+ seis
I drove down the busy streets of Mexico City in the middle of the night without a specific destination. I didn't even know what time it was or where we were. All I knew was that getting home was out of the question since Enrique seemed to have forgotten his own home address.
I parked in the lot of the least sketchy looking motel I could find and searched Enrique's pockets once more, this time for his wallet. I had no money of my own yet, just a few American dollars that would probably get us nowhere. When I finally found his wallet, I opened it to reveal photos of him with his wife and children. There was one of him and Silvia on their wedding day, both standing in front of the church with smiling faces. For him, it had been his first marriage since he was only eighteen when he married her. For her, it was already the third, with several other relationships under her belt. Still, they were both good people and they seemed to love each other. It pained me in my heart that the perfect marriage they seemed to have was beginning to crumble to pieces and neither of them was doing anything to stop it.
Hiding the wallet in my pocket and making sure to lock the car with him inside it, I walked into the small lobby where a woman was at the front desk. It was well past midnight judging by the clock hung up on the wall behind her, but she still wore a polite smile on her face.
She asked me something in Spanish. "Hello. How may I help you?"
I returned the smile, telling her. "Hello, I'd like one room for one night."
I thought about getting two rooms--one for him and one for myself. But I didn't want to take those liberties with his money. It was one night anyway and it wasn't like anything was going to happen between us. We were merely there to sleep for the night while he was able to sober up. The fact that he was my idol had nothing to do with it.
The woman behind the counter nodded. She looked down at her clipboard and then pulled out a key from a small basket next to her. "You will be assigned room seventeen. It will be fifteen pesos and you must vacate the room by ten in the morning."
"That's fine." I told her, pulling out his wallet and handing her the money. She gave me the key and I made my way out to the parking lot. To my luck, I had parked the car only a few steps from the room door.
I went over to the passenger side and opened the door. His breathing was slowed and his eyes were closed, it was evident that he had fallen asleep. He looked so peaceful there that it was almost a shame that I'd have to wake him. Pressing my hand into his shoulder, I shook him gently, "Enrique..." He shifted in his seat, but still his eyes remained closed. I tried again, "Enrique..."
"Mm..." He groaned, reaching his hands out, which expertly snaked around my waist and pulled me into his chest unconsciously.
My voice was muffled by my lips pressed against the fabric of his shirt. Bringing my hands to push myself away from him, I said, a bit louder, "Enrique!"
This time he was startled awake and he pulled his arms back in embarrassment. There was still a slight slur in his voice because of the many drinks he had that night. "Shit. I'm really sorry." He cleared his throat.
There were beads of sweat forming on his forehead and I knew that could only be a good thing. The alcohol would soon be evaporating out of his system in the summer heat of Mexico City. Looking slightly more composed, I helped him out of the car and led him to the room.
I unlocked the door easily and pushed the door open.
For the most part, the motel room was what I expected of a low quality motel. There was only one twin sized bed, a mini fridge, two individual couches, a coffee table, an old ham radio, and a bathroom all the way in the back.
