OTC During the Pandemic

I called the hotel in the morning to ensure they were open for business and could give me an early check in. I was told “no problem,” so I booked online using my hotel points.

When I arrived, the parking lot was deserted. Although it was the middle of the day, the front door was locked, like they do at night. The front desk clerk unlocked it remotely. I went to the front desk and asked to check in. The clerk asked me if I was an “essential traveler” because only essential travelers could check in. Huh? I told him that I had called earlier to make sure the hotel was open, and wasn’t told anything about “essential travelers.” He remembered talking to me, but said that right after my call, he had received instructions to only allow “essential travelers” to check in.

I lied and said I was an essential traveler. He didn't ask for more explanation. He just handed me a form to sign. The form asked me to certify that I was an “essential traveler,” and that I would practice social distancing while staying at the hotel. I signed the form and he checked me in. I told him I was expecting a visitor in a few minutes and asked him if that would be an issue. He said no problem.

The girl showed up right on time. I went down to let her in. She is a very attractive, slender spinner. She was wearing a formfitting athletic outfit. The top was basically just a sports bra and the bottom was a pair of skintight leggings. She is one-third my age. The hotel was probably at well under 10% occupancy, and the lobby was empty, except for the desk clerk and another employee sitting in a chair. They pretended not to look at me as I walked through with the girl. I’ll admit we didn’t practice social distancing when we got to the room.