LCD display was built into a central console before him. There appeared to be a small bar and built-in cooler, and a leather seat was situated on each side of the console facing towards them. The interior would comfortably seat five, he noted.
“Nice ride,” he said. He was impressed with the luxuriousness of the vehicle and anticipated that it must have cost a small fortune.
“One of Alton’s,” she noted. “I’ll bet they even stocked the fridge for us.”
He reached across to open the small refrigerator and found two bottles of chilled Coca-cola along with two plastic vials of chilled blood. He took out one of the Coke bottles, opened it, and took a swig. His dry throat appreciated it, and he looked up at Katrina.
“Want some cold blood?” he asked with a grin.
She frowned for a moment and reached over to the console to open a small wooden panel. Inside was a set of two clear drinking glasses, which were heated by elements surrounding the interior of the small storage area. A brief wave of heat flowed out of the interior towards them.
“Wow,” he said with surprise. “Preheated glasses. Never seen that before.”
She nodded, but closed the door again without removing a glass. “I seem to recall his telling me about installing heated glass holders in his cars. Novel idea, but I’m not terribly hungry right now,” she replied, although she took the Coke bottle from him and took a small swig before handing it back to him.
Once they left the area surrounding the airport, the scenery looked somewhat rustic, though the most notable aspect was that they were riding down the opposite side of the road from what was normal in America. Caleb decided to not look forward, half expecting to run into an oncoming vehicle. As if sensing his personal challenge, Katrina ran her fingers down the back of his neck lightly, which caused him to shiver slightly.
“Try looking at the passing scenery instead of forwards for a time,” she suggested. “It takes a little getting used to, I’ll admit.”
As they approached the outskirts of London, Caleb noticed that the buildings were a mix of the most modern constructions combined with architectures of less descript design. It was almost like one could see the varying generations of English architecture all combined into one stretch of the city. However, a number of homes and buildings really didn’t look that different from designs found in the United States or Canada.
Once downtown, he wished that he could open a window to see a lighter version of the scenery around him, rather than the darkly tinted imagery, but he naturally didn’t want to do anything to harm Katrina. He anticipated that he could stand outside of the hotel for a time once they arrived and checked into their room.
Again, Katrina seemed to sense his thoughts. “I’ll see if Alton knows someone who can take you out for some daytime touring of the city. It would be a shame for you to only see the place at night.”
He grinned back at her as he briefly turned from the window. “You’re sure vampires don’t read minds? Thanks, I’d love that.”
She smiled in response and appreciated the engaged manner in which he tried to take in the passing scenery. Their trip had been very successful thus far, which pleased her. She was determined to make the trip as relaxing, fun, and enjoyable as she could manage, despite her daylight limitations.
As they proceeded further into London proper, the city became an anomaly unto itself. There were many modern buildings sporting both professional and creative architecture interspersed with sites of historical antiquity, and all were crammed into a metropolis thriving with both people and traffic. Certainly, most major cities supported a blend of architectures from varying periods, but London was the historic heart of Great Britain, and it was laid out in its glory for the world to see and traverse.
When they arrived at the hotel, Summit Towers, in the heart of the business district, Caleb was impressed by appearance of the fifteen-story building. The frontage offered a stately elegance that also appeared very modern. As the building loomed above them, he noted that the glass around the first and second floors, as well as the three top-most floors, appeared tinted, while the other floors appeared to have traditional glass. He wondered if that were to accommodate vampire guests more easily, though Katrina hadn’t mentioned that the hotel catered specifically to vampires.