"My car." Kevin whimpered forlornly.
"Don'tcha worry son, ah'm sure it'll be fine." Larry said sympathetically. Gwen looked over at Kevin a bit annoyed and then softened a bit when she saw the expression on his face.
"It's really just a car." Gwen tried soothingly.
"It is not just a car."
"Anyhoo," Larry interrupted. "There's this lil' place couple miles down the road. Cheap board n' food about."
Kevin sighed and stared out the window.
"Let's go."
The place they pulled into was little like Larry said. A convenience store, diner, laundry-mat, and motel all appeared to crowd around in no more then a half football field of parking lot.
"Ya'll jist love Mrs. Woodworth," said Larry as they got out of the truck and sloshed through the rain to the motel. Rain plastered their hair to the nape of their necks in the short distance between truck and motel. "Sweetest lady 'round."
"She'll look after us good." He assured Kevin and Gwen opening the lobby door for them. The lobby itself was an array of pinks. Coral, magenta, rose, fuchsia, amaranth all clashed together on velvet waiting chairs and plush throw pillows that littered the room. Larry hit the bright pink bell on the lobby counter.
"It looks like Valentine's Day exploded in here." Kevin muttered under his breath, as a middle-aged woman entered, clad in what looked like a cerise sack and matching frilly nightcap.
"Just who is calling at this hour?" she cried shrilly. Then she caught sight of Larry.
"Oh, Larry," the woman simpered. "How are you?"
"Jist fine, Mrs. Woodworth. Thank ya." Larry replied stepping forwards to accept an air-kiss with an aw-shucks look on his face.
"Kids, this here is Mrs. Woodworth," he said looking back at them. "They ran into some road trouble and need a place to stay," Larry went on to explain to the woman. "Mrs. Woodworth le'me introduce ya to… to…"
"Why, Larry Hardwell where are your manners!" Mrs. Woodworth's piercing cry rang out. "A women doesn't accept visitors looking like she just rolled out of bed!"
Larry shrugged at her guiltily.
Mrs. Woodworth searched frantically around for something.
Larry turned back to Kevin and Gwen with an apologetic expression. "Sorry kids, but ah don't remember your names."
"That's because you didn't ask," Kevin pointed out.
Spotting a hot-pink robe draped over a chair, Mrs. Woodworth pulled it around her as best she could. Removing her nightcap and fluffing her tresses, she turned to round on Gwen and Kevin.
"Hello, my dears," she said with a big toady smile. "I'm Mrs. Woodworth, owner and manager of this establishment."
"Um, I'm Gwen and this is Kevin." Gwen made the introductions. Kevin nodded towards her.
"Oh, that who ya'll are," Larry smiled dimly at them.
"Imagine being in their company all this time and not even asking their names!" Mrs. Woodworth scolded. She gave another sycophant leer to Kevin and Gwen.
"You have to excuse him, dears." She put an arm around him. "He's just a little- Larry why are you so wet?" She stepped back in surprise.
"Well it is raining outside," Kevin said glancing at the puddles of water that'd formed at their feet. A rumble of thunder punctuated his sentence, as if the storm was making sure it was not forgotten.
"Oh my!"
"You see ma'am," Gwen stepped in.
"Mrs. Woodworth, dear."
"Mrs. Woodworth," Gwen corrected. "We ran off the road because of the storm and Mr. Hardwell –"
"Jist Larry."
"– found us and offered us a ride. So if you have a phone we could use…?" Gwen trailed off hopefully.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear. Phone lines have been dead for a few days now. Minor dispute with the bill and all…" Mrs. Woodworth waved her dismissively. "I can offer you some very reasonable priced rooms though."
"But ah'm outta money, Mrs. Woodworth," Larry said plainly.
"Don't worry, dear," Mrs. Woodworth patted his arm comfortingly. "We'll work out something as always. Here's your usual." She handed him a key off the reception desk. "Now off with you, dear."
"Thank ya, Mrs. Woodworth." Larry headed though a door on the right.
"He really seems to like it here," Gwen observed.
"Yes. I always keep a room open for the dear."
"What rooms have you got?" Kevin spoke up.
"Oh, hello," Mrs. Woodworth smiled flirtatiously at Kevin, as if just spotting him for the first time. "We don't get many big strong young men like yourself around here very often." She slunk towards him wiggling her hips.
"I'm afraid you haven't caught me at my best." She said with a pat to her hair.
"Riiight. I think I have." Mrs. Woodworth looked very offended.
"About those rooms?" Gwen intervened before the situation escalated.
"It's 40 a night per room," Mrs. Woodworth said to her. "That's regardless if it's a single or a double, dear."
"Great. One double." Kevin piped up.
Mrs. Woodworth raised an eyebrow to Gwen in an unspoken question.
"We'll share a room." Gwen declared firmly.
"Are you sure, dear?" asked Mrs. Woodworth leaning forwards. "Men can be such animals." She added in a loud, heckling whispering.
Gwen smiled. "I'm sure."
Mrs. Woodworth looked taken aback.
"Are you two brother and sister?"
"No."
"Cousins?" She persisted.
"No." Gwen's smile was wearing thin.
"Oh, you must be lovers who eloped! That's why you were in this awful weather!" Mrs. Woodworth exclaimed in delight. The noise reminded Kevin of the cliché nails on a blackboard.
"NO!" Both Gwen and Kevin chorused.
"We're just two friends who got caught in bad weather," Kevin explained through clenched teeth.
Not that he didn't want more. Not that he wasn't hoping for more. The way Gwen's wet blouse was hugging every curve of her body right now was rekindling thoughts of earlier events. He wondered if Gwen would be willing to continue from where they'd been interrupted. But maybe later. Tonight.
He didn't want to push her, though. That's why he asked for a double. It wasn't because it'd be cheaper then two singles. He just wanted to be with her but still give her space, incase she didn't want to be with him.
"Hmph!" Mrs. Woodworth studied them copiously. "Well then."
Kevin forked over two damp twenty-dollar bills to her from his back pocket, which she took with the care of someone handling toxic waste and locked them in the desk.
"Follow me please." She picked up another key from on top the reception desk and exited through a door on the right of the lobby.
Gwen and Kevin followed her down a poorly lit hallway to a door midway down the corridor.
"Here we are," said Mrs. Woodworth. "I trust you'll find everything in order." She presented them the key and scuttled away.
Kevin and Gwen looked at each other.
"Hey, is it just me or did she seem in a hurry to leave?"
"Do you think there's something wrong with the room?" Gwen asked.
"Ladies first," said Kevin giving a mock bow.