Written By Brad Harness
Jordan Smith walked out of the used car dealership lot counting the fresh bills in his hand. He nodded appreciatively as he recounted the two-thousand bucks.
“This has gotta last…” he whistled, knowing how fast he had burned through larger amounts in his checkered past.
First he needed a place to stay. He walked in to a pharmacy on the main street and purchased the hair dye. Chatting mildly with the older lady cashier he asked, “Is there a motel in town?”
She looked up over her reading glasses. “Not from around here, honey?”
I’m new in town and first off I need a place to stay and get my bearings.”
“Well, you got two choices, honey. The Metropolitan Motel is on the north end of Broadway, and the Red Pheasant is on the next street behind this pharmacy, next to the park and the post office.”
“Well,” he replied, reading her name tag, “…Delores, thanks for your suggestions. Which one would you stay in?”
“I’d go to the Pheasant. The Metropolitan is where bikers hang out when they pass through town looking for trouble.”
“Yikes! Well, the Pheasant it is.”
She handed him his change and put the hair dye in a paper bag.
“Your hair’s nice the way it is,” she winked.
“Yeah, I hear ya. But I just feel like it’s time for a change.”
The red Pheasant was right where Delores had said it was. Flower pots hung from the edge of the roof and the Stars and Stripes flapped on a flag pole next to the office.
After a short discussion with the manager he walked across to Room Number 6, roughly in the middle of the row of rooms. Two cars were parked in front of rooms nearby, and a woman lounged in a deck chair at Room Number 7.
“Howdy,” she said, sipping on a bottle of Coke.
Jordan nodded and fumbled with his key in the door knob.
The woman smiled and came over to help. “You have to giggle it, you know? Then give the knob a turn to the right.”
“He smiled at her and said “Thanks” as he went inside and flopped on the bed. There was a desk and chair, a night table with a large Bible, a bathroom, and a sofa.
“This’ll do me for a while.”
NEXT WEEK: PART 7
