He had not called her in a year or two, and why he was calling now she could not be sure. They had not really parted ways, they just kind of stopped seeing each other. At that time she was busy with work, acting bit parts in small films and had good parts in a couple of commercials. Lately, however, she was trying for anything and not even getting work as an extra. She would go to the screen test and there would be fifty other pretty girls that looked very much alike testing for one job.
The lease on her apartment was up four weeks ago, she could not afford to keep it so she had to move to the Rose motel and start paying by the week. The place must have been nice many years ago, but lately the motel had fallen on hard times. The alley behind the motel now was residence to a homeless man and a couple of wild dogs. This part of town was almost forgotten by everyone. She still was a waitress at the Wishing Well, a dive bar down the street. Tips were getting pretty scarce, but she made just enough to get by.
He had called her and left a message on her Android cell phone. At one time, she would have scrambled to answer that phone even if it was out of reach, but her agent did not call anymore and she really did not want to talk to anyone else, so she left it go to voicemail. He left a message and said he wanted to see her, had something to show her. He said that he knew she was at the Rose and would stop by soon to talk. She could not believe that he called, he must need money again or something else she thought. They had been lovers, not the kind gentle friendly type, more the angry grudging type. It had been good, very good physically but not so much an act of passion as it had been lust, always lust with him. She missed it and hated it all at once. I can’t go through that again she thought.
The ticket was on the night stand and she decided this was the last straw. Her mother had sent the bus ticket so she could return home. She packed what she could in her two old suit cases and left all of the stuff that would not fit on the bed with a note for the cleaning staff. She did not have much left anyway, everything of value had already been pawned. Out the door she went not looking back at the Rose.
He had called her and left a message on her mobile phone. He needed to see her, he had to settle something. She had loaned him some money for something he was working on when they were together. It was not a fortune she had given him but it was a lot of money for her to part with. He knew at that time she had feelings for him, even though he only wanted just a physical relationship, but he took the loan anyway. After all this time, finally he had made the big score, smuggling contraband had payed off big and he was sitting flush with cash. All he wanted too do was split the money with her and settle the old debt.
When he got to the Rose motel he went to the front desk to see if the manager would give him her room number. The little man behind the counter was sitting on what looked like a bar stool, reading a news paper and chewing on a half smoked cigar. There was a persian cat sleeping curled up next to the bell on the counter top and a baseball bat leaning against the wall behind him. The manager looked up and he asked about her room number. The little man slowly shook his head, he told him that she had just checked out. She left in hurry and said she was leaving town.
He thanked the manager and walk outside to give her another call. This time he left a message and explained that he just had some money that he owed her and wanted to repay his debt. She seen the number on her phone and would not answer it. After that she dialed her voicemail and erased the message without listening to it. She thought, as soon as I get home i am changing that number. I left my acting career and that part of my life at the Rose hotel, and I am never looking back.