Stories Based On Taylor Swift Songs

LOVER: 110. London Boy

110. London Boy (9/28/20)

Lana was spending the semester in London, studying British literature with the likes of Austen and Dickens. She left her dorm after a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast and headed to the Charles Dickens museum, where her and the rest of her class were meeting for the day.

The weather outside was dreary, so Lana grabbed an umbrella in case it rained. She had only been in London a week, and she figured she would never get used to the dull weather. At least in New York it didn't rain every day.

Lana booked a car to the Charles Dickens museum, and was surprised to find that she was either exceptionally early or exceptionally late. Her class was supposed to be waiting for her outside of the museum, but all she saw were a few tourists.

She rushed out of the car - fortunately, she had paid the man from her phone - and raced down the pavement. In front of the house was a small booth, along with a wickedly handsome man with brown curly hair and tan skin.

"Can I help you, miss?" He asked, his accent slipping through. Lana barely had the time to notice the man's sweet voice or good looks.

"I'm looking for Professor Whitman?" she asked, and received a finger pointing to the front door in response.

Lana walked over to the front door of the house, glancing over her shoulder at the man. She couldn't help but smile at him, and even though she had to look away to find her class, she had a hopeful feeling that he had smiled back.

After a painstaking tour of the Dickens residence (Lana wasn't a big fan of the author, and would've much rather preferred spending the day discussing Austen,) she walked outside of the museum with the rest of her class. Professor Whitman must've booked the museum, because a long line of tourists were waiting outside.

Lana followed the class, but not without taking note of the cute boy behind the ticket counter. He waved to her before beckoning her over, and Lana felt a surge of happiness course through her.

"Hello," he said through a fake smile. He watched as the tourists equipped with tickets passed by the booth. Then, every so often, he would dish out a ticket for the unprepared guest. "I take it you found your class?"

"Uh, yeah," Lana said, watching the rest of her class hailing cars. Her professor had mentioned grabbing a bite to eat before heading back to the dorms so the students could complete their assignments.

The handsome boy glanced at his watch. "My shift ends in five minutes. Want to head to the pub with me?"

Lana had never been to the pub before. She didn't even know this stranger's name. Then she looked at his nametag, which was pinned to his striped shirt: Henry.

"Sure, Henry." Lana smiled at the boy, who blushed in return.

When his shift ended, Henry walked Lana down to a small town square, which was only a block or two away from the museum. On their trek, he quizzed her on her trip to London, and she was able to talk about her major in English and her study abroad opportunity.

"University, eh?" Henry asked, his lips quirked on one side. "I graduated last year. Mum wants me to be a doctor, but I can't exactly handle the sight of blood."

Lana giggled. "What did you study then?"

"Writing, marketing, the whole lot." Henry shrugged. "Pretty dull stuff, but I got a few job offers."

"Then why are you working at the Charles Dickens' museum?"

Henry glanced back at the museum, which was now brimming with tourists. "The old guy was pretty wacky, ya know?"

Henry seemed to know everyone at the pub, from the bartender to the college kids and the local drunks. Lana ordered a water, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get her assignments done later if she was intoxicated. Henry nursed a cold glass of ale while asking more personal questions, such as where Lana grew up.

"I'm from New York," she said before taking a sip of water. "Not the city, though. More like upstate New York."

"Okay," Henry said, checking his phone. He sighed before saying, "I'm sorry, but I gotta get home. My mates locked themselves out again."

Lana worried that this would be the last she saw of Henry, the handsome British boy who always seemed to ask the perfect question. But then she heard herself ask the question, "Can I come?"

Turns out Henry had forgotten about his scooter, which was parked behind the museum. He paid for Lana's drinks, since she didn't have any money on her, before leading her to his scooter. Lana was hesitant, thinking about how upset her mother would be if she knew Lana had been on a motorcycle with a boy. But the scooter was hardly the same as a motorcycle, and it looked half as dangerous. So, when Henry tossed her a helmet, she put it on and held on tight.

Henry's place wasn't too far away from the museum, and as they drove down the street, Lana could see three boys waiting outside the front door. They all started yelling and whooping as soon as they saw Henry, but took pause when they noticed Lana.

"What did I tell you guys about locking yourselves out?" Henry berated them as he unlocked the front door.

"Not so fast," the one with long, blonde hair said. He gestured to Lana. "Who is this?"

"Lana," Henry said, as if they had met two years ago instead of two hours. "She's studying here for the semester." He then introduced her to his housemates. "This is Andrew, Dominic, and Liam."

The one with long, blonde hair was Liam. He walked into the house, yelling, "What would we have done without ya?"

"I'm pretty sure they all share one brain cell," Henry whispered to Lana, who giggled in response.

The house was small inside, with a kitchenette, bathroom, and two bedrooms. Next to the kitchenette was a black couch, two fold-up chairs, and a television balanced on two stacks of textbooks. Outside, it had started to rain, so even Lana filed in with the rest of the boys. She watched Henry watch his housemates rush around the house, grabbing milk cartons out of the fridge and raincoats from the closet.

"Do you need to get home?" Henry asked Lana, who hadn't realized how late it had gotten. Her roommates and professor would be looking for her, and she figured she would have assignments to complete.

"Uh, yeah, I do." Lana's words trailed off as she looked out the window at the rain plummeting down in sheets.

"I can walk you home." Lana swore she saw a sparkle in Henry's eye before he grabbed an umbrella and opened the front door again.

Outside, Lana squealed as the rain soaked through her clothes. Henry hurriedly opened the umbrella and held it above her. When she turned, he had a goofy grin on his face.

That's when Lana decided to kiss this stranger she had only met a few hours ago. Who knew if she would ever see him again? But, as they kissed, Lana had a feeling that she would find Henry again.