Let's just say that I was down on my luck. It's a long story that I will not bore you with the details. Getting kicked out of an apartment in the middle of the night by an angry girlfriend is a humbling experience. I knew the truth. Gina met a better looking and richer guy than me. I was old news and so I ended up in a sleazy motel in the not so nice part of town. It was around 2am and I didn't want to bug any of my friends. Plus, I was kind of ashamed of my situation.
So, at this particular motel there are all types of people that you encounter that make a David Lynch movie seem normal. My room was in the back of the motel where the drug dealers and hookers hang out. I tried to not engage with anyone and went straight to room 147. It was a dreary room, but it was better than sleeping in my car. I could hear people having a party out in the parking lot. I couldn't sleep. The bed was too soft and my future was uncertain.
I must have fallen asleep because I was awakened by a soft knock at the door at about 5am. When I woke up, I remembered my situation, but I was still not fully awake. There was another soft knock at the door. I walked to the door and asked who was there. A woman's voice asked softly, "Can you help me?"
She didn't sound threatening. I asked, "What's wrong?"
"Please, I am having car trouble and my cell phone does not have any charge." she explained. She sounded sincere. I opened the door slightly so I could see who was there. She had short red dyed hair, dark eyes. She was about 5 foot 5 and looked about 28 or 30. A petite build with a black t-shirt and tight blue jeans.
"Can you help me?" she asked again.
She didn't look crazy, so I opened the door for her.
"Okay, there is an outlet by the dresser." I said, still feeling groggy.
"Thanks! It shouldn't take long to charge it up." she said and plugged her phone in.
I asked her if she wanted a bottle of water. She said okay, so I gave her one from my cooler.
"I'm sorry, my name is Alice." she said as she extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jack." I lied as I shook her soft warm hand. She had such a beatiful face. I noticed that she was wearing a necklace with a small cross pendant. The light hit the cross pendant in a way that made it shine and the reflection hit my eyes. I suddenly felt like I was under some type of spell. She looked deep into my eyes and said, "Jack, do you think I am pretty?"