Chapter 6 The Decision

Lenny contemplated whether or not he should leave the hotel room. The longer he thought about it, the more Lenny realized that he was running out of time to escape. He had no idea when Lewis would return. The last thing Lenny wanted was for Lewis to catch him trying to leave. How would he explain it? If Lewis slapped Lenny for saying the wrong thing, Lenny could only imagine how Lewis would react if he caught Lenny leaving the hotel room. A chill went up Lenny's spine at that thought. No, it was better if Lenny stayed where he was.

Similar to most western towns, Garden City went from a fairly calm town during the day, with folks tending to their everyday business, to a hustling and bustling town at night with men frequenting the saloons. There were several saloons on Main Street for Lewis to choose from. Some saloons were run down, while others were considered more on the classy side.

Lewis ran his tongue around the back of his teeth as he tried to decide which saloon he wanted to visit. In his mind, he weighed out the pros and cons. The rundown saloons more than likely had the cheaper whiskey. Lewis could save money choosing that type of saloon. Of course you get what you pay for. The cheaper whiskey would taste cheap. Let's not forget about the saloon girls. Lewis did not want some low class floozy. Right then and there, Lewis knew what he wanted. He wanted some good tasting whiskey and a beautiful saloon girl to share it with.

Down the street there was a saloon called the Blackstone. Looking at the outside, one could tell it was one of the better saloons. Lewis strolled in the direction of the Blackstone. When he reached his destination, he pushed the swinging doors forward and stepped inside. Before moseying up to the bar, Lewis scanned the place over. There was a player piano belting out tunes in one corner of the saloon. Some men were testing their luck at a faro table. Some men were winning money at poker tables, while other men were gambling it away. Lewis noticed that the bar looked pretty crowded. He wasn't sure if there was room for him to stand at the bar.

One of the saloon girls saw Lewis walk in. He looked like he took care of himself. His clothes were clean, and he was clean with a neatly trimmed beard. She had experience with those type of men. They were the type to spend money. Adjusting her dress and making sure she was presentable, the young saloon girl walked over and approached Lewis.

"Excuse me," she said, getting Lewis' attention. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Lewis eyed the girl up and down and appreciated what he saw. "Sure. How 'bout a whiskey?"

"One whiskey coming up." The saloon girl went to the bar to fulfill Lewis' request. She got a whiskey for herself as well. "Here ya go," she said as she handed Lewis one of the shot glasses. "There's a table over there. Let's go sit down."

Lewis accepted the glass and followed the girl. "Thanks. It's pretty crowded in here," he observed.

"The Blackstone is one of the more popular saloons in town," she told Lewis.

Lewis finished his whiskey in one big swig, letting the amber liquid burn his throat as he swallowed. He placed the glass on the table. "I can tell."

"Would you like another whiskey?" the young saloon girl asked as she observed the empty glass. She still had half of hers left.

"Sounds good," Lewis replied.

The girl took the empty glass and stood up. "I'll be right back." She returned less than a minute later and placed a full shot glass of whiskey in front of Lewis. "I never really introduced myself. My name's Valerie. Most everyone calls me Val. What's your name?"

This time Lewis decided to nurse his drink. He swallowed what was in his mouth. "Name's Lewis," said Lewis, returning the introduction.

"It's nice ta meet ya, Lewis," Valerie smiled. "I don't recall ever seein' ya in here or around town. Are ya new to the area?"

"It's nice ta meet you, Val," said Lewis. "And yes, I'm new to the area."

"Where do ya plan on settlin' down or are ya just passing through?" asked Valerie.

"The second one," Lewis answered.

Val was somewhat disappointed with Lewis' response. She didn't want to work in a saloon forever and was hoping there could have been a future with Lewis. But if he was passing through, a future with him didn't seem possible. If Valerie couldn't have a future with Lewis, she would take advantage of the present.

"Do you wanna continue this upstairs?" Valerie asked Lewis, hoping for a yes. She made more money upstairs in her room.

It had been a while since Lewis had been with a woman, and a man had needs. "Lead the way," he said.

A smile spread across Val's face as she led Lewis up the staircase and into her room. "Make yourself comfortable," Val instructed as she pointed to the bed. She walked over to a small table with a tray of a bottle of whiskey and a few glasses. She poured two glasses and handed one to Lewis.

Lewis took the glass. "If I knew free whiskey was available up here, I would've come up here first."

"The whiskey may be free, but my services are not," Val responded.

"Understood," Lewis nodded. "But I need to set a few things straight. It's hands 'n mouth only. I don't wanna leave anything behind when I leave Garden City."

Val knew exactly what Lewis was referring to. "You don't have to worry. It's not my fertile time. Besides, I never take a man to my room when it is. I don't want a child."

"That don't matter," said Lewis. "That's my offer. Take it or leave it. When me 'n my son leave this town, I don't wanna wonder if I have another child out in the world."

"Son?" Val questioned. "Are you married?" Valerie had qualms about taking married men up to her room. In fact she was against it. She had no problem with sharing a drink with them, but not her body. Valerie was a saloon girl, but she still had her morals.

"I was married, but she passed on," Lewis replied. "So, are ya gonna accept my offer or not?"

Knowing this was the way she made her living, Valerie accepted Lewis' offer. "Yes, but I'm not reducing my rates just because you want hands and mouth only."

"Fine," said Lewis. From there Lewis and Val pleasured each other, while more whiskey had been consumed.

It was two hours later when Lewis stumbled back into the hotel room. He stayed in Val's room longer than he expected, drinking more than he expected. Trying to get to his bed, Lewis bumped into the footboard. He cussed under his breath. The commotion woke Lenny up. Not wanting Lewis to know he was awake, Lenny did not move. He kept his eyes closed and pretended he was still asleep. Lewis sat on his bed, removed his boots, and climbed under the covers. Removing any other piece of clothing was not necessary at the time. All Lewis wanted to do was go to sleep.

Thanks to the alcohol, Lewis had fallen asleep rather quickly. It wasn't long until he was deeply snoring. Lenny on the other hand was now wide awake. From experience, Lenny knew that Lewis was in a deep sleep. He also knew what alcohol did to a person. His pa taught him that. Lenny's thoughts went to his pa. He desperately missed him and wanted to get back to him. Now was his chance to escape from Lewis. Now was his chance to try to get back to his pa. Lenny knew that if he did not leave now, he may not get another chance.

Lenny quietly threw the covers off from him and got out of bed. Lucky for him, the bed springs did not make any noise. Looking at the bed, Lenny had the idea to position the pillows under the covers to make it look like he was under them. He reached under the bed and grabbed his shoes, but did not put them on. Lenny did not want to waste time putting them on while he was still in the room. He would do it after he left the hotel. Plus, stocking feet would be quieter. Being as quiet as a mouse, Lenny tiptoed to the door and carefully opened it. His heart was beating a mile a minute. Once the door was open, Lenny stepped out into the hallway and gently shut the door. He looked down the hallway and hurriedly made his way to the stairs. Lenny quickly descended the steps.

When he reached the bottom, Lenny saw the hotel clerk fast asleep behind the counter. Lenny was grateful for that. He did not take into consideration that he would have to get past the hotel clerk. Without a doubt the hotel clerk would've asked Lenny where he was going, and Lenny wasn't sure how he would've answered. But that didn't matter right now. The hotel clerk was asleep and wouldn't be asking any questions. With his shoes in his hands, Lenny walked to the lobby door and opened it. Lenny stepped outside and took a deep breath. He sat down and put on his shoes. So far things were working in Lenny's favor.

TBC