He left 

Baltimore

at around 7 in the morning having slept only three hours. He couldn't sleep these days. It'd been a thing since he left his job. He would arrive in Bloomington at around 7 in the evening according to 

Google Maps

. Just before noon he couldn't keep his eyes open. He was forced to step into a shitty hotel off the side of the highway to take a nap.

Instead he would arrive the next day, he told his friend. 

"Okay. Do whatever makes you feel good!" replied his friend.

After his nap he woke up with a plan. Initially he would nap, eat dinner, and spend the night at that hotel and try to drive early to Bloomington the next day. But why not take advantage of his insomnia? 

He got on the road, and picked up some cold sandwiches along the way. He'd drive through the night... probably arrive in Bloomington at around 2 or 3 in the morning. His friend would be fast asleep, unable to greet him, but there were plenty of hotels in Bloomington. He'd just sleep there and wake up already at his destination the next day.

Few years ago 

Airbnb

s were the thing. It felt good to be inside a home. But maybe it was just a fad... or just not his thing. Maybe his taste in what was considered homey was too high of standards, because now he didn't like Airbnbs. They had neither that isolated yet servile atmosphere of a hotel nor the warm feeling of a real home. 

Yes, this is what he would do. Stay at a hotel in Bloomington.

Interestingly when he arrived there was somebody waiting for him.

"Hello."

"What are you doing here?"

"You really want to know that?"

"I guess not. I'm just so tired."

"Then sleep." the soft voice from her lips made him feel safe drifting off into the creamy, velvet lullaby of three am sleep. His belly felt safe falling into that draped richness. But his head knew better. If only his head could stay awake a bit more.

"Sleep, my sweetheart." Her lips were smiling, but her eyes weren't.