s*x and crime episode 6

s€× and crime

Episode 6
Will she find the cash? My heart kept beating fast! That was the thrilling thing about adventures; never a dull moment. I heard the knock on the hotel door. I didn’t respond at first. I imagined some hotel security will be at the door waiting to pounce on me. The second knock made me to peep through the lens on the door. It was the room cleaner. I opened the door with a relief smile on my face. She looked with a confused stare, maybe she felt I was smiling at her. She happened to be the same girl that cleaned the room yesterday. I stepped aside for her as she moved her trolley in,side the room. She turned and glanced at me again. She was elegant, neatly dressed in black and white robes, a crossbelt, white stockings and black shoes. I didn’t know why I took interest in the girl but she noticed I was staring at her. She had a name tag on her, ‘Eve’. She moved her trolley towards the bathroom but stopped midway as she noticed someone was in,side. She decided to do the room first while she waits for the bathroom to be free. I was still expecting a shocker from the bathroom. Eve drew the drapes and the room light up. “Excuse me, I need to change the bedsheets.” She said to me with much professional courtesy. She had a s€×y-husky voice that was unique. I’m sure they had high standard staff-training process implemented at the Hotel. She avoided any direct stares and went about doing her job like she was the only person in the room. I moved and she removed the sheets, replacing it with the one on the trolley. I noticed the black carton on her trolley. It was not more than 50cm lenght and breath; just the size of a medium kerosene stove carton. “What’s your name?” I asked her. She stood upright, hands akimbo and mumbled ‘Eve’. I couldn’t help but notice she was pretty. in,side those school-uniform-like cloth was a dark full-br-asted girl with straight legs supporting one of the finest h¡ps I had seen lately. She returned to doing the bed after her reply. “What’s in,side the black box?” I asked. “Toiletries.” She answered. I was still staring at the box so she reached for it and opened it for me, like she wanted to satisfy my curiosity. It contained two small-sized tissue papers, a medium sized towel, a face-wipe, soaps, creams, shower cap, tooth-paste brush and others. She still held them until I nodded my head and she closed it and went back to her duty. Just then, the lady scre-med for me from the bathroom. This was it! The moment I prayed never happened. I can still make it out of the hotel on time. I imagined her storming out of the bathroom, half Unclad with soap foams all over her and I hand full of 500naira notes demanding for explanation. Was I going to pull a ‘Shaggy’ on her and say ‘it wasn’t me?’ She called again and all my confused self could do was stare at the bathroom door. Eve stood, staring at me, maybe wondering why I wasn’t answering. “Yea!” I finally answered. “Help me call the restaurant and ask them to bring their menu, I’m starving.” She voiced from the bathroom. I was relieved at that. Hasn’t happened doesn’t still mean it wouldn’t happen. I picked the intercom and paused, I didn’t know the code for the restaurant. “What’s the code for your restaurant?” I asked Eve. Once again, she stood upright, hands akimbo and answered. “1-1-3” I dialed and asked for the menu to be forwarded to the room. Looking at the black carton again, I realized I could use it to stash the cash. “Don’t dispose the carton when you’re done.” I told her. She looked at me confused. I knew she wanted to question what I needed it for but I was sure her job training wouldn’t allow her to. She has been programmed to behave, talk and act a certain way with customers. “Yes sir.” She answered. Just then, the lady came out of the bathroom. She was done bathing. Eve moved into the bathroom. I didn’t care much if she was or was not going to see the cash. She wouldn’t say a word if she happens on it. She left some minutes later and I went into the bathroom. The cash was still intact. I moved them into the carton Eve left for me on top of the cabinet. Moved the carton in,side the cabinet. The cash wasn’t entirely hidden and safe there but seeing a carton of toiletries in,side a bathroom cabinet wouldn’t raise much suspicion. Now I could afford to relax a bit. The social gathering we went to was so boring I twice caught myself sleeping. An event org-nized by some ‘entertainer’ and his team of ‘talented’ comedians; the Ph invasion. What an invasion indeed! The only thing they invaded was the pockets of the many that bought a ticket to the show. It was as if the comedians were competing for who would give the driest joke of the century and they were good, very good at the dry jokes. It was more distasteful watching them laugh at their own jokes; like we payed money to watch people crack themselves up and laugh hysterically. In a roundtable of friends of the lady, I looked a bit odd. Seemed I was under-dressed for the occasion; and for good reason, it was a comedy show. The guys and ladies in my table were so gorgeously dressed and annoyingly laughed at the dry jokes. The lady ‘cougars’ on the table must have taken the show for a competition of wealth as shown by their expensive wears and gadgets in display, coupled with the exotic drinks they were ordering. I was a bit uneasy but managed to keep my eyes open. Earlier before the show started, the lady had introduced me to one of her friends at whose request she had come to ph. Seems she was the one inviting her to all the party and hosting her at ph city. The Ph-city lady was seated close to me at the round-table, with ‘her man’ at her left. I couldn’t help but notice she was checking me out. When I fell asleep the second time, she was the one that nudged my palms and got me awake once more.
