Tim was in a cheery mood as he walked into the beautiful hotel, his suitcase toted behind him. The flight, while bumpy, had been one of the most relaxing moments he'd had of late. He had no responsibilities, other than getting up when the man by the window needed to sue the rest room, no one popping him with rubber bands and calling him derogative names, no one shooting and/or cursing at him, no steely glares. He simply had a comfy seat, salted peanuts, and time to sit and rest.

"Hello, can I help you?" An overly perky woman greeted Tim as he approached the check-in desk. Her smile, while somewhat crazed, was not disingenuous. Her nametag read "Gloria"

"Yes, I'm checking in."

"Can I have your name, sir?"

"Thom E. Gemcity." Tim inwardly grinned. The idea to book his trip under his penname had been a last minute decision. While it wasn't necessary, it gave him a thrill knowing that he was secretly tucked away in a Chicago restaurant and if, heaven forbid, someone was looking for him they wouldn't be able to track him down…unless, of course, they had half a brain and also checked for reservations under his penname.

Gloria's brow furrowed momentarily as she typed in the information. "Gemcity? That name sounds familiar." Tim blushed when he heard her say it, flattered that the name rung a bell with her. "Here we go, Mr. Gemcity!" she chirped as she handed him the key. "You'll be staying in room 401. Just to let your know, our dining area starts serving dinner at 5:00pm and we have a bar that is open 24/7. I hope you enjoy your stay!"

"Thank you." He tucked the key into his pocket, ready to get upstairs and just plop on to the bed.

Tim frowned at the door to his supposed room. The light was still blinking red, despite the fact that he had already stuck the key in twice. The handle held firm and no matter how hard he pushed against the door, he couldn't budge it open.

He double checked both the number on his key and the number on the door. Both definitely said "401" so he wasn't sure what he was doing wrong.

Again, he shoved the key in and pulled it out smoothly, but the light stayed red. In…out. In…out. In…out. Red, red, red. Tim was beginning to look a bit red himself.

Tim sighed, leaning his forehead against the door. He had been looking so forward to being able to get in a bit of rest. Now he would have to wait for the elevator, go all the way downstairs, talk with whomever could rectify this situation, wait again for the elevator, come all the way back upstairs and hoped that it worked.

He drudged to the elevator and got on with a scowl. The only other person on the elevator was a middle-aged woman who looked like she was heading for the pool. "Could you please push the button for the lobby?" he asked, not wanting to lean across her to push the button.

She glanced at him and Tim saw her face light up. "Yes, of course!" she replied, pushing the "L" button. The next few seconds were spent with Tim sighing and the woman glancing surreptitiously at him. "I'm sorry to bother you…but are you Thom E. Gemcity?"

Tim groaned on the inside, though his demeanor was pleasant as always. "Yes, ma'am, I am. Are you a fan?"

"Oh, yes!" she gushed. "I just loved Deep Six. My book club read it and none of us could put it down."

"Well, thank you. I'm always happy to meet a fan."

The woman glanced down and caught sight of the suitcase trailing behind him. "Oh, are you leaving already?" The disappointment dripped through her tone.

"No, actually, there just seems to have been a mix-up with the keys. I just got here and I plan to stay until Sunday."

"Oh," she said, very interested. "Researching your next book?"

Tim grinned. "Not quite. I'm just taking a vacation. I hope to do as little writing as possible this weekend."

The doors opened and the woman stepped out onto the second floor. "Well, I do hope I see you around, Mr. Gemcity," she told him with a smile and a wink. "I'd love to talk to you about your literature." The look she gave him, though, told him that his writing was the last thing she wanted to talk about with him. Still, he smile and bid her a good day, the smile not leaving his face until the doors had completely closed.

"I'm so sorry about the mix-up, sir!" a different and not nearly as perky woman said to Tim as she handed him his new key. "I can't imagine what happened!"

Tim's smile was plastered on his face. He wasn't about to deny that waiting for an hour to have them figure out what the problem was had annoyed him, but this girl wasn't the one at fault, so he didn't want to take his frustration out on her. "It's alright," he assured her, despite his inward feelings, "these things happen."

With his new key in hand, both he and his suitcase made the trek back up to the fourth floor. He held his breath has he inserted the key. Green. He smiled a real smile and exhaled as he entered the beautiful room.

The luxurious bed looked like a marshmallow of comfort, complete with a copious amount of pillows and chocolate mints on the pillows. Directly across from the bed was a large entertainment system which housed a large TV, complete with all of the available channels. The small area also had a small table, with two chairs, upon which Tim found a list of local restaurants, local sights, tourist information, and a room service menu.

Tim glanced into the bathroom and was delighted to see a large tub that looked like it could be used as a Jacuzzi in a pinch. The large mirror was outlined in large light bulbs, giving it the look of a Hollywood dressing room mirror. The towels were folded neatly, monogrammed with the hotel name, and hooked on the back of the door were two fluffy bathrobes which, when Tim touched them, felt softer against his skin than he could have ever imagined.

He exited the bathroom and flopped down on to the bed, reveling in the soft mattress as it almost swallowed him whole. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't had a proper meal since his breakfast that morning, but his mind and muscles ached, begging him to not leave the bed just yet. As the multiple body parts fought amongst each other, Tim found a compromise. He reached out and grabbed the phone.

"Hello, room service?"

Tim was lulling off to sleep. On the table was a tray that had been piled with steak, potatoes, asparagus, and blueberry cobbler. Only a small slab of steak and a few blueberries had been left behind.

The television was on, the credits of the previous movie rolling by, but Tim couldn't bring himself to even turn it off. His dinner had filled him up and he was ready to crash. Tomorrow was going to be a nice day of sight seeing, not to mention a show at night, so he wanted to be well rested.

He stretched out on the bed, limbs flopping everywhere, and snuggled down into the sheets and comforter, his mind already blacking out.

"HIT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME!"

Tim shot up as he heard the unmelodic voice of Britney Spears blare from the room directly behind his bed.

"DUDE! GIVE ME ANOTHER HIT OF THAT SHIT!" a voice shouted from beyond the paper thin wall. "I'M SO WASTED, MAN!"

Tim banged his fist against the wall. "Would you be quiet!" he called, suddenly feeling like one of those cranky, old men who yelled at kids for hitting balls into their yard.

"THIS IS SO HOT!"

"Dammit!" he muttered to himself. He didn't want to be the mean old man who ruined the party, but he needed to get to sleep. He grabbed the phone beside his bed and hit the number for the lobby. "Yes, hello. I'm in Room 401 and the room next door is blasting music and being loud…"