p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="12bf7758b0d8dad14e9f80d75d478c05""Here we are. This hotel should be the cheapest."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="557825e4ad7968702c0f20c703fc060a"The two had stopped in Cleveland Ohio, and booked a room in Travelodge. Once again, there was only one bed, but it was king-sized. There wasn't a couch, but on the bright side, the kitchen had a small area with a table, so they didn't have to lean over the kitchen counter to eat. The bathroom was medium-sized, and the TV was bigger than the one at their New York motel. Lo and behold, the hotel had a phone./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="487926f1cd8b150b6300d3ebb76d6c51""Thank the fuckin' Lord..." Joe sighed before flopping onto the bed. He bounced a little before speaking. "This feels so much better."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="02d8b23ea83bd83d13778b17d983ac36""I take it you're sleepin' on the bed?" Vito asked, crossing his arms. "I guess I'm sleepin' on the floor."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ed883d0673a722317105ab5dc47b5f9b""Vito, it's em style="box-sizing: border-box;"king-sized/em," Joe started, "you'll take one side and I'll take the other."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4b874fc772dc77366975ddb0b2923e1d""Are you nuts? I ain't sleepin' in a bed with you!" Vito was aghast that Joe would even suggest a thing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f9647e1ae6ec66868e662d4dc3f2cdfe""It's one fuckin' night. Grow a pair." Joe sat on the edge of the bed to kick his shoes off. "Sweet fuckin' relief."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b0c404f78ca2a3d55bdf32e3b3845fdc"Vito turned around to look at his reflection in the vanity across the room. The dark circles under his eyes weren't as prominent as before, but he noticed some stubble. It was time to shave and clip his nails, it seemed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="554bce33fa65ebda2b8b55ebe311921b""I'll be makin' another phone call tonight." Joe began, rubbing his tired eyes. "I need to tell John where we are right now. He wants us to report the progress on our little trip. That way he knows when to prepare for our arrival."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8a3b3ae16a76deef922f168cdfc434a0""Prepare for our arrival?" Vito grew puzzled. "What? They gonna throw a surprise party for the both of us and celebrate our arrival with champagne and hookers?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="58cb77b0f6c11bc818411193ec9cda7a""Hah hah hah," Joe rolled his eyes, "very clever. He means preparing to do business. You know, give us a place to stay, line up some jobs, talk to Enzo. But if you em style="box-sizing: border-box;"really/em need to get your rocks off, his buddy Fernando can throw in a lil' somethin'-somethin' for us."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="198cf75800981dc78936f21c5c0ef8fe""No thanks." Vito sighed, sitting at the vanity./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6f5b4e354b321cd80647d829803fb9a3""You know, it sure has been a while since you and I got any ass." Joe grinned. "There's gotta be some services around here somewhere."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cc5af85a0fd06e576fc3a0f6e5ad60f1""Joe, it's fine. I can hold my libido, unlike you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="14cd69956e9d1a542ab7f7f012135276"Joe laughed and threw his legs onto the bed, sitting up against the pillow. "You can take your shower first. I figured it would be fair."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="fb24ec18a836770e54a882c506c12cc7"Vito entered the bathroom, which looked classy. At least it had a mirror, which the old motel didn't have. He stared at his reflection once more before stripping. Once he was down to the skin, he stared at his body. He was at his most muscular when he left prison, but he had dropped a few pounds and some muscle mass over time, due to the stress and turmoil. Night after night, up until this point, he'd skip meals because he couldn't keep anything down. Being a part of organized crime really took its toll on him, physically and emotionally./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3b6f1a351a7e3d68040ba35c43843b73"The shower was long, and hot, the steaming water leaving its bright pink imprint on his olive flesh. While bathing, he kept thinking about his time so far with Joe. Not even seventy-two hours, and they were already in another state, ready to work for some other guys that he'd never heard of. After having to deal with three different dons trying to kill him, he didn't know what to think of Enzo. Joe talked highly of him, yet Joe talked highly of a lot of people who seemed to disapprove of Vito's mere existence. If this was a risk Joe was willing to take, Vito decided with a heavy heart that he should follow along. Besides, if it wasn't for Joe, Vito didn't know where he'd be to this day. Perhaps breaking his back for Derek Poppalardo the same way his dad did before he passed on. His life would have been an endless cycle of bullshit, and while he didn't change it for better, he certainly gave it more flavor. A little more flavor than he prepared himself for at times.