Troy and Judy had been on the road since Thursday.
A little trip.
Nothing major just two nights away from the kids and everybody else and their problems.
The Hiddenview Inn wasn’t the Ritz but it had a hot tub in the room, HBO, and most importantly, a door with a safety latch.
That was enough.
They’d checked in around seven, threw their bags down, and immediately started talking noises to each about what’s going to happen when they get back.
But somewhere of speaking round one, two, and three Judy’s stomach growled loud enough to echo off the bathroom tile.
Troy looked at her.
She looked at him.
“We need fuel,” she said.
“Yeah we need fuel,” he agreed.
So they to the room and threw on clothes, headed down the street to the wing spot on the corner, and came back forty-five minutes later with a bag full of food and two lemonades.
On there way back through the lobby, Judy stopped.
“We need towels. I’m not trying to air dry tonight.”
Troy hit the front desk bell.
It took a minute. Then the clerk a short slim man whose name tag said VINCENT.
He came out from the back office pulling the door almost shut behind him.
Almost.
Because through that thin crack of space, both Troy and Judy caught a clear two-second glimpse of whatever Vincent had playing on the monitor back there before the door clicked closed.
Vincent walked up with a wide smile.
Too wide.
Troy and Judy looked at each other.
Damn bruh.. this dude, Troy’s eyes said.
That TV show must really be exciting, Judy’s look in another direction.
“Can we get some extra towels?”
Troy said out loud, casually.
“Absolutely.” Vincent disappeared and came back with four.
Still with that smile.
“You folks enjoy your evening.”
“We plan to,” Judy said.
They went upstairs and did exactly what they came to do.
An hour later, both of them were flat on their backs staring at the ceiling, breathing like they ran a marathon.
The sheets were soaked.
The room was ten degrees warmer than from when they first walked in.
“Break time,” Troy shouted already reaching for his smoke.
“Agreed,” Judy said.
He rode the elevator down in a white t-shirt and basketball shorts, stepped outside into the night air, and lit up near the side entrance.
Through the lobby glass he could see the front desk.
Vincent was laid back in the office chair.
Whatever he was watching Troy could see the glare from the glass picture frame of it from where he stood looked remarkably familiar.
Troy took a long drag.
Tilted his head.
Took another drag.
Then he put his smoke out, rode the elevator back up, walked into the room, and looked at Judy and said:
“Round two”
Judy raised an eyebrow. “What got into you?”
“Fresh air,” Troy said. “Let’s go.”
They were deep into the round better than the first if anyone was keeping score when Troy noticed it.
The cable box.
It sat on the shelf below the TV and the little indicator light on the front was doing something it had not been doing before.
Cycling. Green to red.
Then holding green.
Then back to red and staying.
The TV was still on the same channel.
The same show playing.
But that light was on red.
(Normally when light is red nothing playing on the screen).
Troy didn’t say anything.
Not yet.
They finished what they started and then he lay there in the quiet staring at the box until the light finally settled on green and stayed green.
Channel changed.
All on its own.
He turned to Judy.
“Baby.”
“Hmm.”
“I think we might’ve been watched.”
Judy sat up slowly. “What.” “How?”
“I’m saying —”
“TROY.”
“Calm down, baby. Calm down.”
He pointed at the cable box, now glowing steady green. “You see that? That’s what that pervert downstairs was watching.
Through the box. That’s how he was doing it cable box slash spy box that’s feeds back to him.
When it’s red the tv station stays on and whenever he stops spying it automatically changes to a different channel that’s why it’s green and on another channel.
We wasn’t doing what we did last night and this morning while the Christian Network was playing.”
Judy stared at the box for a long moment.
Then she looked at Troy.
Then back at the box.
“I’m going to need you,” she said very quietly, “to explain to me why you know how that works.”
“Baby —”
“Vincent,” she said. “That greasy smiling —”
“First thing in the morning, Troy. First thing.”
Troy nodded.
“Checkout’s at eleven.”
She pulled the sheet up.
“And sleep on your side.”
10:45 AM.
Knock knock knock.
“Housekeeping!”
Troy opened one eye. Judy was in the bathroom getting ready.
“Be out in a minute!” he called out.
Who was that Troy? Judy as she walking out bathroom.
“Housekeeping”. Troy replied.
What hell she wanted? To tell us her that one of your coworker is pervert.
They moved around each other packing up, getting themselves back on track.
At the door, bags in hand, Judy paused.
“You ready for the walk of shame?” Troy said.
“Because the whole hallway heard us last night. The people checking out, the people staying —”
“I know,” Judy said flatly.
They opened the door.
Stuck their heads out at the same time they looked left, then right — scanning the hallway like they were crossing a street.
Empty.
“It’s clear,” Troy whispered. “Let’s go.”
They power-walked to the elevator two people who had absolutely no regrets but preferred not to make eye contact.
The elevator doors closed.
Judy looked straight ahead.
Troy looked straight ahead.
“We should file a police report,” she said.
A pause.
“…It was a good trip though,” Judy said.
Troy almost smiled. “Yeah,” he said. “It was a real good trip.”
To be continued…