Opsimath
Senior Member
El Paso ... the rest of the story. Insert tongue in cheek and read on. 
I think after this ordeal Falina is going to need therapy.
Apparently she didn't have the bucks for college so the best job she could land was in El Paso as a dancer in a dive called Rose's Cantina that basically catered to dusty trail worn cowboys. One of the patrons has a mad crush on Falina, but never approaches her, just watches her dance night after night. (cue: My Eyes Adored You). Not unlike a stalker.
In the meantime some flashy cowboy comes in and buys the gal a drink. This sends Stalker Guy into a fury, so he challenges Mystery Man for Falina's attentions, although up until this point Falina has had no idea Stalker Guy was even interested.
An altercation ensues, one with guns involved.
While Mystery Man was first to reach for his weapon, it would seem that Stalker Guy had put in a few more practice hours and after a flash of gunpowder that's the end of Mystery Man. This all happens right in front of Falina. Gee, someone finally pays her some attention and he's now a corpse.
Oh, crap. It was self defense, even though the whole thing began by Stalker Guy confronting Mystery Man with an "I saw her first" claim. Not sure how the authorities, who are surely on their way by now, are going to take that.
Rather than try to explain and take his lumps if need be, Stalker Guy makes a hasty exit out the back of Rose's and into the parking lot where he commits Grand Theft Equine and then hauls butt across the state lines and into New Mexico.
After hanging in New Mexico for what seems like forever he decides he misses Falina enough to risk going back to the dive where he can adore her from a-near as opposed to afar. Apparently he hasn't waited quite long enough because a welcoming committee of at least 17 law enforcement personnel and/or Mystery Man's buddies are there to greet him upon his return.
Rather than choosing to chat about the weather and what all has been going on in El Paso since his hasty departure, in general catch up on the local news, he heads for Rose's. Welcoming committe has other ideas and pop him with a couple of slugs. He falls off the, ahem, "borrowed" horse but manages to make it on foot to the back of Rose's.
Falina, hearing the ruckus, rushes out the back door and spots her secret admirer, although at this point the cat is out of the bag and the secret a lot less secret, on the ground. She rushes to him, they exchange a bit of affection, and then he croaks, too.
Well, shoot, darn, and heck fire. Here we have two dudes sweet on this gal and they're both dead. That has to do a number on a girl's psyche. She hangs around El Paso for a bit but the rumor mill is in full swing and people are whispering and pointing. Rose says she's bad for business and lets her go. No one in El Paso will hire her because Rose has put the word out and she has been black balled.
Falina decides she has no future here. The local guys have some concern that if they show her any attention they could well end up dead like the first two, and coupled with the fact that she can't get a job, Falina's only option is to get the heck out of Dodge, or El Paso as it would be.
With only her dancing skills to fall back on, she hits the road. Along the way she changes her name to Lola, just in case any rumors should be tailing her. She also picks up a few feathers for her hair, in yellow which is her favorite color, and a dress cut down to "there". She settles in a town called Brownsville and begins the job application and interviewing process. She lands a new gig at a place called Copacabana which bills itself as "the hottest spot north of Havana". It's actually a step up from Rose's; some of the patrons even wear diamonds.
She strikes up a little more than a friendship with the bartender, whose name is Tony. It is going well and looks like things have turned around until one of the diamond sporting patrons, Rico, comes in one evening and takes a shine to Lola, and here enters the déjà vue.
Tony sees Rico putting the moves on Lola. He jumps the bar to confront Rico and again, the altercation ensues, however Rico is packing and Tony isn't so it ends with Tony dead on the floor. Is this ever going to stop?
Falina suffers a bit of a breakdown. She no longer has the wherewithal to do another skip town, change name, seek job and since she has just recently received the settlement check from the unjustified dismissal/involuntary loss of employment/willful slander lawsuit that her attorney back in El Paso had filed on her behalf Lola is financially set for life, so in full costume she sits down at the end of the bar and downs a few. And then a few more. (Not sure who's serving since the bartender is no longer, but whatever.) Years later it's the same story.
One night she meets a kindred spirit named Delta Dawn. The woman comes in with a suitcase, stashes it at the end of the bar, and sits down next to Lola telling her how this guy promised to marry her and then skipped town. Never heard from him after that. She keeps her suitcase with her at all times though, just in case he shows back up. The two ladies discuss how life has its ups and downs, with their personal downs seeming to outnumber their personal ups. Besides declaring themselves BFF, they decide to form a support group for ladies who are now apart from their significant others, whatever the reason for the separation.
For a long time it's just the two of them meeting at the end of the bar every night. One evening a fellow named Dickens sits down next to them. Overhearing their conversation he tells them about a lady he knows, a casual acquaintance, Miss. Havisham. Word is that she was left at the alter and her domestic staff report that she wears only her wedding dress around the house, although at this point it is rather badly in need of a bit of repair in more than a few places. The original wedding cake isn't faring much better. He believes Miss H. could benefit from this support group Falina/Lola and Delta D. have going and provides them with contact information.
Falina/Lola and Delta D. give Miss Havisham a call and invite her to join their group, feeling that a group probably should consist of more than two members, as otherwise it's just a pair. Miss Havisham, after hearing them out, decides it might be worth a shot so joins them at the bar every evening for said shot, or two, or three. Who's counting?
Falina/Lola gets her counseling through the support group she has put together as do the other two members, although without professional direction what we now have is three drunk chicks sitting at the end of a bar.
EDIT: Since originally posting this I have made some changes, additions, and corrections. Approximately 12 hours later I think I am done so this should now be the final version.
