hallway

copyright (c) 1992 pat lewis

it was the last evening of the conference, and i'd decided to treat myself to
a nice dinner in the
hotel restaurant followed by a drink in the nightclub next door. it had proven
an interesting
experience, since the nightclub turned out to feature topless dancers! after i
had gotten over the
initial shock, i found myself strangely affected. what would make a girl get up
on the stage and
expose herself that way? they certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves, i had
to admit. i
stayed longer than i had planned, and drank more than i had intended to.
returning to my hotel room, i decided to have another drink and maintain the
happy buzz i'd
acquired. grabbing a handful of change from my purse, i took the ice bucket and
wandered in
search of the coke machine and ice dispenser. the hallways of the hotel were
deserted except
for a litter of room service trays, although i could occasionally hear the muted
sound of a radio
or tv behind one of the closed doors.
i filled the ice bucket and fed the hungry coke machine, then returned to
my room and got
out a small bottle of rum and fixed myself a drink in the little plastic glass
provided. walking
over to the window, i surveyed the empty parking lot and the blank windows facing
me. other
than cars scurrying by on a distant street, there wasn't a sign of life anywhere.
sitting at the small table, i put my feet on the remaining chair in the room
and sighed. it had
been a hectic week, and i was looking forward to going back home tomorrow.
wiggling a foot,
i regarded my legs in their dark stockings and high heels. i rather liked that
shade of brown, i
decided, and hiked the skirt up a little more until the tops of my stockings
showed. i thought
back to the girls in the nightclub - my legs were as nice as theirs, i decided.
and while my figure
wasn't up to playboy standards, at least no one would mistake me for a boy.
standing, i slipped off my skirt and regarded myself in the mirror. the
square-cut tail of my
blouse ended just above my panties. i unbuttoned the blouse and hung it in the
closet. while i was up, i looked out the peephole in the hotel room door; the
deserted hallway
seemed empty.

