Present
We’re shivering by the time we close the door of our motel room. We both stand there, staring in shock at the most hideous room I’ve ever seen in my life.
Brown. There’s so much brown everywhere, so even if it were new decor, which it’s very muchnot, it would still look dirty. Brown carpet, brown bedspread, brown headboard, tan walls, brown table, artwork with a deer, so also brown…it’s absolutely everywhere, and everything looks like it’s on its last leg. I guess the only other color that would be worse in this head-to-toe lineup would be nausea green, but the brown is right up there. Speaking of up, I glance at the ceiling and see huge wet spots. The room smells damp and like the deer from the picture might’ve run through it and rolled on everything.
“Oh, Juju. I am so sorry. What have I gotten us into?”
She laughs. “Well, this issomething.”
“You’re not lying. Can we even do this?”
“Of course we can. We can do anything,” she says.
“I had such different visions of how this night would go.” I reach out to take her hand and thread my fingers through hers. “Is the heater even working? It feels just as cold in here as it does outside.”
“It sounds like it’s working. Maybe it was just turned on right before we got here.”
“Hopefully it’ll kick in soon. I’m scared of what might be in that bed.” I look at her with a hopeless expression. “We can safely say our first date is not going great, is it?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve had a great time. I’ve never seen such gorgeous northern lights, our picnic was delicious––”
“There’s more if you’re still hungry,” I say, lifting the picnic basket in my other hand.
“I’m good,” she says.
“What about me? How would you rate me after this date? On a scale of one to ten…”
“Hmm.” She taps her chin and studies me. “The picnic wins you extra points…and so does the creativity of a drive to see the outrageous sky.” She squints and puckers her lips, and I want to kiss them right off. “So I think I’d give you a solid…five.”
“Five!” I croak.
She giggles.
“Damn. And that’s with the extra points? After you’ve had a great time?” I set the picnic basket on the table. It looks only slightly better than any other surface in the room. Then I walk back and put my hands on her waist. “What can I do to improve my score?”
She lifts a shoulder. “How wouldyourate the date?”
“I’d say an eight, and the only thing subtracting those two points would be this dive we’re in right now.” I lean my face closer to hers. “Those kisses in the SUV seemed like you were enjoying yourself.” She fights back a smile, and I laugh as I runmy thumb over her bottom lip. “I knew it. You like me more than you’re letting on.”
“You’re all right.”
I tug her against me, and even in our wet coats, I feel heated just from being this close to her. “You’re more than all right. You’re incredible. You have been impressing me for as long as I’ve known you. And now that I know how it feels to kiss you, I’m blown away.” I touch my lips to hers and then press the lightest kiss on her mouth, down her jaw, and over to her ear, where I whisper, “Admit it. You––”
Just then, the loudest wail comes from the heater next to the window, and Juju jumps in my arms.
“What just happened?” She peers around my shoulder to look at the heater. “It’s not running anymore.”
Sure enough, the loud rattle that’s been steady since we walked in is gone. It’s like the still of the snowfall outside has moved into this room.
“Fuckin’ hell,” I mutter, reluctantly letting her go and moving toward the heater. I flip the switch and turn the power on again. Nothing.
I move to the phone and push the button for the front desk, and it just rings and rings and rings. I hang up and try again, and after the fifth ring, there’s a groggy, “Hello?”
“Hi, we’re in room 104, and our heater just went out. It’s not working at all.”
“Sorry, sir. Everyone went home because of the storm, so I can’t send anyone to look at it until the morning. If you’d like, I can move you to room 106.”
“That heater’s working?”
