“Thanks for asking me to come.” Karen said, her hand resting on Janet’s thigh.

“You belong in that seat.”

They weren’t going any place in particular, just driving down the road, a chance to be out and together. Something they had not done much. The snow got heaver by the mile and the wipers were having trouble keeping the windshield clear. Karen’s hand slipped around on the thigh.

“Love your touch darling.” Janet moaned in a throaty voice taking a quick peek at Karen before turning back.

The sun was barely shinning though the dark clouds, the snow and road grime covered the headlights so much that it was now hard to see where the edge of the two-lane road was. The half lit neon sign flashed “otel”, the part with the name no longer worked. It was one of those long one-story motels of the 40’s, and one that had seen too many owners to count. There were maybe thirty rooms and the parking lot was half full. Janet pulled in and stopped at the office.

“Come with me.” Janet said.

Holding hands, Karen opened the office door.

The chubby old woman in a dress that was probably bought twenty years ago and looking like the last time she’d had sex was just after she bought the dress, stood behind the desk staring and saying nothing.

“We want a room with one queen bed.”

“Of course you do. Fifty dollars,” she said in a flat drone as if she had said it a million times and nothing would surprise her.

As they walked out from the office, a line of ten people now snaked around the small room. The snow was now coming down so hard that other cars were still pulling into the lot. There were no taillights further down the road.

The Blazer headlights barely lit the door of room 16 as Janet turned the engine off. “Not the Plaza, is it?”

“No, but it will have you in it. That’s all that matters to me.”

One bare light bulb lit the room. The inside of the room was paneled in wide knotty pine boards running vertically, rectangular acoustic tiles covered the ceiling, a small table sat under a small mirror, and a threadbare Chenille bedspread covered the bed. The heater sounded like it might keep the room warm on a warm night and their breath was clearly visible. It was a good thing they were lovers, otherwise it would be a very cold night.