LONDON NIGHTS: A DANFIC
Chapter 1
"Please fasten your seatbelts as we prepare to land in Heathrow Airport. Thank you for flying with us and have a safe holiday." Lydia buckles her seatbelt and reaches over to wake up her boyfriend.
"Eric," she whispers in his ear. "Eric, wake up! We're here!" The tall, muscled boy opened his green eyes and looked over at Lydia. She was gazing eagerly out the airplane window at the city waiting below. She's always more infatuated with the places she goes to than with the people she goes with. Eric chuckled to himself as the plane descended.
The couple disembarked the plane and collected their luggage. As they approached the doors that marked the beginning of their London adventure, Lydia could feel herself getting more and more excited. She had always told Eric how she dreamed of visiting London one day, and now here she was, in the city of her dreams to celebrate two wonderful years with him. They stepped through the doors into the cold December air and dashed over to a waiting cab. "After you, m'lady," Eric said, opening the door for Lydia.
"Oh, thank you good sir!" She ducked into the little cab as Eric closed the door behind her. She opened her mouth to tell the driver where they wanted to go, but quickly remembered that Eric had planned the whole trip himself, so she had no idea where the cab's destination would be.
"The Royal Garden Hotel, please," said Eric as he climbed in. Lydia's eyes widened at the name and she whirled on Eric.
"There's no way you paid for The Royal Garden Hotel yourself! It's a five-star!" It was too good to be true. She had always fantasized about staying there, even for just one night. But a whole two weeks? How did he pay for that?
"I know you've always wanted to stay there, so I figured, what better reason is there to splurge a little than our two-year anniversary? Am I not allowed to spoil my own girlfriend?" Lydia chuckled at his reply.
"Thank you so much, Eric." She leaned her head onto his shoulder. "This trip is a dream come true and there is honestly no one else I'd rather spend it with." They sat like that for a while, simply enjoying each other's company as they watched the streets of London whir past them. The cab reached the hotel and Lydia insisted on paying the driver. "You've already spent so much on me! At least let me pay for the cab!" After arguing for a bit, Eric gave in and let Lydia pay.
They walked up the steps, pushed their way through the rotating door, and froze. The elegance of the hotel lobby was breathtaking – the walls were made of glass, accentuated by bright cedar beams. The floor was a dark marble that shone so brightly, the image of the enormous chandeliers hanging from the ceiling was reflected. Everything seemed to be trying to outdo everything else in the room in terms of perfection.
"Lydia?" She abruptly stopped marveling at the magnificent establishment and turned her attention to Eric.
"Sorry," she laughed. Its cheerful melody danced off of the walls and lilted through the room, making several people look up wondering where this joyful noise originated. "We should go check in." After checking in and grabbing the room keys, Eric led the way to their room. "The top floor?" Lydia asked eagerly as Eric punched the number 10 in the elevator.
"…Maybe," he said with a smirk as the elevator rose higher and higher. It came to a halt, and Eric led Lydia to room 330 – the penthouse suite. "After you, m'lady," said Eric as he swung the heavy door open for her.
The bedroom, though she doubted it would be possible upon entering the hotel, was even more stunning than the lobby. The first thing she saw upon entering was a breathtaking view of the London skyline from two windows that were so huge that they took up most of the far wall. The bathroom was on the right, directly after she stepped inside. It boasted a Jacuzzi-style bathtub and an elegant stone sink, both of which gleamed with pride. The bed was a king, adorned with a regal scarlet comforter and an infinite number of pillows. Past the bed was a step up leading to a sitting area featuring a couch with a coffee table in front of it and a spacious desk made of the same gorgeous cedar as was in the lobby.
After Lydia had finished exploring the room, Eric approached her. "This is so much better than I've ever dreamed coming to London would be," he said, pulling her close. She looked up into his emerald eyes and feigned surprise.
"You must complain about me raving about coming here at least three times a day – AND YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL ME YOU'RE ENJOYING YOURSELF?!" She giggled and draped her arms around his neck.
"Well, I'm here with you." He looked earnestly into her blue eyes and brushed a dark strand of hair from her face. Their lips met in a brief, loving embrace before they decided to finish unpacking and go explore the city.
They walked down the steps of the hotel and began walking down Kensington High Street, checking out their surroundings. "Oh, Lydia, look over there!" Eric pointed to a little roadside café across the street. "Let's go grab some coffee, it's freezing out." They jogged across the street and entered the shop, the tantalizing scent of coffee suddenly surrounding them. "I'll go order. I'll meet you over there." He pointed to a cozy booth in the corner and headed over to the counter. He sure was in a rush to grab some coffees, Lydia thought as she slid into the booth to wait for Eric to return.