She jumped slightly when a man lurched from inside of a shop doorway a couple of doors down. She looked around, noting that the street was deserted except for her and the man. She felt her heart speed up slightly and she told herself to stop being paranoid. It was barely nine thirty, and she had no reason to suspect the man was up to no good. This was a good area of Houston, after all.
The man wasn’t moving. He had turned to face Rachel and now he was just standing there seemingly staring at her. She felt icy fingers of fear caressing the back of her neck despite telling herself not to be paranoid.
“Excuse me? Is someone there?” the man called out.
Rachel looked the man up and down quickly and some of her fear melted away when she saw the white cane the man carried. So, he wasn’t staring at her as such. He was blind, probably attracted to her direction by the sound of her footsteps. Maybe he needed help. The more she thought about it, the more she thought she had detected a hint of fear in the man’s voice when he had spoken.
“Hello?” the man said.
“Umm… hi,” Rachel said as she got a little bit closer to the man. “Are you okay?”
“I seem to have gotten myself turned around,” the man said, smiling at Rachel. He had a nice smile. He looked around her age, and he was well dressed. He had a faint accent Rachel couldn’t place, but it didn’t sound like he was a Texan. “I’m staying in the Bellevue Hotel. Do you happen to know if it’s anywhere around here?”
Rachel frowned. The Bellevue Hotel wasn’t far from here, but it had closed down about two years ago.
“Are you sure it’s the Bellevue?” she asked. “That place closed down, as far as I know.”
“A friend of mine just bought it. He’s in the middle of renovating it before he opens it up again. I’m in town visiting him and he’s staying there, so I am too,” the man explained.
“Oh, I see,” Rachel said. “It’s not far from here. It’s a couple of blocks south and then…”
She trailed off, realizing she had no way of explaining how to get there to someone who couldn’t see any of the things she would use to describe it. It was a little bit out of her way, but it wasn’t that far away and she decided to help the man. Her pajamas and her bubble bath could wait a little bit longer.
“Actually, I’m going that way myself. Would you like to walk with me?” she asked.
“Would you mind?” the man said. “I feel so silly getting myself lost this way.”
“Not at all,” Rachel smiled. “It’s this way.”
She took the man’s elbow and turned him slightly so he was facing the right way and then she started walking.
“Do you want to take my arm or something?” she asked.
“No, this is fine,” the man smiled. “I’m Lewis, by the way.”
“Rachel,” Rachel told him. “So, I take it you’re not from around here?”
“No,” Lewis said. “I’m from New York originally but now I live in California.”
That explained why Rachel hadn’t been able to place his accent. It was a mixture of two accents.
“I’d love to go to California,” Rachel said.
“It’s a nice place. Friendly people,” Lewis said. “You should visit in the spring. The weather is perfect.”
“If you like mild weather, why are visiting Houston in the summertime?” Rachel laughed.
“You’re right,” Lewis confirmed. “I guess I didn’t expect it to get this hot.”
Rachel laughed softly. She led Lewis around the end of the block.
“We’re going to cross the street now,” she said. “And then the path is mostly a dirt track from there. Are you sure you don’t want to take my arm?”
“I’m sure,” Lewis said. “In fact, I know where I am now. I don’t want to keep you from wherever you were going.”
Rachel looked down at the uneven dirt track and although the deserted hotel up ahead gave her the creeps, she knew she couldn’t let Lewis walk down it alone in case he fell and hurt himself.
“I’m only heading home,” Rachel said. “I don’t mind walking to the hotel. I don’t want you going back to California and telling everyone the people in Texas aren’t nice.”
Lewis laughed and shook his head.
“Oh, there’s no chance of that. Everyone I’ve met so far has been lovely,” he said. “Once the renovations in the hotel are complete, I might start coming out here more often.”
They walked down the dirt path. Lewis tapped his white cane in front of him and carefully avoided the dips and holes in the road. Rachel found herself impressed by his capability and she chastised herself, telling herself that Lewis obviously knew how to get around.
They reached the hotel gates and Rachel stepped ahead of Lewis and pulled them open. They walked across the parking area in front of the place. Only one car was there and Rachel figured it must belong to Lewis’ friend. She looked up at the hotel all in darkness and shuddered slightly. She was happy to have helped Lewis, but she had to admit she would be equally happy to get away from this place.
“Here we are,” Rachel said when they reached the hotel doors.
“Thank you,” Lewis said, turning his head in her direction and smiling at her. “I really appreciate your help.”
“No problem,” Rachel said. “Enjoy Texas.”
“I will,” Lewis said.
He made no move to go inside and Rachel felt bad just walking away from him so she stayed in place for a moment longer.
“I know you have already done more than enough for me, but could I trouble you for one last favor?” Lewis said. “Would you be so kind as to program a number for a local taxi company into my cell phone? Just in case I manage to get myself lost again.”
“Of course,” Rachel said.
She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting him to
