| �You ditched us for a guy on the plane?� Teri shrieked in the cab. �She didn�t ditch us, per say,� Anya defended her. �I wanted to get some work done privately, and since you were off chasing faeries and Anya was writing�� ��Excuse me I was not chasing faeries!� ��I figured it would be okay if I sat in the back of the cabin and got some work done on my own. And then this really tall, handsome English stranger sits down next to me� How could I refuse? �No go away you extremely gorgeous creature? I have work to do?�� �Chasing faeries? What do you mean by chasing faeries?� �We got to talking and we hit it off. We really opened up to each other� and the thing is, girls� The power he had over me started to scare me. I found myself stuttering, not making my points clear, and you know how I have that freaky thing where I�� ��Oh! Now I get it! Like, faeries are rich people!� �TERREN!� Anya and Adrienne screamed in unison. Terren looked at the two of her faces, confused. �What?� Anya rolled her eyes at Teri and patted her leg. �Freaky thing where you what, Adrienne?� �Well, you know that freaky thing where I can�t do anything unless it�s a question that can be answered?� The other girls nodded and made faces that told them they understood very well. �This feeling was just one thing� I couldn�t understand� at all.� Teri and Anya smiled at each other and then looked back at their friend. �What?� �Oh come on!� Anya yelled. �It�s obvious you are smitten with him!� �SMITTEN? Oh please! That�s so tenth-grade, Bisbee!� �Admit it,� Teri said, pointing an accusing finger at her. �You like him.� �Like him?� Adrienne cried, turning around and crossing her arms in front of her chest. �You�re insane.� �Dree, don�t deny it! You finally found someone you really connected with and just because you don�t understand the connection you two made, you want to assume it�s nothing and push it away! Only because it�s a question you can�t answer. Honey, so is love! If you ever want to fall in love, you have to let unanswered questions happen.� Adrienne felt herself deflate. Her friends were right. She did have a problem with unanswered questions and she hated the fact that her friends had called her on it. Not to mention how she was smitten with Dan, whoever he was. She would have given her right arm to see him again. She had never had time to fall in love, so things like that just plain scared her. The cab pulled up to the hotel and as they unloaded their things to head inside, a large Harry Potter banner hung over the entrance. It gawked at them, and instantly Anya was smiling, Terren was squealing, and Adrienne was grunting. �They�re making such a huge deal out of this!� Dree exclaimed. �Of course they are! It�s London! It�s Harry Potter! Who wouldn�t?� Terren cried excitedly, suddenly finding that she had the strength of ten men. She pulled her suitcases up and ran top speed into the lobby. �TERI!� Anya screamed, paying the cab driver, thanking him, and running after her overzealous friend. The chase was soon cut short, however, when the duo entered the lobby. Teri was standing in the middle, looking up at the wonderful cathedral-like structure. The women at the front desk were watching the girls in amusement. �Excuse me?� they called. Anya snapped to attention and made her way over to the desk to sign in. �Hello. The name is Bisbee, I believe we have a suite.� �Of course,� said the gracious English woman, leaning back to retrieve the key. �Jeremy will help you get settled. Your room is on floor thirteen, suite number eight.� Anya smiled courteously at the woman and took the key. After handing the suitcases to the bellhop, she retrieved her bewitched friends and headed to the elevator. They rode up to their floor in a flurry of excitement. The door opened and they followed Jeremy to the suite, opened the door, and couldn�t move another inch. The entire place was their personal heaven. They stood in the common room, then followed the bellhop on jerky legs. The tone of the suite was almost magical, in mostly whites, silvers, and golds. They gasped going from room to room. The bedroom was amazing. Two king size canopy beds were placed by the wall, facing a large entertainment center including a full screen television set, VCR, DVD player, and sound equipment. There were two large windows facing the beds, exhibiting the pure beauty of London. Adrienne gasped, running toward the bed furthest to the right where a window showed a complete overview of London. �I�m sleeping here!� Jeremy smiled and Anya moved forward to check the view when something else caught her eye. Her jaw dropped and she ran from Adrienne�s side to the large bathroom adjoining the room. The shower was larger than anything she had ever seen in her life. There was a triple sink with gold faucets and a gigantic swan neck Jacuzzi bathtub set up next to the sinks. She sat down on the edge of it, letting her fingers trace the white marble. �Oh, wow�� she breathed. Jeremy stepped in and cleared his throat. �Ladies, I have to be going. I hope you like your suite and are satisfied with your surroundings� and I can tell there will be no problem there.� Anya excitedly popped up and ran toward Jeremy with vigor. �Tell me� is room service any good? Be honest!� Terren and Adrienne closed in, watching with anticipation as Jeremy answered, �It�s the best food in England. I more so recommend getting the English breakfast because there�s nothing like it. Also, the fruit is exquisite and the champagne, if you so choose to order any, is the finest you�ll get at the prices we offer.