Against All Odds

By Ashley Lowe

Val's future husband has arranged their own marriage without her permission. Will she escape the clutches of this man or will she be sentenced to a life she doesn't want to live?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ashley Lowe
• Release date: Dec 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301631766

Ashley Lowe

I’m Ash. If you’re into labels then I guess I’m all sorts of things. Mom. Writer. Reader. Educator. Runner. Breather. Sleeper.You will find that I write about whatever I want. You will also find that I’m not at all formal. I prefer to be comfortable at any cost, so I always try to provide you, the reader, the same luxury.I like helping people. I enjoy reading. I have a strange sense of humor. I teach and improve the writing and reading skills of others. I’m an introvert, so this sharing-by-journal thing works best for me.If you have a question, just ask.

Book preview

Against All Odds

A Subconscious Account from Valerie Anne Thompson

By

Ashley Lowe

SMASHWORDS EDITION

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

Ashley Lowe on Smashwords

Against All Odds

Copyright © 2012 by Ashley Lowe

Thank you for downloading this eBook. This book may not be reproduced, copied or distributed for any purpose, with the exception of quotes used in reviews.

Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

This book in its entirety is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination or are used completely fictitiously. Any similarity to authentic events, locales or persons—living or dead—is wholly unintentional. This is a promise to you, the reader, from me, the author.

Young Adult Reading Material

LGBT Reading Material

*****

This work of fiction began as short story for a few friends wishing they had more material on LGBT romance to read. They asked. I gave.

Thank you to my wonderful friends for reading and reviewing this piece prior to publishing it. I appreciate you and the time you spent helping me. You know who you are.

I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

*****

AGAINST ALL ODDS

A SUBCONSCIOUS ACCOUNT FROM VALERIE ANNE THOMPSON

*****

CHAPTER 1

What is a Simple Life?

I grew up thinking that life would be so wondrous. I could be whatever I wanted to be. Well, that’s according to my parents. And, of course, that plan had to fit into whatever they wanted to me to be. I hate feeling like I have to make my parents happy.

Planning would make everything fall into place smoothly. I had everything scheduled from a very early age. I had my best friend, Ali, always at my side. We have always been inseparable. We were going to go to college together. Ali and I were sure we’d end up getting jobs doing about the same thing. We’d always been fascinated by movies and wanted to work behind the scenes. We’d both live near each other-- hopefully somewhere with a beach-- so that we could live the BFF life.

If there’s one integral piece of information that I’ve learned in my twenty-five years on this planet-- things don’t always turn out the way you want them to. In fact, most of the time, you never even come close. Why couldn’t I have figured that out a lot sooner?

I’m trying to calm myself down in the back of this horrible, dimly lit limo. I can’t stop fidgeting with the silver tulle under my white gown. The gown was so white it reminded me of the blinding effect snow was capable of having on my eyes. How poetic? I’m wearing an angelic dress for my special journey to Hell.

I couldn’t stop thinking that I'd rather be at home. My favorite jeans and a comfy t-shirt were waiting for me. I could almost hear them calling my name. I could almost feel the comfy flannel wrapped around my body.

Instead, I was going to be attending my own funeral in this silk and lace disaster. This is the worst day of my life, I think to myself. This day was never a fitted piece in the puzzle of my grand master plan. With the way the laws were heading, a marriage would never be in my future.

Let me clarify one of my previous thoughts. I realize this may be slightly confusing. By funeral I actually mean that it’s my very own perfect, princess wedding. You know, the one that every girl spends her nights dreaming about. The one that girls make believe about during their entire childhood. No expense has been spared for this day. My parents have gone all out, emptying three savings accounts for the dress alone. I don’t even want to consider what his family has put into the affair. A typical, traditional wedding had no place in my life or in my dreams.

I know what you’re thinking. It sounds weird, right? Most women are more than happy to be getting married. They’re ecstatic beyond all reasonable, and sane, belief. Those women even go to great lengths to become Bride-zillas. They make their bridesmaids insane with their every whim. And, of course it had to be the way they wanted it. Well, I am an exception in this particular design. I don’t even know where I’m getting married. Hell, I have no clue what anything even looks like beyond this limo and the dress I’m wearing.

Women generally look forward to the honeymoon and the life they want to lead after that. Girls stage pretend weddings from a young age. Teenagers doodle Mrs. Last-Name-Goes-Here all over notebooks in middle and high school classes. There’s only one problem. I have never been like any of them. In fact, those were the girls that despised me growing up. Why? I’m different.

My groom-to-be, Tom, is a wonderful person. He really is. He’s very handsome and extremely smart, which are all pretty nice characteristics for a man to be granted. He’s always been sweet, but kind of pushy with what he wants. He’s not too patient at all. He’s got a good head on his shoulders and he’s very successful.

Let me just break it down for the entire world to hear. Tom is just not what I want. I’m not even interested in him in the slightest way. Let’s just say that Tom is not my type. But, if I were to tell him or my parents that, I’d be found dead. That’s if I was ever even found at all. Isn’t that a fun thought to be thinking about when I’m supposed to be looking forward to the happiest day of my life? It’s just wonderful being me.

CHAPTER 2

Tom and I Cross Paths… Unfortunately.

Tom and I met during my summer interning as an assistant to the director of a film he was starring in. I was getting the director a cup of coffee when he bumped into me, spilling the latte I had worked so hard on perfecting. Without apologizing, he said, I’m Tom.

He was very matter of fact, as if he really needed to introduce himself to me. I didn’t let him know that I already knew exactly who he was. He was the guy that all the girls would talk about. Who could miss the marvelous celebrity? He’s been in every mainstream film since I could remember.

Tom sort of stalked me for a few weeks after that. Okay, not sort of. He full on haunted me wherever I was. It was kind of cute at first, but I still wasn’t interested. I had a certain someone else on my schedule. Plus, I’m not exactly what he, or anyone else thought I was.

My life has always been a big act of show and don’t ever tell. People like me are not as widely accepted as we should be. Everyone has their secrets, right? My secrets could have me detached from my family completely. My parents are not very forgiving or tolerant of people that choose not to hold the same values that they do. Case in point: me.

I came home from a long, hard work day—of mainly fetching lattes and rounding up actors and actresses for the director-- to find him sitting on the overstuffed couch with my parents and Ali. That was the couch where I had my first intimate moment with the one I truly loved. That was the couch that we had watched our favorite movies on. That was my couch. That was my home. And, Tom had invaded my space for the last time. I was planning on telling him off the moment I saw his face. But, my father interrupted my big moment.

Dad popped up faster than I have ever seen him move and said, There you are, sweetheart. I’m so happy for you. It’s about time you settled your life down and found a real man.

I stopped dead in my shoes. I’m fuming. Umm… What do you mean ‘found a man’? Up to this point in my life, I’ve never even had a boyfriend. Some kid—I can’t