Motel From Hell

Pecks and Beds

Just in case none of you know what a day bed is. 🖕🏼

I let out a very unlady yawn as I drag myself through the lobby, Chester flipping the sign on the door from close to open. Lowering my head on to the big wooden desk I let my brown eyes fall shut.

"I told you watching all the Harry Potter movies wasn't a good idea." Chester says, his voice nearing as he comes around the desk.

"Worth it." I mumble, my eyes still close.

"I'll let you sleep, it's not like you need to ready the rooms for all of our customers today." All obviously meaning none.

"No," I start, standing up straight. We have a lot to do." I finish, listing all the things I need to accomplish before noon. Ready the rooms, inventory, deep clean, then clean Chester's apparent, wash all the sheets, work on the lobby, and-

"Blake!" I wince at Chester's voice. His big hand rubs my back soothingly.

"Take it easy," He read my mental to do list. "You don't have to do everything today. We don't have any customers." Chester insists.

"You know, you're being to lenient, Mr. Motel Owner." I say.

"No, I'm making sure the wokers' Union doesn't think I'm working you to death." Chester says, giving me a knowing look.

"But-" I start.

"But nothing-" he protests. His big hands gripping my hips, he hefts me up onto the desk.

"We have no customer meaning there's no work to be done." He states, standing between my legs.

"That mentality explains so much." I cheekily say, softening the blow with a grin.

"Harty har har." He says flatly, and I playfully poke his nose in an effort to cheer him up.

"A minute ago you were like a zombie, now you're so peppy." He says.

"Looking at you makes me brighten." I say, Chester gives me a searching look before lowering his head down. His pink lips brush against mine, barely a touch. Wait, my eyes widen in shock, but the door front door suddenly chimes as it opens. I slip off the desk from shock as if we've been caught doing something wrong. Chester manages to catch me before I face plant onto the floor, my heart in my throat.

"Can I help you?" Chester asks casually and unfazed. I look up at a tan man in a UPS uniform with a red face. I nervously tug, and push at my hair, trying to understand what just happened.

"I have a package for Chester Young." The man says, but I see no box in his hands.

"That's me." Chester says, coming around the desk to the delivery man.

"Sign for it, please." The man hands the tall motel owner a clipboard.

"So," the man starts, "where do you want it?" The man asks.

What?

"Chester," I start, my voice overflowing with happiness. "You're the best." I say, watching as the delivery man drags a giant rectangular box into the small laundry room. My bed is tucked away in the cardboard, a twin mattress wrapped in plastic next to it.

"Thank you so much." I start, looking up at him. "You didn't have to. I was expecting a cot, not a bed and a new mattress." I say.

"I said I'd provide room and board." He says simply, a satisfied grin on his pink lips.

"Let me pay you back, it must have been a lot. Furniture isn't cheap." I insist, rising on my tippy toes to give me leverage.

"No, we made a deal." He says, tearing open the box.

"Take it out of my pay check then." I press.

"Fine." He starts, but he gave in to easily.

"You're just saying that aren't you? You're not going to let me pay you back, are you?"

"Not even a dime."

Later

"Benny?" I call softly, knocking on the door to room 201. "I'm here to clean your room." I declare. I wait a moment, my housekeeping key at the ready.

"Ok." I hear him mumble from the inside.

"I'm coming in now." I say, unlocking the door. The blonde sits in the middle of his room at the foot of the bed staring up the ceiling with a blank stare. I fight off shivers, realizing that must be where he died.

"How are you, Benny?" I ask, dragging my cart in. I'm talking to a ghost. I'm actually engaging in small talk with a ghost. Chester warned me to be cautious, small things set Benny off. Would he attack me again?

"Dead." He answers, and I tense waiting for the worst.

"Oh." I say. I know I shouldn't ask this but he's alone up here forever, literally. He needs someone to talk to.

"What's that like?" I ask, my hands gripping the sheets. Benny finally looks away from the ceiling, his blue eyes wide at me. Crap, did I trigger him?

"No one but Chester has ever asked me that." He says lowly. I'm not surprised, he attacks anyone that's isn't Chester if they open the door.

"You don't have to answer." I say, pulling off the sheets.

"Really?" He asks, and I nod. We fall back into silence, but this one isn't uncomfortable or tense. It's just nice and quiet. Benny's room has two twin sized beds, and maroon carpet like every other room. The chipping walls are navy blue, but covered by scratches. Was it Benny from the years coped up in here?

After changing the bed I head to the bathroom, only to stop in the doorway. Pieces of broken glass litter the floor, reflecting my face in a hundred pieces. I stifle a sigh, but don't question why Benny broke the mirror. Chester did say Benny's suicide made him violent.

Surprisingly, Benny materializes into the bathroom like the ghost he is. He sits on the toilet with his legs crisscrossed as he watches me.

"Sorry..." He mumbles, burying his pale face into his hands.

"It's completely fine, Benny," I say, cleaning up his mess with a broom from my cart.

"It's not." He grumbles. I fight to keep my face calm, I can't let him know I'm afraid, it'll make him explode. I just have to calm him down before his guilt sets him off.

"Accidents happen." I say.

"It wasn't an accident." He says, his voice cracking.

"And that's completely fine too." I say, making him pull his head up from his hands.

Later

"How was Benny?" Chester asks from the laundry room( /my room) as I walk back into the apartment.

"He was good, I was a little worried at first, but then I realized I have to be gentle with him." I answer, stretching my sore arms, a day of scrubbing will do that to a girl.

"That's good, I couldn't hear your thoughts clearly so far away, I was worried." Chester says. I gasp when I walk into the laundry room, my heart soaring. Chester sits on the floor with a box of tools, in front of him a fully assembled white wooden day bed with drawers under it sits in front of Chester.

"Chester," I start, smiling at the gorgeous bed.

"Yes, I had to." He says, standing up to his full towering height. "You clean everything, the least I could do is set it up." He says.

"I work for you." I point out. Before he could mutter some excuse I wrap my arms around his waist.

"You're wonderful."