Night Skies Hotel IV The Lost Worlds
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In A Perfect World free porn video
Of course I immediately noticed his scars. Anyone who claimed otherwise would be lying. And of course I did my best to pretend I didn’t notice them, just as any decent person would have.
I was behind the counter of Mildred’s Restaurant, where I’d worked for the past six months, when the little bell above the door chimed and he stepped inside. It was just before three on a Friday afternoon. The lunch crowd was long gone, and those wanting an early dinner hadn’t begun to trickle in yet. I had only one table, where two elderly ladies sat sipping coffee and lingering over pie.
He looked around, and then his stare settled on me. I smiled, maintaining eye contact just long enough to be appropriate before I grabbed a menu and some silverware and walked toward him.
‘Welcome to Mildred’s,’ I said, leading him to a table near the window. ‘I’m Morgan, and I’ll be taking care of you today.’
‘Hello, Morgan,’ he said without looking at me.
As he sat down, I noticed that he wore jeans and a button-down shirt, along with a leather jacket and work boots. I was bad at guessing ages, but I thought he looked about thirty. ‘Has it warmed up any out there?’ I asked him.
He glanced out the window, and I used that moment to sneak a look at him. Scars crisscrossed his face from the corner of his eye all the way to his jaw line. The other side of his face was equally disfigured. A beard would have covered some of his scars, but he was clean shaven, and he wore his dark hair short. I noticed that he had no scars on his neck or what I could see of his hands. No defensive wounds. It must have been an accident, I figured. I also noticed that he didn’t wear a wedding ring.
‘No, it’s still freezing,’ the man said, then turned back to me, and I busied myself with pulling a pad and pen from the pocket of my waist apron.
‘The forecast this morning called for snow,’ I said. ‘I saw a few flurries earlier. I just hope it holds off until my shift ends.’ He nodded and gave me a polite smile as he looked over the menu. ‘What can I get you to drink?’
‘Coffee, please.’
‘Cream and sugar?’
‘No, thanks.’
I went back around the counter and started a fresh pot of coffee for him. As I waited for it to brew, I tightened my ponytail and studied the bulletin board on the wall over the sink. Pinned to it was a piece of paper folded in half to look like a card. On the front was printed ‘Happy 1993!’ in uneven handwriting. Even though it was the third week of January, I couldn’t bring myself to throw away the card, which a customer’s child had made for me right before the New Year.
Will appeared in the doorway leading to the kitchen, arms folded over his chest. ‘What are you doing just standing around?’ he asked.
I gestured to the coffee pot. ‘I’m making coffee.’
‘Where’s Leah?’
‘She went home at two. She was feeling sick.’
Will smirked. ‘What else is new? How long’s it been since she worked a full shift?’
I wasn’t interested in badmouthing a fellow waitress with him. ‘We just got a customer, so don’t disappear out back for a smoke break, okay?’ I said.
Will was the restaurant owner’s grandson, and we’d gone to high school together. He’d been accepted into a state school but had flunked out during his first semester last fall and was now working as a cook here. I’d liked my job a lot better before I had to start spending my shifts putting up with his smart ass remarks.
He looked around the restaurant and spotted my newest customer. ‘Christ, what’s wrong with that guy’s face?’
I shushed him and glanced over my shoulder to make sure the man hadn’t heard. ‘Don’t be a dick, Will.’
‘It’s a good thing we’re not busy. That would be enough to ruin anyone’s appetite.’ Will wasn’t trying to keep his voice down, if anything, he’d gotten louder. If Will weren’t related to the owner, he wouldn’t be allowed to act like such a creep, but since Mildred adored him, everyone had to handle him with kid gloves. The manager, Shelby, was conveniently in the back office doing paperwork. She never seemed to be around when Will was acting like a jackass.
‘Look,’ I said, stepping closer to him, ‘I’ll give you five bucks if you’ll just be quiet and go back in the kitchen.’
Will looked me up and down and grinned. ‘How about this: I’ll be quiet now, and you give me a blow job when my shift is over.’
I felt my hands clench into fists, and my face grew hot. ‘You’ve got a lot of nerve even suggesting that after what you did last year.’
Those words caused him to draw back, and the smirk disappeared from his mouth. ‘Wait, wait,’ he said. ‘Just give me the five bucks. You used to be able to take a joke, Morgan. You’re not turning into one of those born-again virgins, are you?’
I gave him five dollars of my tip money, wishing I could tell him to go fuck himself, but I was well aware that he could make my life hell here by mixing up my orders or dragging his feet getting the food ready. I’d seen him pull stunts like that before when Leah crossed him. He pocketed my money and went back into the kitchen.
