Motels
and Vodka
by Hannah Sward
.Chloe
and Dimitri sat across from one another in a dark
red leather booth at a vintage bar on Santa Monica
Blvd.
........Dimitri leaned
back, placing his fists on the table. “So, ask
me anything you want.”
........Chloe was silent,
inscrutable.
........He handed her
a photo out of his suede wallet. “A picture,
my son.”
........“Smart looking
boy,” Chloe said. “He's here with you?”
........“In Moscow.
Eleven he is. Seventeen I was...very hard...I miss
him.”
........Dimitri waved
down the waiter. “Bring more vodka…and dessert.
Whatever you have, but nothing peachy.”
........He dismissed
the waiter with a flick of his hand.
........“What you
want out of life?” he asked, leaning in close
to Chloe.
........She smiled softly.
........“I know.
Love... you want,” he said.
........“You’re
making fun of me.” Dark blonde curls framed her
smooth face as her head tilted down, just slightly.
........He stroked her
pale cheek. “Oh, baby.”
........The young amateur
jazz band in the bar began to play. Chloe pretended
to be interested in them.
........Dimitri knocked
back his vodka. “What, no love in your life?”
........“What about
you?” she asked.
........“Not in
this lifetime, baby.”
........The waiter brought
two desserts to the table.
........Chloe took a
sip of her drink. “You're kind of young to give
up.”
........“Not giving
up,” Dimitri said, sticking a straw in the chocolate
dessert, swirling the sauce around. “I don’t
want any love.”
........They
left. Driving east on Sunset Blvd.
........“We get
hotel room.” Dimitri waved his cigarette in her
face towards the slightly seedy hotel on the right
hand side of the street.
........“Oh, do
we?” Chloe asked, somewhat amused.
........Chloe followed
Dimitri up the stairs into the motel room. Fully clothed,
Dimitri stretched out on the bed. Feet crossed, he
lit a cigarette.
........“You go
shower now,” he said, watching his smoke rise
to the ceiling.
........Chloe closed
the bathroom door behind her. She undressed, hanging
her pale pink slip and stockings on a metal hook.
Then she turned on the shower and sat on the toilet.
A foggy, full-length mirror was opposite her. She
stared at herself, naked. Her hips appeared fuller
in this position in comparison to her narrow waist.
The crack in the mirror distorted the reflection of
her breasts. She stuck her feet in the shower, lathering
each one up with a bar of soggy soap. Then she wiped
them off and walked out of the room. Dimitri was laying
on the bed naked. He didn’t look her way, staying
concentrated on his smoke. She just stood there, motionless.
