Thank you to all who reviewed because of you I decided to post today. So keep them up or I will send a jackal after you! And not the hot and friendly kind!
"Chloe." Alek said softly. "Wake up."
"No." She groaned as she snuggled into her seat.
"Chloe you have to get up now." Alek said shaking her shoulder.
Chloe groaned again but opened her eyes, looking disoriented for a moment, but memory of the nights events came rushing back. "Where are we?" She asked.
"The pilot says we are about 10 minutes from landing. I wanted to wake you so you could get your stuff together." Alek explained.
"Umm is it okay if I use the bathroom?" She asked picking up her carry-on bag before slipping by Alek. When she reached the rest room she looked at herself in the mirror. Her blonde curls were sticking up in every direction. She groaned and then fished a pony tail out of her bag. A messy bun would have to do for now she figured as she put her hair up. She looked at herself in the mirror again. Her clothes were wrinkled, her hair was a mess and her eyes were still puffy from sleep. How can I be the Uniter? She questioned to herself and felt a familiar sting of tears. She was going to succumb to them but someone knocked on the door and she pushed them back. Now was not the time for self-pity. She had to put on a brave face for Valentina and Jasmine. They wouldn't have wanted her to meet the Boston pride looking like she had just faced a hurricane and lost. They would want her standing tall, and that's what Chloe was going to do. So with one last parting glance at the shell shocked girl in the mirror she left the small restroom and returned to her seat, just as Maggie the flight attendant came over the intercom.
"Hello passengers. I hope you had a nice flight and I would like to welcome you to the historic city of Boston. We will be landing in just 2 minutes so please make sure your baggage is secure, you're table is the in the 'down' position, and your seat belt is buckled. Thank you for flying American Airlines." She finished and put down the receiver and began to walk up and down the aisle.
After buckling herself Chloe turned to look out the window for her fist proper glance of the city of Boston. It looked like many other cities just smaller, and everywhere you looked was surrounded by water. "Have you ever been to Boston?" Chloe asked turning to Alek.
"Never actually." He said looking out the window with her. "They say New England is beautiful this time of year, and it should begin to snow within a month or so. Have you ever seen snow?"
"None that I can remember. I suppose I might have seen it when I was younger in the Ukraine, but I don't remember that, and since I've lived in San Francisco my whole life I haven't had the chance." Chloe said.
"Well you are going to see a lot of it here." A man who was sitting in the aisle across from them said. "You take my world. New England has long harsh winters." He told them with a smiled. "You don't like the weather here, just wait a minute. It will change." He said as he laughed at his own joke, and Chloe smiled and laughed along with him for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, though for her it truly was. She realized it was the first time she had laughed since she had died again.
Moments later the plane began its descent and then landed on the runway of Logan airport. "Come on Chloe." Alek said once the plane stopped and had connected to the terminal. Chloe got up and followed Alek off the plane. He walked with an assured and determined stride through the airport, his eyes scanning the crowd constantly.
"Wait." Chloe said. "Don't we have to go get our bags?" She asked as the continued passed baggage claim.
"No." Alek said. "The pride sent someone to get it and have dropped off at the hotel. We just need to find our ride." He said as they walked to the front entrance. Chloe was immediately shocked at how cold it was. This was November for New Englanders? It was colder here than the dead of winter in San Francisco. Chloe made a mental note that she would need some thicker clothes.
On the curb was a man in a black suit standing in front of the limo. On the name card he was holding it said S.F. Party, and Alek walked towards it. "Is that our ride?" Chloe asked scurrying to keep up. He nodded. "What does S.F. party stand for?" She asked.
"San Francisco party." He said simply. "They didn't want to use our names in case a member of the order was here. "
"Oh." Chloe said as they stopped in front of the car. The man holding the name card flashed his eyes to a cat-like green that marked him as Mai and Chloe saw Alek do the same. The man nodded to Alek then turned to bow at Chloe. "Oh really don't do that." She said putting her hands out in front of her. "A 'hey Chloe nice to meet you' would do just as well." He simply nodded and opened the door. Alek stepped inside and Chloe followed. The door was then shut, and the Mai chauffeur walked around to get in the driver seat. In between the two seating areas was a plastic screen to block out noise from the other cabin. "Why was he so formal?" Chloe whispered to Alek.
"You are the Uniter Chloe. The savior of the Mai race. They are going to treat you like it. Not everyone will act like Jasmine and I did. They will be more like Valentina, but even more formal." He explained.
More formal than Valentina? Chloe thought to herself. That can't be possible. She hated the idea of everyone treating her like that. At least she still had Alek to treat her like she was a normal person she thought but then reconsidered. The whole trip he had acted as if she were a business partner he had just met, not someone he had been friends and teasing, for a good portion of the past year.
Chloe pushed the thought aside as she looked out the window trying to get a good look at the city of Boston. The harsh industrial looking complexes faded into older looking buildings as they drove down the road. Trees with leaves of orange, red, brown and green clad the trees that were planted on the side walk. "Where are we staying?" Chloe asked Alek.
"The Taj." He said as he turned away from his own window. "One of the best in Boston."
"The Mai do know that I don't need everything top-rate right? I would have been perfectly happy staying in a Marriott or a Hilton." She complained.
"Like I said before Chloe. You are the savior of their race. They want you to have the best. Don't throw it back in their face. Oh and here." He said handing her a tan coat that screamed expensive, and with a black dress hat.
"What is this?" Chloe asked.
"You can't go into one of the nicest hotels in the city of Boston looking like you do now. No offense. Put them on." He paused. "Besides I saw how cold you were at the airport. Boston will only be getting colder. You need a proper coat." He said handing her the coat and hat which she put on, and he slipped on a black jacket over his clothes. Chloe couldn't help but notice how hot he looked in the jacket but quickly pushed the thought away. Now was not the time to be checking out Alek, she chided herself as they arrived at the hotel.
The driver walked around to open the limo door and Alek stepped out offering his hand to Chloe, who took it, a little surprised at his formality. She paused to look around at her surroundings. Oh My God! Is that Burberry? She screamed silently as she looked across the street from the hotel. She had to remember to check it out. Not that she could actually buy anything but it would still be fun to look. "Come on Chloe." Alek said tugging at her elbow interrupting her examination of the city.
She smiled at him and then thanked the driver as they began walked to the front door that was being held open by two footmen. Chloe tried to ignore the looks she and Alek were getting from the people on the side walk around them. She even though she heard a camera go off. "Good day." One of the doormen said with a smile that Chloe returned as she and Alek entered the beautiful lobby.
Okay that was 1600 words. I hope you like it. I chose the Taj as the hotel for Chloe and Alek to stay in because it is the one I am most familiar with myself. The hotel is truly beautiful it is one of my favorite places to stay! Tea there and then shopping along Newbury Street is a great way to spend the day in Boston! So now go review if you want the next chapter soon!