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Emir Kaplan remembered almost all of the motels he reviewed in his blog, The Road Less Traveled. Especially the ones where he met someone who captured his eye.
He was always on top of the latest news in the motel industry, and he wasn’t really surprised to learn that the Rosebud Motel Group was expanding. He was impressed that Stevie Budd and Johnny Rose chose to expand their model and would loved to have been a fly on the wall at the investor meeting. Deep down, he knew Stevie had the intelligence to be so much more than just a front desk agent. His mind recalled the brown haired, sarcastic manager/owner with whom he had connected with at the Rosebud in Schitt’s Creek. He felt terrible about turning her away at the Hospies several years ago. He could have handled the situation differently, but he truly thought they were on the same page. He had been working on improving his communications skills since then.
Being on the road for most of the year was not conducive for maintaining a relationship. Keeping things casual always worked for him. He had tried long term — it ended so badly, he vowed never to allow deep feelings get in the way again. A friendly little fling every now and then worked for him. However, turning down and hurting Stevie was his one regret.
**
Stevie had barely begun unpacking from another successful opening of the newest motel in the Rosebud Group when there was a loud banging on the door to her apartment.
Before she could get to the door, David Rose came barreling in. She should have never given him a key to her place. But she needed someone to pick up her mail and generally check on things when she was out of town. Years of friendship and trust made him the only logical choice.
“Have you seen this?” David asked, in a huff, waving his phone in the air.
“Yes, David, I have seen your phone before,” Stevie replied, as she tossed a wrinkled blouse toward a nearby hamper. She missed.
David visibly cringed. “Okay, okay. I’ll pick it up,” she assured him.
David waved her off as she finished emptying her suitcase. “Seriously, do you ever check your phone now that you have a smart one?” Clearly, David was agitated over something.
“I do,” Stevie said. “But I slept almost the entire flight home and was hoping to get a few more hours of shut eye before entertaining friends who take advantage of the privilege of having a key to my place.”
“Oh really? How many other ‘friends’ have a key to your place?” David used air quotes on the word ‘friend.’
Stevie shrugged and gave David a look of annoyance. “I’m tired,” she said. She knew that David loved maintaining his best friend status and while most days it was charming, she just wasn’t in the mood right now. “What did you want to show me?”
“Oh, right.” David opened his phone and handed it to her. Marriage had done amazing things to David Rose. Handing his phone to someone else was one of them.
“What the fuck?” Stevie exclaimed. A face she wanted to never see again was on the screen. This will be my last blog entry, the headline read under Emir’s face. Stevie had such mixed emotions about that man. They had instant, off the charts chemistry. The same sense of humor. She dared to hope it could be more than any other of her so called relationships, and she was devastated when it was apparent he didn’t feel the same. She returned home from the Hospies, overnight bag unused. She hadn’t read his blog again.
She gave David a questioning look. “Don’t tell me you kept reading his blog after he dumped me,” she said through pursed lips.
“No, no,” David answered. “Patrick and I were looking for a holiday rental and somehow his blog showed up in the search.”
“Search? You know you can stay at a Rosebud Motel for free anytime.”
“Not in Cap Cod,” David said with an air of his former stuffiness.
“Finally taking that honeymoon, huh?”
David gave her one of his patented face scrunches. “Yes. We deserve this. Patrick would have been happy just renting a place on Lake Huron, but I informed him that this is the only honeymoon he’s getting, so it needs to be a little more exciting than a cabin by the lake.”
“You’ve watched too many horror movies.”
“Yes, but I’m mainly avoiding the bugs. Plus I want to take Patrick to Provincetown. Show him off to all the other gays.” He put on a goofy, sappy in love grin. “Anyway, read this blog.” He shoved his phone so close to her face she had to step back.
“Okay. Let me see.” She began to read.
I’ve traveled thousands of miles and reviewed hundreds of lodgings. I’ve met some proprietors I’ll always remember and some I’d like to forget. Seeing so much of the country has been an experience like no other and has given me great pleasure knowing my blog may have helped other travelers find a place of refuge to hang their weary head on their journey. I’m writing in a room in Red Deer, Alberta (halfway between Calgary and Edmonton) in a recently renovated Rosebud Motel.
The recent expansion of the Rosebud Motel Group has been making waves in the industry — and for good reason. This chain gives a home away from home feel at each of their locations. I have never reviewed a chain, or the same motel more than once.
I reviewed the original Rosebud in Ontario two years ago — I wrote that it was a must stay. I called it a “charming, lovingly restored roadside motel and a welcome rest stop for anyone looking for a clean room and first rate hospitality.” Clearly, Johnny Rose and his partners and staff have upheld the same standards in each and every motel added to their family of motels.
