RUNAWAY ROSE
Chapter Six
Rose slipped into the building. The paint was
peeling, and one of the windows was broken. Nevertheless, it was still in
business.
Rose stepped up to front desk. It was scarred
and discolored, with cigarette burns and liquor stains on the top.
The clerk was reading a newspaper. He didn't
look up until Rose cleared her throat.
The clerk looked her over. He raised an
eyebrow, surprised at her respectable looks. Most women who frequented this
particular establishment were anything but respectable.
"How much for a room?"
The clerk grinned. This girl was definitely
new to the neighborhood. "Ten cents an hour, sixty-five cents for the
whole night."
Rose was momentarily taken aback. A hotel
that rented by the hour? How convenient, she thought. A person could
take a nap and not have to pay for an entire night.
"I'd like to stay the night,
please."
"That'll be sixty-five cents," the
clerk told her. Rose handed him the money, then looked around.
"Aren't I supposed to register
somewhere?"
The man laughed. "You're new to this,
aren't you?"
Rose looked at him in confusion. He just
shook his head. "You'll learn soon enough." He handed Rose a key.
"Lock your door while you do business. It keeps you from being
disturbed." He returned to his newspaper, leaving Rose thoroughly
confused.
Rose went up the stairs, still trying to
figure out what the clerk was talking about.
She got her first clue as to what the clerk
was referring to as she opened the door to her room. A man who had just come up
the stairs gave her a suggestive look. Rose gave him a dirty look. He smirked
and asked her what her price was, informing her that she was much better
looking than the girl he was supposed to be meeting. Rose was shocked and
slammed the door in his face. The man roared with laughter as he walked away.
Rose leaned against the door, shaken. What
kind of hotel was this?
Shortly after she lay down, there came a
knock on the door. She opened the door a little way and peeked out. Another man
stood outside her door. "Malvina?" he asked.
"Not here," Rose responded.
A door opened across the hall. "Here,
Sammy," a coarse-looking woman called. Sammy turned, grinning, and
followed her into the room. Rose lay back down, but before she could fall
asleep, another knock sounded. Rose marched to the door. "Not here!"
she shouted.
There was silence outside. Then a male voice
responded, "How much?"
Rose couldn't believe it. She was sleeping in
a house of assignation! No wonder they rented by the hour. "I'm
busy!" she prevaricated.
The man grumbled as he walked away. Several
more men knocked during the night, but Rose ignored them, trying to sleep
between knocks. Finally, around three o'clock, the knocks ceased, and Rose
managed to sleep until eight o'clock.