My Kind of Woman

38. Could Heaven Ever Feel Like This?

AN; Don't forget sunscreen and water! It's hot!

We drove for hours, avoiding the subject of what was behind us. We drove and drove until the sky darkened and the car had to slow to enter a new town. We'd pass through town after town before we got to any major city, but we'd been on the road for so long that I wasn't quite sure what part of the state we were in. We were probably out the other side.

"Are we gonna sleep in the car?" I asked tiredly, whilst we were stopped at a red light.

Mio glanced away from the road, one hand coming off the gearbox to stroke my leg. "Are you tired?"

I nodded. The light flicked to green, Mio's foot came down on the gas again and she yawned.

"I'll stop soon. We're not sleeping in the car, in a hotel, a nice one. Tell me if you see one you like," she said softly.

There weren't many to choose from. We'd passed one on the way in that seemed to be occupied by a biker gang and drunks, and there was another up ahead of us. It was a tower block with sleek, illuminated lettering on the highest floor. I pointed across the dashboard to it, and Mio wordlessly pulled into its parking lot. She stretched her legs and back when we got out, smiling over the hood of the car at me. I was exhausted. I felt I'd been so happy that it had tired me out. I was prepared to sleep knowing that when I woke up, I would be with her and we wouldn't have to part. It almost was like the first day of forever.

The lobby of the hotel felt almost too fancy for such a small town, one I didn't even know the name of. It was very minimal with white plush couches in a waiting area off to the right and a curved reception desk with the hotel's name carved into its front. There was a long-faced boy behind the desk, clicking irkingly with a spring pen. Everything looked very polished and toothy, and the whirring of the AC had a tiring effect on me.

Mio walked slightly ahead of me, suitcase rolling noisily against the tiles. While she requested our room, I leaned my head gently against her back. The receptionist signed us into a room, fingers pressing at a keyboard that clattered and an ancient computer. He assigned us a room with a double bed on the fifth floor and passed Mio a keycard over the desk. I forced my eyes back open, standing up straight and following her across the lobby to a silver lift built into the far wall.

On the journey up, Mio let me lean limply against her body, probably thinking I was a lump of weight. But she leant her head back against me and put up with my exhaustion.

Our room was very simple, as white and grey as the lobby was. The mattress and duvet were crisp and sunk comfortably under my weight when I flopped down onto them.

"Norah?" Mio said softly from across the room.

I hummed into the duvet.

"I'm gonna have a shower, okay? Will you after?"

"Too tired," I moaned.

She laughed. "Gross." Then the bathroom door closed and I heard the pipes shudder to life and hiss as the shower came on.

I listened to her humming as she stepped in, smiling. We were going to sleep together, in the same bed, and wake up just the same. We would probably only stay one night in that hotel, but there would be more to come. How she would compensate for that, I didn't know, but I hadn't asked yet. The night was too good for that, and I was far too happy and tired.

My shorts and shirt were sweaty, so I pushed myself up off the bed and glanced about. Hanging off of a standing coat rack were two after-bathing robes. I moved towards them, walking on sluggish legs and hot feet. Built into the wall beside the rack was a small rectangular AC control panel. I fiddled with the buttons for a moment before the unit in the room whirred to life, bringing cool air in through the vents in the wall. The shower was still running, so I shrugged and wiggled out of my clothes, tossing them to the bedside, and pulled on one of the robes. I assumed the fluffier bath robes were in the bathroom - these were thin and silky, like ones offered at spas. I knotted the tie loosely about my waist and fell back down onto the bed.