Page 61 of Exchange of Heart

‘So, should we get a hotel?’ I asked again.

Corey dropped his head to the steering wheel. ‘Fuck, I’m going to have to postpone seeing Paddy tonight. I really thought we’d get away with not having to go in the wrong bodies.’

‘You mean you were still going to take me with you?’ My heart did a traitorous dance at the idea of Corey spending time with me in our own bodies.

‘Well, yeah. We promised him.’

My dancing paused. This was about pleasing Paddy, not me.

‘And yeah, we should get a hotel if we have to spend the night here.’ He started the car and pulled out of the car park. ‘Do you know where any are?’

‘If you turn left and follow the road up, there should be a few.’

Corey puttered through the rain, leaning forward and gripping the steering wheel as though it would help him see better.

‘How do you know this area so well?’ he asked.

I unsuccessfully tried to hold in a smile. ‘We used to stop here when we drove to the city so I could use the bathroom.’

Corey laughed but never moved his gaze from the road. ‘Small bladder.’

I pointed to the bright sign ahead. ‘There’s one.’

As we got closer, the no vacancy sign glowed, and Corey grumbled while he drove past it. The next hotel glowed with the same sign. When we made it to the fifth and final hotel, there was no sign at all. Hope simmered inside of me as Corey turned into the driveway and parked out front. We dashed inside through the pelting rain and stood soaked and shivering in front of the dark brown reception desk. A lady with hair as silver as the moon looked up from the book she was reading.

‘Welcome. How may I help you?’

‘We’re after two rooms, please,’ I said.

Her knobbly fingers tapped the keyboard as she alternated between peering through her glasses and over them, apparently unable to decide which provided the clearest view. The brown desk was peeling, and the orange walls behind were smudged and covered with unused frame hooks.

‘Ah, yes.’ Her gaze shifted to us as her lips lifted into a knowing smile. ‘We have one room available.’

‘Two beds?’ Corey asked.

She waited a few painful seconds before replying. ‘One.’

She pointed her wonky finger into the air to clarify, because neither of us spoke. The vanilla scent of the room must have sent me into a sugar coma, because my head dizzied and my skulled caved in. I was a puddle on the floor waiting for someone to mop me up and dispose of me.

‘This is like one of those ridiculous romance novels,’ I mumbled.

‘You don’t like romance novels?’ Corey asked.

‘They set unrealistic expectations about life and men.’

‘Honestly, what do you have against men?’

I glanced at the lady’s twinkling eyes behind the reception desk then leaned closer to Corey. ‘Can we talk about this later?’ I whispered.

‘Whatever.’ He turned to the lady. ‘It’s fine. We’ll take it, thanks.’ Corey swiped his credit card through the machine and took the door card from her hand.

‘Fine?’ I asked.

It was not fine.

‘It’s that or sleep in the car.’

‘Great idea. I’ll stay here, you can sleep in the car.’ I reached for the card, but he yanked his hand behind his back.