Loose Lips Sink Ships
Page 2
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Two beautiful young women marched into the hotel lobby, ignoring the smiling doorman who facilitated their entrance. In the lead, a thin brunette wore heels, a short skirt, and a top that looked as though it was meant to be a nightgown. She had the determined, sly look of a trickster, one who was always calculating and always in control. The name of this girl was Avery Leigh.
A top-heavy black girl trailed close behind. Strong and quick, she wore a blue dress with a matching cap. Her thumbs constantly pressed the buttons on her phone, her attention focused intently on her texting. When Avery arrived at the front desk, Kendra settled in at her side, glanced up, and frowned at the clerk.
“Is there something I can help you with?” the gentleman behind the desk asked. He seemed to be in his mid-twenties and the only one working the counter. Avery, already irritated, sighed and put her hands on her hips.
“Tell me what room Carter Thomson is staying in,” she insisted, only to receive a strange look from the clerk. “I said please!” she added.
“I don’t believe we have anyone here by that name,” he replied, shaking his head as though he really regretted it. Avery shot her friend a look.
“Damn it. Maybe he checked in under his drunken alter ego,” she considered, turning back to the attendant. “Do you have anyone named Fabio Lipsmackerdoodle staying here?”
“I was trying to be polite. I can’t tell you the names or room numbers of any of our guests,” he explained, suddenly taking on a strange grin and raising his eyebrows. “But, you know, I have a room, if you’re interested. Never too early for a fifteen minute break, right?”
He chuckled and revealed a silver room key in his hand. It was fancier than the others, so it must’ve been a good room, but Avery lowered her eyes at him and clenched her fists.
“I wouldn’t let you near me if I carved my vagina out with an ice-cream scoop and replaced it with a wood-chipper!” she shouted at him, bursting from the desk and storming toward one of the hallways. “My body is for my boyfriend only!”
Once she encountered the long hall and the identical doors lining each side, she slowed and put her hand to her chin. The hotel only had two long floors, but she still had no idea where Carter was.
“Are you sure this is the right way?”
“No, Kendra, I’m not sure. But I know he has the good sense at least to get a non-smoking room. I’m sure he didn’t get a newspaper either, since he can barely read,” Avery replied, tiptoeing along.
Cleaning carts already dotted the hallway, and a few doors were left open. Avery chewed her lip as they peeked in each room. Near the end, one of the cleaning ladies put on a pair of rubber gloves, strapped on goggles, and grabbed a big bottle of bleach.
“No, no! Quick! She’ll contaminate the scene!”
They shuffled to the last room and cut off the attendant, smiling meekly as they slipped in ahead of her. Taking one look at the colossal mess, there was a chance this was the room they were looking for.
“We decided not to check out. Bye!” Kendra said, shutting the door in the cleaning lady’s face. Immediately, the stink of lovemaking made them gag.
“There’s got to be some kind of proof he was here. I have to know if he’s ditched me for some STD-ridden skank who’s hungrier for sex than a World of Warcraft dork,” Avery moaned, stepping over empty bottles and looking at the disheveled bed. Maybe he’d forgotten something from his wallet. Perhaps she would recognize a piece of his clothing. There had to be some trace of him left in this wrecked hotel room.
“What happened between you and Carter anyway? And why don’t you just call him?” Kendra asked, staring at her phone and texting furiously. Avery turned to her and pointed her finger.
“That’s none of your business! And he’s not answering my calls. Can you just help me look for one minute? I promise we’ll get you some fried chicken and watermelon after,” Avery jabbed. Kendra bit her lip but reluctantly started to scan the room.
“I’m not seeing anything. Just overturned furniture, beer stains in the rug, and a bed that looks like it was the scene of a World War II reenactment.”
Avery had started to give up hope this was the right room. She flipped on the bathroom light and stared into the mirror. Putting her hands on each side of the sink, she remembered it hadn’t been that long since Carter had taken her to trashy hotel rooms like this. She missed having her face smushed up against the glass as he unloaded his sub on her from behind. Her heart sank at the fond memories.
Sulking, she put her head down and saw something that made her gasp. Suddenly delighted, she knelt next to a used, crusty condom that had just missed the trash bin. She beamed at it, letting her fingers drift closer and slowly pick it up.
“Look what I found!” she shouted to Kendra when she entered the other room, proudly presenting the flaccid piece of latex. Kendra was sitting in a chair she had turned right side up, her legs crossed and her fingers on her phone. She cringed when she finally looked at what Avery had brought out.
“You must’ve been a blast in second grade show-and-tell,” Kendra responded, annoying Avery.
“Just shut up. This is all the proof we need! We’ll be able to tell exactly whether or not he was here,” she said. “Look, there’s a pinhole in the bottom. Bitches have no dignity anymore.”
“What are you doing with that thing?” Kendra asked. An agonized sigh escaped Avery’s lips, and she dropped her shoulders.
“Gimme a break, ok? This is the only way to know if he was here.”
She brushed her finger against it and then brought it to her mouth.
“It’s salty, a little bitter, and with the distinct flavor of Cool Ranch Doritos! It’s him!” Avery cheered, putting her hands in the air and flashing a very white smile.
“Yay,” Kendra muttered. “So we went through all that when he’s obviously not here anymore. What are we supposed to do now?”
Avery flung the condom at the window, where it stuck, and put her fist to her chin to think. She needed to find him as soon as possible. He had to know how she felt. She’d planned on getting to him before he went to work, but there was no longer any chance of that.
“We’ll have to put the drop on him when he shows up at his job,” she said, heading for the door. Sighing, Kendra got up and waded through the messy room.
Exiting the hotel, the two women marched into the packed parking lot. Avery came to a red sports car, letting her finger drag across the back end. Smiling, she came around to the driver’s side door. The inside was clean, had custom leather seating, and the speedometer went up past two hundred. She could see her reflection in the glass, and it made her feel warm inside. Casually, she slipped her fingers around the door handle, only to be interrupted from her reverie when Kendra called to her.
“Girl, what you doing? Your car’s over here!”
Deflated, Avery pulled her fingers off, and stepped backward from the car. Kendra stood a few spaces over at the passenger door of an old station wagon. Dragging her heels against the pavement, Avery approached her dirty, bulky vehicle. Despite having an air mattress and blankets in the back and honeybees pasted onto the windows, the whole thing was still a great embarrassment.
“Come on. Let’s just go,” she grumbled, pulling open the driver’s side door.