I excused myself and headed to the rest room to ease myself and splash some water on my face. The stench that hit my nose upon opening the restroom was terrible. I had to close the damn place and head outside the venue to walk around a bit. “Hey, you!” I heard behind me and turned around to meet the ph-city lady smiling at me. “Seems you don’t like this event.” She asked as she approached me. My initial thought was to pretend everything was okk and I was just taking a walk but she had caught me sleeping once. “That program is boring!” I had to cave. She laughed at that. I wonder what was making her laugh, even at the dry jokes they were throwing there about fat ladies. “My bad, I invited her to this place. There was no where else to go and I promised her I would make her stay in Ph fun.” She said and I presumed by her, she meant the lady I came with. “Are you guys childhood friends or what?” I asked. “University roommates.” She answered. “Been friends right from then.” Well, a fruit doesn’t fall afar-off from its tree and since birds of the same feather flock together, I can as well summarize that she was into the same kind of things her ‘roomy’ was. But her own case was a bit weird as I noticed her wedding ring intact in her fingers. “She told me you don’t stay in ph.” She said, staring at my eyes, maybe seeking clarification. “No, I don’t.” I answered.
“Well, if you’re staying longer than she, you can call on me and I take you around the city.” She said as she gave me her business card. I didn’t border reading it, just slid the thing into my pocket. If her idea of showing people around the city was to bring them to a boring comedian show, then she needs to have a rethink. Together, we headed back to our table. She stopped by to greet some friends and I joined up with the others at the table. After few more hours of dry jokes and poor rendition of songs, we were finally freed from the most boring show I’d ever witnessed. The ph-city lady drove us with her pajero jeep. We got to the Presidential and the lady handed the keys to the room to me, informing me she will join me in a minute. I guess she had some stuffs to discuss with her friend so I left them and walked towards the receptionist. Enroute the receptionist, I saw Eve walking away from the hotel. She was not dressed in the usual hotel robes. She wore a light blue jean with a red top, a face and seem to be heading home, away from the hotel. “Hey, you!” I called on her. She stopped and waited as I approached her. “Eve?” I called. “Goodevening sir!” She greeted with the same s€×y-husky voice. “No need for the sir.” I said and introduced myself. She looked more beautiful in her casual wear. I wouldn’t have recognized her but for her dark face and lovely features. “Seems you’re headed home.” I asked. “Yes, I’m done for the day.” She answered with a smile, like she was relieved to be off duty. “Seems you’re happy going home.” I wanted to start up a conversation. “Yes of course.” She said with same smile. I asked when she will be back for duty but she informed me she is not permitted to discuss her work schedule with customers at the hotel. “Why do you ask?” “Just hoped I will see you again. You can give me your number.” I requested. “Its not allowed also.” She said. “I can give you mine.” “Not allowed too.” She replied and I smiled. “I need to go now.” She announced, told me goodevening once more and headed out towards the hotel gate. I thought about following her outside, maybe she will grant me audience if we spoke outside her work environment but the lady was walking towards me from the other end so I abandoned the quest. On arrival into the hotel room, the lady as usual went to freshen up. When she was done, I went into the bathroom and reached for the cabinet. I checked the box in,side the cabinet and it was still there. I stayed in,side the bathroom and contemplated on how best tom move the money without being noticed. There was no way I was going to move it out without being noticed. I thought about moving it at night when the lady was asleep but that would be a very risky move. The securities scan every incoming and outgoing car, and trying to walk out of the hotel gate with a carton known to contain hotel toiletries may raise some eyebrows. They may think I was stealing hotel toiletries and stop me for a search. I may not even make it to the gate as their were security guards posted at different intervals. Then a thought came to my mind; Eve. She can help me move it! Its a long shot but one that is worth giving a trial. But how I was going to achieve this was what I didn’t know. What is adventure without risk? . .
