“Thanks. Thank you.”
Outside, John patted Owen on the back and said, “Well done, young fella.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Looks like we have some time on our hands. So, what’ll we do for the next three hours?”
“I don’t know,” Owen said. He crossed the street, John by his side, and headed south.
“Wanta go back to Beast House and scope out the babes for a while?”
“Not really.”
“What do you wanta do?”
“Actually, we don’t really need to... We could, like, each do our own thing and meet back at the photo shop at five.”
John laughed. “Trying to get rid of me?”
“No, but...I could use some time by myself.”
“What for?”
“Maybe I’d just like to be alone for a while.”
“So you can go to your room and freshen up?”
“I don’t have a room.”
“Ah! Okay. I get it. You need to find yourself a place to stay tonight, am I right?”
“I thought I’d drive around and see what’s available.”
“Good deal. Might I suggest the Welcome Inn? Best place in town. Plus it has all that history. I fully intended to stay there myself before my fucking radiator exploded. Get a room with two beds, and I’ll keep you company.”
Owen grimaced. “I really don’t want a roommate, John.”
“Sure you do.”
“No. I don’t. Really.”
“Come on. I’ve been sleeping in my car, man. It’s been a week since I took a shower. Anyway, it won’t cost you hardly anything. These motels, they charge you pretty much the same for two people as one.”
Owen shook his head.
“Come on, man. Do a guy a favor.”
“I’d like to have some time by myself.”
“You can have that any old time. I’m not asking you to marry me. Besides. You and me, we make a good team. You can use me. Look how I took those pictures for you.”
“I’m giving you a hundred dollar ticket for them.”
“But you’d never have the guts to take ’em like that yourself. You need a guy like me around. I can do stuff for you. I’ll do anything, man. Please.”
I’m never gonna get rid of this guy!
“I tell you what,” Owen said. “I want some time by myself.”
“Hey, but...”
“Listen! I don’t like all this pressure. If you want to use my room tonight, give me a little space. Right now, I want to get in my car and drive over to the motel—by myself. They might not even have any vacancies. And the more time I waste arguing with you....”
“Okay, okay. Go. I’ll find something to do without you.”
“Good. We’ll meet at the photo shop at five. After we get the pictures, I’ll let you know about tonight.”
John raised his hand. “See you there.” He stopped walking. They were still a half a block from the entrance to the Beast House parking lot.
“Fine,” Owen said.
“Fine. Go.”
“Okay.” Owen turned away from him and resumed walking.
He had an urge to look back, but he resisted it.
“Hey, Owen?” John called.
He looked around.
“Don’t forget it’s a midnight tour. You’d better get reservations for tomorrow night, too.” He held up two fingers and smiled rather sadly.
He was still standing in the same place on the sidewalk a few minutes later when Owen pulled out of the parking lot in his rental car and swung right onto Front Street.
John looked like a big, abandoned kid.
Owen slowed down and pulled over. He pushed a button to lower the passenger window. “Okay,” he called. “Come on.”
Crouching to see inside, John shook his head. “Thanks. But a deal’s a deal. You go on ahead and make your reservations. I’ll find something else to do till five.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. You don’t need me hanging around all the time.”
“Okay. See you later, then.”
“See you, pal.”
Owen drove on. In the side mirror, he saw John standing on the sidewalk, watching him.
Not such a bad guy.
The beeping alarm on his wristwatch woke Owen up. He was lying on top of a bed. The room was almost dark, but a strip of sunlight came in through a gap where the curtains didn’t quite meet.
Still on his back, he raised his arm.
The luminous numbers on his wristwatch showed 4:30.
He shut off the alarm.
But he didn’t get up.
No big hurry, he thought. It’ll only take five or ten minutes to drive over to the photo shop.
I could even skip it.
No law says I have to go and pick up the pictures. I can just stay here. That’d be the end of my troubles with John, at least for today. Deal with him tomorrow.
Besides, what if Dana calls while I’m gone?
Turning his head, Owen looked at the telephone.
She might call any second.
She probably won’t call at all, he thought. She wouldn’t go out with a guy like me. Her date’s with somebody else. A strong, handsome, suntanned jock.
Anyway, if she does call, the front desk will take a message.
Maybe she’ll just drop in.
He imagined her stepping up to the door of his motel room and knocking on it. In his mind, she was wearing her guide uniform. A couple of the top buttons were unfastened. “Just thought I’d drop by and see how you’re doing, Owen.”
“Would you like to come in?”
“Thought you’d never ask.” She stepped into his room and wrapped her arms around him and pulled him against her body. “I know we just met,” she said, “but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about...”
Someone knocked on the door of Owen’s room.
He bolted upright, his heart suddenly thudding.
It can’t be Dana, he thought as he scurried off the bed.
No way. That sort of thing just doesn’t happen. Not to me.
Maybe this once...
He jerked open the door.
“Hey, pal, how’s our room?”
“What’re you doing here?”
“Look what I’ve got.” John held up a bag. “Mr. Cucumber got done with the pictures early, so I saved us both some time and picked ’em up.” He stepped into the room. “They cost me down to my last nickle, pretty near. But I figure you’ll reimburse me. Too bad you couldn’t get a room in the old wing.”
“They were all full.”
“Yeah, bet they go fast. Everybody wants to be in the section where stuff really happened. Guess we were lucky to get anything.” this was the last room available,” Owen said.
“I know, I know. I saw ’em turn on the No Vacancy sign right after you went in the office.”
“What the hell did you do, follow me?”
“Shit, no. You told me you were coming here. I just hopped into my buggy and sailed on over. Wanted to see if you’d get us a room.” A grin suddenly spread across John’s face. “And which one,” he added.
“Real nice.”
“But please note, I did not disturb you. I allowed you your space.”
“Yeah. Thanks a lot.”
John spread the curtains wide, and afternoon sunlight flooded the room.
“Not bad, not bad. A queen and a single, huh? Who gets the queen?” He sat down on the queen-sized mattress and bounced.
“I do.”
“I’m bigger than you. Don’t you think I should get the bigger bed?”