ODAAT: Volume 1, Chapter 22

 

Chapter 22

Settling In

Crystal seems mesmerized by the hotel room we're now settling into for the night. In the morning, we'll be boarding the tour bus and driving everywhere. But, tonight he wanted a reprise. There is no show tomorrow and he thought it would be beneficial for everyone to get a good night of sleep. Crystal walks into the room and throws her suitcase down on one of the beds. The room has two double beds, each a good distance from the other. I thought we'd be sharing one bed, like always, but I was wrong. In between the two beds is a small night table with two drawers. The same table is duplicated on either side of the beds, making three in total. Across from the space between beds is an eight drawer dresser. On top of the dresser is a television, a hotel phone and a list of what the hotel offers guests. Further along the wall is a door to a small closet, for those who are staying longer than a night. In front of the closet is a massive window, overlooking the beach. Underneath it is a small table and two uncomfortable looking chairs. All of the furniture is an old wood that looks like oak. The walls are painted beige and have a stucco design throughout them. The curtains are striped both brown and beige. The bedspreads draped over each bed are similar to the curtains, but more vibrant. The color in the curtains has obviously faded over time. I watch Crystal drop down, pressing her back into the mattress. She wiggles around, like she's trying to get a feel for the comfort it provides. I laugh, standing in the entrance of the room. Behind me is the bathroom door, open to reveal a pristine set up. Of course, he's also standing behind me, pushing my shoulder as he passes. He sits down on the other bed, flicking on the television. There's a local news station on. He seems to pause, staring at the screen, then turns the television back off. We both look over at Crystal, now putting the suitcase on the ground in front of the bed. I don't think she's stopped to consider what having two beds represents. Then again, I'm not sure she cares, either. I think she's tired of being herself too.

On the plane ride here, she talked a bit about the new identities she planned on having. She wants to create a new one for every city. She doesn't want to recycle any of them, because she believes it's not creative. I can't argue her about that. But, she wants me to join her parade of charades. She wants me to be her sister some days, her best friend on others. She wants to keep things interesting by changing the story every time. I told her I'd consider going along with her masquerade ball. It's not every day you're given the chance to completely reinvent yourself, after all. She said it was time to reinvent ourselves with a champagne bottle loosely dangling from her hand.

She's giggling now, but she's looking at the ceiling. So, there's no point asking her what's funny. She wouldn't be able to answer. She's not all here. Her mind got lost somewhere over the ocean. I think it saw the water beneath us and jumped down. She always had a heart she was ready to throw out to sea. That's Crystal. I walk further into the room, putting my suitcase down beside hers. I cautiously sit at the end of the bed, next to her legs which are dangling off. She doesn't notice me. But, she flies off the bed, grabbing the phone that's sitting on the dresser. She looks over briefly and announces what she's ordering from room service. He laughs, which is his consent to pay for whatever she wants him to. After all, it's not like she has money.

He told me once when she was at work that he thinks of her like a sister. He said he didn't know a lot about her past, or where she had come from. He could see in her eyes that she had lived though. He wouldn't ask questions because he didn't really want to know. He told me he believed she had potential. If someone were to polish her off, she'd shine like a diamond. So he took her under his own wing, like a protege. He added that someone needed to be looking out for her because she wasn't looking out for herself. Those were his words, not mine. In the few late-night conversations I had with Crystal, I started to think she had a better bead on life than the rest of us. He hadn't seen that side of her yet. He thought she was a fragile doll, who needed protecting.

I look over at him, sitting on the edge of the other bed. He smiles when we make eye contact and he motions me over to where he's now laying down. I bite the side of my lip, unsure and nervous all of a sudden. But, as Crystal drops back down on the bed, I stand up and walk over to the other one. I sit on the side, looking over at him. My eyes roam over his body, landing on the perfectly pressed dress pants he's wearing. They are sleek and black, clearly made of a high-end fabric. He is also wearing polished black shoes. The white dress shirt he's wearing is hanging open, revealing the well-defined body that hides underneath. I picture him pulling on a suit jacket and a tie before heading on stage tonight. I thought he was going for the rock star look for this tour, but he seems to be adding a dash of elegance to his wardrobe. I can't say I mind. He looks smashing. It's obvious that he's already been dressed for the show. His assistant told us that he'd been to wardrobe already, but he was taking off to meet us at the airport. We checked into the hotel because it was under his name. Soon, he'll have to head back to the venue, where we will meet him later on. Right now, he's tapping the bed beside him. His eyes are suggesting I lay down with him. But, I'm afraid if I do, I won't want to get back up and he has a show in an hour.