I don’t feel guilty anymore, Claire thought to herself as she took the necklace off the nightstand.

I’ll get caught soon, but fuck them. I see the way they look at me when I clean their toilets, make their beds, or make that stupid triangle on their toilet paper. They love that last one, makes them feel better about taking their dump.

Claire finished cleaning the rest of the room within five minutes. She stepped outside, held out her hand and fanned out her fingers to admire her newly manicured red fingernails.

The sun was shining down on Old Gold Motel. Claire pushed her cleaning cart toward the next room. A man in hi-vis clothing was having a smoke in the chair by the door, ‘Hey, gorgeous. Remember me? Need some good lovin’’

Claire scoffed, ‘In you dreams, hun.’

She remembered his name was Trent.

‘Come on,’ he pressed, ‘I bet no one’s ever treated you to a meal at a five star restaurant.’

‘I’d rather drink this bleach.’

Claire opened the door to his room and strolled in. It smelled nicer than she expected.

Claire took off all the bedsheets and laid out the new ones. She bent back to have a peek at what Trent was doing. She could see one hand holding the cigarette and the other holding his phone, flicking through Instagram reels.

Claire saw his wallet on the bedside table, begging to be picked up. She grabbed it and found his company credit card. She remembered he used it when he paid for his stay.

Thanks for the five star meal, darlin’, she thought.

Trent charged in, ‘Oi! What the fuck!’

He grabbed Claire’s arm. She screamed and stamped down hard on his shoe. Trent’s grip loosened enough for her to make a break for it.

Claire ran out from the motel room and onto the road with Trent’s wallet still in her hand.

TO BE CONTINUED…