*pad

my hand gripped the knob and turned slowly. easing the door open a crack, i
peered out -
still nothing in sight. bolder now, i opened the door wider and put a tentative
foot into the hall.
the sounds of an elevator came from my left, and i eased the door closed again.
i heard voices,
but could see nothing through the little fisheye lens in the door.
 breathing a little faster now, i regarded myself in the full-length mirror
on the closet door.
watching my reflection, i unhooked my bra and let it slide off my breasts onto
the floor. i
walked over to the dresser and picked up my room key, clutching it tightly as i
eased the door
open again. the hallway was deserted once more as i took first one, then a
second tentative
step outside my room. i stood in the middle of the hall for a second, looking
down at my bare
breasts before i hurriedly slipped back into my room.
why was i doing this? what was this delicious feeling that spurred me on?
even now a small
voice inside me was urging me to do it again, but without my panties this time. i
slid them off,
placing the scrap of white lace on the hotel dresser. reaching for my drink, i
studied my
reflection as i sipped, regarding the figure in high heels and dark brown hose
with interest. i
look good this way, i decided.
once more i gripped the key tightly and checked the hall. all clear. i held
my breath as i
stepped out of my room and let the door close gently behind me. i heard the
automatic lock
click and squeezed the key tighter. knowing the door had locked increased my
sense of
excitement - i'm really out here now, i thought, and looked up and down the
length of the
deserted corridor. what will i do if someone comes out? maybe i should leave the
key in the
lock to save time. but i couldn't move - i just stood there in the hall naked,
sensing the life of the
hotel around me, imagining all the separate existences behind each of the closed
doors stretching
away from me in both directions.
were they looking out their little peepholes now, wondering what this strange
woman was
doing standing in the hall without her clothes on? probably not, i decided - i
had never really
looked out one of those peepholes myself until today. what would they think if
they could see
me, though? i walked another few steps, wishing i had the courage to walk
farther. maybe to
the stairwell with the ice and cokes. the sound of the elevator made me forget my
wild notions
and rush back to my door, fumbling the key in the lock.
the elevator passed on to another floor. feeling as exhausted as if i had
run a mile, i finally
got the door open and went back inside, picking up my drink with a trembling
hand. i sat down
and took off my stockings, shoving my bare feet back into my shoes. rummaging
through my
suitcase, i found the light cotton robe i had brought along and put it on. i
hung all my clothes
neatly in the closet and put my stockings and underwear into a dresser drawer,
then i got out
change for the coke machine and a spare pack of matches.
the hallway was deserted as i counted my steps to the stairway door at the
end. twenty-five.
i blocked the door open a crack with the matchbook and got my coke out of the
machine. then
i waited, clutching the cold can in one hand and my room key in the other.
a couple got off the elevator and walked towards the other end of the hall,
then a room
service waiter delivered a tray. i was about to give up and go back to my room
when i heard the
elevator once more. this is it, i told myself. i can't stay here any longer -
i'm crazy to begin
with, and the longer i wait the greater the chance that something will go wrong.
the elevator was stopping at this floor. i bit my lip as the crack in the
door revealed two men
getting off together. they talked for a minute, then one turned and opened a
door by the
elevator. a last wave of the hand and the other one turned my way. he looked a
few years
younger than me, with short brown hair and a tanned face that saw a lot of sun.
broad shoulders
under a blue blazer, tie loose and briefcase in one hand, he began to walk
towards my end of the
hall.
now or never, i told myself. my throat was dry and i realized i had been
breathing through
my mouth. with shaking hands, i untied the sash of my robe and slipped it off,
dropping it in the
corner behind a vending machine. key in one hand and coke in the other, i pushed
open the door
and stepped into the hall.
he had been looking down at his key, but i saw him raise his head at the
sound of the
stairwell door opening. his face froze as he saw me walking naked down the hall
holding my
coke. i made a show of studying the room numbers on the doors as i walked
closer. eighteen
steps, nineteen, and still he hadn't moved a muscle. closer, i could see the
wrinkles around the
outside of his blue eyes, the slightly parted mouth.
my heart raced - would he say something? would he call the hotel detective?
twenty-one,
twenty-two. he finally came out of his trance and started walking my way, the
beginnings of a
smile on his face. i smiled back as nonchalantly as i could and stopped in front
of my door. i
could feel his eyes on me as i inserted the key in the lock and pretended to have
trouble turning
it.
"hello!" came a pleasant voice from behind me. "having problems?"
"hello!" i replied brightly. "darn key seems to be sticking again."
he cleared his throat hesitantly. "want me to try it?" he asked in a
tentative voice.
"if you wouldn't mind." the sensation of standing there in the hotel corridor
and talking to a
man while wearing only my high heels was intoxicating - a fantasy come true! i
handed him the
key and watched his gaze drop to my breasts before moving on to the lock.
after opening it with no trouble - of course - he handed my key back with a
flourish. "thank
you," i said sweetly.
"my pleasure," he assured me. "could have been embarrassing to get locked
out of your
room."
"yes, it sure would have. say, i was just getting some mixer for a drink -
could i offer you
one by way of payment?"
he hesitated; wondering, i'm sure, what he might be getting mixed up in.
but he accepted
and followed me into the room.
"rum and coke all right?" i asked as i unwrapped a glass and dumped ice into
it.
"uh, yeah - that's fine. say, i, uh, like your outfit!"
"this old thing?" i asked teasingly. "why, i've had it for years!"
he gave a nervous laugh as i turned and handed him his drink. "cheers!"
"you don't mind, do you?" i asked earnestly. "i can put something on, if
you'd rather."
"oh, no - not on my account! you, uh, you comfortable like that?"
"mmmm - very. you're sure you don't mind?"
"no, it's just a little unusual to, uh, see a woman walking down the hall
with nothing on but a
pair of shoes, that's all."
"what do you think of the shoes, by the way - do you like them?"
he looked surprised. "yeah, i guess so."
"i've always thought i looked good in high heels, so i wear them whenever i
can."
"well, i've always liked to look at women in high heels, so maybe i'm
prejudiced, but i think
they look great." he paused to take a swallow of his drink. "they, uh, set off
the rest of your
outfit."
i smiled, lit a cigarette, and then offered him one. we took our drinks over
to the small table
and sat down. i crossed my legs and remarked, "it's nice not to have to worry
about my skirt."
"or whether your slip is showing."
"exactly!" we both laughed.
we talked for a while longer. i'd like to report that the episode ended in
a night of bliss, but
actually he finished his drink, thanked me politely and left. i suppose he
wasn't really sure just
what i was up to - the modern mind is always searching for the gimmick, the
catch; and rightly so
in most cases, i'm afraid. for all he knew i could be a psycho who'd suddenly
produce a big knife
or a jealous husband, so i can't blame him for being suspicious. but if one day
you happen across
a tall, green-eyed dishwater blonde wearing only a pair of slim high heels in
your hotel hallway,
give her the benefit of the doubt, okay?