Fade to Black
Page 23
“I don’t want to have this conversation again,” Jesse growled.
“Yeah, me neither.”
The corners of his dark eyes crinkled as an arrogant smile spread to his lips. “I still don’t trust you, Rich. Never will.”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t trust me either.”
“Good to know. If you’ll excuse me.” The man who held the heart of the woman Rich loved walked out through the revolving door of the hotel, and Rich considered going back up to his room until Jesse walked back into the lobby with an overnight bag firmly gripped in his hand.
Rich lifted his chin slightly in acknowledgement as he walked by.
Jesse mirrored the action. “Good night, Rich.” His tall, muscular body disappeared back into the elevators and as he went up, Rich’s stomach sunk through the floor.
There was now another set of options. He could stay here, go up to his room and eavesdrop on the lovemaking session that involved the woman of his dreams and another man. Or…
Rich walked through the revolving door and inhaled deeply. His eyes searched the street, and two-hundred yards to his left on the opposing side, was a big red sign. Vacancy.
**
The stench of cigarette and other various kinds of smoke assaulted Rich’s lungs as he opened the door to the roach motel. A meth-skinny man with a bald head on top and greasy, wispy locks down his back greeted Rich with a single-toothed grin. His unpatched eye was bloodshot and could barely focus behind the caged check-in hole.
“How long?” he slurred.
“Excuse me?” Rich asked, confused.
“How many hours will you be needing the room?”
“Uh…what’s the minimum?” He couldn’t avoid asking the question simply out of curiosity.
“Thirty minutes.”
“Oh. Well, I’ll need it a little longer.” Rich checked his watch, 1:30. “Five hours.”
Slimey glanced at the X’d out VISA symbol. “Do you prefer to use cash…or ah, cash?”
Pulling out his wallet, Rich said, “I think I’ll go with cash. How much?”
“Our rate is $25 an hour,” the guy said without even flinching. Surprise slapped Rich, but it was nothing compared to what was added next. “And, since you don’t have a reservation, I’ll have to charge you double.”
“You want fifty dollars an hour?” Rich was stunned that his voice contained any semblance of control.
Slimey nodded. “One room for five hours—” His forehead crinkled toward his patch as he desperately tried to calculate five times five. “That’ll be $197.67, please.”
Rich stared at the man through the bars, completely dumbfounded. “Um, that’s not exactly the same figure I came up with.”
The man snorted and rolled his eye. “Well, duh. We have to charge something for cleaning.”
“Of course,” Rich agreed with a nod.
Slimey handed Rich a key that dangled from a penis keychain. “Room 369.”
“369?”
“It’s either that or 4569.”
“There are only two floors,” Rich pointed out.
Years of smoking were evident in his barking hack of a laugh. “All our rooms end with sixty-nine.” The three extra long eyebrows nearly reached the hairline that didn’t exist as he perked the entire caterpillar. “Too bad you’re alone.”
“Yeah,” Rich scoffed. It was too bad that he was alone, but the only girl he wanted to be with was otherwise preoccupied. This hellhole was better than trying to sleep, knowing what was going on in the next room.
The long corridor went on forever, it seemed. Moans and erotic screams echoed down the hallway. Only three doors in, Rich came to the room that would be his sanctuary for the next five hours. A warm shower and a soft bed would be perfect.
Rich slid the key into the lock and opened the door, flipping the switch. Nothing happened. After moving it up and down a few more times, there was still no illumination in the room. Thanks to the light from the hallway, he stumbled over to the bedside lamp. His fingers twisted the little screw that at one point had a knob, and a dank glow flicked on.
Something brown darted across the center of the room.
A scream broke through the silence and Rich whipped around, searching for the little girl who was shrieking. His eyes met a sad, bloodshot pair that made his tear ducts burn. “You, wuss,” Rich told his reflection. “It’s just a stupid little mouse.”
