Chapter 5

Life as a time shifter sometimes provides more unexpected circumstances and surprises than a 'Natural' person ever experiences. I was wondering how the hotel would take it if they saw me 'sneaking' Morgan in. So I was glad the desk clerk was fully occupied registering a man and his family as we entered the lobby.

I'd kept Morgan on my left side, sort of hiding her from being seen and went to the left stairway for the same reason. We'd reached the third step up when the clerk looked our way. When our eyes met, I fully expected to be reprimanded for taking such an obviously young girl up to my room.

I didn't know what the age of consent was but here at this time frame in the Bowery. I really had no idea what they'd allow. The underlying theme of that time and place sort of was there was no limit. But I didn't want to test those limits either.

I'd read that child prostitution was common back then yet, even so I was a bit worried. Of course it wasn't my intent to take advantage of Morgan with that kind of activity. Thankfully, rather than a stern frown like we'd received from the saleswoman, he beamed at me.

"Ah, I see you found your sister. That's great news," he offered much to my surprise. When he added, speaking to Morgan, "I hear your brother bought you a new dress too!" I was floored.

Then our conversation got really weird as he said, "Your father was in a few minutes ago and suggested she stay with you for a couple of days.

"I can have a Roll-A-Way sent up to your room if the love seat is too small for Morgan."

"I'll be OK," Morgan confidently answered then looked up at me with a smile.

I answered him with, "Sounds like a plan," then choked a bit realizing that term wasn't common in the 30's.

Still with a bright smile the clerk told me, "That's an interesting way to put it."

Then he continued with, "Will that be two for dinner like your father told me?"

With a very bright smile Morgan answered with a firm, "Yes!"

The desk clerk responded, "Great. See you two then," and returned his attention to the family he was registering.

We continued up the stairs to my room as I thought about the exchange I'd just had with the desk clerk. My Guardian Angel had most definitely been hard at work for me that afternoon.

As we reached the third floor, Morgan asked, "Is that older gentleman really your father?"

I turned and faced Morgan and put my hands on her shoulders. "I'm not sure," I said. "That's why I call him my Guardian Angel.

"Actually, I've had two older men who have helped me in the same way. It's hard to explain but I promise I'll tell you all about me."

And then after a short pause I added, "And them too.

"OK?"

"But not just right now ... Right?" she queried.

"Soon," I promised her. "Very soon.

"But for now we have to get you properly cleaned up and into that new outfit."

I couldn't hold back my guffaw when she said back to me, "Sounds like a plan."

'Yes honey," I said through a huge grin. "It sure does."

With a quick turn of my large-tagged room key in the lock I opened the door we moved inside my room. Morgan gasped as she looked around. "You must be very rich," she said.

"I've never seen anything so smart as this."

"I wouldn't say I was rich. I just like to live comfortably."

"This all looks so comfortable," she replied.

She looked back at the door we'd just come through and asked, "Where's the bathroom?"

I nodded toward the door next to the loveseat.

She softly knocked on the door and waited for a reply. With a second knock and no reply she opened the door, then peeking in gave out a gasp. Quickly she looked back at me saying, "You have a PRIVATE bathroom!"

By then I had a big grin on my face and told her, "Yes."

She dashed over to me and gave a leap into my arms. "I love you," she said and gave me a quick kiss.

I held her in my arms for a moment as I answered, "I love you too"

When I set her back down, she asked, "Can I take a bath now?"

"Sure ... Whatever you want."

Then in a surprise move she twirled so her back was towards me and held her arms straight up. Looking over her shoulder she smiled at me. It took a few seconds for me to realize what she expected me to do.

Finally figuring it out, I flipped open the single button behind her neck and lifted her yellow dress up her arms and off her.

Then she turned facing me and reached out her right hand toward me, saying, "I'll take it into my bath and wash it.

"It'll look better when it's cleaned."

I knew the hotel had laundry service which would pick up dirty clothes in the morning and return them cleaned and pressed before dinner time. I figured, I'd let Morgan do what she wanted to do about cleaning her dress for now. Later I could offer to have it nicely pressed by the hotel.

As that thought passed through me, I'd been concentrating on lifting off her dress and folding it. But as I handed it to her, I got a look at her, standing there before me.

"Mommie always does that for me ... lift's off my dress. Daddy too.

"It's hard for me to reach that button on the back of my dress," she explained.

Absentmindedly I let my gaze drop from her wonderful smile and let it move all the way down her body to her shoes and back up. It only took a second and even though I'm sure she was well aware I was taking all of her in, her smile never lessened.