"…No falte el te agas menso. Porque mis plomasos homie Dejan putos Muertos. Loco I ain't joking. Slow but steadily working. Swinging like a elbow banging rolas in my burban…"

The hotel alarm clock blared its low-quality sound. It was 7:00 am, 30 minutes before Quincy had to report to the front desk for his shift.

"Good morning, Quincy" I said with a smile on my face.

"Hey Leena…" responded Quincy, "Uhm, about last night…"

"Yeah?"

"I hope you realize that was just sex, and nothing more, right?" Quincy asked.

"Of course!" I reassured. "I am just passing through on my way to visit family in Arizona."

"I thought you were on your way to Florida for Business?" He asked with a confused look on his face.

'Shit' I thought. I had told him Florida the night before.

"Uhh," I said nervously, "yes, Florida, my bad."

He looked at me with a stern look on his face for a few seconds, then busted out laughing. What was he laughing at? I was at a complete loss for words.

"What's so funny?" I ask in complete confusion.

"Look, babygirl, you gotta become a better liar and fast." He answered still laughing. I had no idea how to respond to that.

"Business in Florida, okay, but if that were true girl, why are you driving there?" he continued. "Family in Arizona, with your cute accent, not to mention that's an even longer drive, that's bullshit."

"I…" I couldn't think of any way to respond to that.

"Don't worry about its Leena, I'm just playing with you girl, your business is your business. And besides, I had an amazing time last night." He reassures me smiling.

"It was amazing, first time in a while. You made me climax 5 times." I told Quincy smiling, but still nervous sounding.

"Can I ask you something Leena?"

"Go ahead."

"Now tell me to fuck off if you want, I know it's not my business, but are you on the run?"

"Yes," I responded truthfully. "You might hear about me on the news," I added. My guess is he had no idea about the Coleman homicide.

"That bad huh. Well don't worry I ain't no snitch. If I see you on the news, I my lips are sealed no matter what."

"Thank you!" I said sweetly.

"And my deal still stands! I'll watch your car while you're gone. Also, I wanna give you a little something." He says while grabbing his backpack from off the chair.

He pulls out four things of wrapped 100-dollar bills.

"Oh no, I'm not a prostitute!" I protest.

"No, I'm not paying you for fucking me. I mean, you came 5 times. A hooker would not have enjoyed herself as much as you had." He said playfully.

"Then… Why?"

"Here is $40,000 in cash," handing me the money before I could finish my thought. "Please take it Leena."

I was shocked. Frozen, unsure of what exactly was happening.

"It's a gift Leena. As you could probably guess, I'm not just an employee at this dump, I have other sources of income. I'm no saint either. I've been on the news a few times as a matter of fact. Well, my mug shot has." He says chuckling at that last bit.

"But why me?" I ask.

"Look Leena, I see the scars on your neck and wrist, you tell me you're on the run. I've been in the game for a long time now, and I can tell you want out. Whatever fucked up shit you've been involve with before, you want out, a fresh start."

"How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"I am willing to bet that you've had a really hard life Leena, I have to, and everything that has happened to you is a result of you being trapped in a vicious fucked up cycle.", he tells me in the sincerest tone.

He has tears in his eyes now. At this point I had believed him. He didn't strike me as a master manipulator or a very good actor, all things I know a great deal about, so I was willing to take a leap of faith here.

"I don't know what to say Quincy." I say with tears of joy in my eyes.

"Here's an extra $5,000," he reaches into his bag and pulls out more money. "I know a guy in Newark who can set you up with a new identity. That's his fee. Basically, you will have a license, birth certificate, social security card; everything. As far as anyone was concerned, you'd be an American citizen; you'd be able to vote, get a job, rent, or buy a house, all that good stuff."

"Thank you so much!" as I hug him tightly. I kiss Quincy passionately. "You're my guardian angel".

"I am no angel Leena," he protests.

"You don't know me Quincy, nobody had ever helped me, let alone been nice to me" I confess. "I suffer from a gland disorder, I'm a dwarf, as you could probably tell. My entire life, everyone in my life treated me like I was a freak. I've been battered and sexually abused, my school years involved relentless bullying, I was driven into the depths of insanity. And well, as a result, I've become a monster. That's just putting it lightly. You've given me the chance to be free, and to hopefully make amends for all the harm I have caused."

Quincy is touched by hearing this. "I hope you are able to move on and start over. I really wish for the best for you."

I kiss him once more.

"Hey, I gotta go, its 5 minutes before my shift starts." Quincy gets up to leave.

"I wish you well Leena, I'll be watching your car for you".

"Thank you so much Quincy!"

He leaves. I take my $45,000 in cash and put in the plastic hotel laundry bag. I needed to make sure this is hidden from sight; it was my new lifeline. Luckily my car's glove box has a lock, and I'll have Quincy watching it for me.

I leave my room and check out at the front desk.

"Checking out ma'am," Quincy asks.

"I am!" I say while handing him the keys, smiling.

He smiles at me and winks, "Have a good rest of your life miss."

"I will, I will aways remember this." I respond smiling still.

I lock my bag of money in the glove box. Taking the over 2 grand with me for clothes and the subway fare. I was going to splurge I thought to myself. I smiled as I walked down the street of the ghetto neighborhood towards the Eastchester subway station.