Julienne's Inn
"Lai de Dai de Loe de Doe de Doe de Day! I sing the song of ten thousand men, One of sorrow and joy, And when I get taken by the wind, I'll find a new type of boy. Lai de Dai de Loe de Doe de Doe de Day!" Emily was singing as she straightening up her room. That's when she heard the doorbell ring. She thought for a moment, trying to remember whom she had invited over. "Oh! Just a second!" She flattened out the small lines appearing around the crease of her skirt and ran toward the door. She looked outside the peephole and saw a familiar face peering back at her. She opened the door and smiled. "Jarod, come in!"
He hesitated. It was just a moment but Emily could sense it. She gave him a confused, then understanding look. He walked past her slowly and looked around the room. It was really a suite instead of a room. He was looking at the living room and kitchen area. They were spacious, comfortable, homey and well lit. Jarod didn't seem so hesitant anymore and smiled back at Emily. He then noticed that she was dressed up rather nice. She was wearing a light blue, no-sleeve blouse and a short black skirt. Her hair was swept back in a sparkly clip; that's when he noticed that she was sparkly too. She was all glittery and it seemed to add to her youthful glow. "So, were we going out or staying in."
She walked over to him slowly and smiled. "That's up to you. We can stay here and talk. Get to know eachother. Or we can go out, if you are scared to be left alone with a young woman, you don't know anything about, in her motel room." She grinned mischievously and chuckled.
He returned the look and sat down on the back of her couch. "I'm actually kind of surprised you accept strange men into your motel room. To tell the honest truth, you don't really know anything about me either." He arched an eyebrow at her and she stifled a small laugh. "Well, let's see. I'll make a few observations and you tell me whether I'm 'almost' accurate or not." She walked over to him a placed a hand on his leg. She patted it and walked around the couch to sit down on it correctly. She looked at him searchingly then nodded. "You have been running a little league baseball team for some time now, although that's not truly your occupation. You are a very intelligent person, but for some reason you don't show it off. You are great with children and most likely animals as well. I've been listening to your voice patterns and you are not from the south originally. Hmm, you don't find anything wrong with sitting on the back of couches as opposed to sitting on them the correct way and well, that could be a problem." She nodded confirming her words and then smiled as Jarod quickly stood up.
"Well…" He looked at her again and wondered how she could read him so well. He looked at her a little bewildered, yet intrigued. "How did you do that?"
" As my grandmother used to tell me, 'Emily dahrlin'… you are sharp as a tack and twice as quick, but if you are ever going to be happy in life you must find somebody as sharp as yourself to live your life with.'" She looked at Jarod, who as still staring at her incredulously. "To put it plainly, I have a gift. I can read people very well, and from the looks of you, you aren't a fool. I've always liked that in a man. So do you want to stay in or go out?"
Jarod thought a moment. He decided he would like to find out more about her and some one-on-one time would probably be the best way to do that. "I guess we could stay in."
"Great! I can go fix us some drinks and Jarod?" She got up to go to the kitchen and his eyes followed her all the while. "If you *are* going to stay you are welcome to sit down."
He sat and waited for her return. In the time he waited he searched his surroundings, mapping the layout and taking in the feel of the place. It was so cozy and she… well, she was… nice. This confused Jarod to no end. She had blatantly lied to him that afternoon, and yet she was so inviting, so warm. In his time away from The Centre, he had met habitual liars and scoundrels of all sorts; Emily just didn't seem the type. Jarod decided it would be best to keep an open mind no matter what 'she seemed'.
"What's your poison?" Jarod looked up, obviously startled at the comment. Emily didn't notice the difference. "Bourbon, whiskey-sours, tequila? I've got 'em all."
"Part-time bartender?" Jarod made an attempt to lighten his own mood but something was definitely wrong.
"I guess you could say that. Let's just say I like to entertain and being able to mix a good cocktail goes hand-in-hand with being a good hostess." She poured Jarod a drink and then herself one. She smiled as she passed him his and then sat sipping at hers casually.
Emily and Jarod sat and talked the evening away. Jarod thought the night had gone along quite smoothly, other than the fact that he had to make up lies to cover up his previous ones. In that perspective, the evening had been quite exhausting. Actually in every way possible, Jarod was getting fatigued. He looked at his watch and realized that it was almost 12:30 am. How strange! It wasn't really, that late. "Emily, I've had a great time but it's getting late, and I have to get up early in the morning."
Emily nodded in agreement and yawned as if on cue. "Maybe we could do this again some time."
Jarod seriously doubted he would be able to share another evening like this with anyone, let alone Emily, but he decided not to mention it. "That would be nice."
Emily walked Jarod to the door and opened it for him. Before he could react she leaned up and slid her arms around his neck pulling him into a slow, tender kiss. She let go and he stood up, dazed. "Goodnight, Jarod. Call me?"
Jarod looked at her blankly and nodded. He'd call her. As soon as she shut the door he headed down stairs towards his car. He hadn't realized how tired he actually was until he was sitting behind the wheel, going 60 mph. All he had to do was get back to his place and slip into bed and everything would be all right. He got to his Hotel and parked his car. He realized that he didn't quite make it in between the lines, but decided that it really didn't matter. He went up the two flights of stairs to his room and fumbled with the lock. Since when was the key too big for the hole? Ugh… Ahh! He turned the doorknob and headed inside. After a moment he noticed his laptop, booted up and laying open on his nightstand. On his bed, lay his briefcase open, with his name-tags, papers, and other supplies scattered about. That was the last thing he saw before his world turned into total darkness.
