4. Second Encounter

With everything going on right now, I hadn't even considered the guest I'd be interviewing the next morning.

My main concern right now is finding out where Max is. He takes a drug every night at 9:00 p.m. to relieve the pain in his throat.

I have no idea what will happen to him if he doesn't take the drug for a day. This is yet another reason why we must see him tonight.

I reached the motel after a thirty to forty-minute ride.

Seeing how the ladies dressed up while exposing their bodies made me realize I hadn't changed out of my office outfit.

I was the only one who stood out among the other ladies at the motel. Without further ado, I went outside to meet one of the men.

"Excuse me, sir, have you seen this man?" I inquired, pointing to the image.

"Get this off my face!" He yelled at me, which I didn't notice when I yanked away from him.

I approached almost everyone outside, but no one was interested in talking to me. I stood outside the motel feeling helpless. But this is not the right time to feel this way!

As I decided to go around once more, a lady abruptly snatched the picture from my hands.

"This is Gary, I still saw him this afternoon!" she said, holding a cigarette between her index fingers and puffing out the smoke.

"Really?" I sounded ecstatic. "Ma'am, where is he please?"

"Go in there and ask around." She replied and turned to walk away.

"Please, ma'am," I suddenly grabbed her hand; "no one wants to talk to me. Could you please assist me?"

She gave me a brief look before agreeing to my request. "Come with me!"

I almost choked out with the heavy puff of hard drugs and the smell of alcohol as I gently followed her lead into the Motel.

This is not a suitable environment for a responsible person.!

"Wait here, I'll go talk to some people on your behalf."

"Oh, thank you very much, ma'am; I really appreciate it."

I stood in one corner, scanning everywhere. I saw ladies my age, sniffing out hard drugs and couldn't help but be grateful for my own life.

I can't even imagine having such a life! They were all tripping over each other while some men pressed their asses and boobs.

"Hi," a gentle voice said from behind, and I turned around quickly.

Boom! It was the guy I made out with last night at the hotel. I was shocked, trying to figure out why he is there.

"Hello," I said, trying not to meet his alluring blue eyes.

"Would you mind joining me in my room this night again?" He inquired with his one-sided dimple and a smile.

When I heard his request, I rolled my eyes at him with disdain. How could he just ask me to join him in his room again? No proper pleasantries between us after what happened yesterday!

"No thanks, I'm not interested!" After my response, I casually looked away.

"Common, baby girl, I just–--"

"I said I'm not interested! Please leave me alone!" I yelled at him briefly before turning away.

I was tilting my head upward, looking for the lady who was assisting me, when I felt a hand spank my ass from behind. I became enraged.

"How dare you?" I spin around with a deadly glare and my right palm lands on the guy's face. On his right cheek, a hot, loud smack could be heard.

"It wasn't me!" Those were the only three words that escaped his mouth.

"It was, of course, you! Didn't I say to leave me alone? Or do I look like one of those slut girls to you?"

My loud voice drew attention to us, and the guy rushed out of the Motel before I could say anything else.

"Hey! What's going on here?" The lady who was assisting me, inquired from behind.

"I don't know who the hell he is, but he smacks my a$$ after I refuse his request!" I turned to face her and responded.

"So? Do you have any idea where you are? Nothing is guaranteed here at this Motel, and you have no right to react to anyone abusing you sexually. Nobody forced you to come here!"

I just stared at her, hoping to get out of there as soon as possible.

"I'm sorry, I was caught off guard. Please tell me, how far with the person I'm looking for."

"He was said to have arrived unexpectedly this evening, accompanied by a young boy. But he packed his belongings and left."

"Huh?!" With the sudden bad news, I froze. Our chances of getting back Max are getting slimmer.

"You better leave now, or you'll be shared among those three guys staring at you the whole time," the lady said as she moved closer to me and tapped my shoulder.

I instantly pull myself together and exited the Motel. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the guy with another lady outside.

My heart sank as I watched them together, knowing that the man I had made love with just a night before was now with someone else.

My mind raced with questions - how long had this been going on? Was she just a fling just like me? I felt anger, hurt, and betrayal all at once.

As I stood there, watching them from a distance, I couldn't help but wonder what I had done wrong. Was I not enough for him? Had I failed in some way?

But then, as my anger turned to sadness, I realized that this wasn't about me. It was about him and his choices. He had chosen to be with someone else. We never had something serious anyway.

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself, and then I turned and walked away. I knew that I deserved better than someone who would treat me this way, and I was determined to find it.

I arrived at the highway past 11 p.m. and attempted to hail a cab.

Because no cab was willing to stop, I considered trekking rather than staying on one side of the road.

I hadn't moved more than an inch when I noticed a Lexus car driving towards me. I immediately came to a halt as the car stopped in front of me.

My legs were already rubbing against each other, and I was trembling. It's already late, and no one appears to be around to assist me.

When the person in the car got out, it was that same guy again...