The Arrangement

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

If there is anything in this world that I hate? It's flying. I'm so scared of flying, I can't concentrate on anything while flying. The only thing I do is worry that the plane will crash or something and that we will end up on an island like in that tv series Lost. That would be the ultimate nightmare. As soon as my feet get in touch with the solid ground again, I take a deep breath filled with relief. I made it, I didn't die, that is its own victory. I have always been afraid of flying, I just think that humans are not born to fly, if we were we would have been born with wings.

I try to read the signs that will lead me to the luggage but it's hard, I can't read or speak German. "Excuse me, where do I find the luggage?" I ask and tap a man on the shoulder.

He turns around. "Walk around the corner to the left, and then straight ahead", he answers kindly. "It will be it will be hard to miss".

"Thank you so much", I smile and hurry away to the luggage. I have to find my bad and then I have to find my ride to the hotel. I think my father told me that there will be a taxi waiting for me to take me to the hotel. I hope that there is a taxi waiting for me so there won't be any problems or anything. I'm very tired, I'm in a different time zone now, I don't have the energy for complications right now.

I actually find my way to the luggage, but it takes me a while to get my bag. When I get out to the big hill, I see a lot of taxi drivers with names on signs. I see a sign with my last name on it. Campell. I head straight toward the man holding the sign.

"Campell?" He asks.

I nod. "Yes", I say.

"Great, follow me, the car is right outside", he says.

I follow him outside and into a taxi car. It's a very nice taxi, a big taxi with a lot of room, almost like a mini limo on the inside. That's cool.

"I'm going to a hotel called Hotel Adlon", I say.

"Yes lady I know, it says that in the booking", he says kindly. "If you're thirsty there is water in the door".

I look down at the door on my side and see a bottle of water on the side of the door. I pick it up and drink, I was actually quite thirsty. I look out of the window as the car drives towards the hotel. It's snowy outside but Berlin is beautiful. I actually like it a lot. I have never been to Berlin before, maybe because I haven't been allowed to meet Amalrich. When the driver stops outside the hotel, I'm enchanted by the size of the hotel, it's huge.

"The bill is already pre-payed, I wish you a very nice evening lady", the driver says as he helps me with my suitcase. I guess Walter's has taken care of pretty much everything. It's not like I don't have any money because I do, but it's nice being taken care of.

"Thank you so much", I say and leave the driver as I walk into the hotel. It's a very nice hotel, it's so beautiful on the inside. I check-in at the front desk, and as it turns out my room is already paid for as well, so I get my key and can go up to my room immediately. It's on the highest floor and when I enter I see that it's a big suite. I see the big bed, it looks so welcoming, but I should eat something before I lay down and watch some TV.

I order food from the room service menu and walk into the bathroom to wash off. I take off all o my clothes and step into the shower. Why are showers at hotels always so nice? I love taking showers at hotels and I don't even know why. Maybe it's the feeling of being at a hotel, knowing that you are not home or that you are somewhere else. I shampoo my hair with the free, and if I may say so, very nice shampoo, it smells like coconut. When I step out of the shower, I wrap my body into the soft bathrobe hanging on a hook in the bathroom. I have always liked the feeling of staying at a hotel, everything always feels so clean and fresh, and I don't know, kind of new. I also find some bath slippers so I put them on as well.

When I'm done in the bathroom, I hear a knock on the door. Great, I'm starving. I walk up to the door and my food is rolled in the second I open it.

"Thank you", I say.

"Enjoy lady", he says and leaves the room.

I enjoy my meal while scrolling on my phone. I'm nervous about tomorrow. It will be the first time ever I meet the man I'm supposed to get married to. It's nerve-wracking. I eat every piece and when I'm done I walk over to the bed and throw myself into the sea of pillows and cover. God this is a very nice bed. I love these kinds of hotel beds, I know that everyone can't afford this kind of hotel rooms and beds, but I've grown up with these kinds of luxury, I'm used to it and I love it. Sure my family is not as rich as Amalrich's family, but we are still rich.

I don't even have the time to put on the TV before I fall asleep.

I wake up when I hear the phone at the hotel ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Hello", I answer.

"Good morning, lady, I have a message for you from Mr. Amalrich Walter", the man on the other side of the line says. I sit up in bed. "He wants to take you to lunch today at 12 pm at the restaurant Quarré".

"Okay thank you for the message", I say and hang up the phone. I look at the clock it's already 10 am. I slept in late today.

