The Accomplice

1

Thana took a deep breath before walking up to the front desk of The Hotel Balair. She was more of a night owl but tonight was different. Her body ached from all the days activities and begged for rest. If she could get just a little shut eye she knew she would feel much better.

As she approached the front desk she saw a younger dark-skinned man at the counter. His head was shaved short and he wore the company shirt with a little 'B' logo on his left peck.

"Uh, can I get a room for the night?" She asked in a quiet voice, proceeding to yawn immediately after.

"Sure thing ma'am, it'll be eighty bucks for the night. Cash or card?" He replied with a total I'm being paid to be nice to you  smile slapped across his face.

"Cash." She simply replied before sliding the money across the counter.

He studied the woman for a moment before retrieving the cash. She struts a head full of long black hair, which was wavy and frizzy. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue, with skin so pale she resembled a ghost. Her legs were clad with yoga pants, whereas a t-shirt claimed her torso, along with some old, ratty converse upon her feet. With her she had two bags—heavy and bulging, by the looks of them. The woman was obviously exhausted from something, the evidence was clear in her eyes, which were sunken in as she yawned for a second time.

As he slid her room card across the counter with a fake smile, he stated; "room 412. Let us know if you need anything. The elevator is just around the corner on your left."

"Thanks, uh... De'onte." She replied, quickly reading his name off of the little badge clipped to his shirt.

She twisted on her heel and headed towards the elevator, suitcase and backpack trailing closely behind. The woman could hear the thump thump thump of her suitcase hitting each individual crack in the tile as she approached the elevator.

Thana lazily poked the silver button to the right of the elevator, which emitting a shrill ding as the elevator doors opened. She managed to drag herself into the confined box where the doors would shut and she would be left to the electronic box's mercy. There was just something about elevators that really gave her the creeps. To willingly walk oneself into a confined electronic box that is held up by cables—yeesh. Although she was creeped out by the elevator, she much liked the convenience of it. Beats having to trek up the stairs.

Taking a deep breath in and exhaling it out, she let the dings go by until she hit the fourth floor. When the doors parted she swiftly abandoned the box, easing into a cold, quiet hallway.

The carpet was adorned with miscellaneously hued triangles—red, green, brown, and blue, respectively—which were littered across the carpet in a distasteful fashion. The doors were a light brown color, as noticed, as she strolled down the hall in search of her room.

410 . . . 412 . . .

Room 410 appeared to be occupied, as it had a bland, colorless Do Not Disturb sign strung around the handle.

Great, she had neighbors.

It was inevitable that she would have a neighbor in a hotel, but she still hated the fact that someone was one single paper-thin wall away from her privacy.

Quietly, she approached her door. Hesitantly, she inserted the room key, making the little light flash a vibrant green. Messily, she tumbled into the room, inordinately dropping her bags next to the T.V. stand.

What an exhausting night...

She'd spent quite a bit of time putting people in their place. Being the boss lady. Sometimes, she just wanted to go to bed for days and forget about her reputation. Just for once.