couple of dreadlocked hippies on the bench, one of them clutching a cigarette between his fingers.
I waved the smoke away as it trailed behind him. It reminded me of the disgusting cigar smell.
Periodically, I scanned the sidewalks, still jumpy enough to be paranoid. That’s how I spotted him, a tall figure pushing his way through the crowd.
My heart lurched as he strode toward the depot.
Loki's dark curls were squashed under a black, knit winter hat. He was searching the crowd, and it wouldn’t be long before he spotted me.
I was too tall, too pale. Too obvious.
There was no way I could get on a bus without him seeing me.
I slid sideways along the wall, falling into step with a couple holding hands as they passed. Luckily, Loki was looking the other way, and I managed to slip around the side of the building.
Once he was out of sight, I sprinted to the nearest building and yanked the doors open.
I ended up in the lobby of a bland-looking motel, staring at the startled young woman behind the front desk, hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath and quell the sick panic in my stomach.
She peered through thick glasses. "Can I help you?"
Embarrassed, I straightened up and cleared my throat. “Um, yes.”
What the hell. Why not, right?
"I'd like a room."
She brightened. “Of course. Just for yourself?"
"Sure. Doesn't need to be fancy."
She smiled, like I’d made some kind of joke, and I wondered what sort of hotel I’d signed myself up for. "How much is it for just the night?"
"Sixty dollars."
I gulped, grateful for Charlotte's credit card as the woman swiped it through the machine. When she looked up at me, I gripped the edge of the counter and forced what I hoped was a cheerful smile. Any minute now, she was going to ask for ID and figure out the credit card wasn’t mine.
“All right. We’ll put you in room two-oh-three.” The woman slid a key card over the counter.
I snatched it up, giving her a relieved smile. “Thank you.”
“Of course. The elevators are just around the corner.”
~ * ~
The door slid open on level two, and I stepped into a narrow hallway lined with white doors. Large, gold numbers distinguished one from another. My room was easy to find since it was only about ten feet from the elevators.
The room was only slightly less grungy than the hotel lobby, done in horrible beige and green wallpaper.
Beggars can't be choosers. Wasn't that the saying? It was just temporary. I'd head back to the bus depot in the morning.
I threw my pack on the bed, sitting down with a groan that was almost drowned out by the squeak of rusty bedsprings. My stomach was practically eating itself, which was distracting while I was trying to figure out my next step. I’d eaten the pilfered sandwiches in the cab this morning, but that had been hours ago.
There was no room service in this type of motel. It was venture outside or starve.
I dug through Charlotte's pack, discovering a pair of worn mittens, a snack bar, a change of clothing, and a red knit hat.
My stomach growled, but I put the snack bar aside just in case the card got canceled. I pulled the hat on, tucking my hair inside as best I could. There was nothing I could do about my height, but at least I could walk around without looking all platinum.
I studied myself in the bathroom mirror.
Six-foot-tall girls weren’t that uncommon, right?
The girl at the desk recommended a few places for food. The best of which was a sandwich shop down the street that sounded cheap and far away enough from the bus depot. I kept my head down and stuck to the crowds, making sure I was never walking by myself.
He'd be looking for someone walking alone.
Another wave of sadness washed over me as I thought about Charlotte. It would have been so much easier if she had been there.
The sandwich shop was tiny, wedged between two clothing stores. Both were closed, their dark windows contrasting with the shop’s brightly lit interior.
The bell over the
I waved the smoke away as it trailed behind him. It reminded me of the disgusting cigar smell.
Periodically, I scanned the sidewalks, still jumpy enough to be paranoid. That’s how I spotted him, a tall figure pushing his way through the crowd.
My heart lurched as he strode toward the depot.
Loki's dark curls were squashed under a black, knit winter hat. He was searching the crowd, and it wouldn’t be long before he spotted me.
I was too tall, too pale. Too obvious.
There was no way I could get on a bus without him seeing me.
I slid sideways along the wall, falling into step with a couple holding hands as they passed. Luckily, Loki was looking the other way, and I managed to slip around the side of the building.
Once he was out of sight, I sprinted to the nearest building and yanked the doors open.
I ended up in the lobby of a bland-looking motel, staring at the startled young woman behind the front desk, hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath and quell the sick panic in my stomach.
She peered through thick glasses. "Can I help you?"
Embarrassed, I straightened up and cleared my throat. “Um, yes.”
What the hell. Why not, right?
"I'd like a room."
She brightened. “Of course. Just for yourself?"
"Sure. Doesn't need to be fancy."
She smiled, like I’d made some kind of joke, and I wondered what sort of hotel I’d signed myself up for. "How much is it for just the night?"
"Sixty dollars."
I gulped, grateful for Charlotte's credit card as the woman swiped it through the machine. When she looked up at me, I gripped the edge of the counter and forced what I hoped was a cheerful smile. Any minute now, she was going to ask for ID and figure out the credit card wasn’t mine.
“All right. We’ll put you in room two-oh-three.” The woman slid a key card over the counter.
I snatched it up, giving her a relieved smile. “Thank you.”
“Of course. The elevators are just around the corner.”
~ * ~
The door slid open on level two, and I stepped into a narrow hallway lined with white doors. Large, gold numbers distinguished one from another. My room was easy to find since it was only about ten feet from the elevators.
The room was only slightly less grungy than the hotel lobby, done in horrible beige and green wallpaper.
Beggars can't be choosers. Wasn't that the saying? It was just temporary. I'd head back to the bus depot in the morning.
I threw my pack on the bed, sitting down with a groan that was almost drowned out by the squeak of rusty bedsprings. My stomach was practically eating itself, which was distracting while I was trying to figure out my next step. I’d eaten the pilfered sandwiches in the cab this morning, but that had been hours ago.
There was no room service in this type of motel. It was venture outside or starve.
I dug through Charlotte's pack, discovering a pair of worn mittens, a snack bar, a change of clothing, and a red knit hat.
My stomach growled, but I put the snack bar aside just in case the card got canceled. I pulled the hat on, tucking my hair inside as best I could. There was nothing I could do about my height, but at least I could walk around without looking all platinum.
I studied myself in the bathroom mirror.
Six-foot-tall girls weren’t that uncommon, right?
The girl at the desk recommended a few places for food. The best of which was a sandwich shop down the street that sounded cheap and far away enough from the bus depot. I kept my head down and stuck to the crowds, making sure I was never walking by myself.
He'd be looking for someone walking alone.
Another wave of sadness washed over me as I thought about Charlotte. It would have been so much easier if she had been there.
The sandwich shop was tiny, wedged between two clothing stores. Both were closed, their dark windows contrasting with the shop’s brightly lit interior.
The bell over the
Similar Books
