Chapter 28
"Let's just go to China," Lyla said, "you guys obviously hate it here and, honestly, I'm not too impressed either."
"I don't care where we go, as long as we get out of here," Vera grunted as she packed her bags.
"Well let's see what the guys say first. We have to at least get their opinion..."
"I can't believe they defaced a historic monument," Doug was ranting. "I love technology as much as the next guy, but that... that was just..."
"Wrong?" Thomas suggested.
"Yes! Thank you! If they did that to Big Ben, I don't want to see what they did to Mount Rushmore."
"Actually..." Darin began.
"Shut it! I don't want to know! Let's just get out of here and go to China."
"We can't just get up and leave. We have to consult with the girls first."
"Fine, go consult!" Darin sighed and decided it was best to do just that. He walked into the hallway and bumped into Lyla.
"Let me guess..."
"They want to go to China too?" Lyla asked.
"Yes. I should have guessed that Vera would want to do the same."
"Well who can blame them? I'm not too thrilled either. I had no idea our government actually functioned that way, and I can't say I'm at all impressed." Darin just shrugged. "What? You can't tell me that it didn't at least make you reconsider why things are the way they are. At the very least, you should be questioning the government's competence."
"I just don't think it's that big of a deal Lyla! I mean yes, it was a freak show, but they said themselves that the government of their time wasn't much different."
"But don't you see? They came to the future in search of change for the better. Instead they find that it's only gotten worse! I can completely understand their frustration."
"I guess... I don't know, I've always just been the type of person to not worry about what others around me are doing. I just worry about myself and go with the flow."
"Well when the government, controlled by those clowns back there, directs the flow, you're in for a pretty wild ride. I'll bet that you won't like it at that point."
"OK, OK, I see your point. I guess it really wasn't what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting much to begin with so I wasn't as disappointed. I guess I'll call ahead to the hoverport and see if there are enough tickets available for a flight tonight. Maybe we can get out of here before it's dark."
"Good. We're ready to go, so just knock when you're ready." She returned to her room. Darin made the needed phone calls. Vera decided to head to the spa again while she waited, hoping that the guy she met yesterday would still be there. Doug decided to check out the pool to kill time. Thomas was left sitting alone again, but at least this time he had something to do. He went down to the lobby and approached the front desk. The same man from the night they checked in was there.
"Excuse me," said Thomas as he approached.
"Yes sir, how can I help sir?" the man asked without changing nose elevation.
"I was wondering if you could give me directions to the closest florist?"
"Florist, sir?"
"You know, a shop that sells flowers?"
"Yes sir, I know what a florist is sir, but sir needs not leave to obtain flowers."
"I don't?"
"No sir. There is a florist on the second floor with all the rest of the shops that are included for your convenience and comfort."
"Oh. I see. Well, yes, I'll go check that out then, thank you." The man did not respond, he merely closed his eyes and maintained his pose. Thomas walked away wondering why people who worked in the retail and service industries all seemed to act the same. No matter where--or when--he went, the people acted as if the fact that he was there was a great inconvenience for them, and that it would be much easier on them if he were to cease to exist. Thomas stopped musing as he exited on the second floor and located a directory typical of what you'd see in your average mall. He looked the sign over and located a shop named Goodfellow Florists and plotted out the course. After a short walk, he found himself standing in front of it. This was to be a first for Thomas. He had never been inside a florist's shop before, and wasn't quite sure what to expect. Thomas reached for the door handle, held his breath, and entered.
"Oh, hello there!" said a short, pudgy woman with rosy cheeks. She put down the bouquet she was assembling. "What can I get for you?"
"Actually, I'm not sure. I'm looking to get some flowers for a, uhh, special girl."
"Ooohhh," the woman said, her eyes lighting up, "I see!"
"Yeah, but the problem is that I have no idea what to get. I was thinking maybe just a dozen roses or something simple like that."
"Roses?" the woman crinkled her nose. "No no no, she won't want those. You really do need help. Here, I'll show you one of our most popular bouquets." She walked out from behind the counter towards a fridge where there were several bouquets on display. "This," she said, grabbing and pulling out one from the middle rack, "is our most popular arrangement. Your special lady will absolutely love it, I guarantee it." She handed the arrangement to Thomas who looked at it, slightly confused.
"Aren't those dandelions?"
"Well of course! The most romantic flower in the world, everyone loves dandelions."
"How is a weed I can pick in my backyard romantic?"
