Chapter 32
As it happened, while the boys were checking out the sights around Trafalgar Square – Nelson's Column and the various other statues of famous British figures, the girls on their walkabout ended up entering the square as well. The large number of pigeons present at the square – despite the efforts made by the local authorities over the last few years to discourage their presence - did not stop both groups from seeing each other. Quickly they joined up with each other under the shadow of the statue of Sir Henry Havelock.
As they joined up, the boys took the time to admire the results of the girls' spa and salon treatment. Edd was the first to speak.
"Marie!", Edd exclaimed as he hugged her girlfriend, "you look wonderful! That makeover really did the impossible: making perfection even more so! To say that I am impressed is a total understatement!"
"Thank you, Double-Dee", Marie said softly as she blushed at his complement, I was wondering how my hairdo would look. I'm glad you like it".
"The Bouffant style makes you look rather presidential, or perhaps I should more accurately say royal", Edd replied, "you could pass for a dark-haired Lady Diana".
"You know how I feel about PDA's, Oven Mitt", Marie said with a giggle, "but you seem to be trying to make me forget that… and you're succeeding very well, so please refrain before I jump you right here in front of everyone!"
"In that case, I will desist from making further verbal complements, but what are you carrying there?" Edd asked, pointing to a small item she had taken out of her tote bag.
"A little bit of me for you to enjoy", she replied as she passed him the CD that she had recorded earlier, "I'm sure you'll like the song choices", she finished with a VERY intimate smile.
Edd blushed heavily, but nodded his thanks. Lee – who was receiving complements of her own from Eddy – had taken note of her sister's interaction with Edd and quietly smiled. Looks like the walls were breaking down nicely…
"I gotta be honest, Babe", Eddy remarked as he looked over Lee's makeover and new hairstyle, "I wouldn't have thought you wearing your hair straight and ponytailed at that would look quite right, but I stand corrected: you really look great!"
"Thanks, Love", Lee replied, "I really hoped that you'd like it. Besides, it's fun to try new things from time to time. By the way, I'm glad you like the LP's I picked up for ya".
Lee had shown Eddy the vinyl records she had purchased for him. She also showed the little 'item' that she had bought for Marie. Eddy smiled broadly at that. Edd was really going to be in for a treat, he thought.
By the way, did ya get the other item we discussed for them?", she asked, gesturing with a nod of her head towards Ed and May. She was referring to the necklace that Edd had picked up earlier from the jeweler at Piccadilly Circus.
"Yeah", Eddy replied quietly, "Sockhead got it, and it looks pretty good. It's at the hotel wrapped in a t-shirt that Lumpy bought for her. Lumpy's planning to give the shirt to her after dinner. It should be a nice surprise for them both".
While Lee and Eddy were chatting, Jimmy was walking around Sarah: speechless. He simply could not comprehend how beautiful that Sarah looked after her makeover. Sarah now looked like a diva! Despite her clothes, no one would think that Sarah was a tomboy at heart…
"Are you gonna say something, Jimmy?" Sarah asked in a mock-annoyed manner, "or are you just gonna let your jaw drag along the ground?"
Jimmy was making some sounds, but not coherently at that precise moment. Shaking her head some, Sarah turned to face Edd.
"Hey Double-Dee", Sarah called out, "as Jimmy can't seem to be able to talk, whadda you think about my look? You think they did a good job on me?"
"I must say, Sarah, that the people who did your makeover really knew their work", Edd replied, "Jimmy is very fortunate to have such a beautiful-looking person as yourself as his girlfriend".
Sarah beamed at the statement from her former crush. Her smile was almost as radiant as Rolf's as he admired Lindsay. The blonde giant knew that her boyfriend was really enamored by her makeover. The layered styling of her hair complemented the makeup job perfectly. Rolf didn't say anything, but Lindsay knew by his expression that he was not at all disappointed in what he saw.
"Judging from your reaction, I can tell that I passed muster. I'm glad you like it", Lindsay said to Rolf with a smile of her own, "but before you go making flattering complements about how I look, tell me: how did the meeting with the Grand Poohbah go?"
"Ah, my Sweet Schmetlokin", Rolf said, "Rolf wishes that you were there at the meeting. It was something that this Son of a Shepherd will fondly remember for the rest of his life!"
With that, Rolf proceeded to tell her about the recent meeting with Lord Payton-Bowell and the signing ceremony he had undergone. Lindsay could tell that Rolf was extremely proud of the meeting and the formal acknowledgement of his achievement by the Grand Poohbah of the International Brotherhood of Urban Rangers.
