Meeting Mr. Holmes

The sleek black cab I was travelling in pulled up outside of 221B Baker Street and I stared at the patent black door, it glowed orange in the early sunset. I stepped out of the cab, my heels echoed on the concrete and I walked round the back and collected my suitcase from the trunk before walking to the driver's window and paying him. Behind me he drove off as I stared at the building in front of me, hopefully he will be here.

I walked up to the door and rang the bell, then waited. An elderly woman with, short pixie like blonde hair and fading green eyes answered the door.

'Hello dear, can I help you?' she smiled brightly at me.

'Hello yes, I'm looking for John, John Watson, he told me he was living here.'

'Oh dear, he hasn't lived here for two years, not since...never mind, I'm Mrs. Hudson, landlady,' she began saying something else but I cut her off.

'Never mind, I'll go call a cab and head to a hotel or something, sorry to have bothered you.' I turned and began to walk away.

'Nonsense, Sherlock is in, I'm sure he can drop John a text for you, come on in side...'

'Mrs. Hudson really, I shouldn't...'

'Don't be silly dear,' she turned into the house and shouted up the stairs, 'Sherlock, come and help this young lady with her bag would you, she is refusing to come inside. A friend of John's.' I smiled to myself, John had mentioned Sherlock to me once or twice but that did not prepare me for what came down those stairs.

A tall dark haired man descended the stairs behind Mrs. Hudson, his broad shoulders emphasised what he was wearing. He wore a slick black suit jacket and crisp white shirt, however, it was accompanied by a pair of dark blue jeans topped off with patent black shoes. Not going to lie, his face was perfect, this is strange but he had a perfect jaw line, his cheekbones cast in a subtle shadow and the brooding look swimming in his beautiful blue eyes and a gorgeous mop of black curly hair atop that gorgeous face of his. He looked at me confused, like he was trying to figure me out but couldn't. He stood beside Mrs. Hudson and just stared at me for a bit before speaking.

'You shouted for me?' he asked looking to the left and down on her.

'Yes Sherlock dear, this is...' Mrs. Hudson stumbled, not knowing my name.

'Kerri, Kerri Summers. I'm a friend of John's.' I held out my ha d for Sherlock and he took it.

'A friend of John's you say? So how come he has never mentioned you?'

'I'll be asking him the same thing when I see him. I am his best friend after all.'

'Wrong.'

'Excuse me?'

'Sherlock, please?' Mrs. Hudson pleaded with him.

'I think you will find that I am John Watson's best friend. He said so himself, took me quite of guard.'

'Okay, then, I may be his best female friend...'

'That position is also taken by Miss Mary Morston, his fiancé.'

'Hold up, John is engaged?! Why this man has a lot to answer for.'

'Yet he won't be answering question from someone he does not know.'

'Okay, Mr. Holmes, is it? Listen up. You can have more than one best friend, you and Mary were not the first friend of John Watson. Me and john, we went to nursery, primary school, secondary school and collage together. I went to university, he went off to join the army. He went and invaded Afghanistan the year after I moved to New York. I have just got back and decided to surprise my best friend. This is the last address he gave me, as obviously he has been a little secretive when it comes to his life of late, so I would be very grateful if you could please call your best friend, tell him that I am here and then it would be wonderful if you could please bring my bag into the house.' I smiled politely at him then turned to Mrs. Hudson and softened my tone, 'Mrs. Hudson, would you please be so kind as to show me the way, John tell me you make a wonderful cup of tea.' Mrs. Hudson was trying her hardest to stifle the laughter that was just begging to be let out, she nodded, turned and walked back into the house. I began to walk past Sherlock when stopped me. Standing incredibly close, noses almost touching.

'Miss. Summers...'

'Kerri.'

'Welcome to 221B Baker Street, Miss Summers.'

'Thank you Mr. Holmes...'

'Sherlock.'

'It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Holmes.'

I walked past him and followed Mrs. Hudson up the stairs. She was carrying a try, obviously put together while me and Sherlock exchanged words on the door step. I look back to find Sherlock talking into his phone, I heard him mention my name. Not long after he put the phone down and walked towards my case. I hastily turned back around and continued up the stairs. At the top Mrs. Hudson directed me through the door directly opposite to me however she took the door to the left of us.

When I walked through the door, I found myself directly across from a window, on my right there was a coffee table, littered with papers and magazines, behind that stood a grey leather sofa with two cushions at each end. It was up against a black and white, sort of fleur de lis pattern, however, there was a yellow smiley face in the top left hand corner and on closer inspection it appeared to have been shot. In the far right hand corner stood a bookcase. I looked down and the floor boards were empty apart from the old red rug that was across half the room. In the left side of the room, on the far wall was the fire, on the wooden mantelpiece above, among other things, was a skull. Above the mantel was a mirror reflecting the wallpaper of the opposite, depending on where you stood you could see the yellow smile. In the alcove to the left, there was a cabinet in place, a cupboard at the bottom, it appeared one of the shelves had been removed in order to fit in the clearly un used television. The shelves above where still there and in use, packed completely with old books, files and papers. In the right alcove, a bookcase stood, in better condition and better used, books stacked neatly. In front of the fire where two chairs, situated opposite each other, one facing the other window, was red and faded, a blanket hanging over it back, it had a small table placed either side of it, obviously for books and cups of tea. The other chair, with its back to the window was grey leather, an obvious match to the sofa. In the corner stood a music stand, and on the floor next to it sat a beautiful violin. Against the wall between the windows was a desk, a laptop open at one end, a chair at either end. The only thing on this small section of wall was a, bison skull? Wearing headphones?