I took a deep breath and pulled at the hem of my blue shirt, which had the restaurant name printed on the front. My black pants had grown a little loose in the waist, but I hadn’t resigned myself to wearing a belt just yet.
A large portion of my tips depended upon my friendliness and efficiency, but I knew how much my appearance also played a factor. When I first started working here, I spent time before each shift teasing my hair and carefully applying my makeup. Now I didn’t even bother with blush or lipstick, and because I’d lost ten pounds in the last several months, my clothes didn’t fit right.
I carried the steaming cup of coffee to the man. He sat with the menu closed in front of him, gazing out the window. ‘Sorry about the wait,’ I told him. ‘I wanted to make a fresh pot.’
‘I appreciate it,’ he said.
‘Have you decided on what you’d like?’
‘I’ll have the BLT.’
‘Sure thing.’ I scribbled the order down on my pad so Will couldn’t accuse me of relaying it to him incorrectly. Back in the kitchen, I put the slip of paper right in Will’s hand. ‘This shouldn’t take you very long,’ I said pointedly.
Will snorted. ‘You making sure he has everything he needs? Did you ask him if he’d like a bag to put over his head?’
‘I paid you five dollars to shut your mouth,’ I snapped.
He sighed. ‘Fine, fine.’ When I didn’t leave the kitchen, he stopped and stared at me. ‘What are you still doing in here?’
I folded my arms over my chest. ‘I’m staying here while you make that sandwich.’
‘Morgan, you’re being a real bitch today. You got customers out front.’
‘All the more reason that you need to hurry up and get that BLT made,’ I said. Something in my face told him he shouldn’t bother arguing with me, but I heard a few swear words muttered under his breath at me. I no longer cared if I was on Will’s shit list. Jobs were hard to come by in this town, but I’d find something else if I had to.
Will had the sandwich and fries made in record time. ‘There you go. Happy now?’ he said through his teeth as he held the plate out to me.
I gave him a sweet smile. ‘Very.’
Back out front, I hurried over to the man’s table and set the plate before him. ‘Here’s your sandwich, and some extra napkins.’
‘Thanks very much.’ This time he raised his head and met my eyes.
‘Ketchup’s on the table,’ I said. ‘Is there anything else I can get you right now?’
‘I think I’m good.’
The two older ladies made their way to the register, and I went to ring them up. They left me a decent tip, considering they ordered only coffee and pie, and I thanked them. ‘I hate to go back out there,’ one of them said to me, shivering in her heavy coat. ‘Seems like winter will never end.’
‘Two more months of it,’ her friend sa
id.
‘You two ladies have a great day. Stay warm,’ I said, watching them shuffle out of the restaurant. I lingered behind the counter and shot furtive glances at my only customer. His paper napkin was smoothed over his lap, and he took careful bites of the sandwich. I felt a twinge in my chest, I hated to see someone eating alone. Sure, some people preferred to eat by themselves, but it made me sad just the same.
I ambled over to the table the two ladies had left and began clearing it. ‘I haven’t seen you in here before,’ I said to the man, trying to keep my voice casual.
He turned to face me, as though surprised I’d spoken. ‘I grew up near here, but I haven’t been back in years. I live in Springfield now.’
‘Oh? What brings you back this way?’ I didn’t make a habit of engaging in personal conversations with customers I didn’t know, and I was aware that the man might not appreciate it. I studied him, waiting for a sign that he’d prefer it if I got lost.
He wiped his mouth with the napkin. ‘My mother’s sick in the hospital here.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ I said, wondering if I knew his mom. It was a pretty small town, and most people were on a first-name basis.
‘She lives thirty miles away, toward Madison,’ he went on, ‘and the closest hospital is here in town. I’d stay at her house, but I’d rather not make that trip back and forth from there to the hospital when the weather can turn nasty so fast in these mountains. Can you recommend a place nearby for me to stay?’
I moved closer to his table, hands tucked in my pockets. ‘Sure. There’s a motel just up the road from here. I know Sandra, the owner. It’s not anything fancy, but she keeps it clean, and the rates are really reasonable.’ I gave him the name of the place and directions to it.
‘Thanks a lot,’ he said.
I figured hovering around him any longer would venture into inappropriate territory, so I went back to cleaning the table. Another customer came in, and I seated her and took her drink order. Glancing at the clock, I saw it was half past three. In another thirty minutes, Nina would show up for her shift. I was working noon till closing at nine, and with Leah home sick, it was sure to be a busy night if we didn’t get a lot of snow.