The furry critter was no bigger than a cotton ball as it scurried over the various stains on the carpet to disappear under the bed.
Rich knelt down and pinched the bottom edge of the comforter between his fingers, lifting it slowly. The thing staring back at him was even more disturbing than what he was searching for. A condom. An involuntary shudder raced up his spine. The mouse was nowhere to be seen, but the still oozing piece of latex kicked his gag reflex into gear.
His fist wrapped around the comforter, yanking the bedding back. Rich leaned in close, hoping not to find what he was fairly certain he would. There they were; short, black curlies resting on yet another patch of stains.
The strong urge to wash his hands—in bleach—hit him with a vengeance and he kicked the door closed and headed in the direction of the tiny bathroom. He reached through the curtain to turn on the shower, only to find that it was already occupied—by a nasty-ass plunger.
A shower would not be on the agenda for tonight.
His bladder was begging for relief, so he unleashed the fury of his kidneys on the porcelain bowl. The silver handle moved down beneath the weight of his fingers, but there was no movement of the water.
“Well, that explains the plunger,” he grumbled, not even bothering to wash his hands. Whatever germs were on them were probably better than what might be contracted from the sink.
Someone knocked on the flimsy door causing him to jump. As he stared at the light seeping in from three of the four sides, he realized that nobody knew where he was. Which on second thought, probably wasn’t the brightest idea. What if he never made it out of this rat-infested hellhole?
“Hello?” he called.
“Housekeeping,” came the response.
So, that was a good thing.
The woman with unnaturally blonde hair was dressed in a short skirt and miniature t-shirt. She smiled, and strolled past him, her eyes taking in the room. “I’m sorry, I’m late.”
“It’s okay.” It wasn’t okay, but what was he supposed to say? “Um…my biggest concern is the bathroom.”
“I’ll get right on it, daddy.” She winked through false eyelashes that were falling off then closed the door to the bathroom.
The fact that she had no cleaning products should have been a huge red flag. But it wasn’t until the door opened, and she stood there with nothing on but tasseled pasties on really large, really saggy breasts and an enormous black thong covering her lower half, that Rich realized she wasn’t a maid.
He gulped as she held up a condom collection. “Sorry, I’m out of blue,” she informed him.
“Oh, but I really wanted blue. Had my heart set on it. I guess we’ll just have to…”
“I can get one.” Her eyes moved up and down his body with a hunger that made him feel dirty just having that much of her touch him.
“That’s okay.”
“No, I’ll be right back.” She headed toward the door.
“Wait,” he called.
She turned and smiled. “Did you change your mind?”
He shook his head so hard his vision swam. “No, but don’t you think you should get dressed?”
A high-pitched giggle filled the room. “Oh, yeah, that would probably be a good idea.”
Ya think? He nodded.
As soon as she was in the hall, Rich slammed the door and locked all three deadbolts, then slid the chain into place. That woman was not getting back into this room, at least not while he was still occupying it.
The little mouse scampered from under the bed to seek refuge under the dresser.
Another knock. “Who is it?”
“Housekeeping.”
He gulped. “Um, yeah, I’ve changed my mind. The room’s fine.”
“Oh. Well, can’t you give me something for, um…”
“You didn’t do anything,” he reminded her.
Her sobs carried through the door. “If I go back empty handed, then Marco will…”
“Okay, here.” He shoved the last of his cash through the crack in the door.
“Ten dollars?” She sounded offended.
“Sorry, it’s all I have. Tell Marco that I was completely satisfied.”
“Ten dollars?” Completely offended.
“You didn’t do anything!” Exasperation oozed through his words.
There was silence on the other side. Hopefully, she’d gone to split the ten dollars with Marco, who would probably be the next person to beat on his door. Instead of a pounding on the door, his pocket was vibrating. Shea. He sent it to voicemail. Two seconds later it vibrated again.
“Ugh. What?” He snapped into the phone. “I’m really not in the mood for your crap right now.”
