The Time We Rented A Hotel Room For An Hour To Spice Things Up

The truth about an almost 15-year-long marriage with almost a basketball squad worth of kids is that romantic connection isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be really hard. Schedules are chaotic, I am exhausted, door locks are broken, kids are wandering the halls, whatever, you get it. So sometimes you need to get a little creative, to keep the spark alive.

Thankfully my husband knows that, after one or two stiff drinks on a date night, most of my anxieties and inhibitions melt away and I am agreeable to some within-the-boundaries fun. So a couple of weeks ago, he took it upon himself to reserve us a post-dinner hotel room to sneak off to – and it turns out it was just what we needed.

Now, I will be honest, I wasn’t immediately sold on the idea. My first reaction was one of annoyance. I immediately decided I was not going to like the feel of the blankets and sheets on the bed and the idea of taking all my clothes off and then putting them all back on again felt like a lot of effort for this already pretty tired mom. But as I rattled off a few complaints, watching the dumb little twinkle in his eye slowly disappearing, I gave myself a quick mental pep-talk and changed my tune. “Fine. Let’s go!” I said, synching up my most recent playlist, turning the volume up, and turning the 10- minute drive into a one-woman dance party.

Upon arrival we made our way through a sea of people standing outside, some smoking cigarettes and others chatting. It looked like perhaps a corporate conference had just ended — everyone in business attire as we wove our way through the crowd. It was only seven o’clock after all. Thankfully we didn’t know anyone in attendance.

I waited as my husband checked us in and I noticed he was carrying a large duffle bag. “What’s in the bag?” I asked, as we got into the elevator. “Nothing,” he replied, “just wanted them to think we were really staying.” An Oscar winning performance by him, for sure.

I will save you most of the details of our 14-minute hotel room (hey, babysitters cost a fortune these days) rendezvous but will share that I did some naked jumping on the bed to get a laugh and may or may not have slightly twisted my ankle. Lucky for him I played through the pain and we were back in the elevator in less time than it took some of the conference attendees to finish their cigarettes.

We laughed the whole elevator ride down and through the lobby as I talked loudly about our babysitter and the kids. I was sure someone had clocked us — making up a story about me as a lady of the night, or a cheating wife. Maybe that was a little exciting though, a brief escape from the mundane and routine.

So next time you and your partner are struggling to find time for each other, consider giving a local hotel some quick business. Stepping even one foot out of your comfort zone can make all the difference, even if you end up almost spraining an ankle.