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="45d7f1ec55eb5b8f4fa7cb18768fa6ab"He dried himself off before standing in front of the mirror again, plucking the shaving cream out of the cabinet behind the bathroom mirror. Wetting his face, he started to lather up with the shaving cream. Strategically, he guided the razor along his skin, tapping the end of it on the edge of the sink. Once he was finished, he leaned over to splash the stuff away, revealing a fresh face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9f38450a0356ab059c2f1d7430c6ed8d"Exiting the bathroom, in which steam poured from, he had a towel around his waist. He spotted Joe sitting at the vanity while using the telephone. Already, Joe had slipped out of his clothes and into his underwear./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="08c03091e25c64fc94a0b93ffdcdc94f""We're in Cleveland right now," Joe started. "Travelodge. It's pretty nice, but it ain't the most impressive. Yeah, he's still here."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f9e006623963d2b9d08af3319e0c088f"Joe spotted Vito standing there in just a towel before returning to the phone. "Oh, John, hang on a sec."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="60c00aca992662ce1e471318c8dfb2e1"He covered the end of the phone with his hand before speaking to Vito. "Did you change your mind about the hookers?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0b58394e4b73d5bf14f6d9e1254de555""No!" Vito mouthed silently./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8ca4c42f1a0a50ddb5a5446f73a8a482"Joe rolled his eyes and continued speaking to John. "He'll take a raincheck, but I'm still up for it! Heheh."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b2aafef9f1fec6792c6b26fdad8fed0d"Vito rolled his eyes and went to the closet. There had to be pajamas somewhere.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0215e2829e64dcdd5191e73bb26a4e68""We should be there Saturday, if not tomorrow. It took forever just to get out of Pennsylvania." Joe stood up from where he formerly sat. "I'll speak to you some more tomorrow. Ci vediamo." He hung up and faced Vito, who had succeeded in finding some pajamas./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="afeba71d5456d8ddfaa16aac987ad421""I'm fuckin' tired." Joe yawned. He stood at the edge of the bed to stretch before lying down and shifting under the covers. He turned his back to Vito, who quickly changed into the sleep wear while no eyes were on him. Facing the lamp, he put his hand under the shade before switching it off, thus filling the room with darkness./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="71a8ac406c29f7ada1b0ffa9614923b6"Hesitantly, he slid under the covers, trying to be as far away from Joe as possible while still getting enough mattress space./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b69e73ecc695810551da3a7c9a2a2ef3"He lay with his back facing Joe, staring at the wall. He couldn't complain, since the mattress was comfortable./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7cb84d826be2840ed462f56cf150b1b8""Vito," Joe started in a raspy voice, "Do you ever think that things could be different?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="be3993c305e28fc26255c971cc1962ca""Yeah." Vito responded quietly. "I think about it all the time. I ask myself 'what if this had never happened, what would my life be like today?' You know, shit like that."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ce318011e0d573332737511b296d8238""I wonder what would have happened if we never fought each other at the playground in elementary school. If the teachers had pulled us apart in time. You've gotten a hell of a lot better with your fists since then."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8d5eb7106d3252e9488e554b8f676235""Thanks." Vito shut his eyes. "So, ah... goodnight."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="602effe6725f9705d578537874d60591""Buona notte. I'll seeya in the morning."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 18px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="19f51dd740c7e0808ef5059f0413af46"The two drifted off to sleep as the clear night awakened, exposing the various stars in the sky. Orion's belt appeared majestically, while the Northern Star faced the direction where the two friends' journey would continue./p