Page 108 of The Hitchhikers
“Yeah.”
“So we put theDO NOT DISTURBsign up and no one will find him.”
His plan made sense, as much as any of this could make sense, but Jenny couldn’t help but feel a whisper of betrayal. He was using her as bait. To tempt a man.
“What if he pulls me inside the room?”
“I’ll give you the hunting knife, but you won’t need it because I’ll break down the door.”
“If we steal his car, the hotel people are going to know it was us.”
“They only ever saw you, and we changed our looks anyway. Trust me, it’ll work. By the time the maid or someone finds him, we’ll be across Alberta.”
“He looks strong.”
“I’m not going to get in a fistfight with him.”
But it could turn out that way if Simon made a mistake. There was nothing else she could say to him, though. She could tell by how his jaw was set and the way his eyes glimmered that he was happy with his plan. Whatever concern she shared, he’d have an answer for it.
She glanced over at Alice, who was watching her with a disappointed look. Jenny’s cheeks burned. She preferred when Alice was angry. That disappointed expression made Jenny feel likeAlice could see inside her and believed she was capable of something more.
They spent the day watching TV. Simon was restless, often getting up to stand by the bathroom window and smoke. She still hated the smell but decided not to say anything.
She felt strange about their fight. When he was by her side, he was being sweet, holding her hand, rubbing her shoulders and her calves, but she wished she could be alone to sort out her feelings. Could people really say things they didn’t mean when they were angry?
It was warm in the room, even with the air conditioner. Jenny got a bucket of ice from the machine outside the office, walking quickly through the parking lot and hoping the salesman didn’t return. She dreaded the night and what she was going to have to do. She told herself it would be okay. The man was creepy. He shouldn’t hit on teenage girls.
They chewed on the ice and watched more TV. Simon continued to check the window by Alice’s bed, but the salesman didn’t return until five o’clock. Simon was excited when he saw the man’s car. Jenny’s heart raced. She packed their belongings. They were going to wait until dark to steal the car, but she wanted to be ready—and she needed something to do with her hands. Alice didn’t have a bag, so Jenny added her things to her backpack.
Simon looked out the window again at seven o’clock. “Shit! He’s gone.”
“What do you mean?” Jenny walked over to stand by him, as though she might be able to see something that he couldn’t, but she had the same view. The man had left the motel.
“He’s probably out for dinner.” Simon turned to Jenny. “Good time for us to get food too. Did you see anything other than the coffee shop?”
“There’s an A&W, but what if he comes back and sees me?”
“Tell him you need a ride later. Then he’ll be waiting for you.”
Jenny hated the sound of those words, “Waiting for you.” It made her feel gross, but she didn’t tell Simon. She felt Alice staring at her again. She knew that Jenny was upset. It was a relief when Jenny left the room to get burgers, fries, and milkshakes. When she returned, the man’s car wasn’t back. She was hopeful. Maybe he’d hated the motel and checked out early.
They ate their meals, while Simon studied the road map. Then he paced the motel room, sucking loudly on the milkshake and looking out the window. His constant movement was making her dizzy. She wanted to shout at him to sit down. He hadn’t tied Alice up again, and she had her arm flung over her eyes, like she was sleeping, but she was probably just as annoyed as Jenny at Simon’s pacing. The hours passed. It was dark, and the man was still gone.
Jenny curled up on the bed. She was tired of watching TV, tired of being anxious for the last few hours. The fear had slipped into something else, something darker, a slow-building dread, mixed with a sadness she couldn’t make go away. Simon’s words haunted her. The man and his gold jewelry. Tom, Ruth, and William in a basement. The police officers.
What was the point of any of it? They were running away, but would life really be any better? She imagined their future, working bad jobs, no money, with a baby.
She got up and found her green sea glass in her backpack. She rolled it in her hand, felt the smooth edges until her eyelids grew heavy, and she let herself slide into sleep.
“Babe, babe.” Simon’s voice was insistent and close to her ear.
She blinked her eyes open and turned her head to look at him.
“The salesman’s back.”
“What time is it?”
“Six in the morning.”
