At times Brianna really wanted to let go of everything and just say, what the hell, why not? She wanted to free herself from the world that bound her to one personality, that limited her to being who she was instead of who she was capable of being. From the moment she got to California and stepped into the sunshine, that was exactly how she felt.
She longed run to down the white sand beaches under the bright baby blue sky, a long dress billowing around her gladiator sandals. She had never before seen such perfectly fluffy clouds, or emerald ocean gently lapping at the sand on the beach. Palm fronds fluttered in the light breeze, and the warmth in the air was one so natural, there was no heavy pollution to obscure her from breathing the cool sea air.
The first thing Brianna noticed was the difference of the style of buildings. They were painted bright colors and made from what looked like terra-cotta, though it would be obviously a stronger material. There were so many yards and bushes with tropical plants everywhere, so different from the crowded apartment buildings, smog, and cement that seemed to fill New York all the time. The sun in California was much stronger and more true, it beat down on the skin exposed by the sundress and warmed her shoulders.
Chrissie joined her and together they closed their eyes, their faces tilted back towards the sky to let the heat radiate off of them. Chrissie showed teeth as she smiled with bliss, and she looked over at Brianna, who did the same. They hailed a taxi quickly and gave the driver the address. The two girls took their own taxi, while the guys had said they would haul the luggage in a different one and meet them there.
"I can't wait to get a tan and go swimming," Brianna said from her position looking out the window. Chrissie was doing the same from the other side of the car, examining the palm trees as they passed. Brianna was fascinated by the tropicality of the area. She had seen pictures of places like this, and had faint memories from visiting Florida when she was very young, but she had never expected the views to be quite this nice just while driving to Dana Port.
"Me, too," Chrissie replied. "It's beautiful here." The taxi driver was snickering quietly at the girls fascination, but kept to himself. He had promised them that the ride would be a short one, and he kept his word. In less than fifteen minutes, they had reached Dana Port and pulled into the front of the hotel.
"Woah," Chrissie whispered, matching Brianna's thoughts exactly. The Ritz Carlton was bigger than either of them had ever imagined, with a seaside view and large balconies overlooking the ocean. They thanked the cab driver, paid him, and hauled their carryon bags through the main entrance.
"Chrissie, just how much did you spend on this place?" Brianna breathed in awe. In front of them was a modern black and white room, with a high cathedral ceiling and a large crystal chandelier hanging from the very center. Expensive looking leather and velvet couches dotted the huge main lobby, and people in suits and dresses wandered around or left the building, obviously headed for work.
"Doesn't matter," Chrissie said, shaking her head. "We're here now. And it's beautiful! I guess some people actually live here." She was watching a man in a black suit with a briefcase on a business call. Brianna nodded.
"Let's check in. Do you have the information?" Chrissie said yes and they approached the main help desk. The man there looked up at them and sighed. He didn't look like he was very happy to be working there.
"How can I help you?" He asked.
"We need to check in. We're here for around two months. Last name Lane, first name Chrissie..." Chrissie went through the check-in process until the man handed her a key with the room number on it.