I think after this ordeal Falina is going to need therapy.
Apparently she didn't have the bucks for college so the best job she could land was in El Paso as a dancer in a dive called Rose's Cantina that basically catered to dusty trail worn cowboys. One of the patrons has a mad crush on Falina, but never approaches her, just watches her dance night after night. (cue: My Eyes Adored You). Not unlike a stalker.
In the meantime some flashy cowboy comes in and buys the gal a drink. This sends Stalker Guy into a fury, so he challenges Mystery Man for Falina's attentions, although up until this point Falina has had no idea Stalker Guy was even interested.
An altercation ensues, one with guns involved.
While Mystery Man was first to reach for his weapon, it would seem that Stalker Guy had put in a few more practice hours and after a flash of gunpowder that's the end of Mystery Man. This all happens right in front of Falina. Gee, someone finally pays her some attention and he's now a corpse.
Oh, crap. It was self defense, even though the whole thing began by Stalker Guy confronting Mystery Man with an "I saw her first" claim. Not sure how the authorities, who are surely on their way by now, are going to take that.
Rather than try to explain and take his lumps if need be, Stalker Guy makes a hasty exit out the back of Rose's and into the parking lot where he commits Grand Theft Equine and then hauls butt across the state lines and into New Mexico.
After hanging in New Mexico for what seems like forever he decides he misses Falina enough to risk going back to the dive where he can adore her from a-near as opposed to afar. Apparently he hasn't waited quite long enough because a welcoming committee of at least 17 law enforcement personnel and/or Mystery Man's buddies are there to greet him upon his return.
Rather than choosing to chat about the weather and what all has been going on in El Paso since his hasty departure, in general catch up on the local news, he heads for Rose's. Welcoming committe has other ideas and pop him with a couple of slugs. He falls off the, ahem, "borrowed" horse but manages to make it on foot to the back of Rose's.
Falina, hearing the ruckus, rushes out the back door and spots her secret admirer, although at this point the cat is out of the bag and the secret a lot less secret, on the ground. She rushes to him, they exchange a bit of affection, and then he croaks, too.
Well, shoot, darn, and heck fire. Here we have two dudes sweet on this gal and they're both dead. That has to do a number on a girl's psyche. She hangs around El Paso for a bit but the rumor mill is in full swing and people are whispering and pointing. Rose says she's bad for business and lets her go. No one in El Paso will hire her because Rose has put the word out and she has been black balled.
Falina decides she has no future here. The local guys have some concern that if they show her any attention they could well end up dead like the first two, and coupled with the fact that she can't get a job, Falina's only option is to get the heck out of Dodge, or El Paso as it would be.
With only her dancing skills to fall back on, she hits the road. Along the way she changes her name to Lola, just in case any rumors should be tailing her. She also picks up a few feathers for her hair, in yellow which is her favorite color, and a dress cut down to "there". She settles in a town called Brownsville and begins the job application and interviewing process. She lands a new gig at a place called Copacabana which bills itself as "the hottest spot north of Havana". It's actually a step up from Rose's; some of the patrons even wear diamonds.
She strikes up a little more than a friendship with the bartender, whose name is Tony. It is going well and looks like things have turned around until one of the diamond sporting patrons, Rico, comes in one evening and takes a shine to Lola, and here enters the déjà vue.
Tony sees Rico putting the moves on Lola. He jumps the bar to confront Rico and again, the altercation ensues, however Rico is packing and Tony isn't so it ends with Tony dead on the floor. Is this ever going to stop?
Falina suffers a bit of a breakdown. She no longer has the wherewithal to do another skip town, change name, seek job and since she has just recently received the settlement check from the unjustified dismissal/involuntary loss of employment/willful slander lawsuit that her attorney back in El Paso had filed on her behalf Lola is financially set for life, so in full costume she sits down at the end of the bar and downs a few. And then a few more. (Not sure who's serving since the bartender is no longer, but whatever.) Years later it's the same story.
One night she meets a kindred spirit named Delta Dawn. The woman comes in with a suitcase, stashes it at the end of the bar, and sits down next to Lola telling her how this guy promised to marry her and then skipped town. Never heard from him after that. She keeps her suitcase with her at all times though, just in case he shows back up. The two ladies discuss how life has its ups and downs, with their personal downs seeming to outnumber their personal ups. Besides declaring themselves BFF, they decide to form a support group for ladies who are now apart from their significant others, whatever the reason for the separation.
For a long time it's just the two of them meeting at the end of the bar every night. One evening a fellow named Dickens sits down next to them. Overhearing their conversation he tells them about a lady he knows, a casual acquaintance, Miss. Havisham. Word is that she was left at the alter and her domestic staff report that she wears only her wedding dress around the house, although at this point it is rather badly in need of a bit of repair in more than a few places. The original wedding cake isn't faring much better. He believes Miss H. could benefit from this support group Falina/Lola and Delta D. have going and provides them with contact information.
Falina/Lola and Delta D. give Miss Havisham a call and invite her to join their group, feeling that a group probably should consist of more than two members, as otherwise it's just a pair. Miss Havisham, after hearing them out, decides it might be worth a shot so joins them at the bar every evening for said shot, or two, or three. Who's counting?
Falina/Lola gets her counseling through the support group she has put together as do the other two members, although without professional direction what we now have is three drunk chicks sitting at the end of a bar.
EDIT: Since originally posting this I have made some changes, additions, and corrections. Approximately 12 hours later I think I am done so this should now be the final version.
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. Thx! Great story!
... you know , In Europa everything happens 10-20 years later..... 
- and while you are at it - how about Desolation Row - Bob Dylan ? 