Chris was exhausted, it's been two hours since his last stop, and it was getting late, but he's almost there. Only a couple miles left. Thinking about his day, Chris remembered waking at six. He climbed from his bed and he looked through the dim light to see his girlfriend sleeping with her back to him. He pulled the clean pants he prepared the night before from the arm of the couch. Slightly stiff, they hugged his crotch as he buttoned them closed. He stepped into his boots as he picked up the red t-shirt from the couch. Walking around the bed he watched her stillness as he considered his words. Chris reached down and cupped her hand.
"I'm leaving. I'll call you at my first stop."
Her eyes were on his, but she didn't say anything. It's nothing new. She hasn't really spoken to him in over a week. Not since he told her he was going home. She has always hated his family.
She simply said, "Bye, be safe."
He stood and turned toward the door. He realized that he wasn't upset. It made him sad, but he just continued out to his truck.
His mind snapped back as he read the exit sign. He missed his exit. It wasn't a big deal. He can take the next exit and take a couple extra sideroads to the hotel. He is staying at the Days Inn just off the toll road for a week while he finds a new place to live. His new job required the move, but it really was just a reason to come home.
Chris paid the toll, he exited to the right, and as the streetlight's dim glow lit the pavement. He was astounded to see this area had changed so drastically since he left. The houses seemed darker.
Suddenly, the dark street was stricken by a bright neon light from a sign that read, "Adult Books". He drove past the clean, large, red building as he examined the parking lot. There were several vehicles parked in the dirt lot. Chris looked at the time on the dash. It's already 12:34, a yawn rolled deep from his chest.
As he pulled up to the Days Inn he sent a text to his mother that read, "At the hotel. Going to bed, lunch tomorrow?" he backed out of the message thread and read over the last text he got from his girlfriend. "I can't do this." Chris was at a gas station at lunch when he saw the text for the first time. It wasn't a surprise. He really didn't care. He began to type a reply as he walked into the hotel, bag in his other hand. "I understand, I wish you the best." He hit send, just as he walked into the hotel.
The check-in process took way too long. Chris began thinking about that book store. How long has it been there? How many people were there? It looked like about thirty. After about twenty-five minutes he finally got into his room, there wasn't anything special about it. It was a room, it looked clean enough.
His phone rang with a simple bird chirp. It was a text from his mother, "Lunch sounds great. 11:30. Here. Mindy may not be here, she is staying at Mal's house." Mindy is his younger sister. She's a dorky 18 year old. Last time he talked to her, she was upset their mom interrupted her D&D game.
Chris took off his clothes, he kept his red t-shirt, then he put on a white pair of shorts, and short black socks. He began thinking of the book store. What's in there? Obviously there would be rows of toys, DVDs, magazines, but what else?