Mrs. Hudson came out of the kitchen behind me then, I hadn't even noticed the frosted glass sliding doors behind me. She indicted for me to sit down and I opted for the grey chair with its back to the window, there was a lot of noise coming from the stairwell which led us to believe that Sherlock was having trouble brining my case up the stairs. Mrs. Hudson looked at me strangely, without saying a word, then smiled at me and handed me a cup of tea, asked me if I wanted sugar then went back into the kitchen just as Sherlock came thought the door backwards, dragging my case, he propped it against the wall then turned, started to walk towards me then stopped.

'Can I help you?' he asked, putting his hands behind his back. 'Need a cushion or something?'

'No thank you,' I smiled sweetly at him, and held up my tea, 'I'm perfectly comfortable.'

'Ah right, good. Yes, good.' He looked around his room, as if he is looking for something.

'Have you lost something, Mr. Holmes?'

'Yes Miss Summers, my seat.'

'Oh dear, how tragic, maybe you ought to report it? Mrs. Hudson, have you heard, Mr. Holmes has lost his seat.' Mrs. Hudson turned to look at me from the kitchen, pure delight on her face.

'You misunderstand me Miss Summers, I have no lost, nor misplaced my seat, you are, in fact, seated in it.'

'Mr Holmes, I am terribly sorry, please forgive me, would you like me to replace myself into a different seat?'

'yes thank you that would be delightful...' he began taking a step forward but I sunk further back into the chair and crossed my legs.

'Tough, I see no name on this particular chair and I believe there are at least six other seats within this room, not to mentions the chairs at the table in the kitchen.' I smiled at him and took a sip of my tea. He looked my grumpily, I make the connection that this is the face he pulls when he loses an argument with John. And that is one of the things that John has not failed to mention to me, unlike the moving out thing or the getting engaged thing. Sherlock turned and stalked towards the kitchen and Mrs. Hudson.

'Mrs. Hudson, do we have any biscuits?'

'I don't know dear, have a look for yourself.'

'Don't you start as well...'

'I don't know what you are talking about Sherlock, biscuits are in the shop on the corner.' She smiled and walked towards me, taking the red chair opposite me.

'Mr Holmes,' I called and Sherlock turned to look at me, 'there appears to be only five seats remaining you better make your selection quickly.' He looked at me like he was a volcano ready to erupt. He turned on his heels and stomped sulkily out the kitchen door and down the stairs, we heard the door close and Mrs. Hudson looked at me as if she were to say something but didn't get a chance as we heard the door open and close again. In the next second, Sherlock was walking into the living room, through the same door as me, he closed it, took his coat of the back of it and put it on before turning to me and Mrs. Hudson before saying,

'I forgot this,' I gave a little smile and disappeared out the door before popping his head round the door frame once more and pointed at me, 'Don't touch anything,' he then pointed at the skull on the mantel, 'especially Frank.' And with that he was gone.

'Mrs. Hudson! I'm back!' Sherlock shouted as he came up the stairs, 'and I have...' he walked into the living room and stopped dead upon casting his eyes on me 'biscuits.'

'Forgotten me already, Mr. Holmes?'

'Of course not Summers.' He said as he walked into the kitchen and plonked the bag of biscuits down on the table.

'Alright then Holmes-y.' Sherlock turned sharply to stare daggers at me, I shrugged and smiled sweetly. Opposite me, again Mrs. Hudson was stifling an outburst of laughter.

'Yes, alright, come and choose your biscuits.' He said as he dumped the contents of the bag onto the counter.

'What did you do Sherlock? Buy the corner shop out when it came to biscuits?'

'Just one of each Mrs Hudson, I was unaware of which you liked.' Mrs Hudson had gotten up and walked to stand next to Sherlock, I had stayed exactly where I was, partly afraid that if I moved Sherlock would steal his chair back. That couldn't happen, what would I have to wind him up with?

'Do you have oreos?' I asked, taking a sip of my tea. He looked at me confused and then to his collection of biscuits on the table.

'Unfortunately Miss Summers, no I don't have oreos.'

'Well then I am happy to go without Mr. Holmes.' Sherlock dropped the packet of biscuits he was holding and looked at me, 'what? I never asked for biscuits in the first place, you did.'

'Yes, you are correct. Quite true.' He looked at me for a minute before he went back to sorting the biscuits out with Mrs Hudson, who still looked quite amused by the whole thing.

'Sherlock! You in! Mrs. Hudson? What's the emergency?' John came up the stairs then and Sherlock stepped in his way, standing in the doorway.

'Now John, I want you to remain calm.' Sherlock said calmly then stepped aside so that john could see me.