Nicole and I ran from the car to the front porch as quickly as we could in the drenching rain. We had already gotten wet going from the store to the car, but by the time we reached the front door we were completely soaked. Nicole tried the door, then gave a sharp knock on the door.
"It's locked?" I asked like a dope.
"It's a B&B, Jesse. They don't do check-ins all night like a motel," she said before the door opened. An older man peered out at us quizzically.
"Can I help you?"
"We need some help. Trying to get out of the storm?"
"Oh!" he cried, "Let me go get the innkeeper!" He ushered us in and closed the door before shuffling off, calling for a Mr. Moore.
Nicole and I stood there in the foyer trying to protect the wooden floors by dripping on the mat instead. An older woman was standing up form the couch, and seeing us she began to fret. "Let me go grab some towels for you!" she said as she bustled off.
A moment later the old man returned with a younger man who immediately asked us, "You two were looking for lodging?"
"Just for the night, yes." I said
He winced. "Sorry guys, I'm all booked up."
"We go nowhere else to go. We're staying in a cabin up on the lake, but in this weather we can't make the drive at night."
"It'd probably be dangerous even in the day," he agreed, "but I only have the 4 rooms. I'm really booked."
"We don't need a room," Nicole said. "My brother and I just need a place to hunker down for the night." I only half-way noticed the way she slid in the fact that I'm her brother, then smiled to myself when I realized what she was doing.
"How much is rent typically?" I asked as the older woman returned to hand us towels.
"We usually do $85 a night."
"I can pay $150 cash for tonight, just to let us sleep on the floor somewhere."
"We don't have any other place to go. Please?" my sister begged, with a smile that would be sweet to a parent or older brother, but could be mildly flirty for the 30-something man standing before us.
He thought for half a moment. "OK, I think I can make something work. Come follow me."
We thanked the two elderly guests who helped us and followed after the manager. He took us up the stairs and down the hall, opened one of the bedrooms and ushered us in. "This is my own bedroom," he said. "I've got a spot I can camp out in for the night while you guys stay here."
"Oh, that's not necessary!" Nicole said. "We can take that spot instead."
"Well, I am collecting rent for the night. So no, you stay here. Also, breakfast is included."
I pulled out my wallet and payed him the $150 I promised. "We really do appreciate this."
He gestured at a closed door. "You'll have your own bathroom, and you can borrow some of my clothes for the night, there in the dresser. I'll collect your clothes in a minute and throw them in the dryer."
Nicole opened a drawer and started looking for something to throw on. The guy was well over 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, so anything he owned would be big on me. She would be swimming in it. "That's really kind of you," I said.
He waved me off. "I'll let you guys clean up."
After he was gone, Nicole grabbed an oversized t and went to the bathroom to change. I toweled off, threw on shorts and a shirt (free-balling, because my own drawers were soaked), and moved some items from my jacket pocket to the nightstand. The manager was waiting outside, took our clothes and told us "You folks are free to come hang out downstairs, but it's pretty late and everyone's in bed or heading there. My tv has netflix, the wifi password is 'underhill', and feel free to borrow one of my books, so long as you don't crease them," he said, pointing at a small bookcase."
Before he left, he asked for my phone number. As I gave it, he typed it in his cell and a second later my phone dinged. "That's my number," he said. "If a guest needs something in the night, just send me a text. But that would be pretty rare," he assured me.
When he was gone, Nicole and I looked at each other. "Well, shit," I said.
"Ah, come on! Could be much worse."
"Lucky we found somewhere to crash," I conceded, "but we are stuck here for the night. Did you message anyone back at the cabin?"
She shook her head. "Not yet. Did you call Dad and let him know we got there OK?"
"Yeah, but do me a favor? Text him and let him know where we are now, and that we're alright. I'll call Ryan and tell him what happened to us."
Ryan's been my best friend since college. He, I, Nicole, and 3 other friends were staying our parents timeshare this weekend, a lakeside cabin. Nicole and I had gone into town to buy drinks and snacks when the storm hit. In minutes it was clear that we wouldn't be able to make it the 12 miles of country road back to our friends, so the shopkeeper gave us directions to the nearby bed and breakfast. The closest motel was too far to make safely.
Ryan picked up quick and and I filled him in. "Well, I'm jealous," he said. "You're in a lovely inn with a beautiful girl and a truckload of booze. Sounds like the perfect weekend."
"That girl's my sister."
"And that's you. Always focusing the negative."
"Well, we'll be back up there in the morning. Will you survive without our supplies?"
"Yeah, we grabbed burgers on the road. And Vito brought a bottle of jack, to that'll hold us. Also guess what Naomi is pushing tonight?"
"What?"
"A seance. I shit you not."
"That... fits."
"She brought a Ouija board and who knows what other arcane supplies. So that's our evening. Arguing about whether we should for 3 hours."
"You're against?"
"I don't care. But Vito's freaked and is staring to psyche Tiffy out too."
"Well, the jack'll help."
"Jesse, I'm sorry you're missing the first night. I feel bad I let you go instead of me."
"No worries, man, we got 2 more nights to party."
"No really, it should be me instead of you. Up there. With Nicky."
"Oh, fuck you." I hung up on his schoolboy giggling.
"Do they miss us?" asked Nicole?
"Did you know Naomi brought a Ouija board?"
"I would have guessed. You know how she is."
"What'd you put on?" Nicole had turned on the tv and netflix while I was on the phone. She had also switched the lighting from overhead to bedside lamps (movie preference).
"Uh, what's it called? With Will Ferrell and Wahlberg?"
"Oh, cool." I sat on the bed next to her.
"I am just now remembering that we have cases of booze in the car. And no way to get at it without going through the storm."
"If only someone had the foresight to grab a bottle before getting our of the car," I said, as I pulled up a bottle of rum.
"Genius! You know, you've always been a personal hero of mine?"
"Uh-huh." I unscrewed the cap and took a swig, then passed it to her. "To life."
"L'chayim!" she toasted and took her drink.
"So tomorrow, we grab breakfast, then head on up? They'll probably grab their own meal, so we just catch up?"
"I want to grab some groceries. I was going to cook the dinner tomorrow."
"Sounds good. Talk with Vito, I think he wants to do something too."
"Are you sad we're missing out tonight?"
"Nah. It's like Ryan told me, I'm in a nice room, with a good friend, watching a funny movie and getting buzzed. Best vacation."
"Better with Tiffy though."
"For you to hang with or me?"
She gave me a knowing smile. "You know what I mean."
Nicole knew I had a thing for Tiff. When we first met I was still pretty shy and awkward and her friend was cool and sophisticated. And always in a relationship. It had been years now and I had never even flirted with her.
"I can't lie. I was looking forward to spending some time with her."
"I think you have a shot."
"Yeah?"
"A couple things she's said. I think she started looking at you as more of a man, and less like her friend's older brother."
"I think it's the hair. I have really been on point lately."
She laughed. "No, I think she's maturing a little. No offense, but she used to put you in the nerd column."
"And now she sees how cool I am?"
"Um, no. But she does see how fun you are. And like I said, 'maturity'. She's less of a snob than she was in Uni."