Chapter 27
"Hey Lindsay!", Nazz called out from where she was relaxing on a comfortable couch with cucumber slices covering her eyes, "Maybe you should call your dad and see if we can just remain here for the rest of the vacation!"
"That's got my vote", May echoed. She was reclining on a similar couch, though she didn't have the cucumbers, "this was a great idea coming here for sauna and facials". She picked up from a side table beside her couch a glass of ice water with a lemon slice and toasted Nazz before taking a sip.
"Glad you like it, but somehow, I don't think Dad would agree to our setting up permanent residence here", Lindsay replied, "and remember, we're going next door for hairstyling, nails, and makeup", she reminded them. She had been going through her cell phone messages whilst laying on her couch and sipping her iced lemon water.
"That sauna takes a bit of getting used to though", Sarah said from her couch, "though the shower and the facial makes up for that. These cucumbers on the eyelids feels a little weird tough".
"It's supposed to help your eyes not get lines or dark rings, though I don't use 'em myself", Lindsay explained. "That was your first sauna, wasn't it?", Lindsay enquired. Sarah nodded.
"Well, as soon as Lee gets her facial completed, we'll head on over", Lindsay said next, gesturing to Lee, who was in a reclining chair with her face wrapped in moist hot towels. Lee grunted a "uh-huh" and gave Lindsay a thumbs-up.
The Richmond Spa staff were giving the girls a full treatment. First, they had a sauna – after getting undressed and wearing towels of course – and then after a shower to wash off the perspiration, they were each given long bath robes to wear, and treated to a facial massage with heat treatment, then moisturizer, then the cucumber-on-the-eyelids. However, May decided that the cucumbers were better eaten than worn, so she consumed hers.
"That's gross! How the heck do you eat so much and stay so thin, May?" Marie asked with mock exasperation after she saw her younger sister eat the slices, "I swear you're like a non-stop eating machine at times!"
"As if you don't eat as much as her, Marie", Lee said as her hot towels were taken off her face by a staff member. As the staff member expertly added moisturizer to Lee's face, Marie stuck out her tongue at Lee.
"Come on, Girls!", Nazz said in mock-reproof as her cucumber slices were taken off her eyelids by another staffer, "we're not here to squabble. As Lindsay said: we're here to have a girls' day out and I am going to take full advantage of that!"
"Nazz has a point, Marie", Lee said as the cucumber slices were placed on her eyelids, "though eating those slices here was kind of gross, May", she added.
"Amen to that!", Marie confirmed. While at times she could get quite irked at Lee's 'mother-like' attitude to her and May at times, she also realized that the eldest sibling does have certain 'privileges'…
All of them were relaxing in their bathrobes with the spa logo embroidered on, and all had their hair wrapped in white towels. After the sightseeing and travels of the last few days, this spa treatment was really welcomed by all of the girls.
"I wonder how the boys are doing at the moment", Sarah said next.
"To be honest, at the moment I just don't care", Lindsay replied, "after all, this is our time and I want to make the most of it while it lasts. Plenty of time later on to think about them".
"May? Is that you?" a voice suddenly said. May looked up and saw a spa staffer walk in with an armful of folded towels, but it was a person she immediately recognized. It was none other than Lucy Percival!
"Lucy!", May exclaimed, "I didn't know you worked here!"
"You never asked!" Lucy replied with a smile as she put the towels sown on a table, "Small world, eh?"
"Who's this person, May?" Marie asked as she removed her cucumber slices.
"She's the one I told you about who showed me how to play cricket earlier this week. She's going to be coming over to play softball against the USA and Canada next month", May explained as she stood up and greeted her friend with a hug.
"So these are all your friends, eh?" Lucy said after the hug was broken.
"These two", May said – gesturing to Lee and Marie, "are my sisters, Lee and Marie. The tall person over there is Lindsay, the cute-looking blonde over there is Nazz, and Sarah is the youngest one experiencing the delights of a sauna for the first time. Sarah's Big Ed's sister, by the way".
"How long have you known May, Lucy?", Sarah asked as she removed her cucumber slices.
"Well, as May said, we met a few days ago outside the Royal Observatory. I knew May from the internet when I read up on probable members of the US Softball Team and we kind of hit it off", Lucy said, "and your brother can hit a cricket ball pretty good too".
"So you work here full time, Lucy?" Lindsay asked.
"Part-time", Lucy replied, "normally this would be my day off, but one of the other staffers took sick and I was asked to trade days and come on over, which reminds me…"
Turning to May, she said, "It means I'm not working tomorrow, and I can go to the cricket game instead. I don't know if I can be seated near you though".
"Don't you worry about that, Lucy", Lindsay said as she picked up her cell phone, "My Dad's buying the tickets, and I'll just ask him to get another one".
"I don't want to intrude…", Lucy started to say, but May cut her off.
"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Lucy", May suggested, "besides, you can answer any questions that we might have about the game".