And I want to say the the person I met during my stay at the original Rosebud: I apologise. I’m declaring publicly that I should have handled things differently. I would love to earn a change to explain why I did what I did and hope that we can reconnect. I’ll be at the location where we had that amazing weekend on the 16th. Please give me the opportunity to make this right.
That being said, I’m hanging up my traveling boots, moving onto the next chapter of my life, and bid you all farewell. Happy travels.
Stevie gave the phone back to David. “What the actual fuck?” she exclaimed.
“I know,” David said, aghast. “What’s going on here?”
“I have absolutely no idea,” Stevie answered, clearly flabbergasted.
“Obviously it’s about you. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I need to think.” Stevie started pacing. “David, I don’t mean to be rude, but can you give me some space? I need to let this sink in.”
David cared enough for his friend to know that it was time for him to go. “Of course. But please let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“I will.” Stevie gave David a warm embrace, then he left.
She sat on her bed, closed her eyes and took deep breath. After a minute to collect her thoughts, she got up and rummaged through her bag to retrieve her phone and charger. After plugging it in, she googled Emir’s blog and read it again. Dammit, she didn’t need this right now. Dredging up feelings that had finally been buried.
Setting up the new motels was very fulfilling - and she was good at it. She had started to think her life was complete - a job that was actually turning into a career. She dared to think life was perfect. This was definitely throwing a monkey wrench into everything. She yawned. She needed to get some sleep. Stevie crawled into bed, but sleep didn’t come easy. Eventually, it did.
**
The next morning, Stevie stopped by the café for a bite to eat. There was barely any food in her apartment - it was easier to eat on the go.
Twyla had completely renovated the café after she bought it. A fresh paint job and new furnishings had done wonders for the décor. Her lottery winnings was the town gossip for months. Twyla had handled it all with complete grace. She hired another cook (to give George some time off), and another server (to give herself some time off).
“Hi Stevie,” Twyla greeted as she took a seat at the counter. “How was your trip? Another successful set up?”
Small towns, Stevie thought. Everyone knows everyone else’s business. “It went well, thanks,” Stevie told her. “I’d like to order a breakfast special, please.”
“Sure thing. Coming right up!”
Stevie had managed to get a few hours of sleep, after tossing and turning, her mind full of questions about what Emir’s blog actually meant. She still didn’t know if she was going to respond to the request made of her.
She planned on heading over to Rose Apothecary after her meal and hashing it our with David and Patrick (surely Patrick would be more of a voice of reason than his husband would be). In addition to the myriad of thoughts in the early a.m. hours, Stevie also considered getting Twyla’s thoughts - a female perspective couldn’t hurt. She and Twyla had gotten closer since Mr. and Mrs. Rose and Alexis had moved away. Twyla had settled seamlessly into her role as a business owner and she and Stevie bonded over their new career directions.
Stevie also had her suspicions that Twyla was dating the guy who delivered food to the care. Twyla kept the lottery to herself for so long, but like the stories she told about her family, not much else was kept hidden.
“Hey, Twyla,” Stevie called.
“Your order is almost ready,” Twyla called, automatically.
“Great. I want to ask you something, though.”
Twyla turned and wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing. “Sure, how can I help?”
“Can we go somewhere private?” Stevie asked, cocking her head toward the small office in the café, where Twyla took care of all the paperwork.
“Of course.” Twyla turned toward a young girl also behind the counter. “Becky, can you handle things for a few minutes?”
**
They settled around the desk and Stevie began to speak. “Couple years ago, I met this guy who was here in Schitt’s Creek to review the motel.” She proceeded to tell the brief tale of the short lived relationship with Emir. “Then the other day he posted this.” Stevie handed her phone to Twyla so she could read the blog.
“Wow,” Twyla said as she relinquished the device back to it’s owner. “What are you going to do? Are you going to meet him?”
“I don’t know,” Stevie answered. “What would you do?”
“I think,” Twyla began, then paused and picked up a pen lying on the desk and placed it in a glass doubling as a penholder. “Maybe you should make a pros and cons list.”
“I don’t know,” Stevie said again. “I can’t help but wonder if he actually will show up. Has he really changed?”
“You won’t know unless you give him a chance.”
“True.” Twyla had become the local therapist. David had told her how Alexis always went to her for advice, and now she was. “Like you took a chance with Jack?”
Twyla looked surprised. “You know about Jack and I?”
Stevie feigned shock. “Everybody knows about the two of you.”
Twyla leaned back in her chair. “Okay. I guess we weren’t being as secretive as I thought,” she chirped. She took a breath, then got back to Stevie’s situation. “I say go for it. If it doesn’t work out, you can at least let him know how much he crushed you.” She smiled. “Or, you can end up deliriously happy. My initial thought after you told me the story of how you met? You and Emir are meant for each other.”
Stevie stood. “Thanks. I’ll really consider your input.” She turned to leave, then spun back. “I’m really happy for you and Jack.”
Twyla grinned widely.
