Chapter 112

We hadn't been told what motel the show employees were staying in while they played Augusta Me., So we found a cheap one for one more night. We bypassed the motels on the interstate highway, which wasn't far from Augusta. The only economy motel I found in Augusta was one of those chain things. I was owned by the company, It wasn't ones that wad independently owned. Well at least it looked the same as all the others of that brand to me. That led me to believe the build at least built by the company.

Regardless, the number on their sign was meaningless. They might have once been $6 once upon a time, but they were considerable more on that day. Instead of checking in there we drove into town and looked for a mom and pop motel, which I was pretty sure would be run by a middle eastern family.

"There," I said to Reggie. "It even has a river view. What river I'm not sure, but there is a river running behind it."

"You must be kidding Sylvia. That building has to be fifty years old," Reggie said.

"Honey, if they have hot water, I'm going to check in there. You can go anywhere you want."

"Please, let's go back out to the highway," Reggie begged.

"No dear, we are not going back to the highway. Trust me, I will look after you," I said.

Of course my cliche was correct. "Hello," The middle aged lady said in a heavily accented English.

"Hello. we would like a double room. A room with two beds," I explained to her.

"Yes of course, that will be forty dollars," she said. I just gave her my company credit card. The room was on the second floor of the two story building. There was heavy rust on the metal steps leading up to the concrete balcony, which ran the length of the building.

"Why are you doing this," Reggie asked nervously. "This is the kind of place filled with hookers and drug dealers."

"No dear, that would be hookers and drug buyers," I said. "Dealers might come and go all night, but they would never invest in a room."

"Then what the fuck are we doing here?" she asked.

"We are here because you wanted to experience life. This honey is a part of life." I explained.

"Sylvia you are crazy, but if you swear I'll be safe. I will stay," she said.

"You will be fine," I said. Since I couldn't control other people, I hoped I was telling her the truth. After we unpacked. we went in search of a slightly late lunch. We found a downtown cafe.

While they prepared my shrimp hoggie, I asked the waitress, "So what is the biggest employer in Augusta?"

"The state of main without question," she answered. "Most everybody works for the state."

'Okay how about the second largest," I asked.

"Still kinda state jobs. Medical and the college I guess. Lots of fishermen live here, when they ain't out of their boats." she said.

I nodded and she went off to get my shrimp sandwich. Which by the way was excellent. So were the french fries. The iced tea needed work though. When we got back to the motel I was a little surprised that it seemed to be filling up. I really hadn't expected hookers and drug dealers. I had just with her fearful appraisal to rattle Reggie.

I'm not at all sure they were hookers, maybe more like lawmaker's girlfriends in for a long weekend. I guess they figured that, if everyone else was doing it, no one would break the code of silence. Of course since I had been the other woman more than once, I wasn't going to tell, even if I had known who was who.

Reggie crawled into her own bed and I was just as happy to see it. Like I had always said, I didn't need the complications of an office romance. Especially one with a woman. Reggie couldn't afford it either.

"Sylvia, wake me in the morning I want to run with you. I'm feeling much better." she said.

"I'm going to run down along the river. It could be pretty cold out there in the morning, are you sure those fancy girlie outfits will keep you warm." I asked.

"Don't worry I'm hot when I run, even in those little outfits," she said.

"I think we mean different things by keeping warm," I said.

"Maybe so, but wake me anyway please," she said.

One thing about being me, is that I fall asleep instantly. I tell myself it is the sleep of the just, or maybe it is just my ability to turn off my mind completely. Either way the almost beautiful Reggie didn't keep me awake for a second. I closed my eyes and was asleep.

I opened my eyes and it was Friday. It was a cool morning in Maine, so I wore lots of fleece when I went out to run. Reggie on the other hand wore lots of denim. She looked better, but I was warmer. Not for long thought. Within minutes we both were sweating. When the hour was up, I told her we were going to run back to the motel.

"First one to the door of the room, gets the first shower," she said. she took off running. I followed along behind her. She really did run well. Sure I could have beat her back to the room, but I let her win while making it look as though she did it on her own. Yeah, I know that's the kind of thing you do for someone special. Well I never said she wasn't special.

Once we were inside she stepped into the shower, while I sat on the bed wondering what I was going to do till I heard from Joan. In only a few minutes the shower stopped running and Reggie came out of the bathroom naked. She smiled suggestively at me, and I knew she was tormenting me. I could ignore her, but it wasn't going to be easy.