Amalrich wants to meet me for lunch. Just the two of us? That's crazy, and it's making me very nervous to think about it. What should I even wear? Casual? Formal? Something in between? I jump out of the bed and walk over to my suitcase, I start looking through all of my clothes and finally settle for a dress that is not formal and not casual, it's perfect for a nice lunch with your contract fiance. It's a black slim dress with spaghetti straps. I am going to take my black boots with them. Before I get dressed I have to get my makeup on.

The whole time I get myself ready, I feel like throwing up, I haven't even eaten breakfast, and yet I feel nauseous. This is new, this is exciting and terrifying, it's the beginning of a whole new life for me, it's like an adventure, even though I'm not very excited about the marrying part. I turn eighteen in three months and the wedding is supposed to be held exactly three months from my eighteenth birthday to the day. Amalrich and I have exactly six months to become acquainted with each other before we become husband and wife. I don't even know how he feels about this whole thing. He was two years old when this contract was signed, they can't have asked for his opinion, I was just a newborn, our lives have been decided for us and I know what I think if it, but I don't know about him. Oh, I wonder what he looks like, what he sounds like, smells like, and what he's like. I'm so curious about him. Very soon I am going to meet him. My fiance, Amalrich.

When I've done my makeup, I put on my clothes and fix my hair. For me, it feels like I'm very fast, but as it turns out, it took me more than an hour to get ready. Damn. I have actually been trying to time myself to get ready faster but doing the same things. Seems like I can't. I put on my scarf, hat, and coat, it's very cold outside, maybe even colder than in Rhode Island.

I think of my father as I look at the wristwatch he gave me for my seventeenth birthday, its a gold watch and has diamonds around the frame. I miss my father and I miss my mother, I miss my whole family. I don't know if I will meet them again before the wedding but I sure hope I will. I can't even imagine six months without seeing my family. It would be too painful to think of that. I hope I will see them before the wedding, hopefully, a couple of times. I think we are going to have a rehearsal dinner but it's the day before the wedding, I have to see my family before that.

I take my room key and put it in my wallet before I put it in my bag, I hang the bag over my shoulder and leave the room. I haven't gotten any instructions to take my suitcase anywhere so I just leave it in my room. I don't know if I am going to stay here another night or not. I wouldn't mind another night in that amazing bed though, and I find hotel rooms cozy, so I would actually love to stay there another night.

When I get down to the front desk I ask for directions to the restaurant. They explain the way very well, but it's up to me to actually find my way, I'm the worst at finding my way around. It will be an adventure to find my way to the restaurant, I could easily end up anywhere, and that's a little pathetic.

I leave the hotel and is smacked in the face by the cold air, my thick winter coat is tightly wrapped around my petite body, I try to tighten the scarf a little tighter, trying to keep all of the cold air away, I even pull down my hat a little bit further down. Jesus, it's cold outside. I curse myself for forgetting to put on my gloves. I try to warm my hands in the pockets of my coat.

It's snowing, but not a lot so it's easy to see, I should be able to find my way to the restaurant then again, it's me, so you'll never know where I end up. It would be quite tragic if I wouldn't be able to find my way on my own. I don't even have Amalrich number, so I can't even call him and ask him if I get lost. I don't know if I would even if I did have his number, I mean it would've been embarrassing if that would've been our first conversation with each other.

I look around as I walk. I pass a lot of people and I see things I have never seen before. Berlin is actually a beautiful city, it's a shame I have never been here before, I have been around a lot, I have even been to Stockholm and Reykjavik. Stockholm is beautiful, I would like to return. I love to travel, it's one of my absolute favorite things, without traveling I would be feeling trapped, traveling is a part of who I am. I hope that Amalrich and I can travel a lot together. I hope he likes to travel, not only for business but for fun.

Like a miracle, I actually find my way to the restaurant. I open the door and walk inside, the warmth wrapping around me is wonderful. I loosen my scarf and take off my hat.

"Hello, lady, do you have a reservation?"

"I think so, under the name Walter?" I ask.

"Yes, Walter for two at our finest table, Mr. Walter has already arrived, I will show you the way".

I'm lead into the restaurant and I see which table we are headed towards. A young man with chocolate brown hair and golden brown eyes is sitting alone at the table. He is probably every girl's prince charming. Damn, and I get to marry him? Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. I don't know, maybe he's mean, he doesn't have to have a good personality just because he's the most good-looking boy I have ever seen.

"Here you go lady, we will be with you shortly to order your drinks", the waiter says and he leaves the m,e alone with the enchanting boy in front of me.

He now stands up and bows. "Lady Campell, it's nice to finally meet you", he says with a raspy and hot voice.

Is it now everything begins? Six months to get to know each other, and it all starts now.

Six months.