**
Stevie grabbed her order, which was placed in a take out bag, and made her way across the street to David and Patrick’s store. David was setting up a display of lotions when she entered the building. “Hi,” he greeted, then noticed her bag. “I see you still think this is a bring your own food destination.”
“Good morning to you, too,” Stevie smirked.
David softened. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
“Some,” she answered, setting her bag on the register counter. “Oh, hi Patrick,” she greeted as he entered from the back room.
Patrick smiled. “Hey,” he said.
The three of them were silent for a minute, until David finally blurted, “Okay, what are you going to do about your ‘invite’?”
“David-,” Patrick cautioned.
Stevie waved him off. “It’s okay. I thought a lot last night, and then talked with Twyla this morning-”
“You asked Twyla for advice?” David interjected.
“Yes, I did. You told me Alexis always went to her when she needed to figure something out. She’s actually very easy to talk to. Plus, I wanted a woman’s opinion, someone who never met him.”
“I never met him,” Patrick offered.
David harrumph. “And I was drunk when I met him, so that doesn’t count.”
Stevie laughed. “Yeah, and you told him your name was Dana.”
“Did I? I don’t remember much from that night. Just that there was a lot of karaoke.”
“Which I’m glad I missed.”
“Well, it made up for the fact that I didn’t get to the Botanical Gardens.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Stevie said, and grabbed her breakfast. “Can I eat first?”
“Sure,” Patrick said, and motioned for her to go into the back room. “Come on, David, you can eat the last of the cinnamon buns.”
David hurried to join them.
**
The three of them squeezed around the small desk in the room. The building was surprisingly roomy behind the retail space. Patrick inquired about Stevie’s trip and she eagerly recapped for him. As she finished, the bell on the door rang, and Patrick went to assist the customer.
“So,” David said, as he swallowed the last bite of the bun. “Emir. What are you going to do?”
“Twyla said I should make a list of pros and cons,” Stevie replied.
“Hmm. I suppose that’s one option. What does your gut say?” David picked up a napkin and wiped icing off his face.
Stevie fidgeted for a moment. “I think if I don’t go, I’ll wonder what could have been.”
“Even after you were despondent for a week after he broke up with you?”
Stevie closed the take out box and pushed it aside. “Yeah. About that.”
David’s eyebrows rose. The curtain swooshed open and Patrick returned. “That was quick,” David remarked.
“They knew what they wanted,” Patrick stated. “Two jars of the body cream and they were done. Loyal customers are our bread and butter.”
“I don’t know what that means,” David commented.
“We depend on returning customers. They also provide the much needed word of mouth recommendations.” Patrick took the seat behind the desk.
“That’s enough shop take for today,” David said. “I love your business brain, but we have a more pressing issue right now.”
Patrick grinned at David and chewed on his lip. He knew his husband well enough by now to know when he had temporarily lost interest in the store. “What did I miss?” He asked.
“Stevie talked to Twyla about the Emir situation,” David filled him in. David had shared Stevie’s despair over Emir after the Hospies, so Patrick knew about the breakup.
“Look, David,” Stevie began. “I didn’t tell you everything about what happened at the Hospies.”
David was shocked. “Seriously? I thought we shared everything.” David looked at Patrick, who merely shrugged.
Stevie reached out a hand and squeezed David’s forearm. “I was a little embarrassed in addition to everything else I was feeling. But I appreciated you cheering me up. It was easy to put it all behind me as soon as possible.” Stevie didn’t want to rehash all the details at the time, and David was amazingly fine with that. He was great at getting her to move on in a short amount of time.
David and Patrick gave her questioning looks. “I realized after being so sad and upset over the end of it all, that we really didn’t communicate very well. Neither of us let the other know where we stood with the relationship.”
“So it was just all about the sex,” David concluded.
“David-” Patrick warned him.
“No, Patrick, it’s okay,” Stevie assured them. “We really hit it off. Instantly. And, yes, the sex was great, spectacular, actually.”
“Didn’t need to know that,” David interjected.
“Let her finish,” Patrick said, reaching to calm David with his touch.
“Thanks, Patrick,” Stevie said. “After a lot of reflection, I realize we just weren’t on the same page with what was between. I even dared to let feelings happen. We had a great time in Elm Glen-and I appreciate you coming with me-”
“Still felt like a kidnapping,” David pouted. They laughed.
David looked at Patrick - “You were at a seminar, remember?” Patrick nodded. David reflected for a second, then said, “You two did look great together that night. I could tell there was a connection.”
“Even in your drunken state?” Stevie joked.
“Yes, Stevie.” They all laughed again.
