John entered the hotel in search of a burglary suspect that had run inside. He’d been knocking on doors for the last several minutes, becoming more and more disillusioned that he’d find the guy he was looking for. This was the last room in the hallway, before he’d give up and go to the counter and ask to review security footage.
So, he knocked on the door with a heavy hand. He ran that same hand through his short hair, sighing heavily. He didn’t know what he was doing, and should have called for back-up before going in.
John straightened up when the door was opened. He cleared his throat quickly, and swept his eyes up from the floor, realizing very suddenly that he had made a horrible mistake. “Sorry to bother you, ma’am… Have you seen…?”
When his eyes fell on Charlie’s face, he wasn’t sure what to think. He hadn’t gotten up the nerve to ask her out on a date, and he hadn’t told her what station he was from… But here she was, dressed in the sexiest lingerie he’d ever seen… But she was the beautiful woman he’d met at the opera. Why was she here? “Charlie…?”
There was so much confusion on his face that he didn’t know how to respond to her, nor why she was apologizing to him. His suspect was immediately forgotten while his brain tried to process what was going on here in front of him. “Charlie, why are you here?”
Charlie forced herself to take a deep breath before she could start crying. Crying wasn’t going to help anyone.
“My friend’s daughter is in the hospital. Bar tending has great tips, but I needed something else to help with the bills. I swore I’d never go back to this life, but it’s all I know how to do, and I don’t have enough time to get a better-paying job. This child needs the money now.
“Still... I’m sorry, John. This was never a trick, if that’s what you’re thinking. I really like you. I thought I could leave my old life behind, become a better person. A friend recommended the position at the bar, and then we met again, and I thought, ‘Maybe we’re supposed to be together.’ I was wrong. I’ll always be the same worthless slut, and you deserve better than that. I’m sorry.”