It wasn't just chance that had brought him here; she was sure of it.
Ann recalled that dreary afternoon in the middle of winter. There was a quick reprieve in the frigid weather; the ground had thawed, turning the ground into a muddy mess. She remembered the weather so vividly because someone wearing a hooded coat had entered the inn with mud caked halfway up their shins.
It was very hard to tell the gender of the person; the individual was wearing so many layers of clothing that it was really anyone's guess. The attire suggested male, but as a woman who regularly wore overalls and sneakers, Ann knew better than to make assumptions.
They were apologetically wiping the floor with a leather-clad hand as they made their way to the counter, an awkward assortment of bags jingling and clanking as they did so. It struck her as odd to see someone with such a rustic appearance make this gesture. Despite the heavy load, they moved around as if the bags were simply an extension of their body, and crouching over and standing up repeatedly with the large burden appeared to come natural to them.
The guest wore a thick buckskin coat with a snow-white fur lining; it was hand-stitched with care. Their face was obscured, as the fluffy hood was up, and they had a scarf on despite the temporary thaw; it looked as if this person was wearing everything they owned. Among the several bags that were strapped to their shoulders, Ann spied a large rolled up bearskin and a recurve bow.
"H-hello…" A soft, muffled voice emerged from the hood. Tenor. Male. "Sorry about the floor… I promise I'll clean it in a moment," he muttered as he looked at the muddy trail behind him. Despite the fact that his facial features were hidden by winter gear, his body language alone seemed to indicate sheepishness.
"Don't worry about it; everyone's tracking in mud today. You here for a drink or some lunch?" Doug eyed up the curious-looking man.
He shook his head as he let down the hood and unwrapped the scarf from around his face. Ann had been expecting weather-beaten skin or a grisly beard based on the rugged apparel alone. His heavy eyebrows and long brown hair coordinated with his attire, but Ann was surprised to see a young man around her age with a clean-shaven face and large deep blue eyes.
"I'd like to… rent a room…?" It came out as more of a question than a request.
Doug smiled at the strong mountain accent. "A traveler, huh? How long do you plan on staying?"
He looked caught off guard by the most basic and logical question the innkeeper could ask. "W-well… I'm not sure…" He fidgeted with his leather bracers. "Can I pay month to month? I… I've never really done this before," he admitted.
Doug was a little surprised the flustered traveler didn't ask for a tour, but he had a business to run; if someone was so eager to pay, he wasn't about to complain about it. "Not a problem. Five grand a month for a shared room, eight grand for a private."
"I'll take… The shared room…" He rustled through his bags and produced the coins with a shaking hand. He let out a visible sigh as he passed the money to Doug. Ann couldn't tell if it was a sigh of regret or relief.
The innkeeper counted out the coins and placed them in his money box. "Very well, then. Welcome to Mineral Town. Doug McKinley." He grinned as he straightened his posture and squared his broad shoulders, extending a hand to shake. "I'm the owner of this inn. This here's my partner in crime, my daughter, Ann."
"Cl-Cliff Yamamoto," the young man stammered, shaking the proprietor's hand. "H-hello." He bowed his head politely toward Ann.
"Hiya!" Her heart gave a flutter. Finally, someone new! Ann knew from experience that the more bags a traveler carried, the better stories they had to tell. She wouldn't have to wait until summer to have interesting guests again.
"Why don't we show him the bachelor pad?" Doug nodded at his daughter.
"I can do it, Dad," Ann insisted, untying her apron. "You know Harris and Carter will be here any minute for their afternoon coffee. Come on, Cliff. I'll give you the grand tour!"
She bounced up the stairs, her red braid bobbing behind her.
Now that they had a new tenant, Ann was eager to show him that his seemingly hasty decision to board with them was a wise one. "This place has pretty much anything you'll need. You get discounts on meals, we've got in suite bathrooms and showers, and, if you want, I do laundry for a hundred a week."
"Oh… The laundry's not necessary… There's a river nearby I've been using," replied a meek voice from the stairwell.
The redhead whirled around. She was already at the far end of the hallway, and the new tenant was only just reaching the top of the stairs. She had been so excited about having a new guest that she had forgotten to offer to assist him. "Oh, I'm sorry! Here, let me help you with your bags!"
He shook his head. "I'm fine, thank you. I'm pretty tangled up anyway," he admitted with a shy chuckle.
Ann unlocked the door and handed him the key. She pushed the door open with her foot and it creaked as she gestured with a grand flourish. "Behold, The Bachelor Pad!"
A small smile tugged at his lips as he removed his shoes in the doorway.
Ann found herself giggling. "Your roommate isn't the most social guy in town, but he's more bark than bite," she explained as she gestured toward the bed closest to the door. "Not the tidiest, either…" She scowled at the messy piles of seemingly random items.
Cliff stared at the heaps as he walked past, hoping to learn a bit about his roommate before he met him. The piles were pretty assorted; among them he spied some interesting-looking rocks, several hammers, sea shells, random machine parts, and piles of books. He scanned the worn leather spines of the books and noted that most of them looked like mystery, action, or war novels.
There were three beds in the room. "Are there three of us?" He looked around the room curiously, making no motion to remove his bags; they almost seemed like a part of him.
"Only in summer. Kai stays for the summer, and Gray lives here permanently."
The young man repeated the names to himself quietly. "I guess I'll take the far side, then…" He hesitantly set his bags on the bed.
"So, you hunt?" She noticed the bow. She cocked an eyebrow; while she didn't mind cooking or eating meat, she didn't like being reminded of the source.
"Yeah…" He said no more on the subject as he propped the weapon in the corner of the room and looked at it with a combination of pride and regret. He methodically began arranging his things, which Ann noticed were packaged in tidy bundles. She grinned; at least she wouldn't have to deal with two complete slobs.
"Need help with anything?" She felt awkward watching without assisting in any manner.
"No, thank you…"
She noticed the hint of satisfaction in his expression as he carefully stacked his belongings; he wanted to do it himself. He didn't have that many things anyway, and Ann got the distinct impression that he was on the move a lot, so he didn't keep much.
Now that the traveler had removed all of his bags and shed his heavy coat and layers, Ann noticed he was quite slender.
"What do you say to a late lunch?" she suggested.
"Ah, it's been quite a while since I last ate…" He produced a bundle of dried meat from his stash, and she saw that his hands were trembling with hunger.
Cliff was definitely a strange man; he seemed completely foreign to the concept of accepting hospitality. "That was an invitation," Ann laughed, putting her hands on her hips. "Come on, our treat."
"Oh… I couldn't possibly-" Cliff frowned, guiltily looking down at the floor.
"Stuff and nonsense! Dad always says that the first hit is free," she grinned mischievously. "What are you in the mood for?"
He had a nostalgic glint in his eye. "M-maybe… Ah, p-perhaps… D-Do y'all make curry rice…?" His request was barely above a whisper.
"Done!" She didn't know why she felt so compelled to see that shy smile once more.
0o0o0o0
Author's Note: I've always been fascinated by the tenants and owners of the Inn in Mineral Town. This story will take place during the same time as "The Shy Newcomer", one of my other stories (shameless plug), but I'm writing it to be able to be a standalone story as well. Please let me know what you think of the story so far!