� �Sounds like you�re making a sales pitch,� Terren commented. Jeremy shrugged. �More so than anything. Well, I�ll bid you ladies goodnight.� Anya smiled sweetly and slapped an American twenty-dollar bill into his hand. After he left, Anya turned around, faced her friends, and they all joined each other in excited chatter. Within the two days they had to prepare for the premiere, the girls had seen everything there was to see of downtown London. Terren�s eyes had never been so wide and Adrienne had never been so quiet. Anya had seen it all before, but every time she came back, it amazed her. �So,� Teri asked over a brief coffee interlude one afternoon. �What are we supposed to wear to this premiere?� Anya smiled brightly. �I thought you�d never ask! I was waiting for us to go shopping for dresses!� �Dresses? As in� fancy dresses?� Teri asked, her jaw dropping. �Elegant dresses?� Adrienne asked. �Whatever you please,� Anya said, digging in her purse for a card. She pulled it out and set it on the table. It said in beautiful ink: Miss Frederica Gansmore�s Evening and Bridal Boutique Supplying every special occasion dress to make any woman beautiful! Anya watched in delight as her friends� faces contorted into complete excitement. �How soon do we go?� �Finish your coffee,� Anya said, getting up quickly to use the bathroom. It only took four hours before the girls all had the dresses of their dreams. Terren was the easiest to please. She wanted something comfortable but sexy, and tried on only four or five dresses before she found something she truly wanted. It was a sleek, curve grabbing maroon dress. It was strapless and decorated with large white stars. As soon as Terren tried it on along with the matching scarf, it was a hit. Adrienne found something in basic black, but elegant nonetheless. She tried on only seven or eight before finding a strapless dress with a black bottom and starred top. Along with the dress came a silver half jacket, which completed the look. Adrienne held her hair up above her neck and the whistles she received from her friends told her that her search was over. Anya however, was having a bigger problem. She always took her premieres very seriously and for a reason unbeknownst to her friends, she wanted to look exceptionally exquisite that year. She searched high and low for the perfect color, fit, and almost settled on something that she was only half interested in. After at least twenty dresses, Anya was ready to throw in the towel. However, the salesgirl that had been watching approached them with a dress still in a black garment bag. �I saw the dresses you were trying on and I knew what you would be looking for. We just got this in, and I figured with your hair color and skin tone, it would look absolutely smashing,� she explained, pulling out the dress. The three girls gasped when they saw it and before Anya even put it on, she knew. It was a long, strapless gown that looked to Anya like a dress only fit for a princess. The gown was not form fitting like Terren�s, or straight and sleek like Adrienne�s. It had somewhat of a larger volume. There was a thin sparkling layer of nylon over the top of the gown, giving it a wonderful sheen. The dress was beige; a cream like color that brought out the red in Anya�s hair. Anya knew she didn�t even need to try on the dress. After their dress shopping was done, they returned to the hotel to crash on their large beds, order in, and watch romantic movies. �Since we�re going to get a heavy dose of Harry Potter, witchcraft, wizardry, and childish fantasy tomorrow, we might as well indulge in the adultness of our personalities for one night,� Adrienne commented. �Dree!� Terren exclaimed, slipping into her soft baby blue sun pajamas. �Come on! Get off it! You know you want to see this movie. Didn�t you tell us that your mystery date would be at this function?� she added with a wink. Adrienne�s dark cheeks turned crimson and she shook her head, brushing invisible hair off of her black satin pajama set. �Maybe he won�t be there.� �Hmm,� Teri commented. Without warning, she took off into the bedroom at top speed, flying on top of the bed that Anya was writing on. They screamed, laughed and yelled as they wrestled with each other. Adrienne rolled her eyes and stood next to them by the bed. �Who�s ordering what?� she called. The girls stopped and Anya brushed her mangled hair away from her face. �I�ll order the movies!� �I�ll order the food!� Teri offered. �Why don�t I help you with that?� Adrienne said quickly, sitting next to her. Teri frowned. �Why?� �Because knowing you, we�ll get like, eighteen buckets of chicken, a bag of popcorn, and a bowl of red and yellow M and M�s,� she said, pulling out a menu. �So?� Adrienne only laughed, retrieving the phone from her friends� tight grip. Once everything had been settled, food and movies had been ordered, and the girls were ready to sit back and relax, they were finally content. This would be their night to really catch up on sleep before they were in a whirlwind of adventure only twenty-four hours to come. Yet not one of them knew the true whirlwind they were really crashing toward. The night would be full of what Adrienne thought was the most absurd thing in the world. Magic. |
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