Asa
I awoke naked in the motel room. The sound of the shower still going in the bathroom made me groggily shake my head as I craned my neck to listen. Lauren had just drained me for the third or fourth time, then whispered that she was going to disappear into the shower and rinse off before crawling back into bed with me so we could go again. She'd offered to scrub my back if I wanted to join her, but I was so exhausted I could barely move.
Apparently, Lauren hadn't figured out I knew who she was. Maybe my slip-up at the restaurant hadn’t registered. She just wanted me, as much as I wanted her. She and I had fucked every which way a man and woman possibly could. It had been amazing, the best night of wild sex I'd ever had. Apparently, Dalton's little girl could get down like a dirty slut when she wanted to.
I wiped a hand down my face, my head still fuzzy from sleep. Hadn't she just taken a shower last night? Wasn't that what she was doing when I finally drifted off to sleep? I glanced over at the alarm clock on the night stand, checked the time. It was late, right around midnight. I had no idea what time she'd slipped into the shower.
I got up out of the bed and padded around to the bathroom. My little nap had given me a burst of energy, and even though I was sore down there I thought I could enjoy another little piece of action before I had to drag her kicking and screaming back to daddy.
“Cora?” I called, remembering to use her fake name. She didn't respond immediately, so I opened the door and pushed inside, a cloud of hot steam rolling out to coat my naked body. “Cora?” I asked the drawn shower curtain.
No response. I yanked it open. Empty.
“Son of a motherfucking bitch!” I cursed, then rushed back into the room and started to pull my clothes back on.
Of course she’d known. I felt like a total idiot. The bitch played me like a fucking guitar, strumming me this way and that like it was nothing. She knew exactly what she was doing and waited for the perfect moment to get away.
Dressed, I hit the door at a run. Out on the walkway, I stopped, glancing around. “Think, Asa. Think, what would you do in her shoes?”
First thing, I'd steal a car. My keys were still in my pockets so she hadn't gone that route. What else? She lived around here, so maybe she was able to get a ride somewhere, or was able to borrow a car. The motel manager or the night clerk might know if she'd had any friends or acquaintances. I'd check there first.
I headed off to the little office I'd checked in at originally. As I got closer I realized there were two state troopers outside interviewing people. One of the troopers was talking to a couple guests, an older couple, the other talking to the desk clerk who'd checked me in earlier. I could see their white and black squad car parked a short distance away. No lights on, or anything, but I could tell they were here on a call.
“We were just putting our bags up in the room,” the man they were interviewing said with a shrug, “so I left the keys in the ignition.”
I walked closer, close as I dared without making either of the troopers suspicious that I was eavesdropping.
“…can't believe it's Cora. Maybe someone that looks like her?” the clerk was saying. “She just seemed too sweet, was never any trouble.”
“But she does match that description? You're sure?”
“Not many that would,” the clerk admitted with a sigh of resignation and a shake of his head. “Not many I guess, not around here. Cora sure is a real knockout. Can't imagine there being more than a couple girls that pretty in the entire county.”
Yeah, I silently agreed. That sounds like Lauren, alright.
“Yes,” the older man's wife said, “it was a gray 2004 Toyota Camry with a white scratch on the rear bumper.” She went onto say the license plate number, but I was too busy sprinting to my own car to hear the rest.
The question now was, which was did she go? East? Or West?
I hopped in my Camaro and fired it up, the engine roaring to life. I pulled out of my parking spot and drove up to the parking lot. East was back towards Galen’s place. I knew that. West? West was towards California, and further away from her father. She'd spent her entire life running away from him, what would make her suddenly change her mind and start running towards him?
Yeah, she'd definitely head West. Probably stop before she got to the state line, with was only about ninety miles, then hop a bus for the rest of the way. That's what I'd do at least. Getting busted with a stolen car was one thing, getting busted with it while crossing state lines was another entirely.
I floored it and pulled out onto Highway 65, my rear end fishtailing all over as my tires laid rubber. She wouldn't be speeding, in case she drew more notice that way. If I was lucky, I'd still be able to catch her before she hopped a bus or hitched a ride.
That is, of course, if I was lucky. But so far Lady Luck hadn't exactly been favoring me.