She sniffed in classic Shea style, only to pull the bi-polar act as soon as she spoke again. “I saw that you were with Kate. I’m going to kick her skinny ass.”
“Well, you’d have to get through Jesse,” he said bitterly. “He paid her a little visit and they’re together right now.”
“Oh,” she purred. “Maybe I’ll pay you a little visit too.”
Yeah, that’s totally what he needed. “I’ll be home in a few days.”
“Fine.” She sighed. “Will you at least tell me where you are?”
He hesitated, but ultimately said, “I’m staying at the Marriott near the Capital.”
Banging doors, men shouting, and women screaming erupted outside in the hallway.
“Um, I gotta go.” Rich didn’t even wait for Shea to reply before shutting the phone.
The door shook on the hinges as something hit against it, hard. With the second slam, the door fell at his feet. He jumped up, held the makeshift weapon over his head, and prepared himself to fight.
“Freeze! Police!”
“Oh, shit.” The magazine hit the floor with a thud as his hands shot up in surrender. “There’s been a misunderstanding. I’m ah, I’m…. Oh, shit.”
The three officers in complete tactical gear stared at him, grinning. The closest officer laughed. “I’ll take this one.” The other two nodded and disappeared down the hall, yelling as they busted their way into other rooms that really were full of criminals.
Officer Friendly’s face smoothed over and he glared at Rich. “So what’s your excuse, Mr. Handnmypocket?”
“Look, it’s not what it looks like.”
He smirked and raised a brow. “And I’ve never heard that one before.”
Rich ran his fingers through his hair and groaned. His little furry friend picked that exact moment to rush out from under the dresser and stop just in front of the officer. The large man let out a squeal, shooting off his Taser, which the mouse dodged then raced under the bed again.
The officer’s expression was mortified. “That’s our little secret.”
“Sure thing, if…”
He raised his brows. “You’re not exactly in the best position to be asking for favors.”
“All I ask is that you let me explain why I’m here…and what I’ve been through. I’ve had a helluva couple hours.”
“Okay, sit tight for a bit. I have to get another officer as a witness if you’re gonna make a statement. Don’t move. If I catch you out of this room, I’ll arrest your ass.”
“Fine.” Rich slumped back in the chair. It’s not like he had anywhere else to be tonight. “Oh, and by the way, the mouse isn’t the scariest thing under that bed.”
The officer smirked then walked out.
Rich tried to relax as much as his adrenaline would allow. But, as people in various stages of undress were escorted down the hall, his heart continued to hammer in his chest. As the ten dollar maid came by with Officer Scaredofmice, she pointed and screamed, “Why’s he not in cuffs? He paid me. He’s a cheapskate, but he gave me cash.”
The officer scowled at Rich and handed Miss Saggytitties off, coming to stand in front of him. The dark eyes were hard, his expression much the same.
“Let me explain,” Rich stammered, realizing that any leniency he might have gotten was about to go the way of the wind.
“Good idea.” The officer crossed his arms over his chest, his badge catching the dim light. His skeptical expression made Rich worry. “Why don’t you start with your name.”
“Okay.” A deep breath filled his lungs, then he let it out and began the explanation in a rush of panicked words. “I’m Rich Spencer from KHB in Salt Lake. There’s this girl, Kate. She’s the reporter that is…”
“Um hum.” He wasn’t impressed with the story so far.
The rush continued. “She beautiful, talented, amazing, caring.” Rich sighed. “Did I mention she’s beautiful?”
The officer nodded. “No offense, but I don’t care about this Kate person. How the hell did you end up in this dive?”
“I’m getting to that.” Another deep breath, and then diarrhea of the mouth hit. Kate. Jesse. The bar, where he drank until they kicked him out. The confrontation in the lobby and…
The officer held up his hand. “Let me finish the story for you.” His lips pulled into a thin, understanding line. “You came here because they’re not making love in the next room.”
