I went on an unintentional writing sabbatical for almost a month. I had to do a bit of soul searching before I could find my pen again.
For this one, I worked with the Merriam-Webster's word of the day disingenuous. It was supposed to be 99 words, but somehow, my fingers wouldn't stop typing. I hope it finds you well.
The building was smaller than she imagined. The person who gave her directions when she stepped out of the airport had mentioned the size but she wasn't really paying attention. She only wanted to get there fast, and out of the annoying rain. She had been under it all day and the cold was beginning to bite. She stood a minute longer on the street across from the building, staring at the neon green sign on top. She couldn't quite make out the name. This wasn't the kind of place she would pay for a room on a normal day but she was out of options. Not only was she new in town and knew absolutely nowhere, she desperately needed to dry off and it looked warm enough. She rubbed her arms and crossed over.
Inside, the receptionist was bent over a computer. A constant buzz was coming from her handbag. It took her a moment to connect the vibration to her phone. The call already dropped by the time she dug it out from where it fell into. She stared at the number, debating whether to call back immediately or wait till she'd dried off. An incoming text solved the problem. Her boss wanted to know if she got there in one piece. She replied and dropped the phone back inside the bag.
“Hello, Ma,” the receptionist was saying. “Your room number is 212.”
She gave her a tiny smile and took the key she held out.
The room was larger than she expected. Surprisingly, it had everything an executive hotel would have. She had been in so many since her new job eight months ago to recognise art. It was just as warm as she wanted. She traced her fingers on the small couch and smiled. She might as well enjoy her stay here. She dropped her bag on the bed and walked, fully clothed into the bathroom. Tomorrow would be a long day.
--
She awoke in stages. First there was voices, followed by weird noises. She opened one eye and closed it. Groaning, she hid her face on the pillow and opened both eyes slowly. She couldn't believe she forgot to switch off the light, and the TV. She stood and staggered to the couch where she had dropped the remote. Walking back to the bed, she picked up her phone. She had four hours before daybreak. She already slept for three. She would catch two more hours before getting up and finalising the paperwork for the meeting.
She was almost asleep when she heard the sound again. She sat up and listened. For a brief moment, she panicked, thinking there was a thief in the building. But it wasn't the sound of footsteps. Then she recognised it. It wasn't coming from the long corridor like she suspected, rather from the room directly next to hers. She sighed. What happened to sound proof walls? The moans were getting higher. She laid down and closed her ears. The sound brought back unpleasant memories, the inadequacy she was hiding from, being shamed constantly and losing good relationships because she couldn't give men the satisfaction they demanded. How would she admit that she was disgusted by the act? She slept off minutes later, lost in thoughts.
--
It was late afternoon when she finally came back. Making a deal with one of the leading companies took long enough. It didn't help that they wanted the boss present and detested the fact that she was female. But she was brilliant, and she saw on their faces that they couldn't deny that. She got a decent deal. It was supposed to take three days but everything was taken care of. Now, she had the remaining two days to herself.
She got off the elevator and was walking towards her room when a door opened. There, stood a tall chubby girl. Her brown skin was so smooth and shiny she couldn't stop staring. The girl turned, their eyes connected and held. She quickly looked away and walked faster than was necessary to her door. She dropped the key twice before she managed to get it open. She closed the door slowly and stood with her back against it, heart racing. What just happened? She behaved like a complete idiot in front of a stranger, and she didn't even manage to say hello.
Something like this had happened to her once. She was fourteen and there was this girl in her class. She never got the courage to talk to her, not even when she tried to be her friend. She had consoled herself long ago that she didn't understand what she was feeling. But over the years, she had recognised it. Yet she shut it down and boxed it. And it had stayed tight, until now. If what happened minutes ago was real, she understood and accepted that she couldn't deny it anymore, not when it was staring her in the face.
--
“Come with me.”
She followed the brown skinned girl obediently. It was drizzling. They walked down the street into a pub. She had noticed it on the night she arrived but never bothered to check it out. She didn't object, not when the girl linked her fingers with hers, nor when she drew her in and she knew she would find her lips. Her heart was beating wildly.
She felt her hand as it sneaked under her sweater. For the first time in her life, she refused to fight it. She had been disingenuous almost all her life. She let herself feel and learned to give back in return.
Years later, she would wake one morning, her right arm trapped under warm skin, the brown skinned girl snoring lightly besides her and she would wonder why she waited for so long.
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She's back! This I felt to my bones... such an amazing piece 🧡
Thanks love ❤️
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