hon?” Her name tag read Penny.
“Uh, no.” He stuttered. “Actualy I wanted to ask you a question.”
“I’l be right with you.” Penny grabbed five plates from the kitchen counter and stacked them up her arm. With the other hand she grabbed a coffee pot and disappeared.
Peter spun on his stool and watched her deliver the food to a family on the other side of the restaurant and then top off coffees.
At the opposite end of the counter, he noticed an older gentleman reading a newspaper. Penny rushed past.
“Hold on one more sec,” she said. “Jerrold, you ready for a refil?” The man with the newspaper held up his cup.
“You’re running around like a chicken with her head cut off today,” the man commented.
“Short handed for the next few days.” Penny returned the pot to the burner and approached Peter. “Alright, what’l you have?” His hands began to sweat. Peter couldn’t believe how nervous he was. Talking to strangers never rattled him, but the thought of seeing Libby again made him jumpy. “I’m looking for a friend of mine. I think she lives here, but I don’t know where.” The woman tidied the counter as he spoke.
“Her name is Jil Munroe.” He held his breath.
The woman stopped and looked at him. “You’re looking for Jil?” Her eyes changed. Was she annoyed he wasn’t placing an order? Penny exchanged looks with the man at the end of the counter. He arched an eyebrow.
“Do you know her?” He tried to keep the desperation out of his voice.
“Sure, I know Jil,” she hesitated. “But she’s off today.”
“Yes!” Peter slapped his hands on the counter. He struck gold. She worked here.
Penny watched him, wide eyed. “How do you know Jil?”
“I met her in Wisconsin, almost a year ago. We used to date.”
Penny nodded slowly, and glanced again at the man with the newspaper.
“Can you tel me where she lives?” Peter looked from one to the other and back again. The man nodded his head at Penny.
“Sure thing. She lives at the Twilight Motel on the west edge of town. Works in the office most afternoons . . .”
“Thank you so much!” He popped off his stool and headed for the door. “I’ve gotta go see her. I can’t thank you enough.” He waved at Penny as he left, ran to the car and hopped in.
“Roger she’s here. I mean not here like at the restaurant, but she works here. Except she’s off today. She lives at the motel and works there too.” Peter started the car and sped off.
He drove west to the Twilight Motel, a cheap roadside dive not fit for fleas. Roger gave him a cockeyed glance as Peter puled into the gravel drive and parked in front of a blinking office sign. He couldn’t imagine Libby actualy lived here.
“You sure you want to do this?” Roger asked.
“Are you kidding me?” Peter left the rental car and entered the run down office. The tril of a bel sounded as the door opened.
Fortified with determination, Peter crossed the cracked linoleum to the front counter.
“Afternoon. Y’al looking for a room?” A middle aged brassy blond asked. Her sickeningly sweet perfume overpowered him.
Peter almost took a step back when he saw her Tammy Faye Baker face complete with crusty mascara, and overdrawn lips coated in pink gloss.
“No, thank you. Actualy I’m looking for someone.”
“Are you now? I’ve been looking for someone too.” She leaned forward and revealed her ample bosom squeezed into a tiny tank top more appropriate for a teenager than a fifty-year-old woman.
Peter nearly laughed. He might need Roger’s help after al.
Heck, Roger might enjoy her. He offered his best mannered smile.
“Actualy, it’s a friend of mine, who I believe lives here. Her name is Jil.”
“Oh.” The desk clerk stood up. “She stays in number six, since the phone doesn’t work. Says she has no one to cal, but if I had a young man as sweet as you on my tail, I’d sit by the phone al day waiting.” She batted her oversized lashes; he wanted to run.
He eyed the door, his heart longing to be in Room Six, but the flirty old woman prattled on.
“DarLynn. That’s my daughter-in-law, lets Jil stay here. She babysits the boys and watches the office while DarLynn’s at night school. She’s gonna be a hair stylist. Don’t know why she needs to do that when she’s got the Twilight to run. This is my son Jimmy’s place,” she whispered as if it were a big secret. “If