Made it to DC! Unfortunately, after traveling all day (…and losing three hours…), I’m just wiped out. So, we’re keeping it short again today. And, for the record, there’s only one bed in this room…

When I travel for work, I really don’t care whether the room has a queen bed, or two doubles – it’s just me in the room, so if there’s a second bed there then it’s likely just a place for my suitcase to go. So when I checked into the Grandwell Capitol Gateway it was after ten at night. By the time I got to my room, I didn’t think about the fact that there were two double beds. It was late already and I opened my suitcase on the couch to get my sleep clothes and then just crashed in the left bed.

When my alarm went off the next morning, I noticed the covers were pulled back on the second bed. I frowned wondering whether the housekeeping services had cut corners on making that second bed… but I would have sworn both beds were made exactly the same.

I got back to my room late after we had a work networking dinner with clients and was pleased to see both beds were made exactly the same. The next morning, though, not only were the covers pulled back, but they looked rumpled – just as rumpled as my own slept-in bed. I went directly to the front door and inspected the deadlock and privacy lock – both locked from within. I stared at the unkempt bed with a frown and fought the urge to think there was something supernatural going on – but how do you explain it?

Another conference day, another networking mixer. Just like the previous day, housekeeping had made both beds perfectly. This time I put a piece of tape across the inside of the door after engaging the deadbolt and privacy lock. I even went so far as to put my closed checked luggage on the bed.

I wasn’t exactly smiling when I climbed into my bed, but I was at least secure in the knowledge that no one would get in or get into that bed without alerting me.

So, when I awoke just after three in the morning, I chalked it up to the noisy air conditioner coming on.

And then I felt the covers on the far side of my bed slowly get pulled back and felt weight on the mattress.