"Pick in your backyard? Come now, dandelions aren't at all common, they almost went extinct a few decades ago, but fortunately they were saved and are now grown in greenhouses everywhere! Their persistence is symbolic of the enduring power of love," she said, obviously well rehearsed on the subject. "You really did need help, you don't seem to know anything about flowers!"
"Well, in my time," Thomas said, not thinking that his time was two-hundred years ago, "roses were considered romantic."
"In your time? You aren't that old, quit pulling my leg." Thomas sighed.
"OK, I'll take them. What do I owe you?"
"Sixty dollars."
Thomas walked out of the shop feeling like he had just been mugged. He looked at the bouquet he had purchased, full of regret. But it was too late now. He got back on the elevator and went up to the 68th floor. He peeked out of the elevator to make sure no one else was around. Darin was down the hall in the opposite direction, talking on the implant. Thomas dashed out of the elevator and went scurrying around the corner. He paused there and peeked back to make sure that Darin hadn't seen him. Darin was still looking the other way, so Thomas felt safe for now. He walked down towards Lyla and Vera's room and knocked.
"Come in!" Lyla said as the latch clicked. Thomas pushed the door open and slipped in, closing it behind him. He tiptoed down the hallway, envisioning the look of surprise and joy on her face as she saw him approaching with the flowers. He entered her room and she looked up.
"Oh no!" she blurted, jumping up and backing away towards the window. "I'm allergic to dandelions! Take them out, please, I don't want to start sneezing like crazy." Thomas quickly backed out of the room and went back in the hall.
"OK, that's great, thank you!" Thomas heard Darin saying as he walked back towards the room. From the sound of his voice, he wasn't far off. Thomas ran down towards his room and held his hand on the handle. The latch clicked and he ran in, slamming the door behind him. He turned the deadbolt and dashed down towards the bathroom. Surely there would be a trashcan there! Wait, too obvious, they'd find it right away. Darin was outside the door now, fiddling with the handle. Unable to gain access, he knocked.
"Gimme a minute!" Thomas shouted. He dashed back towards the kitchenette and pulled open the cabinet doors, looking for a trashcan. Finally he found it, threw the flowers in, and closed the doors again. He did a quick survey, found everything satisfactory, and went to the room's door. He unbolted it and pulled it open.
"What's up?" Darin said. "Why did you lock the door?"
"Oh, no particular reason, just force of habit," Thomas lied. "They didn't have secure locks on the hotel back in our time like t
hey do now."
"Ah. Well, we've got a flight out of Heathrow to Beijing International Hoverport that leaves in about three hours, so we'd better start getting our things together. The traffic is pretty bad right now so it may take a while to get a cab and get there."
"OK, I'll go tell Lyla and find the others."
"Good. I'm going to take a shower and pack my things." Darin walked off towards his room. Thomas breathed a sigh of relief and went back into the hall. He knocked on Lyla's door once again and walked in. She was in her room with a box of tissues, sneezing away.
"I'm sorry!" Thomas said. He was never very good at this romantic stuff anyhow, and this wasn't the first time he had caused a woman discomfort with a romantic gesture gone awry. The other occasion involved a rather unfortunate accident with a girl he was going to prom with and the pin he was trying to use to attach the corsage...
"It's not your fault, you didn't know. Plus they market and sell those, those ... AHHHCHOO!" She grabbed another tissue and blew her nose. "They over market those evil things. Just because they nearly went extinct, they're suddenly the symbol of love's endurance. I would've rather just had some roses or something."
"That's what I wanted to get, but the woman talked me out of it, said that dandelions are the hot new thing. I've half a mind to go down there and tell her she was wrong."
"No, don't bother, it's not important. Thank you for the thought though, that's what matters." She smiled warmly.
"Well, I thought we'd have more time before we left, but Darin said we have a flight that leaves in three hours, so we need to start getting ready to leave. I'm going to go find Doug and Vera and let them know."
"OK, no problem." Thomas started to go. "Hey, wait!" Lyla said, jumping up from the bed. She ran over and kissed him. "Thanks."
"Wow," Thomas said, "if that's the thanks I get for causing you allergy issues, what will I get for giving you something better?" Lyla just smiled and started packing. Thomas walked out of the room and into the hallway. He paused for a moment, smiling and reflecting on the events that had just unfolded. Despite the fact that he completely failed at being romantic, he still loved every minute of the experience. Finally, he decided to make his way downstairs.
"Howdy!" said the elevator.
"Hey, can you take me to the pool?"