"But I will tell you this", Rolf concluded, "Seeing you here at this place looking so beautiful was certainly the icing on the cake for this Son of a Shepherd on this most wonderful day!"
Blushing some, Lindsay hugged him in congratulations. Johnny looked on approvingly. He would also long remember the meeting and witnessing Rolf's signing of the 'Hairy Chest of Fortitude' parchment. It was just a pity that he didn't have a girl to talk to about it like what was going on with the others. As Rolf and Lindsay were talking, Kevin was chatting with Nazz…
"The makeup job looks great, but I see that you didn't change your hairstyle, Doll", Kevin said to Nazz, "You didn't want to try something new? I remember how you styled your hair differently at the last school photo session and at the school dance. Those new styles that Lee and Marie tried looked pretty good".
"I can't argue with you there, Kev", Nazz said, "Both of them do look pretty good, but I thought keeping my signature style would do for the time being. You're not upset at me for not doing so, are you?" she asked. Kevin shook his head.
"Nah", Kevin replied, "but I do wonder what your sister Julia would have tried if she had come along with us on this trip!"
"Probably something so mind-numbingly abnormal, she'd probably be mistaken for a piece of modern art!", Nazz answered with a giggle, "but I'm not the only one that decided not to go wild on the hair. May decided to keep her pigtails and she still looked pretty good after her makeover", she concluded with a nod towards where May was chatting with Ed.
Kevin looked over at them and nodded. Ed was busy complementing May on how she looked.
"Aw, May!", Ed said in his dopey voice, "you are looking so pretty with your makeup and hair. I like what the people at the salon have done!"
"Gee, thanks, Big Ed!", May replied with a blush, "I didn't try any different hairstyle like what my sisters did, but I'm glad you like it anyway!"
"My Little May will always be pretty to me regardless!", Ed exclaimed as he hugged her. After they broke the hug, May looked at Ed and asked:
"So what did you and the guys do while me and the girls were doing our stuff?"
"Looking around and buying stuff. As for me, well, I got that cricket gear that Lucy had said we should get and it's getting sent back home by courier this evening!", Ed replied, "so we can play cricket back at Peach Creek when you're not playing softball".
"Speaking of Lucy", May said, "she works at the spa where we had our sauna. She told me to tell you that she will see us at the cricket game tomorrow at the Oval".
"Neat!", Ed exclaimed, "By the way, I also got a little thing for you that's back at the hotel".
"Oh?" May asked with some excitement in her voice, "what is it? Can you tell me?"
"It's a surprise", Ed answered, "but after dinner, I'll give it to you. But since we're here, can I get some pictures of you here in the square? It's supposed to be something that every visitor to London does. Double-Dee thought we could do it tomorrow, but now seems good".
"Sure thing, Big Ed!", May replied with a smile and nod, "take out that camera and shoot away!"
Eddy and the others had heard what Ed had suggested. Eddy pulled out his own digital camera.
"Good idea, Lumpy!", Eddy said, "since we're all here, let's get our touristy photo-op out of the way!"
With that, the teens took pics of each other with their digital cameras standing by the various statues and monuments that dotted Trafalgar Square – while similarly trying not to be a target of pigeon droppings in the process!
"That's the stuff, LeeLee!", Lindsay shouted at her BFF as Eddy took pictures of her in front of the base of Nelson's Column, "think of it as another model shoot. You look professional, Girl!"
"She has a point, Love", Lee playfully said to Eddy as he took more pictures of her, "perhaps you could become my personal model photographer when we're not dancing ballet!"
"That's real tempting, Babe!", Eddy replied with a laugh, "but for our personal shoots, how racy would you like to be in them?" he asked with a mock leer and a wink. Lee blushed, and gave a mock-scowl. Eddy got the message.
"Gee, Babe; I'm kidding!", he said, "but I gotta admit: I'm enjoying this!"
After about fifteen minutes of the teens picture-taking, Ed suddenly whistled in order to get the others attention, and pointed towards an open-top double-decker bus that had just parked close by. It was currently embarking passengers. A sign beside the bus read CITY TOURS.
"What do you think, Guys?" Ed asked, "how about we all have a tour of London on top of the bus before we head back to the hotel?"
A chorus of nods and sounds of agreement came back from the others.
"That is an excellent idea, Ed", Edd said, "Marie and I took a quick ride on one of those back on Day Two. It is certainly something that I would recommend to everyone here to try".
"Then let's go!", Kevin said.
With that, the teens headed over to pay the tour operator their fee and to take their position on the open-air top tier of the bus. After a few minutes of other tourists boarding, the bus set off on its impromptu tour of Downtown London…