Chapter 3: Hotel Rooms
The CBI team had silently wandered the one main street that winded through the town until they stumbled on a small square building. A sign reading ROBERTA'S INN in large red letters was stationed on its flat concrete roof. The place seemed nice enough and shared a similar charm to the diner they had stopped in for lunch.
Lisbon and Jane were the first to enter the lobby. Lisbon angrily stomped toward the makeshift counter at the far end of the relatively small entry and immediately pinged the bell at the front desk. Jane followed quietly behind her and dropped his bag next to hers. Cho then entered the hotel, followed soon after by Rigsby and Van Pelt.
A woman suddenly arrived behind the counter. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and she was wearing a light pink robe with the name Roberta stenciled into the left pocket. She seemed a little surprised to have customers this late in the day, but was pleased nonetheless.
"Y'all look a little lost," she commented in a friendly manner with a quirky grin on her lips. Jane smiled back at her while Lisbon just sighed before jumping into an explanation.
"Our car broke down and…" she paused, too tired to elaborate on the details. "Do you have any rooms we can stay in for the night?" She asked hopefully. Roberta looked over the five guests.
"Well, this is more of a bed and breakfast and we don't get many out-of-towners." She replied. "I only have two bedrooms available." She finally explained, her eyes brimming with sympathy. Lisbon's shoulders sagged and Jane feared for a moment that she would just collapse on the floor.
"Seriously?" She replied incredulously, her fingers digging into the counter.
"Do either of the rooms have a couch?" Cho interjected hopefully. The woman shook her head.
"I'm sorry, sir." Roberta answered politely. Lisbon placed her hand on her temple as if willing away her growing migraine.
"Would you know of any other hotels in town?" She furthered, but Roberta again shook her head.
"No, sorry. We're the only one." She offered, handing her a sheet to fill out her information. Lisbon sighed and accepted the clipboard.
"We'll take the rooms." She told her as she filled out the information.
"I'm very sorry for the inconvenience, but the beds are queen size and I'll be happy to bring up some extra pillows and such." Roberta told them with a small smile. "Also, there's complimentary breakfast served fresh tomorrow morning." She added. Jane smiled at her again.
"Thank you." He told her. With that, Roberta smiled, took back the clipboard, and handed Lisbon two keys.
"I'll be downstairs if you need anything." She told them, before disappearing into the back rooms. Lisbon then turned to face her team.
"There are five of us." Cho pointed out immediately.
"I can count, Cho." Lisbon retorted. She sighed again and brushed some stray hairs from her face. "We'll do this the professional way. Van Pelt and I will share a room and you three will get the other." She directed, maintaining her role as boss. Cho's eyes revealed a hint of panic.
"I'm supposed to sleep in the same bed as these two?" He replied, despising the idea. Both Jane and Rigsby turned on him.
"Unless you want to sleep on the floor." Jane answered, his eyes observing him curiously.
"Look, hopefully it's just for one night. Then tomorrow we'll find a mechanic, get our car fixed, and I'll drive us the rest of the way." Lisbon told them in an attempt to stop any possible arguments. She then tossed Jane the keys to the bedroom. She ultimately decided to leave the three men to sort out there own arrangements as she signaled for Van Pelt to follow her up the stairs. "I'll see you guys in the morning." She bid farewell over her shoulder.
"Good night." Jane responded before turning to Rigsby and Cho. He doubted he would get any sleep tonight.
"Move over," Jane ordered wearily. Rigsby had already changed into a worn gray T-shirt and basketball shorts and had already claimed the left side of the bed. Cho was pulling on his own nightshirt and was sitting on the right side of the bed, silently leaving Jane the middle. Jane didn't like this.
"No. I got here first." Rigsby countered, placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed position. He saw this as revenge for Jane riding shotgun in the car. Jane frowned. He had circles around his eyes and seemed strangely aloof. After all, everyone had gotten a chance to nap in the car except him. Jane's gaze then drifted to Cho.
"I'm not sleeping in the middle." Cho defended, hating the idea of sharing a bed with either of them, let alone both of them.
"I'm the oldest, I get first pick." Jane remarked as he unbuttoned his vest and then his shirt. He simply stood next to Rigsby, staring him down with his impenetrable blue eyes. Rigsby, however, was unusually bold and had found a new sense of confidence, probably from Van Pelt's smile.
"I'm the youngest and I say that you should sleep in the middle." He countered. Jane knew he could break him easy… if he didn't have Cho backing him up.
"I agree. Of all of us, you'd be the one most comfortable in the middle anyways." Cho offered as he lay down on the bed. Jane finished unbuttoning his shirt and instead of continuing to undress he focused his gaze on Cho, as if challenging him.
"And why is that?" Jane asked curiously.
"You're the most secure." Cho shrugged. Jane nodded his head skeptically. "Not to mention, I don't trust Rigsby." Cho added, then receiving glares from both Jane and Rigsby.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rigsby asked indignantly.
"Well, I-" Jane was about to speak, but both Rigsby and Cho cut him off.
"You're not manipulating us out of this one! Just accept defeat." Rigsby said quickly, fearing that Jane would use his mentalist ways to guilt him out of his spot. Jane looked at them both again and decided that it wasn't worth the fight. Being a diagnosed insomniac, he had little hope of getting any sleep no matter where he slept.
He turned around in a subdued manner, grabbed his light blue pajamas, and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, the guilt began to set in. "Maybe we should let him sleep on the side." Rigsby admitted glancing over at Cho, who had already made himself comfortable under the covers.
"Don't give in. He wants us to feel sorry for him." Cho reminded him. Rigsby still seemed unsure.
"But we know he doesn't sleep well and he didn't get to sleep in the car," Rigsby explained, suddenly consumed by guilt. Cho closed his eyes.
"He's manipulating you. Besides, he chooses to sleep on the CBI couch on a regular basis… one night in the middle shouldn't be a problem." Cho explained logically. Just as he finished, Jane returned from the bathroom wearing some sky blue pajamas.
"Night, Cho. Night, Rigsby." He announced before jumping into the middle, his behavior akin to a child. He then turned onto his back and slipped under the covers.
"G' night, Jane. Cho." Rigsby added uncertainly. He then turned on his side so he was facing the window.
"Night." Cho replied curtly, before drifting to sleep.
"I think Jane has a thing for you," Van Pelt finally confessed to Lisbon. She was changing in the bedroom while Lisbon was finishing brushing her teeth in the bathroom.
"What?" She replied incredulously, wiping her mouth with a towel.
"And I think you like him too," Van Pelt ventured boldly. Lisbon frowned at her. She was wearing a red tank top and some thin flannel pants with polka dots on them. Van Pelt found her pajamas amusing and very unlike her usual attire, but didn't say anything about it.
"Just because we're sharing a room doesn't make this a sleepover." Lisbon affirmed, not wanting to swap secrets and crushes like a teenage girl.
"You didn't deny it." Van Pelt pointed out. Lisbon glared at her.
"I could say the same thing about you and Rigsby." She jabbed and Van Pelt was silent. Lisbon then chose her side of the bed and buried herself under the covers. Van Pelt, in her small pink T-shirt and her matching pink pants, hovered by the bed briefly, before turning off the bedside lamp and proceeding to tuck herself in. The room was silent for a few minutes before Van Pelt tried again to open up to Lisbon.
"What should I tell Rigsby?" She asked, a hint of worry in her tone. Lisbon kept her eyes closed and ignored her attempt.
"Good night, Van Pelt." She told her firmly, allowing herself to get some rest. Van Pelt turned her eyes to the ceiling before doing the same.
Don't worry... Jisbon is coming!