
we’ve shed many tears, and we have witnessed the joy that only life
can bring. Everything you have set out to do, not only do you
accomplish—you excel! You are such a blessed therapist, such an
amazing author, and most importantly… such a loving and wonderful
mother. I am so proud of your upcoming novel and so happy you are
pursuing your dreams.

Martina- My Brown Eyed Angel. Your birth
brought new meaning to me. My miracle baby! When the world became
stale—you gave it life. Your fascination with the moon made me
appreciate the beauty in the world again. Your unwavering faith,
your compassion and your amazing talents have been such a blessing
to those who know you. You were born with a song in your heart and
you are such a gifted musician! Please continue pursuing your
passion!

My angels, you have seen that sometimes life
brings darkness and struggles but the strength, the talent, the
love and compassion in each of you is like a beacon. Always shine,
because your light illuminates the world! I am so honored to have
been blessed with the two of you! Dream Big! Laugh Often! And Love
Much!-Mom

“The things I thought were important to me
have somehow been turned upside down,

and all that matters now is you.”

-Dylan Richardson,

The Impostor, A Love
Story
by Tiffany Carmouché

We were on our way. Exhilarating? Yes.
Insane? Absolutely! I shuffled through the airport with my best
friend Emily, both of us lugging our huge suitcases. Emily walked
ahead of me through the terminal. Her light brown hair blanketed
her shoulders, falling halfway down her back. The suitcase she
dragged behind her appeared larger than she was. I smiled at the
sight.

We were both finally old enough to drink, but
the adventure awaiting us intoxicated us even more than our first
shots of tequila.

We checked in and were ready for the
unknown—a little nervous, but really excited. Emily’s brown eyes
lit up. “Nicole, this is the craziest thing we have ever done.” Her
dimples revealed themselves.

“Probably,” I paused. “No, I have to say,
most definitely!”

We soon boarded the plane, and I gazed out
the window. Maryland had been all we’d ever known, and I couldn’t
help thinking about the reason we finally had the nerve to do
something so radical as leave it.

The sound of the engines racing filled my
ears. A tiny shiver prickled up my spine. As the plane lifted off
the horizon, I reminded myself that I was flying away from the
heartache, the regret, and all of the disappointment in my
life.

I glanced at Emily as the clouds washed over
the plane. The sun danced as it illuminated the soft white, and a
smile sprang to my lips. Each beam of light gave me hope.

Staring out the window, I began thinking
about the events that changed my life forever.

I had gone to pick up my daughter, Jessica.
Exhausted, I approached the sitter’s home—the home where my Jessica
spent most of her time. I knocked on the door and waited for Lucia
to open it, inhaling as I tried to
let go
of the stress from the day.

Lucia greeted me and led me to the
playroom.

“Mommy!” My princess was four years old. Her
beautiful dark hair flew behind her, and her blue eyes sparkled as
she ran to jump in my arms. “Mommy, you’re back!” She embraced me,
putting her head on my shoulder. I thanked Lucia and carried Jess
to the car.

When we arrived at our musky basement
apartment, I tried to camouflage how tired I felt. I breathed in.
My Jessica danced around, so happy we were together. She didn’t
seem to notice the water-damaged ceiling the landlord had never
repaired or the horrible plaid sofa that I bought at a yard
sale.

Watching my daughter prance throughout the
room, I noticed that her outfit was getting too tight. I somehow
had to save up and buy her some new clothes, but with what money?
Feeling defeated, I plopped down on the ugly couch and breathed in
slowly. The smell of mildew made my nose twitch instead of relaxing
me. Letting the air out, I stared out the tiny window. Night had
come upon us. Working long hours and weekends had to stop, but I
could barely afford to put gas in my beat-up, secondhand car and
rent a room in this suffocating basement.

After dinner, I lay on Jessica’s bed beside
her, reading
Cinderella
. Her big eyes lit up as I told her
the story of a poor girl finding her prince charming. “And they
lived happily ever after.” I kissed her forehead as the story ended
and tucked the covers tightly around her. I turned off the light,
thinking sadly that love and happy endings only exist in
fairytales.

The next morning I met Raven while sitting in
the crowded Motor Vehicle Administration waiting room. She was my
age, early twenties, and belonged on the cover of a magazine. God
knows how we ever started talking. It might have been the long
wait, the two of us surrounded by sterile walls, and the sea of
people all impatient to get out of there.

