by M. Lorrox
Sadie nods. “Certainly, Jules. Can you tell me, are these rooms close to one another? And do they both have double beds?”
Jules shakes her head. “There was a cancellation, so I took the liberty to upgrade you to one of our suites. It has two bedrooms, a king and queen on each side, and a common area with a kitchenette.”
Eddy turns to June and smirks. Welcome to travelling with an elder.
Sadie smiles. “That sounds lovely. Thank you very much, Jules.”
Jules bows and steps backward.
Sadie turns to Eddy and June. “I think I like this hotel.”
Eddy nods.
“As soon as Charlie and Skip are back, we can head upstairs.” She feels a gentle but assertive tug on her shirt. Sadie bends down to Minnie. “Yes dear?”
“Can Valentine push the elevator buttons?”
Sadie tips her head toward her daughter. “Only if she promises that she’ll only push the button for ten, and that she won’t push any other buttons.”
Darn it… “Okay. She agrees.”
Sadie stands and rubs Minnie on the head.
Eddy motions with his free hand. “Mom, it’s Mary.”
She walks out of the elevator toward them. “Sadie, my dear, welcome.” She extends her arms and collects Sadie into an embrace.
“Mary, a lot has happened in the last twenty-four hours.”
“Oh? Well you’ll have plenty of time to tell me, perhaps over tea this evening?”
“I’m afraid I need to sleep first, I’ve been up since yesterday morning.”
Mary shows an equal amount of concern and condolence. “Oh my. Of course.” She looks at Eddy and Minnie. “Hello you two, I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again so soon, but I’m glad to have been mistaken.”
Eddy smiles back. “Hello.”
Mary scans June, who stands a bit behind Minnie. “I don’t believe we’ve met; my name is Mary.”
June smiles at the woman. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m June.”
“It’s my pleasure to meet you, June.” Mary sends Sadie an inquisitive look. “A friend?”
“More like family actually, from Waynesville.” Sadie leans closer to Mary and speaks in a whisper, “We were outed last night. It was messy.”
Mary places her hand gently on Sadie’s arm. “I’m sorry. Fill me in when you’re ready.”
“I will.”
Mary turns away, looking over all the carts filled with luggage. She stops when she sees the large wooden trunk sitting alone on a cart. “I assume Charlie is parking?”
Sadie hears the elevator open, and smiles when Charlie walks out. “He and June’s father seem to have just returned.”
Charlie walks over, carrying the six-foot monk’s spade wrapped in the blanket. Skip follows behind him with a backpack.
Mary takes a step toward the men. “Charlie, it’s good to see you. I hear you’ve had a tiring day or two.”
“Hi, Mary. Yup.” He sets the spade down with a heavy thud against the marble tile.
Skip extends his hand. “Hi, I’m Skip.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Mary.”
He looks past her toward the front doors with a horrified expression. “Uh, Charlie...”
Charlie flips around to look. “Oh. Hi Rusty.”
-Bark!-
The man behind the front desk rushes over. “Excuse me! Mr. Connstanza! Pets are NOT allowed in this hotel.”
Charlie clears his throat, lifts the spade while he takes a step forward, then slams it back down onto the floor. -Dwrang!- The blanket falls from the top of the spade, revealing the thick and sharp blade. “It’s COSTANZA. And he’s a service dog.” Charlie leans in toward the shorter, skinny man, dwarfing him. “I have a mental condition.”
“I’ll need to see his service documentation.”
Charlie turns to Sadie and shrugs. “Eh, was worth a shot.”
Mary steps alongside the man. “Come with me a moment, will you? Do you have a place we can speak in private?”
The man sighs and leads her to a hallway behind the front desk.
Charlie feels a gentle but assertive tug on his shirt.
Skip leans forward, whispering to him, “How is Rusty here?”
He whispers back, “Pretend everything’s normal.”
Skip bends his head past Charlie to look at Rusty, who starts wagging his tail. Skip glances back at Charlie. “You guys do a lot of pretending, don’t you?”
