Change of Heart

Chapter Eleven: Ride

She awoke the next morning and yawned as she stretched. She looked at her phone and smiled to see a text from Tom.

Did you really think I'd let you off that easily? Pack a bag for the weekend and go to About Town Hire, tell them Tom sent you, meet me back there  at 4:30. Feel free to bring your guidebook.

She wondered why he wanted her to go to a temp agency as she got dressed and all during the ride there. As she got out of the cab she realized it wasn't a temp agency at all, but rather a rental store, a motorcycle rental store. She grimaced and reluctantly went in.

"We've been waiting for you!" Exclaimed the well dressed man behind the counter, who beamed as she told him who sent her there. To her chagrin he grabbed a set of keys from the wall behind him. "Follow me if you want to ride."

She strapped the helmet onto her head and felt a bit ridiculous as she started the engine of the mint green Vespa and rolled her eyes. She thought of how absurd she must look, and how everyone would know she was a tourist now. She putted down the street in spurts until she got the hang of the scooter and its brakes. It was easier than she thought, she decided not to strangle Tom when she saw him, and felt confident that she'd actually live to meet him that afternoon.

By the time she pulled the Vespa up in front of the shop she'd explored the city on her own terms, going out of her way to avoid the regular tourists’ traps. She knew Tom would want to know how she'd spent her day without him. She suppressed a smile and ignored the leap in her stomach as she saw him leaning against a black vintage looking motorcycle. She hopped off the scooter and took off her helmet.

"Where have you been?"

"Seeing London… without my favorite tour guide by my side."

"Well, darling, I have to work."

"Hypocrite."

"Only a little. Come on, we need to get going before dark."

She strapped her bag to the back of the bike and took her seat, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against the soft leather of the black jacket he wore. She couldn't wait to see where he was taking her.

“But I can’t stay anywhere the whole weekend, Tom. My parents will be here tomorrow night.”

“I know, Love. Just trust me.”

She held onto him tightly as they sped down the English roads out of the city and into the country side. Beautiful snow covered fields loomed on either side of them; here and there they crossed a stone bridge and saw paths that led off to houses in the distance. Twenty minutes out of the city Tom turned down a road that led to a house that made Jacks’ jaw drop beneath her helmet. She stared up at the beautiful grey stone manor house and waited as Tom pulled the bike up to the front door and helped her off. She removed her helmet and looked up, then slowly her gaze landed on Tom, who stood fumbling with a key to the door.

“Do you live here?”

She asked, still looking around, completely floored by the beauty and size of the house and the land.

“Are you kidding? No way. This is my family’s home…well one of them. I had like a great great uncle who was an earl or count or some other really obscure royal title thing…this was his house a long time ago, anyway, it’s just like a vacation house.”

She followed him inside and looked around at the beautiful interior of the house.

“So you are royalty after all…” she said in an absentminded way as she wandered the rooms nearby. She came back into the front hall and grinned at him. “This is beautiful. What are we going to do here?”