To Love A Criminal

THREE

When it came to her destination, Gianna had no plan. She believed that if she didn't know where she is going, no one will as well. So there won't be any means of finding her. One hour into the journey, she established how stupid she was for that idea. Six hours driving to nowhere, she accepted her stupidity.

Her urgent need to urinate led her to her first stop, a gas station. She peed in the toilet of the supermarket, bought tons of snacks for the road, and filled car with gas. It was also there she came up with the plan to abandon the car just in case Edward memorized its plate number, to prevent being tracked.

Two hours driving in search of where to abandon the car, she finally decided to leave it on the side of the road, so it can be tolled by the proper authorities. She took two trains to places she hasn't heard of, when she got off the train, she located a gadget store, where she bought a new phone. She also went to a mall, replaced the duffle bag with a suitcase, and bought jeans, tops, and underwear.

The day was slipping away and night came, for someone who spent her sleeping hours driving the previous night, she knew she needed rest. She entered a cab and requested the driver take her to the nearest motel. On their journey, she noticed the signboard as the driver drove into a town called Purple Ville. She pretty much zoned out after that until the car stopped in front of a crappy motel.

The Sunshine motel, the name from which Gianna spotted from the faulty neon sign outside, which made her roll her eyes. The name was an irony. The people smoking outside was enough for Gianna to plead to her driver to take her elsewhere. The cab driver said he was going home because of the rain that is to fall.

The receptionist was nothing close to sunshine, she barely looked at Gianna doing their transaction. She popped her gum loudly and threw the room key at Gianna when she paid.

Just when she thought things couldn't get worse, she made it into the dump they call a room. The bed had stains on its sheets. The sound of rats running around, a huge hole on the wall which they used a lamp to barricade, and the sound of a 10 dollar hoe moaning from the next room.

It isn't the life she is used to, she was the girl that stayed in V.I.P sections of hotels. Those fancy hotels that are built in such a way that when you jump off the roof, you plummet into its pool. She and her friends had parties there all the time. This motel is a huge backslide from what she used to.

Just when she thought she could manage and suppress her inner brat, she saw the rats that were making noise. This sent her rushing out of the room and back to the reception to request a better room.

So here she is, waiting in line to have a word with the receptionist.

"Here's the key, I have fixed your car's engine." The tall man in front of Gianna says. His deep voice catches her attention. She looks up at the muscular man with a great behind. The white singlet he is wearing his stained with engine oil, his arm also have stains. Without seeing him from the front, Gianna imagines him to look rugged.

"Good." The rude receptionist says grabbing the key from his hands.

The tall man stands to wait as she puts her key in the drawer. She looks up at the man looking at her, "What?" She asks rudely,

"That will be 30 bucks," He says.

"I am not paying shit, my car broke down last week and I brought it to you, then I paid you. This week, it broke down again, if you did it right the last time, we won't be here." She replies.

"Come on, Jess," The tall man pleads.

"Could you?" Jess indicates that he shifts so she can attend to Gianna behind him.