Pulling into the parking lot, Marit parked her car and leaned her head against the steering wheel. Finally, she'd done it. Broken away, escaped. Now she was at this nameless hotel on this deserted highway with all she owned in the trunk of her car. And she had never felt so free.
AJ walked into the hotel, heading over to the check-in desk, and greeted the girl behind the counter with a smile.
"Hi, I'd like a room, please. Double bed," he told her.
"Sure, no problem, we have several vacancies."
"Great, can I get one that's kind of isolated?"
"Sure, the west wing is somewhat empty, I'll put you on the fifth floor. Can I have your name, please?"
"Yeah, it's Alexander James. And I'll be paying in cash," he said, as he pulled out several bills.
"Okay, and how many nights?"
"Um, I'm not sure. Two for now, and I'll let you know tomorrow," he smiled charmingly at her.
"Great, here's your receipt, just let us know by tomorrow afternoon if you'll be needing the room longer. Here's your key, elevators are around the corner to your left. Thank you very much, Mr. James."
"Thanks a bunch!" He picked up his bags and headed up to his room.
Smiling at the receptionist in thanks, Marit grabbed her keys and headed over to the elevators. There was a young man stepping into one and as he turned, he saw her approach and held the door open for her.
"Thanks," she said, as she walked in.
"Sure, no problem," he said. "What floor?"
"Ummm, five I think." She checked her key. "Yeah, fifth floor."
"What a coincidence," he said, "me too." He smiled charmingly at her, and her immediate reaction was to freeze. Stop that, he's just being friendly, , she chided herself. Nevertheless, the smile she returned was a little forced.
"Cool," she responded, then turned her attention to the climbing numbers. AJ watched her thoughtfully, wondering why she was so jumpy. As the elevator approached the fifth floor and the doors slid open, she walked out and headed down the hall, without glancing back. He watched her walk away, admiring the view. Stepping into the hallway, he shook his head.
"That is NOT what you came here for," he reminded himself. "It would be nice to play, but..." He smiled to himself and looked for his room.
Oblivious to his attention, Marit wandered the hallway until she found her room. Unlocking the door, she walked in and placed her bags on a chair. She walked into the bathroom to freshen up, then decided that she needed to get something to eat. She had been driving all day, she had to get something in her. Her first thought was to order room service, but she quickly decided against it. "No, Marit, you are not going to sit in this hotel room moping by yourself," she told her reflection. "Go downstairs, eat in the restaurant and be friendly to the waiter." That decided, she grabbed her purse and walked out the door.
Shutting the door behind him, AJ threw his bags on the bed and glanced around the room. It wasn't the Ritz-Carleton, but it was clean and, most importantly, secluded. No one knew he was out here. At that last thought, AJ felt a twinge of guilt. Pondering a few minutes, he opened his bag and pulled out his cell phone. Switching it on, he flipped it open and hit a memory button.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Brian, it's me."
"AJ! Where are you? When you didn't show up for rehearsal this morning we got worried. We called your house and your mom and everything, but no one could find you. You're not answering your cell either," Brian scolded.
"I know, it's turned off. Listen, I need to be by myself for a little while, okay? I just wanted to call and let you know I'm all right. I'll be back in a few days, I promise."
"Everything okay?" he asked in concern. AJ laughed softly.
"Don't worry about me, just wanted to get away from the craziness for a while, you know? It's all good."
"Yeah, I know. Okay, listen, you take a break then, but come back ASAP or else Kevin's gonna kick your ass. Call again soon, okay?"
"Sure thing, B. Later." AJ clicked off, and headed back down to the lobby in search of dinner.
Marit walked in to the lounge, grateful that there were few people in there at this time of the night. Seating herself by the back wall, she picked up her menu and began to peruse it.
Glancing around, AJ wandered into the little diner, noting the lack of people. Though he usually loved being the center of attention, the peace and quiet was nice too. But he definitely didn't want to eat alone. In the back of the room, he spotted the young woman he had briefly spoken to in the elevator. Not giving it a second thought, he made his way over to her.
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