I took the newest customer’s order and gave it to Will, who was now subjecting me to the silent treatment. Then I went back to the man’s table. He’d finished his sandwich, and I asked him if he’d like another cup of coffee or dessert.
‘No, thanks. Just the check, please.’
‘I’ll ring you up at the register whenever you’re ready,’ I said, handing him the ticket.
When he approached me to pay the bill, I found myself fidgeting, brushing my bangs out of my face and shifting my weight from one foot to the other. In six months, I’d shown no more than a passing interest in any guy, but this man was different. If he asked me for my number, I planned to give it to him.
I rang him up, and he slid a ten across the counter—more than enough for the meal and a generous tip. ‘Keep the change,’ he said.
‘Thank you very much.’ I couldn’t help but beam at him like a stupid teenager. I watched as he reached into his wallet and withdrew a five. He held it out to me.
‘This is for the five dollars you lost because of me.’
I was so mortified, I wanted to fall through the floor. I also wanted to go back into the kitchen and splatter hot grease all over Will’s face. This man had heard every word we said. ‘I am so sorry about that, sir,’ I stammered. ‘I’m going to speak to the manager about him.’
‘Best not to,’ the man said. ‘He doesn’t seem like a person you’d want to have as an enemy.’
I stared at the money in his hand. ‘I’m not taking that. In fact, let me give you your meal for free.’ I held out the ten, and in the back of my mind, I realized we had to look kind of crazy, pushing money at each other.
‘Morgan, no,’ he said, his voice firm. He left the five on the counter and headed toward the door. ‘Hope you make it out of here before it snows.’
‘Have a good day,’ I called after him, feeling like an idiot. After he was gone, I drew in a shaky breath and resisted the urge to burst into tears. A crazy impulse, but I felt like shit and had no way to make the situation better.
I managed to keep my emotions in check for the rest of my shift, and by the time it ended, the snow hadn’t yet begun to fall. I helped Shelby close up, while Will took off as soon as nine o’ clock rolled around. ‘I can take care of the rest of this,’ Shelby said to me. ‘Go on home before the weather gets bad.’
I thought about telling her what Will had done earlier that day, but I noticed how tired she looked, and I remembered that she was a single mom struggling to make ends meet. Yes, she was the manager, but Will knew he could do almost anything here and still keep his job.
I ended up simply telling her good night as I pulled on my coat and headed out the door. Once I stood in the parking lot, I looked around and shivered. The air felt heavy, like an invisible blanket had been thrown over the sky. It sure felt like snow out here.
I walked over to my Mazda. It wasn’t four-wheel drive, but I’d saved up enough money to buy some snow tires for it, so it handled well in bad weather. I got in the car and started it, sitting in the darkness as I let it idle and warm up. I couldn’t stop thinking about the man with the scars.
From a purely rational perspective, I knew what happened wasn’t my fault. If Shelby couldn’t keep Will in line, then I sure as hell wouldn’t be able to, but I still felt horrible. Peering through the windshield, I didn’t see a single snowflake. I could make a quick stop by Sandra’s motel and see if the guy had checked in.
It was a crazy idea. The man had given no indication that he wanted to see me again, he probably didn’t want to be bothered, especially at half past nine. I shook my head as if to dislodge the thought from my brain, but now that the plan had presented itself, I couldn’t get away from it.
I left the restaurant parking lot, and instead of taking a left toward home, I made a right, which would take me to the motel. On the way, I stopped at the convenience store Wade owned, which was thankfully empty, like most places in this town after nine at night.
Through the store window, I could see Wade behind the counter reading a newspaper. He looked up when he saw my headlights shining from the parking lot, and when I got out of the car, he gave me a wave. ‘Hey, stranger,’ he said when I walked through the door.
‘Hey yourself.’ I’d always liked Wade, had even worked for him here for a few weeks before I began waitressing at Mildred’s.
‘You’d better get on home,’ he told me. ‘It’s supposed to start snowing any time now.’
‘I just need to grab something really quick.’ I strode toward the coolers in the back and picked up a six-pack of beer, hoping Wade wouldn’t give me trouble about it.
He frowned and folded his arms over his chest as I approached the counter. Wade was a big, burly guy with a beard. I used to call him Paul Bunyan, which he found funny, but that was when we were still fucking.
‘If I remember correctly, you ain’t twenty-one yet, girlie,’ he said. ‘Hell, you ain’t even nineteen.’
‘How do you remember shit like that?’ I asked. ‘I’ll be nineteen in two months. And the beer’s not for me anyway.’
Wrong choice of words. His frown deepened. ‘Who are you buying beer for?’
