wonder- charlie gillespie

chapter two

As our Uber pulled up in front of the Fairmont, I looked around at all of the lights that were being put up in preparation for Christmas. Vancouver was such a beautiful city, but there was something about Christmas that made it seem so magical. The valet approached the car and opened the door for me then quickly went around to Sophia's side to help her out of the car. Our bags were put on the cart as we walked through the glass doors to check into the suite. I walked up to the lady sitting at the desk who greeted us with a smile.

"Hello and welcome to the Fairmont Pacific Rim!" She said warmly. "What can I do for you ladies?"

"Hi! I have a reservation under the name Wren Mercer," I said with a smile. The lady began to type rapidly on her keyboard and asked for my ID, which I pulled out of the fanny pack I had over my shoulder, and handed to her. She looked it over and compared it to what she was looking at on the computer

"Okay, you're all set! You ladies will have the Chairman's suite up on the tenth floor and full access to all of the amenities in the hotel, as well as a complimentary spa day in your suite!" She exclaimed as she handed my ID back along with the room keys. "Enjoy your stay and congratulations on the engagement! Your bags have already been taken up to the suite," she smiled and handed Sophia a sealed envelope.

We got into the elevator and I pushed the button for the tenth floor as Sophia opened the envelope. I peered over her shoulder to read the note with her:

Miss Sophia Harrison,

Welcome to the Fairmont Pacific Rim! We hope you enjoy your stay. Please enjoy the complimentary bottles of champagne that we have left in your suite to help you celebrate your bachelorette weekend! Congratulations to you and your fiancé!

-The Staff at The Fairmont Pacific Rim

"Aw this is so sweet!" she said, smiling ear to ear. There was a little bing and the elevator doors opened to a long hallway that lead to our suite. We opened the doors to an open living room with a white sectional in front of a flat screen tv and a glimmering chandelier hanging from the ceiling. "This is amazing, I can't believe that you booked this for us!" Sophia shrieked as she threw her arms out to hug me. The suite was amazing; there were five bedrooms, a beautiful kitchen with white marble counters, a private balcony with our own hot tub and a breathtaking view of the city. Sitting on the counter were two bottles of champagne laying in an ice bath, along with a dozen red roses.

"Wow, they really went all out for us" I said examining the elegant bottle of Dom Pérignon that was sitting in the ice. "Definitely not complaining though!" I said with a big grin. I walked over to the luggage cart and started to unload all of our bags. The way we had packed you would think we were staying for a month; we both had a large suitcase, multiple smaller bags and totes filled with snacks and alcohol for the weekend. Sophia took all of her things into her room and I dragged my suitcase to my room and started to unpack some of my clothes. I grabbed my fanny pack off of my bed and shuffled over to Sophia's room and flopped onto her bed with a loud thud.

"Are you ready to go yet Soph?" I whined, throwing one of the pillows at her in the bathroom. She was fixing her hair and makeup for the third time today. She rolled her eyes at me and walked out of the bathroom.

"Yes, now stop complaining. Let's go!" she said, throwing the pillow back at me. We got onto the elevator and headed to the lobby; the doors opened and we were greeted by the soothing playing of the pianist sitting at the grand piano in the centre of the lobby. We walked out of the glass doors as the bellhop held them open for us and headed towards Robson Street. Robson was known as the most popular shopping street in Vancouver; You could find anything from big brand names like Lululemon and Aritzia, to small local fashion chains and souvenir stores.