He had just checked in. It was a medium sized hotel outside a small town at the far eastern edge of Ohio. He turned to pick up his suitcase, an old-fashioned kind without wheels, and the girl was there. She was pretty, a teenager, short skirt, her hair helmeted by bouncy red ringlets. “Can I ask you a few questions?” she said. “It’s for a school project.”

“A few questions,” he repeated. “I guess so. But it just turned summer. Isn’t school out?”

“It is,” the girl said, her voice cheery. “This is for a special project. A special summer project.”

“Okay then,” the man said. “But I’ve been on the road a bit. I’d like to get cleaned up a bit first, if that’s all right.”

“Sure,” the girl said.

The man started walking down the first floor hallway and the girl followed. He stopped outside his room. “Shouldn’t I meet you in the lobby or somewhere?” he asked.

“Your room is fine,” she said. “Actually it’s better, all things considered.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” the man said.

“It is,” the girl said. “Trust me.” Again there was a cheery lilt to her voice.

The man inserted the keycard in the lock. The first time the lock blinked red. He reversed the keycard, and the second try the lock blinked green. He opened the door. He walked inside with the girl following. “Maybe we should leave the door open,” he suggested.

The door swung shut.

“They’re made that way,” the girl said.

“You’ve had a lot of experience with this?” the man said.

“Not that much,” she said. “Do you mind if I record this? For the project.”

“Right, the project,” the man said.

She pressed a button on her phone and set it on the dresser. “If you could start out by telling me your name. Just the first name is all right.”

“Press,” the man said.

“Like Preston?” the girl asked. “Or Prescott?”

“Just Press,” the man said. “With two S’s. Like ‘Press the button.’”

“What happens if I press the button?” the girl asked.

“I pop,” the man said. “No, just kidding. So go ahead, fire away.”

“Okay, now is this the first time you’ve been in this hotel?”

“No,” the man said. “It’s been quite a few years. I was a salesman.”

“Like in the Music Man?” the girl asked.

“You know that?”

“Yeah. We did it in school last spring. I was a secretary. Peck peck peck.”

The man laughed. “You do a good peck,” he said.

The girl smiled. “So why are you here now?”

“I’m revisiting the places I stayed way back when,” he said. “Those that are still around.” He lifted the suitcase and set it on the bed. He worked the two snaps but didn’t open the suitcase.