"Here it is," said the friendly hotel clerk, stopping in front of room 21.
I hadn't been able to find it without her help. From the outside it didn't look like a hotel where it would be hard to find your way. Tall but narrow, squashed in between this shop and the next. But it was difficult. You'd think there'd be a system and D21 would perhaps be on the fourth floor between room D20 and room D22 or something. But no. As a fairly successful businessman, who considered himself independent, I always found it embarrassing to admit needing help. But I did in end β there's only so long you can wander around in a hotel looking lost.
She'd led me along the corridor up a few flights, where I hadn't thought of looking myself, through some doors, around some corners,
down
again, further along, until there it was, room D21. Between room E1 and A15. Crazy.
No point thinking about it too much
, I thought. I was tired.
She handed me the key. Besides the normal room key there were two small, old-fashioned keys on the keyring. I opened the door, lifted my suitcase, stepped in. There was already someone in the room. I started. I gave the hotel clerk a questioning look.
"They come with the room." She took her leave.
There were two women in the room. Nuns. Or dressed as nuns at least. They looked young. They sat on the side of the bed, wide eyed, hands on their lap. Very pretty.
"I'm Sister Maria," said one.
"I'm Sister Renata," said the other.
They looked similar. Thin, straight eyebrows. Sweet, slightly parted lips. Curious, wide eyes. The one called Maria gestured to sit down between them, so I did. I was flustered, but not too much.
She placed a hand on my lap, a delicate hand, and smiled reassuringly. Renata reached over and undid the buttons of my suit.
"Let's get you out of this," she said, "you must have been travelling for a while."
"It was a long flight," I replied. Since I didn't know how to express my surprise, I found it easiest to just act like this was normal. Never show weakness.
"Do you have anything scheduled tonight?" asked Maria. They both spoke English clearly and carefully, but their Italian accents were fairly obvious.
"No, only from 9 a.m. tomorrow." Business meetings. We were trying to set up overseas operations.
"That's good. You should always relax after traveling for a long time," said Maria.
Renata bent down to undo my shoes and Mary carefully unbuttoned my shirt. Their hair was entirely hidden by their coif. They were slim, their womanly shapes clear beneath their nun's habits, extra pronounced by an elegant cincture tied around their waist.