 
With phone in my hand, ATM card and cash in my pocket I stood like a condemned criminal, tied on a stake awaiting a command for the soldiers in waiting to riddle his body with bullets. I stared at her blankly as she stared back at her phone in my arms. What was I going to say I was doing with her phone? Did she notice the missing atm card also? Was this the end of my end of year adventure? I took a quick glance at her handbag lying carelessly open at the floor. It looked exactly like I left it. Then her phone rang in my hand.
I still held on to it while it rang. “Where did you go with my phone?!” She queried as she sprang up to recover her phone from me. I handed it to her and made to explain but it was obvious she was not interested in my explanation. She had picked the call already and started talking on the phone. “Hey babe!” She continued. “Missing mama?” “Don’t worry dear, I will be back tomorrow…how is aunty Dee?…” I concluded she was speaking with her daughter. She was so engrossed with the call and didn’t notice when I moved and sat at the other end of the bed close to the bag. I replaced the atm in,side the side-zip of the bag and headed into the bathroom. I moved to the cabinet and brought out the carton. I opened it and saw rolls of tissue paper, tubes of cream, light make-up, soaps and the other usual things stuffs in,side. My first thought was that she had offloaded the cash and replaced it with the toiletries.
Then I remembered I had switched the cartons and moved the cash carton to the drawer of the wall mirror. I smiled at myself, relieved that the cash was still intact. I brought out the cash-carton and opened it. The wards of cash were still intact. I added the night’s withdrawal into the carton and closed it; this time around, I folded the edges in my bid to seal it. It looked good. “Where did you go with my phone?” The lady asked after receiving her call. I told her my phone’s battery had died down since I didn’t come with my charger so I used her phone to check my mails. She stared at me for some seconds like she didn’t believe me. “Outside?” She asked. “Yes, I needed a drink so I went to the reception hall.” She stared at the phone on the bed and back to me. “Was that your daughter?” I had decided not to ask personal question but right now, anything to end this heated interrogation was a welcome development. “Yes!” She answered with an excited look. “She’s missing her mama and her aunty Dee doesn’t let her watch the tv.” She said with another douse of excitement like she was really thrilled. “Can I see her pictures?” I asked and she waved that I come closer. I lay beside her on the bed as she scrolled through her media files. Unending pictures of she and her beautiful daughter. At first I pretended to be interested in the pix but it later caught my attention. They were lovely pix, exhibition of the undying bond between mother and daughter. “Her name is Mimi” she informed me.
“Lovely name.” I added. “She’s adorable, intelligent, smart and full of life.” She continued. “My friend seem to be interested in you.” She announced to me, referring to her ph-city lady. “I have my good charms.” I teased and she smiled. “She love adventures too.” She said. “Are you advertising your friend to me?” I teased again trying not to make the conversation serious. I came for adventure and not to be passed on like a tool. “You don’t like her?” She asked. “She’s married, I don’t do married ladies.” I answered, hoping it will end the discussion. “And me?” She asked. “What about you? You’re not married are you?” I asked, making a surprise face. “Babies don’t fall down from heaven, do they?” She asked. I looked at her face and she feigned seriousness; then burst out in laughter. I was still confused at what was making her laugh. “You need to see the look on your face, like you just ate poo!” She said and I smiled. “You’re not married, are you?” I asked. “Does that change anything?” She responded. I felt she wasn’t ready to answer my question so I let it be. We had few more rounds of s€× before retiring for the night.
____________ In the morning, I kept my fingers crossed, hoping and praying that Eve succeeded in swapping duties and takes care of the carton for good. There was over half a million naira already in,side the carton. Then she came in. I had to hide the excitement in my face before I betray our little plan. She came in with her trolley as usual and headed straight to the bathroom. The lady and I were still on top of the bed; she surfing her phone while I waited. Moments later, Eve moved out from the bathroom with the trolley. She did some little work in the room, dropped fresh bedsheets and left. My half a million naira finally moved to safety! Or so I thought!
Tbc