The clerk didn't bat an eyelash at Gary's driver's license and credit card, and the transaction seemed to go just fine, so within five minutes, Gary was sticking a magnetic stripe card into the door of Room 128, in the back corner of the motel.
Jack found a light switch, and the suite turned out to have a couch in one room, and two beds in the other. "I assume the couch folds out," said Gary.
"Not it," said Jack, saying in the most annoyed tone she could muster in a female voice, "I need my beauty sleep."
"We'll figure something out," Sandra said, attempting to reassure the newly minted woman. "Uh, do you mind if I use the bathroom first for a shower? This body is making me feel dirty."
Gary looked at Jack, who shrugged. Gary made a gesture toward the bathroom area. "Thanks," said Sandra. "I just wish I had something else to change into." She walked into the toilet/shower room and closed the door.
"Don't worry, I'll take the couch," said Gary, sitting down on that very piece of furniture, leaning back, eyes closed, hands to his head massaging his temples.
Still standing up, Jack was going through the various papers and brochures that had been left on top of the dresser, next to the TV. "So, you think in this world, people and things transform all the time, and everyone's just kinda used to it?"
Gary sighed. "No, a world like that would be too strange to comprehend, and this one seems to just have a few little differences. Well, okay, the university not being there seems big to us, but in the grand scheme of things --" Realizing something, he opened his eyes and asked, "Hey, didn't you have a purse?"
Jack looked around briefly. "Yeah, it just kind of appeared, hanging off my shoulder, when I was in the bathroom back at the gas station. I must have left it in the car. I'm not used to carrying one."
Gary pulled himself up off the couch. "I'll go get it." At that moment, a scream came from the bathroom. Gary flew to the door and jiggled the knob, but the door was locked. He knocked. "Sandra? Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine," came Sandra's voice through the door. "It's just -- these shoes! Don't worry about me -- I'll explain when I get out." After that, the only sound was running water.
Gary waited a few seconds, then turned back around. Jack explained for Gary's benefit, "She probably almost slipped. She doesn't wear heels too much," and then changed the subject, "Hey, it's almost midnight, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess," answered Gary.
"Yeah, I'm a little hungry, but I don't think any of these places deliver this late," said Jack, who was looking through a small selection of restaurant menus. She held one up for Gary's benefit; the name at the top was "Madame Wu's Cantonese Cuisine." "Too bad. This place closed at 11:00, and I could really go for some Chinese." She saw Gary's jaw drop, and, confused, asked, "What? Hey, I feel a little weird, and --" She dropped the menu and noticed that the skin of her arms were a different color than they used to be, and then watched as her clothing morphed, changing color and material until it was a blue silk dress with colorful flowers, revealing plenty of leg.
She turned around and saw in the mirror above the dresser about what she'd expected to see -- her facial features had changed, and she now had almond-shaped eyes and high cheekbones, and her brown hair had darkened to a jet black, done up in a bun with ivory chopsticks stuck through it. Between that and the dress, it was obvious. "I'm Chinese," she said.
"That was, um, fun to watch," said Gary. He felt surprisingly aroused.
Jack wheeled around and glared at him. "Hey, how come you haven't changed at all yet?"
"How should I know?" retorted Gary. "We don't even know what's causing the changes, although --" Jack was leaning over to pick the Chinese menu off the floor, and Gary yelled, "Stop!"
Between the female body and the tight traditional Chinese dress, Jack was pretty much stopped anyway. "What now?"
"You changed right after you picked up that menu," pointed out Gary. "I think there's a connection."
"I also said I could go for Chinese," said Jack, and then raised her voice. "I could really go for my old self! I could really go for a man!"
Neither of them said anything for about 15 seconds, but nothing happened.