The first thing he noticed when he walked into the motel room was the wallpaper. It was like a bad acid trip and it made he had to squint against the intensity. It was only then that he saw her, clad in a white lace nightgown propped up on the bed with the red velvet duvet. Only then, of course, was it too late.

“Who are…” he blinked back. Her eyes flew open, two big round dinner plates that took in his every inch.

“Does it really matter, sweetheart?” She said with a sly smile.

“I think I have the wrong room, I mean, the lady in there, she told me it was this one…but..” he stammered. She laughed, a child’s laugh and sat up, crosslegged, letting one of the straps on her shoulder fall down.

“You didn’t know your room came with a girl did you?” She laughed.

“Well, uh…I…” he continued to stammer, “I guess so. I mean, I didn’t know you’d be in here…I’m not really sure how this whole system works…”

“First time?” She asked inquisitively.

“Yes. I mean, no. I mean, well you know…”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” she said almost robotically as she lay back, propping herself up by her arms behind her.

“No, no…I’m not here for that,” he stammered, looking at her. As he drew closer he could see her fully, blinking behind two large eyes and a peaches and cream complexion and a waterfall of dark hair. She was like a living breathing doll. He stopped breathing for a moment. He didn’t know that these girls were so pretty. He had expected a much older woman, bleached hair, red lipstick with a cigarette dangling from her mouth that coughed out raspy words from wrinkled lips.

She gave him a worried glance, and edged back a little.

“You aren’t going to kill me are you? They always warn me about this, I mean, this is dangerous country out here in the middle of nowhere desert, you know.” He could see she was inching her hand slowly to the bedside table. He hoped that she didn’t have a bowie knife stashed out somewhere.

“No, please,” he began. “Really, I’m not even going to touch you.”

“What’s the matter?” She said. He shook his head.

“Really,” she said, inching herself over to him, “What are you doing here?”

“I’d like to ask you the same thing,” he replied. She laughed again, it was soft and musky like a rich perfume.

“You first,” she said, sitting up as if ready for an epic tale of disaster.

“Fine, fine. God, I feel so stupid…You see, I’ve been driving for days really…and well, I needed a place to stop. But all I see is desert for miles around and out of nowhere in the darkness there’s this place. I just didn’t really know the room had a catch or anything.” He explained.

“Oh, so I’m the catch, I get it. So, how am I supposed to believe that line?” She said with a raised eyebrow. He gave her a look that implied how tired he was and she immediately understood.

“You don’t have to stay here with me, its okay,” he said, motioning to the door.

“Sweetheart, I can’t leave. Its policy. I’m like a bird in a cage here,” she said.

“You’re kidding me, right?” He said.

“Its like Hotel California,” she explained, “you can check out anytime, but you can never leave.” She sat there for a moment, looking thoughtful and sad. Immediately his brain broke out into song, pumping out the Eagle in full throttle.

“You mean they lock you up in here?” He said, finally coming to a realization.

“How else do you think they keep this place staffed?” She said, “Do you see a lock on the inside of the door? No.”

“What kind of creeps do that to people?” He said with a scared expression.

“Sweetheart, we’re in the middle of the desert somewhere on Route 66. The only people that know we are here are the pervs that stop here…and you don’t see them complaining,” she explained.

“So why are you here?” He asked.

“You really want to know?” She said. He nodded.

“Well, before we go sharing stories, we should probably introduce ourselves,” she said, “what’s your name, darling?”

“Paul.”

“Nice to meet you Paul,” she said, sticking out her hand, “I’m Velvet.”

RATE THIS CHAPTER!