Close To Embers (formerly known as Modern Love)

Chapter 9 - The Hotel

“They couldn’t get any right next to each other?” Nikita asked.

“It was the closest they could offer.” Megan shrugged.

“This way please.” Said a mousy looking boy, fresh out of high school, baring the name tag ‘Wade’.

The troop followed him outside again, turning a corner to where all the little rooms could be seen.  The creamy yellow paint on the exterior walls being doused with the pink sky so it looked more peach coloured instead.  They could smell the salt from the nearby river and the hush as wave after wave chased each other away.

“111.” Said Wade.  Jesse and Nikita disappeared inside.

A few doors up Wade stopped again.  “115.”  Jack followed Ruth inside, who promptly fell face down on the bed.

“120.” Wade said again, as Megan and Mason let themselves inside.

Wade hung around for a couple more minutes to show them the amenities available and left to let the others know as well.  When he finished instructing Nikita and Jesse, he stood waiting silent and patient.

“Well, thank you for that.” She said, not taking the hint.  “I think we can work it all out for ourselves.”  The boy’s face sagged a little as he headed back to the door.

“He’s expecting a tip.” Jesse whispered in her ear.

“Oh, right.  Excuse me, um… this is for you.” She said, holding out a crisp twenty.

“Thank you, ma’am.  Have a nice evening.” He waved, closing the door behind him.

Nikita turned to see Jesse eyeing the bed up awkwardly.

“So… how do we do this?”

“You can have that side, if you like.”

“I don’t mind sleeping on the floor.”

“I trust you to be a gentleman.” Nikita laughed.  “We’ll share the bed.”

Jesse smiled.  “Well, I don’t know about you but I’m hungry.”

“No, actually, I’m starving.” She said, absent-mindedly patting her belly.

“Do you think they have room service?”

“I don’t think so.  Wouldn’t Wade have pointed that out?”

“I guess so.”

It turned out that they were all hungry, even exhausted Ruth, who slipped in and out of sleep, was hungry too.  Jack and Megan took note of what they all wanted, be it from a pizza place or a Chinese.  They all handed them some cash and gathered in room 115 where Ruth was already buried under the covers.  She had driven the farthest.  Jack’s long legs cramped up at the short space behind the drivers’ wheel about two hours after setting off so she took over only to be replaced by Megan an hour before they reached Pennsylvania.  They couldn’t really blame her.

Megan and Jack came back, arms loaded about forty minutes later, the salty scent of the river wafted in after them.  Ruth shot out of bed at the heady scent of pepperoni pizza, smacking a gracious kiss on Jack’s left cheek.

Mason found an old board game left under the bed by the previous visitors and they all crowded round to play whilst eating their dinner.  Jack sat with his back against the bed, Ruth resting against his left shoulder, happily finishing off the last slice of pizza.  Megan and Mason opened up the beer that Jack had bought while they were out and handed the first two cool bottles to Nikita and Jesse who sat against the wardrobe.