"Lai de Dai de Loe de Doe de Doe de Day! I sing the song of ten thousand men, One of sorrow and joy, And when I get taken by the wind, I'll find a new type of boy. Lai de Dai de Loe de Doe de Doe de Day!" Emily was singing as she straightening up her room. That's when she heard the doorbell ring. She thought for a moment, trying to remember whom she had invited over. "Oh! Just a second!" She flattened out the small lines appearing around the crease of her skirt and ran toward the door. She looked outside the peephole and saw a familiar face peering back at her. She opened the door and smiled. "Jarod, come in!"
He hesitated. It was just a moment but Emily could sense it. She gave him a confused, then understanding look. He walked past her slowly and looked around the room. It was really a suite instead of a room. He was looking at the living room and kitchen area. They were spacious, comfortable, homey and well lit. Jarod didn't seem so hesitant anymore and smiled back at Emily. He then noticed that she was dressed up rather nice. She was wearing a light blue, no-sleeve blouse and a short black skirt. Her hair was swept back in a sparkly clip; that's when he noticed that she was sparkly too. She was all glittery and it seemed to add to her youthful glow. "So, were we going out or staying in."
She walked over to him slowly and smiled. "That's up to you. We can stay here and talk. Get to know eachother. Or we can go out, if you are scared to be left alone with a young woman, you don't know anything about, in her motel room." She grinned mischievously and chuckled.
He returned the look and sat down on the back of her couch. "I'm actually kind of surprised you accept strange men into your motel room. To tell the honest truth, you don't really know anything about me either." He arched an eyebrow at her and she stifled a small laugh. "Well, let's see. I'll make a few observations and you tell me whether I'm 'almost' accurate or not." She walked over to him a placed a hand on his leg. She patted it and walked around the couch to sit down on it correctly. She looked at him searchingly then nodded. "You have been running a little league baseball team for some time now, although that's not truly your occupation. You are a very intelligent person, but for some reason you don't show it off. You are great with children and most likely animals as well. I've been listening to your voice patterns and you are not from the south originally. Hmm, you don't find anything wrong with sitting on the back of couches as opposed to sitting on them the correct way and well, that could be a problem." She nodded confirming her words and then smiled as Jarod quickly stood up.
"Well…" He looked at her again and wondered how she could read him so well. He looked at her a little bewildered, yet intrigued. "How did you do that?"
" As my grandmother used to tell me, 'Emily dahrlin'… you are sharp as a tack and twice as quick, but if you are ever going to be happy in life you must find somebody as sharp as yourself to live your life with.'" She looked at Jarod, who as still staring at her incredulously. "To put it plainly, I have a gift. I can read people very well, and from the looks of you, you aren't a fool. I've always liked that in a man. So do you want to stay in or go out?"
Jarod thought a moment. He decided he would like to find out more about her and some one-on-one time would probably be the best way to do that. "I guess we could stay in."
"Great! I can go fix us some drinks and Jarod?" She got up to go to the kitchen and his eyes followed her all the while. "If you *are* going to stay you are welcome to sit down."
He sat and waited for her return. In the time he waited he searched his surroundings, mapping the layout and taking in the feel of the place. It was so cozy and she… well, she was… nice. This confused Jarod to no end. She had blatantly lied to him that afternoon, and yet she was so inviting, so warm. In his time away from The Centre, he had met habitual liars and scoundrels of all sorts; Emily just didn't seem the type. Jarod decided it would be best to keep an open mind no matter what 'she seemed'.
"What's your poison?" Jarod looked up, obviously startled at the comment. Emily didn't notice the difference. "Bourbon, whiskey-sours, tequila? I've got 'em all."
"Part-time bartender?" Jarod made an attempt to lighten his own mood but something was definitely wrong.
"I guess you could say that. Let's just say I like to entertain and being able to mix a good cocktail goes hand-in-hand with being a good hostess." She poured Jarod a drink and then herself one. She smiled as she passed him his and then sat sipping at hers casually.
Emily and Jarod sat and talked the evening away. Jarod thought the night had gone along quite smoothly, other than the fact that he had to make up lies to cover up his previous ones. In that perspective, the evening had been quite exhausting. Actually in every way possible, Jarod was getting fatigued. He looked at his watch and realized that it was almost 12:30 am. How strange! It wasn't really, that late. "Emily, I've had a great time but it's getting late, and I have to get up early in the morning."
Emily nodded in agreement and yawned as if on cue. "Maybe we could do this again some time."
Jarod seriously doubted he would be able to share another evening like this with anyone, let alone Emily, but he decided not to mention it. "That would be nice."
Emily walked Jarod to the door and opened it for him. Before he could react she leaned up and slid her arms around his neck pulling him into a slow, tender kiss. She let go and he stood up, dazed. "Goodnight, Jarod. Call me?"
Jarod looked at her blankly and nodded. He'd call her. As soon as she shut the door he headed down stairs towards his car. He hadn't realized how tired he actually was until he was sitting behind the wheel, going 60 mph. All he had to do was get back to his place and slip into bed and everything would be all right. He got to his Hotel and parked his car. He realized that he didn't quite make it in between the lines, but decided that it really didn't matter. He went up the two flights of stairs to his room and fumbled with the lock. Since when was the key too big for the hole? Ugh… Ahh! He turned the doorknob and headed inside. After a moment he noticed his laptop, booted up and laying open on his nightstand. On his bed, lay his briefcase open, with his name-tags, papers, and other supplies scattered about. That was the last thing he saw before his world turned into total darkness.