A chorus of affirmative grunts and nods came from the others at May's comment. May nodded, then said "Well, you're out-voted, Lucy. Besides, when we'll be facing each other on the softball diamond next month – hopefully – I'd like to think that though we'll be going all-out to beat each other, we'll have memories of this to remind us that we're still friends".
Lee and Marie nodded at that. While May had still to officially qualify for the US Girl's Softball Team, it was good to see that May was keeping things in perspective and valuing her friendship with Lucy.
"Well, I'd better get back to work before my boss reams me out for talking to long", Lucy said, "I'll leave you my phone number before you go so we can make arrangements to meet up at the Oval tomorrow. Okay?"
"Sounds like a plan, Lucy", Lindsay said as she held out a piece of paper and a pen – that were on the side table next to her couch, "It's nice to meet a friend of May".
"And it's nice to meet May's sisters and friends", Lucy replied.
With that, the girls settled back down while Lucy – after writing down her phone number - went back to her work.
The subject of Sarah's earlier question – the boys – had gotten off the Underground at Piccadilly Circus and were looking around at the sights. Ed was disappointed that there wasn't any big tents or animals performing tricks at Piccadilly Circus, which made the others laugh.
"I am sorry that you are disappointed in your not seeing what you thought was going to be here, Ed", Edd said sympathetically, "but Piccadilly Circus is a place name, not an actual circus. In fact, this location reminds me of Times Square, which we saw briefly last summer when we were in New York City".
"Just because of those advertising signs, Double-Dee?" Eddy asked while pointing at an illuminated sign, "This place is small beer because it just don't compare to Times Square!"
"Hey, Eddy, you just made a neat rhyme", Ed said with a smile.
"It would probably look a lot better at night", Johnny observed, "but remember Rolf: The Urban Rangers Headquarters is pretty close, according to the map. Maybe this would be the right time for you, me, and Jimmy to drop in on the Grand Poohbah".
"Rolf agrees, Johnny", Rolf replied, "So if you Ed Boys and Kevin do not mind, Rolf, Johnny, and Jimmy will take our leave and we will meet back up for lunch, yes?" Rolf held up his cellphone. Edd held up his in acknowledgement.
"If Kevin doesn't mind sticking round with us for a while, go right ahead, Rolf", Eddy said with a grin.
"I think I can put up with you three dorks, Dork", Kevin replied with a similar grin, "so you three go right ahead. I'm sure you'll tell us all about your visit at lunch".
"Ho-Ho, Kevin", Rolf said with a smile, "See you then". With that, Johnny pointed in the direction where the map said the Urban Rangers HQ was located, then all three of them headed out that way.
"I gotta confess, Eddy", Kevin said as he watched Rolf, Jimmy, and Johnny walk away, "When you challenged Rolf for that fortitude badge, you really had a lot of guts to go through all that crap. I don't think I'd have lasted as long as you did. It was fun to watch though", he concluded with a chuckle.
"My stupid pride and big mouth had more to do with it than guts, Kdvin", Eddy said quietly, though very impressed with what Kevin had just said to him, "and the time spent in hospital recuperating isn't something I'd care to do again".
"I certainly agree with Kevin, Eddy", Edd said, "despite your pride being the primary motivator when you challenged Rolf that day, it nonetheless was something that very very few people would have the courage to even consider attempting, let alone actually go through".
"Uh, what are we going to do now, Guys?" Ed asked in his usual dopey voice, "any ideas? Since we're not gonna see a real circus, what can we see?"
The four of them looked at each other. Ed did have a point. Kevin turned to face Edd.
"You're the library of encyclopedic knowledge about this city, Double-Dee", Kevin said, "you got any suggestions?"
"Well…", Edd replied as he pointed out various stores to the others, "The former Swan & Edgar department store on the west side of the circus between Piccadilly and Regent Street is now the location of a famous clothing brand called 'The Sting', so we can go there if you like. Over there on the northeastern side of the circus is the London Pavilion, which - despite the name - is actually a shopping arcade. There is also Fortnum & Mason which is known for its expansive food hall, so that's where we can have lunch once Rolf and the others finish their business with the Grand Poohbah. And then there is Lillywhites".
"What's that, Sockhead?", Eddy asked with some exasperation, "it sounds like a rather pansy name. It's not a lady's clothing store, is it?".
"Actually Eddy, Lillywhites is a major retailer of sporting goods located over there on the corner of the Circus and Lower Regent Street, right next to the Shaftesbury fountain", Edd replied, pointing at the fountain. "It moved to its present site in 1925. Lillywhites is very popular with tourists, and they regularly offer sale items, including international football jerseys and similar sporting apparel".
"Ooh, Ooh", Ed said excitedly – sounding like Officer Gunther Tootie from the old TV sitcom 'Car 54, Where are you?' - I wanna get some cricket gear for me and Little May to use when we get back home, so let's go there!"
"Good idea, Ed", Kevin said, "besides, I wanna get me a Manchester United soccer jersey. That team rocks!"
"It's got my vote", Eddy said in concurrence.
With that, the four went over to where Edd indicated where Lillywhites was…