Jenny drove her car and pulled to a stop in front of her friend's home. She got out and walked up to her door and pressed the doorbell and while she waited, admired herself in her outfit. She was decked out in a sleeveless cotton blouse, tight jeans on her ass and thighs and ankle shoes. She surmised that if she had on a cowboy hat then she would be on her way to a rodeo convention. That got her chuckling as she pressed the doorbell a second time before the door opened to reveal April who, too, marvelled at her striking appearance.
"Hiya, April," Jenny took off her sunglasses then hugged her. "You ready for us to step out or what?"
"In a little while," she let her friend inside her home and shut the door. "For a second I thought you were someone else."
The TV was on and a movie was playing but with the volume mute; Jenny stopped in her track and laughed so hard when she saw what her friend had been watching. April's cheeks turned rosy red as she realised she had just been caught.
"I know I shouldn't," April bashfully admitted, "I just can't help myself from not watching it. I'm becoming addicted."
"You needn't apologise for what you like, April. That's what happiness is about."
"Yeah, except I'm trying to rein it in. Wouldn't want Howard to return home early and find out what I'm watching. Or worst, my son."
"You'll always find some other way. Besides, the video never would be what it is if you hadn't filmed it for me. I should be the one thanking you for that."
"Aw shucks. You could have done better without me there with you. I was the dumb one with nothing better to do myself than to tag along."
"If you want to put it that way. Anyway, we ought to get moving if we're gonna beat traffic. We're driving across town today."
"Let me go grab a scarf and then I'll be done. How many clients this time, or is it just one?"
"I've got two separate clients today," Jenny sat down on a couch. "I need to be there in the next hour for the first one. The guy's on a clock so you'd best hurry with yourself."
"OK, gimme a minute," April raced up the stairs towards her bedroom and was back within a minute having found the scarf she wanted which she then wrapped around her neck and picked up her handbag. "Did you bring the camcorder with you?"
Jenny came to her feet. "It's in my bag, but we might not use it this time. It's not all the time I get to use it, especially if they don't want me to."
They left the house and April locked the door then hid her key under the floor mat.
"In case we don't get back early," she explained. "Josh knows where I usually keep the key in case I'm not there to pick him up from school."
"I did the same thing, too. It's past eight already. We should make good time getting there and hurrying back. We're taking my car this time."
They walked to Jenny's car and she unlocked her car doors for them to get inside.
"I thought you said something the other day about being discreet," said April as she clipped her seatbelt.
"Only when it demands for it," Jenny started her engine and put the car in gear and driving off.
The motel was located on an exit lane off the main highway leading towards the airport. A shabby looking structure that looked like it was so close to being labelled as dilapidated.
The parking lot contained two vehicles, one of which was a pristine '78 Ford Camaro. Jenny drove round the lot before sweeping into a half turn and came to a stop beside the Camaro. April admired the Camaro and an alarming flashed upon her mind that she had seen the vehicle somewhere before, or at least knew whom it belonged to. She could have been wrong, but the foreboding thought persisted on her mind as she tried working whomever it belonged to as she got down from Jenny's car.
Jenny slammed her door shut and wore back her sunglasses while April came and tapped her arm and gestured at the Camaro.
"Call me crazy, but I swear that car looks very familiar," she said.
Jenny looked at the car nonchalantly then pulled her away towards the motel. "You think? Come on will you, April. We've got business to settle elsewhere."
They went inside the motel. The interior was just as drab and unimpressive as the outside was. April wondered if seriously they had the right address. To think that Jenny drove all this way to meet with a would-be client was mind-numbing.
Jenny left her side and went to speak with the proprietor sitting lazily behind the counter. She came back and took April's arm and led her past the lobby up the flight of stairs that stood beyond the room.
"You not going to tell me who it is we're meeting here?" April asked as they got to the top floor and took a left turn along the corridor.
"All in good time," said Jenny.
"For God's sake, I need to know," she whined.
Jenny took off her sunglasses as they came and stopped in front of a door. April looked at the door and imagined something dreadful about to jump out and surprise them.
"This is it," Jenny pocketed her glasses then knocked on the door.
The door opened a crack and at first neither could make out the figure of the man standing due to the darkness of the room. It was not until the light came on that April uttered a gasp as she then knew who the owner of the Camaro was.
"Hi there, ladies," the black man known as Coach Elwood smiled at them.