Chapter 6

Every relationship has its ups and downs, and Errol's and Jennie's was bound to hit a snag sooner or later. It unraveled three days before Christmas.

It was late afternoon and she found him pulling up old carpet in room twelve. He saw her walk in and decided it was a good time to take a break. With the door open, the temperature in the room was pretty cool, but he was still sweating from the hard work.

"How's the remodeling going?" she asked.

"I've got the furniture and the electronics in the storeroom. As soon as I paint the walls and get the new carpet down and the drapes hung, I'll put it back together and start on number eleven."

Jennie looked around and said, "Don't tell Margie I said this, but this motel has needed serious work for a long, long time."

"Tell me about it. Did you need something or is this just a social visit?"

She slipped her arm around his waist. "I'm going to ask you a big favor."

"Ask away."

"Well, you know the diner will be closed on Christmas."

"Yeah, I know. I think it'll be the first whole day off I've had since I blew into town. Margie forbids me to lift a finger around here on Christmas day."

"Good for her! Well, what I'm asking has something to do with that. I spoke with Carol and she said she'd be willing to work a double on Christmas Eve if you'd go with me to spend Christmas with my aunt and a few other relatives. She lives about a hundred and ten miles south of here. She's got a huge house with lots of bedrooms and she loves company. It'll give us a chance to have some quality time together."

"Your aunt knows about me?"

"Yes, well, you know how word gets around. Somebody mentions that we're becoming kind of an item and the story eventually finds its way to all interested parties. So will you go with me?"

"No. I mean, no thanks."

Jennie absolutely did not expect a refusal. "But why not? It'll be fun, Errol. You'll love my aunt, and she's really looking forward to meeting you."

He shook his head and said, "Jennie, I told you how I feel about the holidays. I don't DO Christmas. I don't do it by myself and I don't do it with anybody else. Didn't you believe what I told you?"

"Yeah, but ... Oh, come on, Errol, you're just being silly about this holiday thing! It's a time when people are supposed to be with other people, enjoying themselves and celebrating."

"So let me guess: There will be a big tree, lots of decorations, a big Christmas dinner, and I'd be willing to bet that somehow, you're going to sneak in a gift or two for me, aren't you?"

"Well, so what? It's Christmas! That's what's supposed to happen!"

He felt like he was being pushed, and as he always did when he felt that kind of pressure, he dug his heels in. "Jennie, I'll say this once more. There's nothing about religious holidays, or more appropriately in this case, commercial holidays, that I'm comfortable with. I choose not to participate. Can't you respect that?"

"Well can't you respect the fact that you're the first person I've been close to in a long time, and I want to share that with what family I have left? Jeez, Errol, your attitude is so selfish!"

Now he was pissed. "And yet, here I am, the very same person I told you I was way back when. I guess I have to assume you either didn't believe me, or you think I can shift my feelings at the drop of a hat. You can't mold me to your ideal, Jennie! I'm not built like that! I'm sorry, but that's my final word on the subject. I'm not going with you!"

She walked to the doorway and turned around to face him. "And I'm not going to allow another man to manipulate me and break my heart. I guess our relationship was a mistake."

"Who's manipulating whom? Yeah, maybe the relationship was a mistake if you can't take me at my word. Am I done at the diner?"

She almost said yes, but changed her mind when she thought of what a big hole it would leave in the business. "That's up to you. As far as I'm concerned, you can stay as long as you do your job."

"Fine! Tell Carol she won't need to do a double. I'll show up for work when I'm supposed to."

Jennie whirled and walked away.

Errol opened the diner the next morning and worked his shift as usual, but the atmosphere was definitely frosty. He didn't think the customers picked up on anything, but he was pretty sure Angie, the day waitress, and Valerie knew something wasn't right. Carol certainly did. Jennie didn't speak a word to him except for the orders she announced as she clipped the order slip to the wheel.

Fortunately, they only had to work together for the one day before she left to drive down to her aunt's place for the holidays.

Valerie worked Angie's shift on Christmas Eve, and stayed to work the evening shift as well. Carol relieved him at two as usual. Business had been slow all day and there was none to speak of after six in the evening, so she opted to close the diner early.