“Yeah. Sometimes we have to.” Charlie notices Mary out of the corner of his eye heading back in their direction. When she glances up at him, she winks, then she spins off to her left and talks to the concierge. The once snobby front desk attendant continues walking toward Charlie. His once pristine and crisp shirt is ruffled, and sweat beads on his forehead. Poor guy, I wonder what she pulled on him?
“I apologize for the delay. The hotel will gladly accommodate your service animal.”
Charlie claps the man hard on the shoulder as he walks past him. “Thanks!”
The man winces.
The family, including Rusty, walks to the elevator, while a collection of bellmen follow with their luggage. As Charlie holds the elevator doors open for the large family to squeeze inside, Rod nods at him. “We’ll be right behind you, sir.”
When the shiny brass doors close, Minnie exclaims, “Ten please!”
Charlie reaches to hit the button.
“Daddy!”
He looks down at his daughter. “What is it?”
“Valentine is going to push the button.”
Charlie closes his eyes for a full second before opening them again. “Fine. Valentine, if you please.”
Minnie stands on her tippy-toes, holds Valentine’s floppy arm up, and smashes the end of it into the button for the tenth floor.
When Sadie opens the door to the suite, the lights are already on. Warm bulbs glow from half-dimmed wall sconces, and lush curtains at the far end of the common area are tied back with gold-colored ropes, revealing a view through the window to Washington DC. The kitchenette furniture is a dark, expensive-looking hardwood, and the couch and the cushions on it are elegantly coordinated.
Eddy smirks and nods. Pretty sweet…suite.
Charlie pokes him. “Out of the way, carts are right behind us.”
After unloading all their luggage into the living room of the suite, everyone investigates the sleeping accommodations—including Rusty, who finds the couch and its pillows to be quite comfortable. His couch is beside the door to one bedroom, and across from the couch is a TV and the door to the other bedroom.
Skip points to the door by the TV. “We’ll take this one?”
Charlie shrugs as he bends down to grab his duffel. “We’ll take the other one.”
Skip walks through the door, drops his backpack on the floor, and flops onto the king bed. He’s asleep before June finds him a moment later. She sets her bag on an armchair by the window, then she takes off Skip’s shoes for him. When she leaves the bedroom, she tries to shut the door quietly.
Sadie and Minnie are in the kitchen, busy putting food and drinks away.
“Can I help with anything?”
Sadie shakes her head. “We’re almost done, thank you though.”
“Sure. Where’s Eddy?”
“He’s unpacking in the bedroom.”
The door is open, and June pokes her head in. “Eddy?”
“Shhh.” Eddy looks out from an alcove on one side of the room that has a large mirror and sink, a closet, and a door to a bathroom. He points to Charlie sleeping on the king bed. Eddy hangs up his leather jacket, then walks out of the bedroom. He doesn’t close the door. “How’s your guys’ bedroom?”
“It’s nice, a mirror image of yours, I think.”
“Have you started unpacking?”
She laughs. “No, I’m kinda afraid to. Dad packed for me while I was out, and he said he was rushing. So, there’s a good chance I’ll need to do some shopping.”
Sadie closes the fridge. “You know…” She walks over with Minnie and looks out the window. Hmm, can’t see it. “There’s a mall next to the hotel, it’s called The Fashion Centre. Sorry… I couldn’t help overhearing.” She smiles. “A lot of things are going to be new to you; one will be your enhanced senses. It might take some getting used to.”
Charlie farts in the other room, and everyone laughs. Sadie shakes her head, and Eddy mimics a drummer. “Ba-Dum-Ching!”
Minnie laughs. “Daddy’s smelly.”
Sadie rolls her eyes. “Yes he is darling, yes he is.”
June sighs. “I feel like there’s a lot of things I’ll be adjusting to now. What’s everyone up to today?”
Sadie yawns. “Well, probably sleep. I think there’s a presentation tonight in the ballroom, and it might be fun for all of us to go to that later. But until then, just resting.”