Rich laughed without humor. “Pretty much. Believe me, I would never come here for any other reason. I didn’t even dare wash my hands after I took a leak. That bathroom’s disgusting.”
He chuckled and glanced over his shoulder. “So explain one more thing to me.”
“Anything to get me the hell out of here.”
“Did you pay that…ah…woman?”
The diarrhea kicked in again. “She said she was housekeeping. I let her in, hoping she’d clean the damned bathroom. Instead, she came out nearly naked.” Rich shuddered and the officer laughed. “I got her out of the room and locked the door. When she came back, I gave her ten dollars to make her go away. Look, man, I cover stories like this all the time, and I sure as hell don’t want this face on the news. I don’t want anybody to know the horrors I’ve experienced tonight. I’m going to try to pretend they never happened. Please, can’t we…”
Officer Friendly smiled. “I have some paperwork to do ‘cause technically you were caught in the sting. Let me grab the captain, and we’ll take your statement. We’ll probably have to issue you a warning.” He stepped toward the door, but stopped and looked back at him. “Hey man, any girl who would cause you to endure all this—” His hand waved over exhibit A. “—probably isn’t worth the trouble.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Mmm,” Kate moaned on an exhale.
The hard, warm pillow beneath her head moved and a growl sounded just before two arms embraced her. “Damn, it’s so good to have you in my arms. I’ve missed waking up to you.”
She nestled into him. “You woke up to me a little over a week ago.”
“One night without you in my bed is one too many.” His breath tickled the skin on her neck. “What time is it?”
She shifted to see the glowing red numbers on the nightstand. “6:30.”
“What time are you supposed to meet…Rich?” He sneered the name through gritted teeth. His whole body tensed and fists replaced his hands at her back. “I just don’t trust…him. I hate that he’s staying while I have to go home.” He sat up, leaving her lying on the bed.
“He promised to remain professional,” she said, moving her hand over the ten
se muscles of his back in a futile attempt to ease his worry.
Jesse wasn’t buying what she was selling. His dark eyes flashed with animosity. “Dammit, Kate. He wants you so bad, I can almost taste it.”
This situation had to be difficult for Jesse. Kate understood that, but his jealousy was irritating, and it hadn’t been the only wedge between them. There had been physical contact between Rich and her, contact she couldn’t ignore nor deny.
“I’m just gonna shower, then I’ll hit the road. I’m sure you have a busy day today.” He stomped toward the bathroom, grabbed his bag on the way, then slammed the door.
“Don’t be that way,” she mumbled to the empty room.
There was a dynamic difference between the two sides of the man who held a piece of her heart. Jesse was sweet and kind, handsome and loving, and jealous. Brutally jealous. And when he was jealous, he was mean. Over the years, he had said horrible, accusatory things that had Kate groveling for his forgiveness, even though she’d done nothing wrong.
When he came out of the bathroom, he was still fuming. His dark eyes were nearly black as they met hers for only a moment. “Your turn,” he snapped, setting his bag on the dresser.
She gathered her things and retreated, closing herself in the tiled room. Thirty minutes later, her fingers curled around the doorknob. She wasn’t sure whether or not Jesse would still be in the room, or what kind of mood he would be in. She took a deep breath and prepared for the worst.
He looked up from where he was seated at the end of the bed and used the remote control to turn off the TV. His hard expression softened, a smile curving his full lips. “I love that dress, KC.”
“Thanks,” she said, forcing a smile.
“Turn around.” He made the little circle motion with his index finger and walked toward her.
She obeyed and his fingers slid under the fabric. His breath met the small of her back and it arched in response. “Jesse,” she warned.
“Hmmm?” The zipper moved up slowly, pausing as his lips met her skin. He chuckled, and the fabric tightened around her waist. He kissed the space between her shoulder blades, then the zipper sealed it in. When the zipper was at the top, Jesse nuzzled her neck.