Down the Shore by T. Torrest

Author:T. Torrest [Torrest, T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: T. Torrest
Published: 2015-04-19T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 25

Friday, June 30, 1995

5:45 PM

The Devil’s Asshole

Atlantic City

It’s hot outside today, but my God. It’s practically an oven inside the room. The heated dank greets us from the first swing of the door, and doesn’t let up even when Jack manages to punch the air conditioner into submission.

I haven’t moved beyond the doorway, however. I flip on the light switch, then immediately turn it back off. I don’t think I want to see the place in any great detail.

The first thing I notice is the bed. Huge four-poster with an ugly, lacquer canopy, the mattress covered in a dingy floral bedspread and accented with four, flat pillows in mismatched cases. Two dark brown nightstands frame the shiny, black headboard, and a painted green dresser occupies the wall across from it. Rotting wallpaper—two different patterns—peels away from the walls at every seam, and the dim light shining through the window highlights what I assume was once a sheer white curtain. A scrungy bookcase holds a television (with a tin foil antennae) and an opened mini fridge (which is defrosting the layer of snow within, melting into a puddle of dark maroon on the carpet beneath it).

I am speechless.

Jack turns from the air conditioner and laughs when he sees my stunned expression. “Stick with me, baby. Look at the life of luxury I can provide.”

I tell him that I’m afraid to look in the bathroom, so he accompanies me to check it out. Avocado toilet, pink tub, white sink… I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.

“I can’t,” I offer, feeling dizzy and unable to finish my sentence. “This is worse than a Rutgers frat house. I need to lie down.”

I pinch the comforter between the tips of two fingers and pull it off the bed—not only is it nine thousand degrees in here, but there is no way I’m letting that disgusting thing touch my body even if it were freezing—and am pleasantly surprised to find some clean white sheets underneath. I strip off my Citizen Dick T-shirt and jean shorts but leave on my bra and undies, trying to cool off in any way possible until the air kicks in.

I see Jack staring at me, but I don’t have the patience to deal with him right at the moment. “Deal with it,” I offer, before kicking off my Dr. Scholl’s. “God. I hope it cools off before I have to take a shower. There’s no way I’ll be able to blow dry my hair in this heat. Tell me again why Caesar’s didn’t comp us a room?”

“Speaking of rooms, I’d better try and track down which ones the rest of the guys are in. You gonna be okay by yourself for a little bit?”

I start to tell him, “Of course,” as I flop down onto the lumpy bed, but wind up cracking up instead.

Jack pokes his head under the canopy to check out what’s so funny. All I can do is point above me and laugh. He looks up and almost chokes.

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