The Vandeviere Hotel 》H.S.

two

two

Out of all the things I could have said once I entered the building, it was "Holy crap."

Niall chuckles, placing his hand on my lower back and gently pushing me forward once he noticed I stopped walking. Could he blame me? This was not what I was expecting at all.

The hotel was ten times huger than what it looked to be like from the outside, it was like Hermione Granger's tent, looking like nothing on the outside but giving you a double take once you go in, except this was a damn hotel and it was real.

Everything was so bright and gleaming that I had to shield my eyes before they could adjust to the brightness of it all. Huge, olden chandeliers hung down from above, lining up in one straight line vertically from where I stood. Beautiful, intricate paintings of mermaids and sailors and the sea dangled from the walls, making it seem like the sea was actually moving. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata played in the background softly. Furniture that each were worth probably more than I was, strategically placed on the flooring were filled with people who were as equally flawless. They wore the clothes celebrities in Hollywood wore in the early 1900's, dark coats and shimmering dresses of all sort. Perfect postures, perfect teeth, it almost made me want to grab the nearest person I saw and ask for their autograph. People dressed like Niall, with blue shirts and black dress pants, rushed here and there, attending to people both here and in their suites, sincere grins planted permanently on their faces. And in the center of it all was a grand, glossy, wooden, and carpeted staircase that lead to both the left and right of upstairs, probably to the suites.

I suddenly feel out of place when I realize I'm only wearing black tights and a coat, whilst everyone else were dressed glamorously. I stop suddenly, causing Niall to halt as well.

He looks at me worriedly, setting my luggage down gently. "Is everything all right, Miss Windsor?"

I frown, trying my best not to look too sheepish. "I look underdressed compared to everyone in here, including you. It's kind of embarrassing, actually."

Niall sends me a warm smile, placing his hand on my shoulder. His voice drops into a whisper, so low only I was able to hear. "I should not be saying this, Miss Windsor, for the staff are forbidden to converse with guests, but you are very pretty. Not even the finest of diamond rings donned by the richest woman here could compare to your beauty."

My eyes widen. I've just known him for a good 15 minutes but I'm pretty sure that was the best compliment I've ever received from a man in my entire life. I feel my ears grow hot as Niall stares at me confidently, not wavering even once, while I was a blushing mess.

"Oh," I mumble, looking away quickly. "Thank you. That was much unexpected, but... sweet. Thank you."

Before I even realized I thanked him twice in one sentence, he grins, and we both begin to walk again. "A beautiful woman like you should be receiving compliments like these all the time, Miss Windsor." He continues, walking along beside me. "I am surprised that no man has not asked for your hand in marriage yet."

I am taken aback. I raise my eyebrows. "I'm only 19, Niall. It is kind of weird I don't have a boyfriend yet, but I'm still way too young to be married."

He looks as surprised and confused as I am. "But, it is normal for 19 year olds to be--"

"Welcome to the Vandeviere Hotel, Miss Windsor!" Someone exclaims happily, making Niall and I jump. I look up to see a woman in her late 30's, sporting a deep red and black, slim dress that clung to every curve of her body snugly. Her ash blonde hair was pinned up tightly in a high bun, not a strand of loose hair in sight, and her makeup was spread generously onto her face, but surprisingly, it kind of suited her. Her hands were clasped tightly together as she smiled widely, staring at me.