Hey guys! *waves and places some cookies and coffee in front of you*I have been having this story in my head for a while now and I just thought it would be nice to share it with you! If you want to make me the happiest person alive, please leave a quick comment about what you think and if I should continue writing! :) I am from Germany, so it would be great if I could find someone who would like to beta-read my chapters so it's not a complete slaughter to read… :) Thanks a ton! 3
With a swift movement, she placed two of the sparkling bobby pins on each side of her head and then took one last, satisfied look at herself in the dirty mirror of the motel room she was in. She was wearing blue flats, gray tights, and a white shirt with little blue flowers that was tucked in neatly into the girly, dark blue skirt with the white polka dots. Her hair was falling onto her back in slight curls and the blush she had applied to her cheeks gave her face a rosy expression.
Turning around, she grabbed her matching purse from the bed and headed for the door, annoyed that she didn't have a car parked in the lot in front of the quirky motel she was staying in. This wasn't America anymore, and with her 16 years, she was too young to drive in Cardiff. Not wanting to spend money on a cab, she made her way to the nearest bus station and headed into town.
It took her a while until she found her destination; the small store was almost disappearing between the two big shops on the sides of it. Breathing in and out slowly, she put her most innocent smile on her lips and pushed open to door to the little Tourist Information Center. The man behind the counter looked up and gave her a little smile.
"How may I help you, miss?" he said. When she started to speak, she made sure that she sounded a little scared, innocent and helpless; also trying so her slight American accent couldn't be missed.
"I… I am new in Cardiff." She said and smiled at the floor, linking her fingers nervously behind her back.
"Did you move here, dear?" the man asked her and she had to be careful to hide her small, satisfied grin.
"Yes, yes I did… but it's only me, the rest of my family is still in America…"
"Oh, why is that?"
"I am here for school… but I am so lost, and as I was walking by, I saw the tourist sign and thought that maybe you could help…" She lifted her gaze from the floor and looked at the young man who now came walking towards her. Her big, brown eyes were glistering with insecurity and she made sure she avoided looking into his.
"Of course, what's your name?" With her always analyzing gaze, she mustered the man who was now only standing a few feet away from her. Italian leather shoes, very well-tailored suit, neatly ironed dress shirt and a matching tie, an outfit much too fancy for someone who worked in a Tourist Office.
"Lizzy, Lizzy Smith." Lizzy said and smiled, not telling the man her real last name. "Nice to meet you, Lizzy. My name is Ianto Jones." He said in a reassuring voice and offered her a bright smile. In her head, Lizzy was doing a little dance, but she couldn't let Mr. Jones know just yet what she had planned. "What would you like to know?" Her eyes wandered to the pocket of his suit; there was a slight bulge, just big enough to be holding a key.
"Everything that is important, really. I am going to stay here for a while and I don't know anyone that could show me around… is there any good placing to go for dinner? Shopping? Any interesting museums or places you should know if you live here?" Offering him a slightly less shy smile, she motioned to the rack of flyers and pamphlets that was standing against the longest wall of the tiny store.
"Of course, of course." Walking over to where she had pointed just seconds ago, Ianto started pulling out different kinds of informative material. Her plan worked out almost too well. She walked over to where he was standing and looked over his shoulder.
"Okay, so I have some stuff for you right here." He said, handing her a pile of papers. Trying to seem interested, she nodded and flicked through them. From then on, she started to zone out of the conversation and let Ianto do most of the talking, only nodding or saying 'yes' every once in a while. After she had the feeling it was safe for her to leave, Lizzy gave Ianto a bright smile and said: "Thank you so much, Mr. Jones. You have helped me a lot! I hope I'll be seeing you again, soon!"
Ianto returned her smile gratefully. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Lizzy. I hope you settle in just fine, I'll see you around!" And with that, she turned around and skipped out of the store. She waited until she was around the corner before she slid her hand into the pocket of her skirt. With a more than satisfied grin, she pulled the key out of it and took a long look at it.
She had been right, this was definitely the key that belonged to the lock of the little Tourist Office. Taking it from Ianto had almost been too easy, like stealing candy from a toddler. Now she just had to wait until it was dark and the store was empty until she could come back to execute the rest of her plan…