Two rooms, other than Errol's, were occupied at the motel, probably by people who were in town visiting relatives who didn't have enough sleeping space for everybody.

Errol cleaned their rooms after he got off shift at the diner, and then went down to number twelve to finish painting the walls. He knew Margie wouldn't like him working on Christmas day, so he thought he'd get done whatever he could while he had the chance.

As he was rolling beige paint onto the walls about eight o'clock that evening, he sensed someone in the room. He looked around and saw Valerie standing in the doorway watching him work.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Why aren't you at home with your family on Christmas Eve?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Mom and Dad are over at my uncle's place. They're probably all drunk as lords by now. I didn't feel like joining the festivities."

"Yeah?" he sympathized, "I know that scene. Sounds familiar."

She stepped into the room to get out of the draft. "So how come you're working so late?"

"Because it's what I do. It's what I like to do." He cast a meaningful look in her direction and added, "And I like to do it alone."

Valerie ignored the hint. "So what's going on with you and Jennie? You on the outs about something?"

"Hardly your business, it is?"

"Guess not. So how late are you gonna work?"

"Until I'm done or until I get tired, whichever comes first."

Valerie knew she was treading on thin ice, but she persisted. "Well, I asked because I've got no place to go and nothing to do. I thought we could just, you know, kind of hang out together. Maybe watch TV or something."

He let out kind of a barking laugh. "Jeez, let me think. That didn't work out so hot the last time you were here, did it? Are you planning another striptease?"

"No." She paused and added, "Well, not unless you ask me to. I would, you know, if you asked me."

He just shook his head and went on painting the wall. And she just stood there watching him.

After a couple of minutes, she broke the silence again. "Um, is there something I can do to help? I'd like to help."

He stopped painting, took a deep breath and turned to look at her. It was pretty obvious she wasn't planning to take the hints and leave him alone.

"Tell you what," he said, reaching into his pocket for his room key, "If you feel compelled to be of some use, why don't you go to my room and make me a cup of tea? You have to heat the water in the microwave. Cups are on the counter and the tea is in the box marked Earl Grey. Make a cup for yourself if you want."

She caught the key he tossed to her and smiled as she turned to leave the room. "Sure. Happy to be of service."

In his room, she filled two cups with water and stuck them in the microwave for three minutes. As the water heated, she poked around the room looking for anything interesting, like maybe some Penthouse mags or some porn tucked into a drawer. Nothing. She opened his laptop, but it was password protected. There was a paperback novel on the nightstand with a bookmark about halfway through.

The microwave dinged. She poured two packets of sugar into her cup and dropped in the teabags. As she was leaving the room, she had an idea. She didn't know if he'd buy it, but he might.

Back in room twelve, Errol had finished with the roller and was painting the trim with a brush.

"Here ya go," she said, setting his cup on the windowsill.

"Thanks." He stepped over to take a sip. He held out his hand and said, "The key?"

She felt in her coat pocket and looked kind of sheepish. "Oops! I guess I left it in your room. Sorry."

"Not a problem. I've got a master."

The two of them spent the next hour in minimal conversation as he finished the trim, then cleaned up his brushes and the roller in the bathroom sink. He stood in the middle of the room, looked around and said, "Well, I guess that's about it. Time to call it a day."

He ushered her out the door, checking to make sure it was locked. "Maybe it's time for you to go home and open some presents."

"We do that on Christmas morning at our house. I can hang around if you need some company."

"I don't. Good night."

He left her standing there as he walked down to his room and let himself in with the master key.

He showered and got into his sweats, then he made one more cup of tea, knowing he'd have to get up in the middle of the night to pee. Before crawling into bed to read, he microwaved some popcorn. He read for an hour, brushed the popcorn crumbs off the bed, turned out the light and crashed, thinking it'd be nice for a change not to have to get up early to open the diner.

When Valerie left the motel, she drove home to prepare herself. Her folks were still out, probably falling-down drunk by now. She took a shower, dabbed on some of her mom's expensive perfume and watched TV for a couple of hours until she was sure Errol would be sound asleep.

His room was dark when she drove up to the motel. If this worked, she'd finally get what she wanted. If it didn't, she might end up with a fat lip and a trip to the sheriff's office to explain her behavior. Either way, she could live with it.