Minnie reaches up and grabs her mommy’s hand. “I’m not sleepy, because I was smart and slept last night.”
Sadie swings her hand a little. “You just may be the smartest of us, after all.”
June smiles. “I’m not tired either. I could play with Minnie while you guys rest.”
Sadie looks into June’s odd green-and-silver eyes. “That’s very kind of you. Thank you, June.”
Minnie shakes her arm to get Sadie’s attention. “Can June take me down to the lobby? There was a pretty chair there that I want to sit in.”
“No, I think you two should just stay in the room.”
Eddy stifles a yawn. “I’m not tired either, I could go with them if June wants to get out of the room.”
Sadie nods. “Alright Eddy, that’s fine.” She hesitates. “And remember what we talked about earlier.” She kneels and looks Minnie straight in the eye. “What does our song say about going in the sun?”
Minnie proudly sings the song: “Caught in the sun you are done! No more ice cream, no more fun!”
“That’s right dear, now give me a hug.”
Minnie launches into her mom’s arms.
Sadie looks at Eddy and June. “Be careful you two.”
“Yes, Mom.”
“Yes, Mrs. Costanza.”
She stands back up. “Okay, if you leave the room, take a key and your phones.” Eddy and June nod. Sadie walks toward her bedroom, then pauses and turns. “Don’t leave the hotel.” She takes another step and turns again. “And be careful of windows. This is a vampire-owned hotel, but you can never be too careful, and you don’t want to get sloppy. You’ll look for the logos on the windows, right?”
Eddy nods. “Yes, Mom, I know the drill.”
She flops down on the bed. “And make sure you drink some blood just in case.”
“Yes, Mom.”
Eddy turns to June and smiles. “What do you say we go check this place out?”
June bends down to Minnie and strokes her chin as if she had a beard. She squints. “Tell me about this chair.”
Minnie jumps into the air. “It’s purple!”
June laughs and stands back up. “Eddy, will you get some blood for Minnie and me? I think I’m thirsty.” She shakes her head. “This is so weird.”
He moves toward the fridge. “I promise you’ll get used to it.”
After they each have a drink, they leave the suite.
The three young vampires tramp through the hotel, at first down their hall, then down the stairs to explore another floor—Eddy chose the seventh—and then down its hall. Eddy explains to June about the different wavelengths in UV light, and how most glass only partially protects vampires unless an additional film is applied to it.
“That’s very interesting, but umm, why are you telling me about this?”
Eddy stops walking with Minnie. “Oh, it’s for Minnie’s lesson, I know you already know all about this.” He holds his finger to his mouth, then turns and looks behind June. No one’s there. “Stay here a second, Minnie.” Eddy jogs down the hall a few yards and looks down the hallway to the right. Empty. He jogs back to June, then he leans in close to her ear; closer than he’s ever gotten to her.
She flushes.
He leans in so close that her shoulder presses against his chest, and the air from his mouth tickles her hair. He whispers incredibly softly, “You never know who can hear you... You have to pretend to be like us at all times. You have to know what you need to be careful of.” When he stops, he takes in a breath through his nose. He smells her; a mix of her hair’s conditioner, her feminine deodorant, and her body odor. He swallows.
June slides away abruptly. “What was that?”
Eddy looks around. “What’s what?”
“I don’t know.” She shakes her head. “I felt something, like heat or something.”
“Uh, I didn’t feel anything.”
Minnie looks at Valentine, then up to June. “We didn’t feel anything.”
June leans against the hallway’s wall, next to a small table with a bouquet of flowers. “It was so odd, I was listening—” She looks into Eddy’s eyes and nods. “—and I understand. But then you paused, and then all of a sudden I felt this… Well, it felt like a wave of heat came off you.”
“I think I swallowed. I didn’t do anything else.”
“I heard you swallow, and it was right then. I dunno, it was weird though, I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“Are you feeling alright now?”
She nods while her eyes notice a subtle pattern in the hallway’s carpet. I’m such a silly fool, I ruined the moment.
Minnie looks up at her with concern.
