This short story will be continued on a weekly basis.
II. The Hotel
A monster lingered in the Gulf of Mexico. It built an impeccable strength and showed off an immeasurable bravado unseen in its likeness before. While the hurricane warned us all through its mocking exposed eye, the city went into full panic hastily stocking up on food and water, boarding up their houses, pumping gallons of gasoline into cars and empty canisters. Houston turned into a ghost town within hours.
We planned to see each other in a more intimate setting. An evening together in a downtown hotel away from the embellishments of societal protocol. I was reluctant to keep our plan but I couldn’t resist the temptation to undress this enigma. Claire eagerly sought to face the storm and drive through a biblical flood with only the bare expectation to unwind in my company.
“I don’t want to get stuck in downtown.”
“Because of what storm?” she joked over the phone, “It’s barely raining. It only drizzled – barely. This city is freaking out for no reason.”
Irritated at how she took things too lightly, I remarked, “What if we can’t get out of the area?”
“We’ll be able to. I promise you that! I have a good feeling that this storm is nothing. I don’t want to risk cancelling our plans because we’re letting the news freak us out.”
She simply wanted to see me and despite the number the unnerving possibilities winding through my mind, I couldn’t refuse. I wanted to see her. I wanted to relive that first day together in the restaurant because nothing felt as invigorating as this sensation of new found hope. I rushed to the hotel driving ahead of the dimming sky shrouded with thick blankets of rain.
Hastily, I walked into the room and saw her soaked body standing at the corner of the bed anticipating my arrival. Her camel rain coat clung to her wet, porcelain skin as it did little to shield her from the impending storm. Shivering, she took off her coat to reveal a black dress with a sweetheart neck delicately framing her bust. It hugged her every curve.
Throwing my bag aside, I grabbed and pinned her down on the bed. The lights gently dimmed to a subtle blush and a soothing blackness draped over cold bodies. All four walls valiantly shifted towards each corner of the large bed. We were trapped in each other’s company. Fixated into each other’s eyes, the storm roared on ignoring us and the exasperated journalists’ pleas through the television screen dulled to a nonchalant buzz.
We never got up afterwards. We never bothered to explore the bars a few blocks down or to dress up for dinner. We stayed together in bed wrapped in each other’s nude embrace as hell ravished just outside.
Photo: C. Campos
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