Thank you to all who offered constructive notes/positive comments on my first venture into this kind of incest story. They allowed me the courage to attempt this second venture when the concept came to me. Hope you enjoy.
Heading toward the storm, the GPS showed 76 minutes to their destination. Then the black clouds were overhead, the windshield wipers were slapping back-and-forth, and traffic slowed. It didn't take long for the estimated travel time to change to almost two hours. Two-and-a-half.
"We'll just have a late dinner," Krissy said, half to herself.
"It's ok." Tom muttered from the passenger seat, barely looking up from his phone.
She was taking him to his first semester of college. The school itself was another half day's drive, but they had reservations at an upscale hotel for the night. Although Krissy could already taste the expensive wine she planned to splurge on with dinner, the storm soon had her thinking about opening one of the cheaper bottles she had brought with her, right there and then.
Traffic coming to a complete stop, an endless line of brake lights shimmered through the rain and the accident symbol soon appeared on the GPS. As it then started looking for a new route, Krissy expected it to tell her to get off the highway and fell in line to follow others taking the nearby exit ramp.
"Oh shit," she grumbled, seeing what the recalculation showed.
They were far enough on the outskirts of the city for there to be no easy routes anywhere and the storm had every road congested. Confirming this, she barely turned off the ramp before hitting backed-up traffic.
"The hell with it. We'll just stay here tonight." She grumbled, indicating one of the mid-range motels her company utilized at the next light.
When she got a chance to pull into the parking lot, the line of cars from other motorists having the same idea kept her from pulling under the overhang. Fearing that all the rooms would be taken, she grabbed the small umbrella from the pocket behind her seat and told Tom to get behind the wheel.
The umbrella keeping her top half dry, the wind-driven rain soaked her jeans' legs during the dash to the lobby. Inside, the line of semi-wet and completely drenched people resembled that of the cars. Politely taking her place at the back, she crept toward the counter as room after room was taken. Other travelers adding to the line behind her, when the guy right in front of her stepped up to the counter and the clerk looked up, Krissy knew from his expression that nobody was going to like what he had to say.
"Folks, I've only got two rooms left," he announced, holding up a pair of fingers. "Two rooms." Then he turned his attention to the man at the counter. "How many rooms do you need, Sir?"
Ignoring the people behind her grumbling and cursing, Krissy listened for the answer.
"Just one," the guy said.
Ok. Ok. So, there's one room for me and Tom. Krissy thought. One room. Do I take it? Or do I head back out into that traffic and see what I can find?
While it wasn't ideal, she and Tom had shared a room many times over the years. Being a single mother, that had frequently been the first step she took to save money on vacations. She had simply planned separate rooms this time in recognition of Tom being an adult and on his way to college. So, while it would be a little disappointing not having the excursion she had planned, it would be acceptable considering.
Her mind running through these thoughts, she didn't hear the clerk ask the man if he wanted the single or the double, nor the guy's answer. Then, while the room rental was being processed, she was distracted by a sign advertising that the hotel had its own restaurant and trying to get an idea of the menu.
"Good evening, Ma'am," the clerk smiled when she stepped up to the counter. "I don't know if you heard, but I only have one single left."
"A single? Oh shit." Krissy almost gasped. Sharing a room with Tom was one thing, sharing a bed was something else. They hadn't done that in years.
"You takin' the room or not?" A burly guy who had waited behind her grumbled.
"Um... Uh... What size bed?" Krissy asked.
"Queen."
Feeling the clerk's patient gaze and the burly man's frustrated eyes on her, she frantically thought through her options. If she didn't take the room, they would have to deal with the weather and traffic. And for all she knew more accidents had bottlenecked everything even more during her time waiting in line. She could try back-tracking, but the storm was slowly rolling in that direction, so it could be just as bad.
"Ok. Yes, I'll take it," she sighed, pulling out her credit card.
"Ah, fuck," the burly man cursed, turning to walk out.
By the time she finished checking in, the line of cars had dispersed and Tom had pulled theirs under the overhang. Walking out the automatic doors, she couldn't help laughing at how soaked his clothes were from running around to switch seats.
"Your seats awfully wet, too," he smirked in response.
"It'll be ok," she smiled, not wanting to think about it. "We got a room, but it's a single. I hope that's alright?"
