Boston, I Love You ~ [Chris Evans]

Chapter 1

Hannah leaned back against the head rest in her seat on the train that would take her into Boston from the airport. She couldn't believe how smoothly everything had gone so far - no delays, everything seemed to have waited for her, the plane, the shuttle bus, this train - but she couldn't wait to get off and into her hotel room to relax before she had to head out for her main purpose of the trip. She was one of the lucky few at her university back home who were offered a spot in a series of lectures and mini-courses at Harvard University this fall, being able to follow American and European professors and lecturers discussing and researching her field of study. Of course she had jumped at the chance, she had always dreamt of going to an American Ivy League school, and this was probably as close as she was ever going to get.

The train ride into town was supposed to take about 30 min, the perfect amount of time for Hannah to take in the New England scenery. The leaves on the trees were still green, but the gorgeous hues of orange and golden yellows started to peek through - in about a month or two it would be magnificent, she thought. She scrambled through her bag looking for her camera, but changed her mind - pictures from behind a window in a moving vehicle were never good, and she'd have plenty of time for picture taking during her stay. Instead she picked out her MAC powder compact and checked herself out, lightly powdered her nose and forehead, and dabbed some lip balm on her lips. She would soon be getting off at South station, which was not the closest station to her hotel, but she figured she'd walk the rest of the way, taking in the atmosphere of the city and explore the neighborhood as she went along. She smiled to herself thinking about how wonderful this week would be. Arriving almost exactly 30 minutes after her departure from the airport, the train rolled into South station, and Hannah got off the train and out of the station building. It was a beautiful Saturday; it was warm out as it was only late September. Now it was only 12:30 pm, and she put her sunglasses on and started to walk in the general direction of her hotel, following directions on her phone. From what she could see during her little walk, it was a gorgeous city, with a real history and a soul, so to speak. Unlike other fairly large cities, this one felt harmonic, easy, laid back - she had no doubt she would like it here.

"Good afternoon, Miss," the doorman greeted her when she approached the hotel entrance.

"Good afternoon," Hannah answered, giving the elderly man a wide smile. She entered the hotel lobby and looked around. It looked inviting; it was nice and bright with a mix of traditional and modern materials, giving the lobby a cool look all in all. There was even a bar, a piano bar by the look of it, which looked a bit more traditional than the lobby area. Hannah turned to the young girl behind the check-in.

"Hi, I'm Hannah Barnes, I'm checking in," she said and got her wallet out.

"Good afternoon, Miss Barnes," the girl said, smiling back while searching for her information. After making sure everything was in order, she handed Hannah her room key. "I hope you'll enjoy your stay!"

The room was exactly what she had hoped for, spacious enough but still cozy, and had huge windows with a beautiful view.  I'll definitely enjoy my stay, Hannah thought before throwing herself on the bed. She got undressed and snuck under the covers, she needed a powernap before she had to head out to Cambridge for the little dinner-mixer thing she had been invited to. After a good 30 minutes of shut-eye she took a quick shower, but tied up her wavy, auburn hair. The outfit, however, was a bit harder to decide, she wanted to look smart but not overdressed. Eventually she decided to go for a ruffled, loose blouse tucked into a pencil skirt, and some high heeled pumps, just to add a bit more height to her 5'4" frame and so people might not mistake her for a first year student. She checked herself out in the mirror and smiled to herself - she was good to go! She let her hair out, grabbed her bag and went down to the lobby, left her room key with the receptionist and started walking to the nearest subway station. It still wasn't completely dark out, but twilight was not far away. She tried to remember her way so she could return without getting lost later.