Conrad
We have arrived in London after a long but smooth flight. Maya did okay on the flight. She freaked out a few times, but I calmed her easily. We were glad to have landed. I kept her close to me as we pivoted through the busy airport because I could sense it was making her anxious. Chelsea is picking us up and taking us to our hotel, which isn’t too far away. I have booked us into the Four Seasons for our stay. It is a stunning hotel with everything we need. It will be the perfect place for us to relax.
“How are you doing, angel?” I ask as we finally head for the exit.
“Okay. I will be better when we are out in the fresh air.” She smiles.
“Yes, and then we can get to the hotel, shower and order room service.”
With the length of the flight and the time difference, it is already past ten o’clock here. A good night’s sleep will do us good, and we can explore tomorrow.
“Good idea.” She nods.
“Or a bath. There is a tub as well as a shower.”
“Oh, a bath sounds better.” She grins.
It is nice to see her smiling and not sad. It broke my heart to see her in such a state. I hope the fact that I got her a new cell and number will mean Callum can’t contact her. He won’t be able to find it anywhere. I made sure of that.
“Then a bath it is, sweetness.” I smile and kiss the top of her head.
The second we step out, we shudder. It is pretty cold, but the coolness feels nice.
“Conrad! Maya!”
The sound of my sister’s excited voice made us turn around. Chelsea rushes over to us and walks straight by me and for Maya. She hugs her, and Maya happily hugs back.
“Fine then. I know who you like better now.” I chuckle.
I love they have become close. They have been texting and video-calling with one another since Chelsea went back to London. They had become great friends in such a short time. It was nice. Maya needs a friend. I am sure there are days she needs a break from me, and I completely understand. She needs female friends.
“I will get to you.” Chelsea laughs.
When they part, she finally comes to me for a hug, “It is good to see you again, big brother.”
“You too, Chelsea,” I reply and pull away.
“Come on, you two must be exhausted. Let’s get you to your hotel.” She smiles.
We follow her to the car. I put our case into the trunk. Maya sits in the front with Chelsea, and I take the back seat. We chatted about the flight and our plans for our time here.
“I am excited to see London.” Maya gushes.
“You will love it. Are we still okay for dinner tomorrow night?” Chelsea asks nervously.
“Yes, of course. But if he is an asshole, then we might have a problem.” I reply.
We were meeting Chelsea’s boyfriend tomorrow. I know nothing about him, not even his name. She has been secretive about it, and I don’t know why. It makes me worry she is with someone she shouldn’t be, but that could be my protective big brother instincts kicking in.
“He is not an asshole. He is a good guy who cares for and treats me right.” She gushes.
“I will be the judge of that.”
“Conrad, leave her alone. I am sure he is great.” Maya snickers.
“I am used to it. You will know better than anyone how protective he is.” Chelsea laughs.
I hold my hands up, “Fine. I will drop it for now.”
I should have known it would have been those two against me; it’s not like I mind.
“How has everything been back home?” she asks.
“Dad is still being an asshole. But Callum has kept his distance and hasn’t been around recently, something that will hopefully continue.” I reply.
“Dad needs to get a grip and get over it. I am glad Callum hasn’t been around. How is the private investigator getting on?” she asks.
Maya sighs, “He hasn’t been able to find him yet, but I am not giving up hope.”
“I am sure they will find him soon. At least if you are here, you don’t need to worry for the next few days.” Chelsea says softly and squeezes Maya’s hand.
“Yes. I refuse to even think about any of it while we are here.” Maya smiles.
We change the topic of conversation for the rest of the journey to our hotel.
“Thank you for picking us up.” Maya smiles as we get out of the car.
“You are welcome. See you both tomorrow for coffee?”
“Of course. Get home safe. Text me when you arrive.” I say.
We say our goodbyes and I grab the case, leading us inside.
“Oh wow, look at this place.” Maya gushes, wide-eyed.
I leave her to admire it as I check us in and get our card keys. It really was beautiful. It is modern but still has an apparent Art Deco style to it, with gorgeous marble floors and high ceilings. There is a welcoming feeling to it. I can only imagine what the rooms are like. There is also a rooftop spa with a view of Big Ben and London Eye, to name a few.
“Would you like someone to take your bags up to room, Sir?”
“Thank you, but no. I will manage.” I reply politely.
Maya is still in complete awe of the place when I approach her. “Ready?”
She looks up at me with bright eyes and a smile, nodding her head. I take her hand in my free one and lead us up to the fifth floor, where our room is. The entire place is stunning and comforting.
“I can’t believe how incredible this place is,” Maya says.
“Yes, it is something else. I am sure our suite will be just as great.”
“Do I even want to know how much this place costs a night?” she asks with a raised brow.
I chuckle and shake my head, “I will keep it to myself. I will say one thing, yes, it is expensive, but there are also more expensive places I could have booked.”
She playfully rolls her eyes. We arrive at our room, and we head inside.
“This place is bigger than my old apartment.” She gasps.
We admire our suite before getting our clothes away. It is a great size with beautiful furniture, art and light colours. It looks like an apartment. It will be a great place for us to call home for the next few days.
“Do you like it?” I ask.
“I love it. Thank you.” She smiles and kisses my cheek.
“Good. I want you to be relaxed here.”
I reach down to kiss her softly and get back to unpacking.
“Food or a bath first?” she asks.
“Bath, and then we can have food in bed. The room service is twenty-four hours anyway.”
“Okay! Sounds like a great plan.” She beams, clapping her hands.
I smile at her excitement. I want to make sure she has the best time on our trip because she deserves it.