Stevie took a breath. “The weekend of the Hospies, I knew he’d be there. I packed a bag and assumed he’d be happy to see me. And he was. We had a quickie in his room before the awards were handed out.” She expected David to say something lewd, but he didn’t. Another upgrade from single David to married David. He’d become a better listener. “When I told him I packed a bag, he shut down and told me he thought we were simply having a fun time just hooking up from time to time. That he didn’t want anything more than that.” She sighed. “And that was it. Your dad was great, David, he didn’t ask any questions and didn’t expect any explanation - he just got us out of there - and we came back home.”
“Oh, Stevie,” David said. “Why didn’t you tell me all this back then?”
Stevie slunk back in the chair. “I was just too ashamed. Another guy, another failed so called relationship.”
“Stevie,” Patrick said, eyes full of concern. “Don’t beat yourself up. I know you know how difficult it is to open up and trust someone else.” He nodded toward David. “David and I sure had our struggles early in our relationship. But sometimes it’s worth it. And communication is huge.”
“I think I’ve improved on my communication skills,” Stevie admitted. “I’ve needed to with my job.”
“Seems like Emir wants to try,” Patrick speculated. “Took guts to make that post, if you ask me. I think you should give him a second chance.”
Stevie gave him a small smile. She looked at David. “You’ve been unusually quiet. What are you thinking?”
David looked her square in the eye. “I just want you to be happy. Go to the meeting. Hear what he has to say. Then either put him in the past forever or see where it goes. You’ve been burned enough and deserve only the best in everything.”
Stevie pushed out of the chair, leaned towards David, and gave him a hug. “Thanks,” she said. She let go and hugged Patrick as well. “You, too.” And with that, she walked out of the store, knowing what she was going to do.
**
For the next week, Stevie spent most of her time preparing what she wanted to say to Emir when she saw him again. She did make a list of pros and cons, and the pros did outweigh the cons. Even ‘telling him to fuck off forever’ was in the pros column. So, whatever the outcome, it would be all good.
She made a room reservation in Elm Glen just in case - no matter which way this ended, she knew she would be in no condition to drive home.
Emir didn’t specify a time, so she headed to the hotel mid morning the day of the meeting. Paying extra for the early check in would be worth the outcome either way.
She tossed her bag on the bed in her room, then went down to the hotel restaurant. She wasn’t very hungry, but didn’t want to face Emir on an empty stomach.
Stevie was finishing her sandwich when she saw him enter the restaurant. He looked as good as she remembered him. Their eyes met and he raised his hand in greeting. She returned the gesture. Meeting in a public place was always a good idea.
“Hi,” he said. “You look great. I’m glad you saw my message.” He indicated the chair opposite her. “Can I sit?”
“Yes,” Stevie answered. “I wasn’t certain I was going to be here. I changed my mind so many times.” She knew being anything other than civil would have been futile.
“Well, I’m glad you did.” The server stopped by and Emir ordered a coffee. “I know it was an unorthodox way to get your attention.”
“I don’t think either of us do anything in the traditional sense.”
He laughed. “True.” The server came by with his coffee and he told her he didn’t need anything else. Tearing a sugar packet, he said, “I wasn’t sure if you’d ever want to see me again.”
Stevie pushed her plate away. “I was really stunned when you turned down my offer to stay with you that weekend. I was crushed, then angry, you really hurt me.”
Emir leaned back. “I honestly thought we were both thinking it was just a casual thing. That it wasn’t going to turn into anything else.” He paused. “Obviously, you didn’t see it that way.”
“I didn’t,” she confirmed.
“I truly apologise,” Emir said, and Stevie could tell he was sincere. “I’ve done a lot of soul searching in the past year. And I didn’t like what I saw. Living like a nomad was great for so long, but the limited personal connections had finally taken it’s toll. I decided months ago, that I was going to shut down the blog and set up a permanent residence somewhere.”
“And where is that?” Stevie dared to ask.
Emir took a breath. “Right now I’ve found a rental in Elmdale. I took a job as a feature writer for the Chronicle.”
“Oh,” Stevie muttered. Did she want the guy that close by? Her constant doubts resurfaced. Then so did Twyla’s encouraging words about taking chances.
“I’ve also been writing a novel in my spare time,” he admitted. Stevie’s mouth opened, but she didn’t say anything. “I haven’t said that out loud to anyone,” he added.
Stevie found her voice. “Wow,” was all she could say. Then asked, “What’s it about?”
Emir picked up the spoon he had stirred his coffee with and fidgeted with it. “Actually, it’s semi autobiographical - about a wanderer who decides to grow some roots and reconnect with an old friend he had wronged in the past.”
Stevie didn’t know what to think. “Am I the friend in this scenario?”
“No. Are you disappointed?” He grinned.
Stevie remembered what first attracted her to this man. He really had changed. She was just about to ask for more details about the book when the server appeared again. “Can I get you anything else?” She asked.
“No,” Stevie told her. “Just the check.”
“Together or separate?”
Stevie looked at Emir. “Together.”
Emir grinned again.