The Scholarship

The Surprise ~ 13

Once we are in the car, and all buckled up, I take a big sigh. This made him look at me grinning. Which sent me off to laugh, then he joined in. The car set off and I opened the compartment and took out the Cher Llyod CD. I forced it in the CD space, and put it to track 10 and started to sing along. I didn't recognise where we were going.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Somewhere."

"Where though?"

"Just somewhere." He smirked.

"Ok...?"

"Good!"

"Urggggg!!!" I laugh, then continue my singing, but this time more whispering.

***

We pull up in a hotel parking lot, and I realise what he was doing. I sigh optimistically , "Well...?"

I've booked us a room for tonight, then tomorrow we'll be heading off to London. Think of it as a congratulations."

"Thank you Connor." I peck him on the cheek and sit back in my seat.

"You're welcome. Now let's get inside before they think we're being suspicious!" With that he gets out and comes round to my side, and opens the door like I'm royalty. We both walk slowly over to the hotel hand in hand. When we finally get into the building he tells me to sit, and after a few minutes talking to the receptionist gives me a signal to meet at the lifts. The lobby is really posh, full of marble floors and expensive looking white sofas. Having had being allowed to change before arriving here, I was is in some leggings, comfy t-shirt and thick jumper. Not forgetting fluffy socks and bunny slippers, I'm really out of my comfort zone.

We enter the lift and Con gives me the key card, and as soon as the doors open to level 7 I'm off. Racing down the floral carpeted hallway in search of our room. When I find it I eagerly put the card in the designated slot and the green light flashed. Opening the door in awe. It's beautiful! The whole room is open except from the bathroom of course, having its door to the very left as you enter. In front of the door is the posh dining area, having a set of table and four chairs with clawed 'feet'. On top is the complementary set of coffee granules and tea bags, sugar and milk. Insult beyond in the far corner is a little kitchen area with a, somehow vintage: kettle, coffee maker, toaster and microwave. Instantly to the right is a posh sitting area with the same claw footed comfy sofas and coffee table with magazines, all placed neatly in front on a fluffy rug. On the wall a 60" plasma TV, again somehow made to fit in with the 18th century, upper class home. A small bureau with a green old fashioned lamp is placed in the right corner beyond the sitting area. But in its pride place, directly in between the bureau and kitchen is the bed, being a little spaced out with accompanied sides of bedside tables. It's the best part of the room with a velvet canopy being held up by four stands in all corners. There were paintings thoughtfully placed around the room, the walls themselves being a calming floral and the carpet being a soft cream. Like I said: beautiful!

In this 'palace', it feels like, I'm so out of place.

I firstly walk straight into the bathroom and realise something, so I pop my head around the door.

"What would we sleep in?"

"What you don't know is that, I've brought some things in the boot of my car for us." Connor, now being here, smiles away. Not even making eye contact, but simply being dazed as I was just moments ago.

"Well thank you." I then run out from the bathroom and jump onto the bed, the first thing I wanted to do since entering, but being careful not to hit my hip on the velvet sitting box at the foot of the bed. "I love it!"

"Good!"

"But how much?" I sit up, just kicking in that all this isn't something you'd just see everyday.

"Nothing you need to worry about, but let's say, it wasn't overly done." A wink being involved, I'm intrigued now. I tug at the duvet and lie under it. Clinching a pillow as if it were a teddy. I snuggle my head underneath the duvet and found that, a few seconds later, Connor pulled them from me.

"What was that for???" I groaned. I really couldn't be bothered to do anything right now, I was too tired.

"You can go to bed later, but now lets get ready for tea. I know that it's not a posh place, but we hardly look presentable." The smile was still plastered on his face, as if it were drawn on in permanent marker pen. I scan the two of us. And just as he said, we weren't presentable really. And that's when the genius idea enters my mind.

"What about room service?"

***