Cut And Dried

Gentle Steps

Chrissie

During the trip to the hotel, I listened with interest at the banter between the two siblings, just by listening and watching their interactions you could tell they were very fond of each other, laughing, joking and touching.

I found myself drifting back to when my sisters were younger and the four of us would act just as Claudia and Brent were now, before men ruined their lives and turned them from happy go lucky girls into miserable, vindictive ex wives.

"Are you alright Chrissie"

"Ummm" was my automatic reply as I reluctantly came back to the present, wiping a tear that had formed in the corner of my eye.

"I'm sorry I was miles away" I elaborated. " Did you say something"

"I asked where you and Brent first met"

I couldn't help but smile as I remembered our first meeting.

"In a ladies hairdressing salon"

"How romantic" giggled Claudia.

"Oh far from it" as I starting giggling myself. "I offered him a perm and he offered me fish and chips and as you know the way to a woman's heart is a fish and chip supper"

That caused the both of us to break into full laughter, with Brent just sitting there bemused staring at me.

While Claudia quizzed me about our relationship, I kept glancing at Brent to see his reaction to my answers, I tried to stick to the truth and was hoping he would jump in and help me out, but all he did was continually stare at me with a big smirk on his face.

Even when I pleaded with him with my eyes and facial expression, he didn't utter a word just kept on smiling at me.

I heaved a huge sigh of relief when the driver announced we had arrived at the hotel and I quickly scrambled to open the door, but was hauled back by a firm grip on my arm, making me topple backwards across Brent's lap.

So there I was laying there staring up into his eyes, eyes that narrowed and glared at me with an unreadable expression on his face, I instinctively licked my bottom lip and he growled, yes growled a low throaty noise just like a lion would make before it ravished it's prey.

Oh shit that made me shoot up to a sitting position quickly, my analogy of Brent the lion and me the prey, hitting home.

Sitting up straight brushing imaginary fluff and creases out of my jeans and finding that studying my hand brushing my jeans was of great interest to me, better than facing the brother and sister with a bright red face.

I could hear Claudia trying to stifle a laugh and not really succeeding and a quick peek to my right through the curtain of my hair I could make out Brent with a smirk on his face or was it something else, quickly I averted my eyes.

"Wait" came a commanding voice.

Just then the door opened and the driver stood with his hand poised ready to help us out the car.

"Now you may get out" came a whisper so close to my right ear it that it made me tingle all down that side.

"Erm, thanks" I rasped out, before letting the driver hold my hand and helping me out so I could stand next to Claudia who by the way was still suffering from the giggles, as we waited until Mr Superstar got out.

"Okay ladies shall we go?"

I turned and my mouth opened in shock, I had never thought it possible I was going into the Langham Hotel in London, I've seen pictures of the men in top hats opening the door as sophisticated men and women entered or exited the Hotel.

I hadn't realised I had stopped until Brent grabbed my hand and practically hauled me towards the door that the man in a top hat held open for us.

On entering the reception area my mouth was still gaping at the opulence and grandeur of the place and my eyes tried to take in everything about my surroundings, so much so I didn't realise that Brent was still holding my hand and a few phones were pointed in our direction.

I don't remember getting to my room as the whole experience felt so unreal, I mean come on I'm a hillbilly from out of the backwoods, this sort of experience dosen't happen to people like me, unless it's in a dream.

And that just how I felt in a dream, my room, well you could call it a room, I mean a banqueting hall could be called a room and that's huge, this was like a banqueting hall type room, huge!

Rushing around the bedroom opening all the door and exploring each part, the en suite was a twenty minute bus ride from the bed, which was built for the population of New York, I kid you not and everything ended in extravagance.

You needed a degree in computer science to operate the shower, it seemed it was able to do everything, bar make the tea.

Then standing next to the bed, I spun round 360° not once but three times, before flopping back on the bed and to emphasise my excitement I squealed and thrashed my arms and legs about on the bed like an enthusiastic teenager.

"This is amazing" I gushed "Wait till I tell the girls at work I spent a night in the Langham in London"

"So you like it then"

Shit I'd completely forgotten that Brent and Claudia had followed me into the room, as was the norm for me I went red and sat up, to see brother and sister smiling at me.

"Umm sorry" I replied sheepishly and hung my head like a chastised schoolgirl, "it's just I've never been in a hotel before and this " I gestured with my open arms. " Is like a fairy tale, I mean I've seen pictures, but quite honestly they don't do the place justice"

I snapped my mouth closed as I realised I had been rambling on, I suppose to them this was the norm, posh everything, but to me it was one of life's experiences, I doubt I would ever do again.

I was saved further embarrassment with a knock on my door, which Claudia duly opened and two, the best way to describe them, apparitions walked in one male one female, both looked as though they could do with a good meal inside them, they didn't need to knock they could have slipped under the door.

I had never seen such pencil thin bleached white humans in my life, and as for tattoos, it was like they were trying to hide their white skin, tattoos everywhere and I mean everywhere including their faces.

And talking of faces, not only were they tattooed, but piercings were obviously another favourite obsession.

Both had equally long hair dyed in various colours and to complete the picture their clothes looked like they were tie dyed and were fashionable in the 60's flower power era.

After bonding with Brent and Claudia who they seemingly knew very well, all eyes turned to me.

Shit, I hope they are not going to turn me into them, I like my hair the colour it is and as for makeup, I don't want to have to chisel it off at the end of the evening.

"So Brent is this the beauty you want us to transform" the male apparition spoke in a high pitched squeaky voice.

I shot a glance to Brent and he must have seen the panic in my eyes as he stepped over to me and in a low whisper that only I could hear he tried to reassured me.

"Don't worry they may look a bit weird, but they are the best and do most of the top models in London"

That was supposed to reassure me, I've seen some off the makeup these models wear on the runway and I definitely didn't want that.

I sighed and turned to face the weird ones and was instantly despatched to the en suite to shower, I had a feeling this was going to be a long night.