Linda heard him unlock it and prop it part way open and then felt the cool, fresh night air on her left shoulder as a gentle breeze slipped past her in the booth by the hallway.Linda heard him unlock it and prop it part way open and then felt the cool, fresh night air on her left shoulder as a gentle breeze slipped past her in the booth by the hallway. About 3:15, with only herself and John in the place, Linda heard a pair of shoes coming down the back hallway, followed by a "Hey, GUMMBAHHH, how'sa the tricks?" She recognized the voice. It was Pasqual, the little, bald owner of the Quality Inn, --- her buddy and a "nice guy", Linda recalled. "Hi, Linda! --- how ya been?" She didn't answer him, but took another deep swallow of cool, numbing J&B --- "Shit," she thought, "this is going to be a bitch if all these guys are regular customers like him! I'll never be able to look em in the eye again!" She shook her sand brown hair out and thought: "What the fuck! I've been 'here' before and I'll no doubt, be 'here' again --- it ain't no big fuckin' deal makin' your money on your knees and your back! Get your shit together, you dumb fuckin' bitch", she admonished her ever numb- ing mind. "Hi, `friend' --- how's the motel business these days?" Linda queried Pasqual. "Ahhhhh, SO, SO," he exclaimed with a fingers extended and a 180 degree rotation of the hand palm down to palm up and back again several times in quick succession. "How's by you, Linda? Life treatin' you right these days?" She gave him the same hand gesture back. He nodded and walked over to John who had come around the bar --- put his arms around John --- and pounded him on the back with his hands. Linda could hear them whispering to each other, but she couldn't make out the words at all --- as she heard more feet coming down the back hallway at the same time. |