Natalie saw the sign for Kimberly Inn and knew it was time to get off the road. It was still early and Bariston was only forty minutes away, but Natalie was exhausted, hungry, and feeling grimy. She got off the freeway and pulled into the parking lot, grateful to have found this place.
Kimberly Inn was attractive, looking like an upscale home, but friendly and inviting. It would strain her credit card, but she simply could not drive any further today. Natalie entered the reception area, finding a comfortable, very feminine parlor. Unlike the formal, bar-looking counter at most hotels, the inn had a small, informal breakfast table with a stack of folders on it.
An older, well-dressed woman sat behind the table. She looked up at Natalie's entrance and gave her a welcoming smile. "Good afternoon," she said. "I'm Kimberly. I am so very happy to have you here."
Surprised at the enthusiasm, Natalie smiled in response. "Thank you. I am very happy to be here. Please tell me you have a restaurant."
"Have you never been here before?"
"No, but I've heard wonderful things about it." That was a lie, but Natalie believed in flattery. It gained advantages.
"From whom, may I ask?"
"My brother," Natalie answered, amused at the surprise on Kimberly's face.
"Your brother recommended my place to you?" There was skepticism and suspicion in her voice.
Trying to deflect that odd reaction, Natalie tried to blur the lines a bit. "He didn't make the recommendation to me. I overheard him speaking on the phone."
"Ah, yes." Kimberly's smile reappeared. "We rely on word of mouth advertising. I'm sure you can understand that it makes recruitment difficult, however."
"Of course," Natalie agreed, completely bewildered, but doggedly determined to brazen this out. Changing the subject, she asked, "Do you happen to have a dining area? I'm completely starving."
"Why don't we get you a room and I'll have something sent up to you. How does that sound?"
"Wonderful. I need a hot shower, a meal, then I am getting in bed and not getting out until morning. Late morning."
"I like your attitude," Kimberly told her. "You'll be in Room 4, top of the stairs and all the way to the back of the hall. What would you like for dinner?"
"Maybe a burger? Medium well?"
"I'll have it right up." Kimberly handed her a key and pointed to the stairs. "Maybe twenty-five minutes. You can have your shower and be ready to eat
Gratefully, Natalie grabbed her small suitcase and headed up the steps. She was scrubbing in the shower, using the provided bodywash, when she realized that she hadn't paid for the room yet. Resolving to take care of it later, she savored the sweet, girly scent of the wash. It smelled expensive and luxurious, the kind of thing she usually decided was too big of a splurge.
She came out of the shower to find that her meal was already laid out in the room. Eating, she looked around, impressed at the lodgings. She wasn't in a hotel room, but a nice, spacious bedroom, decorated in a friendly, feminine fashion. Natalie wondered if there were masculine-themed rooms for the male guests.
A light tap on the door got her attention. She answered, and found a woman in a sexy maid's costume standing there. "May I take your tray?" she asked.
Natalie handed it out and was puzzled when a small plastic bag was handed to her in return. Opening it, she found a toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash in traveler's sizes. Not sure whether she should appreciate the thoughtfulness or be offended at the suggestion that her breath stank, Natalie took the hint and brushed her teeth.
Then it was time for bed. She was delighted to discover real linen sheets on the bed as she turned down the covers. Linen feels amazing on bare skin, she knew. She stripped out of her clothes and decided she would sleep nude this night. Natalie crawled into bed and turned off the bedside lamp. Moments later, she was asleep.
But it seemed like only minutes later that she was awakened. The door had just opened and closed. She froze in fear. Who was in her room? Somebody was moving toward the bed.
"Who are you?" she asked. "This room is occupied."
"I'm David. I already paid. Kimberly gave me the key."
"Not to this room. This one is mine."
Natalie sat up, reached over, and turned on the light. David was a man in his forties, not handsome, but not ugly either. He had removed his shirt and pants and was standing there in just his boxers, an obvious boner tenting the fabric. He looked at Natalie's chest and exhaled loudly. "Well worth the price," he said.
Natalie suddenly remembered she had gone to sleep nude and her blankets had fallen to her waist when she sat up. She rolled her eyes in self-recrimination, yanking the sheet up to cover herself.
"Now that you've seen the show," she said, "You can go and find your own room."