"Sublevel one, I'm on it!" Thomas exited and looked around. Apparently the gym, spa, and pool were all on the same level. He decided to try to find Doug first. He walked to the left and passed by the gym. He peered in the glass, just in case, but didn't see Doug there. He kept walking and finally came to the pool area. He entered and saw Doug sitting on a pool chair, talking with some girl. They hadn't noticed him, so Thomas waited to avoid ruining the moment.
"So where are you from?" He was asking.
"I'm actually from Yorkshire, just down to visit my family," she said. "How about you?"
"Well, actually, I'm from America, but I've been frozen for the past two-hundred years, so I'm just going around with my friends now, seeing the world of the future." The girl just stared at him for a while, first confused, then annoyed.
"What kind of chat up line is that? You're good looking enough, you don't have to insult my intelligence! I'm sorry Doug, it was lovely to have met you, but I have better uses for my time." She got up and left. Thomas just stood there, amazed at discovering that Doug was nearly as bad at romance as he was. Doug sat, looking dejected, his head hung low. Thomas finally decided to end his misery. He coughed politely. Doug whirled around.
"Hey," Thomas said, "we have to get going, we have a flight that leaves in about three hours."
"Oh. OK." Doug got up and walked out with Thomas. Thomas noticed that Doug's trunks were completely dry. He thought for a split second about making a snarky remark asking why he didn't get to swim, but immediately thought better of it.
"Seen Vera?" he asked instead.
"Not since we shared the elevator ride down here. I assume she's in the spa still."
"Wanna come with me? I still need to find her and let her know we need to leave.
"No thanks, I'm just going to head to the room, change, and pack."
"OK, I'll see you up there." They parted ways at the elevators, and Thomas kept walking towards the spa. Finally he found it. It occurred to him, as he stood at the door reading the sign, that he had never been in an actual spa before. He had seen them on TV of course, but found it quite silly that people were willing to pay so much to go get beat up by some brute and sit in mud with vegetables on their eyes. He pushed open the door and walked in. The room was very wide open, and there were only short partitions dividing up the space between the massage tables and mud baths.
"Hi!" said a perky woman from behind a round desk. "Would you like to enjoy one of our fabulous massages today?"
"Actually, no, I'm looking for a friend of mine, Vera. She came down here for a massage a while ago."
"Oh? Average height, black hair, ruby red lipstick?"
"I … I guess, yeah, that sounds right."
"Just a minute, let me check." The receptionist walked out from behind the desk and went back to see if there was anyone on the tables behind the partitions, out of view. She disappeared into the changing rooms, but quickly returned. "I’m sorry sir, there’s no one here!"
"Hrm. I wonder where she went off to…" Thomas wondered aloud. "Well thanks, I’ll try calling her."
"No problem, have a good day!" Thomas exited the spa and called Vera on the implant. It rang several times and finally she picked up.
"Hello?" She demanded. She was obviously annoyed at his calling. Thomas realized that he was obviously ruining a special moment and decided to savor the experience.
"Hey Vera, how you doing?" He asked, grinning from ear to ear.
"What do you want Thomas?" Thomas was glad she couldn’t see him right now. He was drinking up every moment.
"Well I just wanted to let you know something very important..."
"Thomas, you better not be jerking my chain."
"No, no, I’m completely serious, why would you think I’m messing with you?"
"You have five seconds before I’m hanging up."
"OK, fine, well we’re leaving London tonight. Our flight leaves in about three hours--probably less now--and we need to get everything packed and ready."
Silence. Finally, Vera sighed audibly. "Great," she mumbled. "You guys really have some excellent timing, you know that? I’ll be up in a while."
"Where are you anyhow?"
"Goodbye Thomas." She hung up. Thomas smiled and walked off the elevator that he had boarded mid-conversation. It was truly a wonderful thing to have a conversation in an elevator without annoying everyone else while you shout "HUH? I CAN’T HEAR YOU, I’M IN AN ELEVATOR!" Thomas walked to his room and entered. Darin and Doug were having an argument about some nonsense. Thomas quickly bypassed the two of them and went to his room to pack up his things, closing the door behind him. He didn’t have much to pack, just the clothes he had gotten out in the meantime and various toiletries from the bathroom. Thomas finished putting everything back into its proper place and was satisfied. He cracked the door to listen, but the argument was over.
He walked back into the living room carrying his bag and set it down on the couch. Seeing nothing else to do, he decided to take a seat. He dreamed about Lyla, picturing her face…