‘A friend. An older friend,’ I added.
‘Why can’t your older friend buy his own beer?’
I tried not to wince. Of course he would assume it was a male friend. Never mind that he was right, it still stung. ‘Look, his mom’s sick in the hospital, and he’s staying here in town so he can be with her, and he’s had a really shitty day. And I don’t even like beer!’ I blurted.
Wade snorted with laughter. ‘Okay, okay. You’ve convinced me. But
don’t you breathe a word of this, understand?’
‘Of course.’ He rang me up, and I paid for the beer. ‘Thanks a lot, Wade.’
‘Take care of yourself, Morgan,’ he said. ‘I always did have a soft spot for you.’
I couldn’t help but grin. ‘From what I remember, there’s not a soft spot on you.’
‘Get outta here, you flirt.’
I left the store and headed toward the motel. Still no snow, maybe my luck would hold. Several cars were parked in front of the main building, and I wondered which was his. ‘He might not even be here,’ I muttered to myself.
Sandra was at the front desk, cigarette dangling from her mouth as she adjusted the rabbit ears on a small black-and-white television. ‘Piece of shit,’ she said as I stepped inside.
‘Hey, Sandra.’
‘Hey, doll.’ She gave up on the TV reception and turned to me, noticing the six-pack I held. ‘That for me?’
I laughed. ‘You want one?’
‘Nah.’ Taking a long drag on her cigarette, she blew smoke above her head. ‘Thanks for sending some business my way. It’s been slow lately.’
My pulse quickened. ‘You mean the man with the…’ I gestured to my face.
‘The scars? Yeah. He checked in a little after eight.’
I leaned against the desk and gave Sandra my sweetest smile. ‘Can you please tell me his room number?’
Sandra raised an eyebrow and tossed her long black hair over her shoulder. ‘I take it those beers are for him.’ I nodded. ‘I don’t know, Morgan. I don’t give out room numbers unless the cops are asking.’
‘Pretty please? I feel like I owe him an apology. When he was at the restaurant today, Will made a crack about his face.’
Sandra’s eyes widened. ‘Are you shitting me? Will needs a good ass kicking. That would straighten him up real fast.’
I wasn’t interested in talking about Will, my attention was focused on each precious second ticking by as I stood there. ‘If the man asks, I’ll just tell him I knocked on every room door until I got the right one.’
Sandra sighed and stubbed out her cigarette. ‘Fine. He’s in Room 12.’ I turned toward the door. ‘Wait, Morgan. You don’t even know this guy. What if he’s a serial killer?’
I grinned. ‘Then let’s hope he’s the strangler kind and not the slasher type, or you’ll have a hell of a mess to clean up.’
‘Not even funny,’ Sandra snapped. ‘Go on then. You’re a grown woman, and I can’t stop you.’
I thanked her and hurried outside toward Room 12. A sliver of light worked its way through the drawn curtains. Standing in front of the door, which was painted a dull red color that reminded me of dried blood, I raised my hand and knocked.
It took him a minute to answer, and I held my breath as I waited. When he opened the door, I let out a huge sigh and grinned like a lunatic. ‘Hi,’ I said too loudly.
The man blinked at me in surprise. He still wore his jeans and a pair of socks, but his shirt was unbuttoned. It looked like he’d just pulled it back on. I glanced at his chest and saw no scars there, just thick dark hair. ‘It’s Morgan from the restaurant,’ I rambled stupidly.
‘I remember.’
I held up the six-pack. ‘I thought I’d stop by and see how you’re doing.’ When he didn’t answer, my smile faded, and my cheeks began to burn. ‘I’m sorry,’ I hurried on. ‘I shouldn’t have bothered you.’ I thrust the beer toward him. ‘Just take this, and I’ll be on my way.’
‘Wait,’ he said. ‘Please forgive my bad manners. I’m just, uh, a little surprised to see you. Come on in.’ He held the door open wider.
‘I hope I’m not disturbing you,’ I said as I entered the room and he closed the door behind me.
‘Not at all.’ He busied himself with buttoning his shirt. ‘I got back from the hospital earlier and checked in here, and I was just watching a little television.’
I looked around the room and spotted his suitcase, still closed. He’d tossed his leather jacket over the desk chair, and his boots were on the floor beneath the window. ‘Have a seat,’ he said.
I sat in one of the chairs, and he settled on the edge of the bed just a few feet from me. I handed him a beer, still cold. He thanked me and popped it open. ‘I could certainly use one of these right now.’ He hesitated before taking a sip. ‘Aren’t you going to have one?’
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