ROXANNE JEWELL - HOTEL ROOM 15

Roxanne Jewell graduated from Belding High School and lived in Michigan until 2017, traveling over 3,000 miles to Arizona, where she is currently working part time at the local grocery store, utilizing her Customer Service experience in the Front End department. Before moving to Arizona, she worked as a companion for elderly family members and as an office assistant for a small, privately owned cement company.
While attending Full Sail University, Roxanne is a current full time student, striving for her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing for Entertainment, where she is learning scriptwriting, world building, character development, and much more. In her spare time between work and college, Roxanne writes all story ideas, in various stages of completion, filling numerous three-ring binders that occupy a bookshelf at home. 

​Hotel Room 15

Robley Heninger unlocked the door to Room 15 at the Delphine Hotel. Robley and his wife, Rebecca walked into the room. 

The room had two full-sized beds that were draped in comforters of brown, beige, and orange colored stripes. One lone tan chair stood to one side of the room, a matching chair and table sat next to the sliding doors that opened to a private deck area. A vase of flowers, the only vibrant colors in the room, and two champagne flutes were on the round table near the sliders.

“Funny how room 15 is available for us. We’ve never been here before, how did they know which room we would like?” Rebecca asked.

Robley just smiled.

“When you called to make the reservation, you told them, didn’t you? What else did you tell them?” Becca asked.

“Oh, that it is our 3rd anniversary,” Robley said.

Becca approached the table, reached out and plucked the card from the flowers. “The flowers are from the hotel manager.”

“What does the card say?” Robley asked. He dropped their suitcases on the bed nearest the deck.

“’My apologies for the accommodations. We are fully booked this week. There is a bottle of champagne in the fridge. Happy Anniversary, Samantha,’” Becca said. “Who is Samantha?”

“Sam is Kevin’s youngest daughter. Kevin Riley owns the hotel. He and my father are school buddies.” 

“Oh, Sam is it? Kind of cozy that you are on a first-name basis. Did you speak to Princess Samantha when you made the reservations?” Becca asked, crossing her arms. 

“No, I spoke to the front desk clerk, Ryan. You met him when we got here.”

“Is she going to join us, or should I catch the next flight home and leave you and your princess alone?” Becca asked.

“Why do you get ruffled when any females of my past intrude on the present?” Rob asked.

“I’m not ruffled,” Becca said. 

“Yes, you are, ” Rob said, holding up the card. 
She crossed the dull, drab brown carpet to the window. The curtains were a dark tan, almost mustard yellow with the graying white backing to block out the heat of the day. Becca pushed the curtains aside.

“Sam and I were neighbors. My family moved away, and I haven’t seen Sam since we were nine years old. Kevin traveled a lot and he stayed with us when he was in town. Had I known this was going to affect you this much, I would have booked a room somewhere else. I had no idea Miss Samantha Riley runs this hotel for her father.”

Becca remained at the window, silent.

Rob smiled and shook his head. He stood up, rummaged in his duffle bag and pulled out a fancy wrapped gift. He walked up behind Becca, wrapped an arm around her waist and raised the gift in front of her.

“Happy anniversary,” he said. 


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