Angela woke up late one morning to find a very fancy letter sitting in her mailbox. She could tell from the elegant script on the front that it was from Deborah. She felt her heart skip a beat in surprise, delight, and excitement. Of course, she and Deborah kept in close contact through texting and phone calls, but to actually receive something from her felt totally different.
Angela held her breath as she tore open the envelope. There were only two small pieces of paper inside. The first was a note:
We can go driving on my scooter, you know, just around London?
The second was a plane ticket.
It looked like Deborah missed Angela just as much as Angela missed her after all.
ooo
Angela was practically spinning in circles as she looked around, nervous and excited. The airport was just so… big; she had good reason to feel overwhelmed and enthralled! But even more than that, there was a certain someone she was looking for… And not too long after dismounting her plane, Angela heard a bout of delighted laughter. She saw the dimples first and then she heard the accent.
"Angela! Sweetheart! Oh, darling, how I've missed you!" They say home is where the heart is, but that's not where mine lives…
The plane ride might've been over, Angela's feet might've been back on the ground, but she would be soaring again before very long.
You know I love a London girl; it's a whirl, walking Camden Market in the afternoon!
Angela spent half the day spinning as she tried to drink in all the sights the Market had to offer. There was just so much to see and do and buy! It felt like everywhere she looked, there were colors, colors, colors, and more colors! All sorts of fancy clothing and trinkets lined either side of the road, each display beckoning her to come closer and maybe even step into the shops behind them. The doctor's eyes were full of a childlike wonder.
"Oh, Deborah, isn't it simply marvelous?" she cried, turning to her companion, her smile stretching from ear to ear.
"It certainly is, my little angel," Deborah smiled at her fondly in return. She'd been to Camden Market many times before, so to her, it wasn't all that special. What was truly special, though, was getting to watch Angela become so animated and energetic, so bold and unfettered. It was a rare sight, but Deborah liked it. Darling, I fancy you!
Even after the pair managed to exhaust the Market, there were still plenty more fun things they could do. Deborah took Angela to Highgate and introduced her to some of her best mates from the past.
"Hello, hello!" Deborah greeted them.
"Hey, Deborah!" They waved at her. "Who's your little mate?"
"My American Dream, my California Girl," Deborah replied with a smile, slinging her arm around a sheepish Angela's shoulders.
"Oh, so I guess all the rumors are true!" One of Deborah's mates teased. "You chose an exotic foreigner!"
"Aye!" One of the others agreed, snickering. "And it seems that the other rumors are true, too: the Americans really do love their London Girls."
Angela was about to introduce herself, but the teasing rendered her mute. She opened and closed her mouth, but no sound came out. She was sure she looked like a fish out of water. She certainly felt like one! But most embarrassing of all, Deborah's mates were right.
You know I love a London Girl, Deborah, I fancy you…
But Deborah's mates warmed up to Angela quickly. The Brits enjoyed the cute little American Girl, and eventually, she came to enjoy them as well. She fell in love with high tea, stories from Deborah's friends' Uni, and the West End. Of course Deborah dragged her to every fancy play at every fancy theater all over their general vicinity, but the famous West End was one of Deborah's most favorite places. Sometimes, though, they went low-key, spending time at the pub watching rugby with Deborah's schoolfriends.
"Here, try this!" Over the din of the pub, Deborah slid Angela a large glass of… something.
"What is it?!" Angela shouted back.
"Try it!"
Angela's next response was a hearty bout of coughing. Deborah and all her British mates burst out laughing. Ah, poor little American lightweight!
It should've come as no surprise that Angela preferred to spend her London days with Deborah rather than with all of Deborah's friends. They were fun, but a tad too rowdy for the shy and awkward Angela Jekyll.
"Show me a gray sky, a rainy cab ride, and that's honestly just as good as any pub or play," Angela said as she and Deborah finally exited the pub and entered a cab. While the driver was focused on the road ahead, Deborah decided to snuggle up to Angela in the back.
"Are you saying you prefer to have me all to yourself, my little angel?" she teased. "You don't want to share me with my friends, hmm?"
"That's not what I—! I mean, of course, I like them, too, but that's—!" While Angela floundered, Deborah laughed.
"I have to agree," she said. "Being here, with you, alone, in the back of this cozy little cab…" Deborah leaned in closer and closer. "I like the way your brilliant brain thinks, Dr. Jekyll, but baby, don't threaten me with a good time!"
She finally grabbed Angela by the tie and pulled her in for a kiss. Multiple, actually. Angela could only sit there, breathless, squeezed in the back of the cab with Deborah's lips and hands all over her. How was the driver not noticing?! But Angela's worry didn't last too long, Deborah was too distracting. Even after the model pulled away, leaving red lipstick all over Angela's face, the doctor's brain could only formulate one semi-coherent thought: They say home is where the heart is, but God, I love the English… She was having a jolly good time across the pond!
They continued to travel all over London in a whirl, nights in Brixton and Shoreditch in the afternoon. The entire time, Deborah did her best to coax every wonderful, wonder-filled, American smile out of Angela, her own eyes like a child's every time they met. Darling I fancy you! And oh, yes, all the rumors were true. Deborah loved her American Queen and Angela loved her London Girl.
Even though the doctor was thrilled at finally having the chance to explore England (or at least, part of it), she didn't mind if they weren't able to hit every spot on the itinerary. They didn't have to see anything fancy, either, for Angela to be content. She just wanted to be with her London Girl, and the feeling was mutual.
"Stick with me, I'm your Queen, we'll be a brand-new royal family, and you'll see, I just want to be with you," Deborah reached for Angela's hand, swinging it as they walked down another long, winding, cobblestone street. She really did know all the best spots, whether they were fancy places like SoHo, or gritty pubs, or hidden gems in the form of cobblestone backroads.
All of it was beautiful, but of course, nothing was quite as gorgeous as Deborah herself, beaming as she led the way, excitedly dragging Angela from place to place. For once, Angela was more than happy to follow whenever Deborah strayed, relishing every single second with her, whether it was day or night. Oh, don't you know, all the rumors are true? You know I love my London Girl, yes, Deborah I fancy you!