"Seven lawmen don't scare me," you mutter. You take your bag from your horse's saddle and head over to the hotel. You enter the hotel's lobby and notice a few men sitting at some tables, eating their lunch. You approach the counter, where a small man is filling out some papers.
"I need a room," you say.
He looks up from his paperwork and smiles. "Of course," he says. "I just need you to fill out this card and then I'll give you a room key."
You see the card asks for your name. You write "Anna Piper," in case those lawmen come looking at the hotel's records. You fill out the rest of information, most of it lies, and hand it back to the man. He holds out a key for you, which you take.
"That's room eleven. Enjoy your stay, Miss Piper," he says, smiling again.
"Thank you," you say, and climb the stairs. You enter your small room and set your bag on the bed. Looking out the window, you're pleased to see the bank is visible from your room. You turn back to the bed and open your bag. It's filled with a few dresses you never wear, but carry along just in case. You're happy you have them now, because you realize they'll help you tremendously. Also in the bag is all the money you acquired from your last robbery, along with other odds and ends.
You go downstairs and ask for a bath to be drawn in your room. When the bath is ready, you slip into the hot water and close your eyes, thankful for the relaxing bath. You can't remember the last time you bathed, but you tell yourself you should do it more often.
After you clean yourself up, you put on one of your dresses of a light peach color and tie up your hair. You put some of your fortune in your handbag and exit the hotel. You cross the street and enter the saloon. This time, nobody pays you any mind. You scan the room until your eyes rest on the man you saw earlier, the one wearing all black. You approach the man and clear your throat. He looks up at you, annoyance in his eyes.
"I noticed you're all alone here. Mind if I join you?" you say.
"Not at all," he answers. The annoyance is replaced by a look of interest. "Can't say I've seen you before."
"Well, I'm just passing through on my way to Wilderville, up in Oregon Territory. They're looking for a new schoolteacher and I'm going to apply for the job," you lie.
"So you're a teacher?" the man asks, smiling.
"Yes, Mr....?"
"Larabee. But you can call me Chris."
"All right, Chris." You realize this man is very handsome, with penetrating green eyes and a smile that softens his face. You can't help but be drawn to him.
"You haven't told me your name," Chris says.
"It's Anna," you reply.
"It's nice to meet you, Anna."
A group of men enter the saloon and come up to the table. One of them, a tall man with a mustache, smiles and winks at you.
"There's no sign of that bank robber around here," a man with shoulder-length brown hair says. "She must have gone another way."