Carolina [h.s]

chapter twenty four

"Oh yes, I've been in this business for over twenty years. My dear husband passed away just a few years ago, so it's just my granddaughter and I running the place." I overheard grams talking as I handed out another pair of keys.

"Yes, this is my granddaughter Vada." She says and that's when I look up. I see the tall man from before looking over at me as he talks with her. I send a friendly smile before going back to work.

Grams would tell everyone that came in here her whole life story as long as they listened. Certain strangers knew things about our family and it wasn't unusual in a town like this.

When the room clears, the two are still talking and I've blocked most of their conversation out as I read through the chapters of the genius Jane Austen's; Emma.

"Lovely to meet you, I hope your stay is the most comfortable." She smiles at the man as he nods at her.

When he turns to leave, he gives me a look. "And nice to meet you, Vada." A gold tooth shines when he smiles.

It stumps me because then I'm sure I've seen him before. And I don't even get a chance to say anything as he turns his back and leaves out of the door.

Sunday night and early Monday morning is when everybody clears out of the motel. Everyone except one.

Room four remains empty all weekend and I know exactly where he is.

My mind drifts to last week's concert. The concert where Harry got blacked out drunk at the after party, and passed out in the alley way afterwards.

It took all three of his bandmates to haul him in the car and up to their apartment while he remained unconscious the entire time. No one even blinked at his behavior and I was starting to do the same.

I swallow down the bad mood he gives me as grams and I spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning.

We blast Billy Joel and it reminds me of my childhood days when we were always busy and we would have to do this every week. The only thing that was missing was my grandpa and his witty jokes and impressions of all the abnormal customers we got.

It's five o'clock when we finally finish and I go upstairs to shower where I remain a little longer than I intended to. Water drips from my hair and I change into the biggest comfiest sweats before heading back downstairs for something to eat.

I've avoided messages from Juliet all weekend and guilt hangs heavy in my gut. In her voicemails she went on about how the band was playing another show bigger than the last, and like always she insisted we both be there.

But my body was screaming at me for a break. I wasn't cut out for constant social interaction and messy band mellow drama every weekend. I didn't know how she dealt with it all and how she wasn't feeling the exhaustion like I was.

I'd always call her back either way, but for now I hope she took my silence as a clear message of just my usual self isolation and nothing personal.

When I'm making grilled cheese, gram's walks through the door with a pile of mail in her hands.

"I just got off the phone with Beck, the girls are going out for bingo tonight and I haven't been out in a while so I think I'm gonna go as well."