Maggie was freezing. She had been walking in the driving snow for fifteen minutes, bucking the 50 mph North wind and sliding on the icy ground. She walked up to the motel, relieved to find refuge inside it's warm lobby. She shook the snow and ice off her and stood in line behind a tall gentleman who looked to be about forty. The man turned around upon hearing the bell above the door chiming. Instantly, she recognized him.
"Hey, doctor Lerner. What are you doing clear out here?"
"I've been in St. Mary on a business trip and got stranded here for the night. I'm just waiting to get a room. You look like you're freezing!" he exclaimed. "You're absolutely soaked." he took off his coat and put it around her shoulders, rubbing her arms briskly to try to warm her.
"I had to walk for fifteen minutes. My car slid off into the ditch."
"Good grief! You don't have your kids with you, I assume."
"Oh, no." she reassured him. "They're with their grandma and grandpa. I had to go out to St. Mary to get my sister settled into college. I thought I could make it as far as Jamesport, but the blizzard got the better of me."
"I'm sorry folks." the man behind the desk interrupted them. "There's only one room available."
Maggie's heart skipped a beat.
"That's okay." the doctor replied, handing him a credit card. "Just put it on this."
"Oh you don't have to do that." Maggie said, digging in her purse. "I'll pay for half of it."
"No need." the doctor said. The desk clerk handed them their key and they made their way down the hall to the elevator. The lights flickered on and off.
"Let's take the stairs." the doctor decided. "Here, let me carry your bags."
"Oh it's okay." Maggie said. "I can get them." but before she could object any further, he took them from her. She walked up the two flights of stairs with him. He reminded her of George Clooney, with dark wavy hair and deep brown eyes. He had been her doctor for five years and delivered both her children. He had been there for her when they were sick, being a small town doctor, he was both the OBGYN and the Pediatrician. He had been there for her when she had lost her husband suddenly in a work related accident. He let her sit in his office and cry it out. Even though he was fifteen years her senior, she had had a crush on him for a long time. He bordered somewhere between cocky and charming. She wondered what he was really doing in St. Mary, fifty miles from his home. She knew his wife had left him recently, taking their four children with her. Maybe they moved to the city and he was visiting them.
Her train of thought was derailed as they came to their room and he opened the door. Inside there was a sofa, a king size bed, a kitchenette and a large television. The bathroom was large with a whirlpool type tub.
"Wow, we must have the best room in the whole hotel." Maggie commented.
