accuse me of watching a kid take her fucking shirt off. Thankfully, we’re completely and utterly alone, which is probably not a great thing right now, especially since her eyes haven’t left my face as she unclasps more buttons. “Okay now, not sure where you’re going with this ‘or’ but you can keep your clothes on.”
“I’ll lower my rate to fifty dollars,” she says. Damnnnnnn. This chick is for real.
“Doll, I’m not paying you fifty cents, not only because you’re probably fourteen or fifteen but, I’m also not the type to accept such a generous offer as that one.” How the hell is she even old enough to work here?
She quickly rebuttons her shirt and straightens upright. “I’m seventeen,” she corrects me.
“Still a minor and I’m still not interested. I just want a room. Can you help me with that?”
Flustered and awkward, she presses her fingers through her hair and sucks in a thick breath and holds it. She punches at the buttons on her computer and whips out a key with a green rubber key chain. “Room 206. The charge is $80 a night. I’ll need a credit card for incidentals.” As she’s spewing off her memorized spiel, I hand her my card and look over my shoulder again. I can’t believe this kid was selling herself out to any rando who walks into this sleazy motel, and sadly, it was obvious she’s not used to being turned down.
With my focus held solely on a brochure for some local festival, she hands me my card and receipt. “I’m sorry for that,” she offers.
I look up at her, finding true sadness pooling in her child-like eyes. “There are other ways of making cash, kid. Don’t sell yourself.”
“With all due respect, sir, sometimes my ‘jobs’ are my only means of making enough cash to eat.”
Without a second thought, I reach for my wallet to my put my card away and pull out a hundred-dollar bill. I place it down on the counter and lean forward. “There are other options. Dinner’s on me tonight, kid.”
Her focus drops to the bill on the counter, and her lips part slightly with surprise. “Thank you,” she mutters quietly. “You’re still one of the good ones.”
“Enjoy.” Still? I take my key and head out the door and up the flight of stairs to the second floor. My room is only a few doors down and I can almost smell the incoming sleep waiting for me.
I unlock the door and press inside, flipping on the light.
Andddd…now I’m flipping off the light.
Seriously? Why does this shit continuously seem to find me?
CHAPTER TWO
SASHA
I CAN’T CONTINUE living here. I shouldn’t be living here anyway. I have a house and this isn’t it. Squeezing my hands firmly over my headphones with the slightest hope that I can block just some of this noise out, I imagine myself by an ocean, and I pretend I’m on a swaying boat, rather than a rocking bed.
With a glance over at the alarm clock once again, I decide that six in the morning is an acceptable time to show up at work. As much as I love Cali, I’m not sure I can sleep in the room beside her for one more night.
I tear open my duffle bag and pull out my work clothes, noticing the intricate wrinkles beautifully covering my blouse. Crap! I poke my head out of the bedroom door and look to see if the coast is clear of anyone. Thank goodness, it is. I tiptoe across the hall to the linen closet, praying for an iron.
Score. At least I will have wrinkle-free clothes to go with the pretty bags under my eyes today.
“Whatcha doin’, Miss Piggy?”
The surprise of hearing Cali’s voice shocks me, and I drop the iron, missing my foot by less than an inch. I clutch at my chest and fall back against the wall. “Shoot, Cali, you scared me half to death. And quit calling me that. It’s been fifteen years now. Enough.”
She laughs at my anger; like she normally does. “I can’t help it! You and all that pink. How can I resist? Furthermore, how is it you look like you just left a salon five minutes after waking up?” she asks me while running her fingers through the snarls lining her head. “Got any tips?”
Maybe stop grinding your head into a pillow over and over? “How is it y’all are having…” I cup my hand around my mouth and spell out, “s-e-x, this early in the