Lighting up the parking lot of the Days Inn Motel were the blue and white lights of a cop car. The police called on the motel frequently as the homeless often wandered into the lobby. Usually they were seeking warmth and didn't bother anyone. But the cops still visited. So said the desk clerk when Victoria Boone and Roi Smith had checked in downstairs.
Upon entering room 216, the flashing cast a nefarious strobe into the dim space. The out-of-focus buildings across the street lit up periodically from the glow, revealing the seedy part of downtown Raleigh, an urban desert at night.
Suitably furnished, the room consisted of a king bed with a Caribbean-colored comforter and cheap wooden headboard flanked by a side table with a bedside lamp and digital alarm clock. In front of the bed sat an armoire with a small cable TV, an empty mini fridge and three drawers. There was a taupe armchair in the corner opposite the bathroom door. By the door was a simple wooden desk and straight-back chair. A single painting hung above the bed - the average Impressionist-style corporate print. It depicted a canyon.
Victoria quickly dropped her weekender bag on the desk near the door. Gathering an inventory of the room, she declared, "We're in a hotel room."
Striding across to the window, she drew the curtains and shut out the world. When she turned around, Roi had dropped his backpack on the desk chair and was already busy uncorking the Merlot they had picked up at the convenience store. She stood watching him from across the room.
The sleeves of his sweater slipped down his arms as he turned the corkscrew and wrestled the cork from the bottle. Victoria saw the strength in his hands as he gripped the bottle and the tenderness as he poured the glasses. She walked over to grab the wine, downing it in one forceful chug.
Roi was a bottle ahead. But still finished his glass quickly. She had one more, but Victoria felt that if she continued the night might get sloppy. It was the last night she would see him before she left. Or possibly ever.
Not see in the traditional sense, for sure. She felt confident that they would meet again either back in Raleigh or some other spot in the world. But the way they were together in this moment and over the last few weeks would be an intangible memory beginning tomorrow night. It may burn or fade, but still, memories are just air.
The moment her body left town everything would change. Friends with benefits once again just friends. The transition could be smooth or painful, only time would tell.
But tonight was not for friendship. Tonight their bodies were meeting each other in the dark spaces where they found a connection they hadn't known existed in the purely intellectual space they had previously occupied as platonic friends.
Roi looked around and predictably flipped the TV on. He always had something playing in the background when they were together.
"They got cable doe. Hold on, I'm gonna need a minute."
Victoria laughed at Roi as he plopped down on the bed to watch, flipping through the channels.
"Okay, we pay for a hotel room to fuck and you're going to watch cable. Of course."
"Give me a minute! You don't even understand."
Victoria didn't understand nor did she care. She just got on the bed beside him and rested her head on his chest, nonchalantly stroking her torso and pretended to pay attention to the TV. The tight grip of the corset beneath her clothes dug into her waist. She breathed faster than normal in smaller breaths. Roi's heartbeat thump-thump-thumped beneath her.
