Midnight Mass

𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

The heat today is unbearable. I swear I'm being cooked alive. Add the scorching sun, my obnoxious boss and the slobs that come to stay at the Tasty motel and you'll have my perfect description of hell.

I drag the heavy basket of bed sheets and blankets, then head to room ten, where the bald drug addict tried to grab my ass yesterday. I spat in his drink of course, but didn't get the satisfaction I thought I'd get from doing it. The man was high and probably didn't notice. If I tried to report the incident to my boss, he'd just tell me to deal with it. "It's not like he tried to raped you," he'd say, just like the five times I've told him about men grabbing me.

Holding onto the gold handle of the door, I push it open then place the white basket on the floor and move around the place to check for any remaining belongings. Once I'm satisfied that nothing was left behind, I reach into my pocket to grab my phone and put my headsets on. As dancing with a stranger by sam smith starts to play, I remove the old sheets from the king sized bed and replace them with the new ones. Once I'm done with the bed, I dust the room, sweep, mop, then use some air conditioner to remove the smell of cigarettes that stuck to it like a leach.

The clock on the wall reads 5:50pm which means it's almost my time to leave this hellhole. Once I'm satisfied with how the room looks, I take the basket of old sheets and walk to the back of the building to place them into the washing machine. The washing is done within thirty minutes. Once the clock strikes 7pm, I remove the skimpy uniform from my body and put on normal clothes.

"Why don't you let me buy you dinner?"

I turn to face Gabriel, my best friend. He is tall, taller than me anyways. About 5'8 with beautiful hazel eyes and sun kissed brown skin. His mother calls me her daughter in law as a joke because we are always together. I love the woman. She is the closest thing I have to a mother.

"And miss out on a new episode of Steven?" I feign horror with a hand placed above my heart. "That is too much to ask."

Gabriel laughs and I let out a small giggle. I love how dorky his laugh is. He has the ability to make even the worst of people smile. Ever since the first day I met him, which was three years ago, I have never seen him upset. He always has this inviting smile on his face. My ray of sunshine.

"Come on. It's just dinner."

I place my index finger on my bottom lip and tap.

"What are we talking about exactly?"

He moves to wrap his muscular arms around me.

"Why, the finest cuisine. McDonald's," he utters with the worst attempt at a french accent I have ever heard.

I smile.

"Well, how can I resist?" With a small kiss to his cheek, I remove his hands from my waist.

"I'll find you outside. Give me five minutes to pack my things and check out."

He nods.

"Don't take too long. I might find another wife who treats me better than you."

"Why husband, I am one of a kind. You might find another wife but you will always long for me."

♥