June smiles back. “Let’s get down to that chair. Don’t you think it’s time?”
“Definitely!”
Eddy swivels in front of June. “Are you sure? We could go back to the room…”
“No, I’m fine. I just got a little freaked out, that’s all.” She starts walking and leads Minnie down the hall. “Thanks for explaining for me though, it was... It felt... It’s nice to know that you’re looking out for me.”
Eddy smiles at her. “You’re welcome, June.”
June sees the elevator and walks Minnie straight toward it, pulling away from Eddy. He’s warm now. This is so weird. She presses the button to call the elevator, and she’s relieved that the doors open immediately. They all enter, and Minnie has Valentine hit the button for the lobby.
Eddy motions to the stuffed unicorn. “She’s really good at that, maybe that’ll be her job someday.”
Minnie scowls up at Eddy. “No way. She just does it for fun. She’s going to be a helicopter pilot.”
“Oh, okay.”
The door opens and Minnie skips out, leading June. They cross the lobby and come to the purple chair. Minnie escapes from June’s hand and bounds up onto the cushion. “Yes!”
“Is it everything you ever dreamed of, sis?”
Minnie sprawls on the soft purple cushion, then bounces herself up and down a little. “Mmm.”
Eddy and June laugh.
Minnie jumps off the chair and looks at June. “Watch this!”
“Okay, I’m watching.”
Minnie turns around and slams her face into the cushion, then giggles into the fabric.
“Oh my!” June laughs with Eddy.
When she lifts her head up and prepares for another assault, Eddy grabs her shoulder. “Minnie, you could hurt yourself, don’t do that.”
“But it’s funny. Watch, Valentine wants to try.” Minnie grabs Valentine by the back of the head, then smashes the stuffed face deep into the cushion.
-Whomm!-
June can barely talk she’s laughing so much. “That’ll hurt her!”
“No it won’t!” -Whomm!- Valentine head-butts the couch again.
Eddy slips himself into the chair. “Okay! No more! Oh my gosh.” He takes a second to breathe. “I think that’s enough face smashing, don’t you think, June?”
She nods. “Yeah, I think that’s plenty!”
Minnie climbs up the chair and sits beside Eddy, holding Valentine on her lap. “Valentine, you’re so crazy!”
June leans on the arm of the chair and looks around the lobby. Jules is on the phone at her concierge desk, the front desk is unattended, a bellman rocks on his feet outside the glass front doors, and a large wall of windows faces the courtyard.
June straightens to get a better look at the courtyard. In its center, there’s a small ornamental pond and a small garden of flowers. There are a couple of benches facing a flat grassy spot, and along one entire side, an awning stretches out, completely shading a walkway and a series of tables. An older woman with salt-and-pepper hair sits in the shade at one of the tables, a chessboard and a notebook in front of her.
Sunlight flows through the windows from the courtyard and draws tilted shadows on the lobby’s marble tiles. June pokes Eddy. “Hey, think those windows have the special film?”
He turns around and looks. “They do look tinted, don’t they?” He gets up and walks over, careful to avoid the falling rays. He inspects the corner of the window. “I don’t see a logo or any label, but there is a film.”
Jules has been aware of the children since they arrived in the lobby, and she now walks over. She stops near the chair. “Hello, you three are from the Costanza party. Correct?”
June turns toward her. “Yes, that’s right.”
Jules motions to the courtyard. “It’s lovely looking, isn’t it?”
Eddy verifies her eyes are the shimmering green of a vampire. He asks the question that seems so simple on the surface—one that vampires everywhere ask every day. He motions with his head. “Those windows are tinted?”
Jules smiles. “Yes. They block 99.99% of UVA and UVB radiation and about 25% of visible light. Every window in this hotel has been treated for our guests’ safety and—” She clears her throat. “—to improve the interior aesthetics.”
Eddy nods and smiles. “Cool, yeah I thought they looked a little darker. And did you know it’s better for the environment? Using less electricity on air conditioning significantly lowers the carbon footprint.”