Anita led me back down the giant string of hallways and rooms, and eventually we were back in the main hall. This time she led me up the stairs, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I could slide down the railing like a princess one day. When we got to the top landing, Anita led me to the left down a hallway leading to a series of rooms.
“Mr. Alcott Jr is arriving tonight, and will be staying in the room next to yours, as it is where he grew up, and where he stays whenever he is around,” Anita told me, indicating a closed door to my right. We went slightly further down the hall to the next door, which Anita opened for me, then held for me as I entered in front of her.
I was going to have to get plastic surgery to fix my jaw if this kept up. These were guest quarters?
The light poured in from a bay window covered in the most comfortable cushions I’d ever seen. The pastel green shade of paint on the wall was absolutely gorgeous, and my eye was immediately drawn to the King size bed that looked like I needed a ladder just to get onto it. My suitcases lay off to one side, near a nightstand with a phone on it. Against the near wall was a desk and chair, perfect for studying.
The door to the walk-in closet on the other side of the room was open, and I could instantly tell it was bigger than the kitchen was at our old place.
But even more impressive was the en-suite. I walked on the marble-tiled floors and looked at the Jacuzzi tub, the huge shower with a rainwater head, the double sinks and toilet. It was huge! And gorgeous.
“Wow,” was the only thing I could say.
“If you need anything, at any time, just press number 1 on the phone on the nightstand and someone will come see to your needs,” Anita told me kindly.
“This is insane. Who lives like this?” I whispered, almost to myself.
“Mr. Alcott does. You’re very lucky,” Anita told me with a smile. She seemed to be enjoying my shock.
“Yes. Yes, that I am. Wow.”
I was never really the type to be in love with material things, but I’m not going to lie, I was already in love with this place.
“I’ll leave you to your things, Gina will come over to help you unpack when she’s finished with your mother’s things.”
“Oh, that’s ok Anita, thanks. I can unpack myself,” I told her with a smile.
“Alright, up to you. Gina will be bringing by a TV however, and in the next couple days it will be hooked up with satellite so you’ll have a number of channels to choose from.”
“Thanks so much, Anita,” I told her.
“Not a problem. Be ready for dinner at seven. Someone will come and get you to show you to the dining room. If you want anything to eat before then, don’t hesitate to use the phone and ask.”
“Ok, I will, thanks!”
With that, Anita left, and I stood in the middle of the room, looking around, still not believing that this was real life. This was my life.
I spent the next couple hours unpacking, then settled down on the giant bed which was even more comfortable than I had expected, and continued reading Wuthering Heights.
Unfortunately, the jet lag caught up to me, and I ended up falling asleep, letting the book fall to my side. I woke up to the sound of tires squealing outside. I sat up in bed with a gasp as it took me a few seconds to remember where I was.
So this wasn’t a dream after all I thought as I wiped the sleep from my eyes and looked outside. The sun was starting to set, and I heard a car door slam in the distance. I got up and moved toward the bay window. The sun was setting over the gorgeous green hills of England, but the sunset wasn’t what my eyes focused on.
There were skid marks on the driveway, the obvious cause of the squealing tires that had woken me up, leading to a Lamborghini convertible that still shone bright red in the dusky light.
Getting out of the convertible was the most gorgeous man I’d ever set my eyes on. Wearing jeans and a blazer jacket, with wavy brown hair and three days’ worth of stubble, he walked like the whole world moved at his feet. And God, with those looks, I bet it did.
My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the man, mesmerized. I wondered who he was, what he was doing here. I could see the tip of a tattoo on his chest above the neckline of his shirt. This wasn’t the kind of guy that would fit in here, I thought.
Suddenly I looked over at the clock. It was already after six, and I definitely needed to have a shower, wash my hair, and make sure I looked half decent at dinner.
Luckily I found some shampoo already waiting for me in the shower of my room, and I let the hot water pour all over my skin, rejuvenating me. The next day, I decided, I would go fill out some forms at Oxford that had to be filled out in person, and do a bit of basic shopping. Maybe even do a touristy thing or two in London.