The hours dragged by. I’d just met Raven, but
she changed my life forever when she told me where I could make
more money than I ever dreamed.

“Alaska? Raven, that’s where Eskimos live!” I
raised my eyebrows.

“Nicole, you idiot.” Raven laughed at me. Her
long, bleached-blonde hair cascaded around her shoulders,
complementing the form-fitting top and stretch jeans, which
accentuated her curves. Thigh-high boots with four-inch heels
helped her tower over my five-foot frame. Striking. So striking, it
was sickening— a living Barbie doll.

She went on describing Alaska. “They have
cities just like we do here, but most importantly, they have bars.
If you work as a bartender or waitress there, you can make in a
night what you make here in a few weeks.”

The rings that adorned Raven’s perfectly
manicured hands sparkled when she gestured. I thought about how
Jessica needed some new clothes. I didn’t need diamonds, but the
possibility of spending more time with Jess got me thinking.

Alaska
? I graduated from high school a
few years ago and always dreamed of traveling, but I wanted to go
to Italy or someplace exotic. Not Alaska.
Who goes to
Alaska
?

“It’s really cold, isn’t it?”

“So buy a winter coat. There are more men
than women there, and a pretty girl like you could make so much in
tips.”
Pretty?
I blushed at the compliment. I peeked down at
my khaki pants and uniform top, shaking my head.

“I don’t know.”

Raven and I walked out of the MVA
together.

“I can give you the number of the bar I
worked at. They will pay your way there, and you can work off the
airfare. Once you are settled and have a place to stay, you can
have someone bring your daughter. Go for just a month and try it
out. If you hate it, you just come home a lot richer. But I bet you
will want to stay.”

She walked toward her car—get this, a
bright-red Mercedes. I stared at the phone number in my hand.

“Maybe I could,” I began. Then I realized all
the things I’d have to do if I were going to try something so
crazy.

I sighed. I could never go to Alaska.
I’ll
never go anywhere
. I put the paper in my pants pocket. I waited
for Raven to drive away and then got in my version of a red-hot
Ferrari. Truth is I didn’t want to be seen getting into the piece
of junk I drove, or heard for that matter. My car needed an
exhaust, and I couldn’t afford one, so a friend got a part at the
junk yard. The muffler was held up by a coat hanger and some duct
tape, but at least the car ran.

I got in and turned the ignition. The
rumbling spit loudly as it backfired, embarrassing me more than
ever. I glanced around to see who was watching as I proceeded out
of the parking lot.

Raven exhibited perfection. I wanted to be
her. I wanted her life. I wanted to travel. I didn’t need to drive
a fancy car, but I wanted more for my daughter.

A week later, after a long day at work, I sat
and stared at a pile of bills on the coffee table. I went to my
room and picked the pants up from my hamper. I pulled the crumpled
paper out of my pocket, thinking about the possible opportunity it
held, and put it on the dresser as I picked up some dolls for Jess.
I stopped, turning back.
Should I call
?
Just to find
out
? I shook my head.

“Here are some toys, Angel. Mommy’s going to
take a shower.”

I turned the knob and watched the water
trickle out. While I waited for it to warm up, I stared in the
mirror, scrutinized my hair pulled in a ponytail, and inspected my
clothes. The uniform hung off of me, but it was comfortable so I
never asked for the correct size.

If I at least put on eyeliner, it would hide
the fact that I didn’t sleep anymore.

I took my hair out of the ponytail, messed it
up a little, and combed it with my fingers. My chocolate-colored
hair spilled down my back in gentle waves. In the bathroom light,
the auburn highlights from the sun danced with each curl.
I
should wear my hair down more often
.

I tried to think back to a time I picked out
a sexy outfit to wear somewhere. I tried to think back to a time
when I took the time to wear makeup. I breathed out, exasperated. I
tried to think back to a time I didn’t look like shit.
Damn,
that sucks. I look like this all the time
!

Undressing, I stepped in the warm water. As
the droplets kissed my skin, I closed my eyes and tried to let go
of all the stress, but my sanctuary only lasted a moment.

I grabbed a towel and walked back into my
room, thinking of how together Raven dressed and decided I’d put on
something that didn’t look like it was rejected from the Salvation
Army.