Not A Trophy Wife

Chapter Four

I grabbed my bag and purse, and Jayden drove me to the Moonlight Motel.

We parked in the back. The building had two stories. There were perhaps about seven or eight rooms on the first floor, with a shared veranda.

We walked around the side and entered through the main entrance. We found ourselves in a small corridor that had been made into a kind of reception.

"Jayden! Honey!" An older woman, maybe around 60 years old, hugged Jayden as soon as she saw him. "How are you, my boy?"

"I'm fine, Evelyn. How are you?" Jayden hugged her back.

"I'm fine too, thanks. But I'm having trouble with the sink in room nine again. Would you take a look?"

"Of course. Why didn't you call me earlier?"

"I didn't want to bother you. But since you are here anyway...."

I watched with curiosity. The two seemed close.

"You know you can always count on me. But before I fix the sink"—Jayden gestured at me—"I have a customer for you, Evelyn. This is Savi. She wants to stay in town for a while. I hope you have an available room to accommodate her."

"Of course, I'll accommodate your beautiful friend. Come here, honey." The woman walked up to me, wrapped her arm around my waist, and led me to the front door.

The lady seemed nice, but I looked back at Jayden awkwardly.

He nodded as if to say, Go. It's okay.

We walked to the back of the motel.

"Well, my girl. Where are you from? Where are you going? Do you like our town?"

Evelyn asked question after question, which was good because she didn't leave time for answers I didn't want to give.

In the meantime, we climbed a few steps up and were already on the shared veranda of the floor.

She opened one of the doors. "This is my best room, dear! You're lucky it's available."

I timidly went inside. It was gloomy. The furniture was old and worn, in dark wood colors. It smelled... slightly unpleasant.

I closed my eyes.

The last hotel Dominic and I visited was a 5-star ultra-luxury hotel. We'd stayed in the VIP Penthouse on the top floor. Its living room had been more extensive than five of these rooms combined. It had been spacious and bright, with a white marble floor. A glass table with inox legs and six chairs upholstered in white calfskin around it. Huge leather sofa with 89" TV on a luxury stand in front. Glass shelves with LED lights along the wall with high-quality alcohol on them. Panoramic windows on the other sides. The bedroom had been again surrounded by a glass facade, with a king-size bed and a Jacuzzi by the windows with an incredible view of the whole city.

I opened my eyes.

I looked at the twenty-inch TV in the motel room, set on top of a battered cabinet.

"The mattress is brand new." Evelyn drew my attention to the bed.

I moved closer and ran my hand over the tattered, flower-patterned coverlet.

"Do you like the room, Savi?" the lady asked.

I looked into her eyes, which seemed to smile at me as sincerely as her lips.

"Of course. It's wonderful." I wasn't lying. After all, this room was going to shelter me. "How much does it cost per night?"

"The price is $90 per night, but I can give it to you for $60 since you're Jayden's friend."