Falling for a British bloke

Chapter 5 - hugs and kisses (at the airport)

A/N:Sorry for the delay... RL is pushing... ;)

Slowly, slowly... we are getting somewhere...

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Three days after Richard's visit Sarah got a call from her publisher. They talked some time and after they had finished she couldn't help but dance a little giddy dance through her living room with a silly grin on her face and making some excited noises. Calming down after a while she picked up her phone again.

"Mom! I'm going to London!"

"London? On holiday?"

"No! Work! The translation of my book is finally completed and I'm going to go to London in three weeks time to promote it! There is an anniversary of a smaller bookstore which is somehow related to my publisher and during the celebrations I will be there to sign books and answer questions. The selling of the book will start one week earlier!"

"Wow, darling, that sounds great! Anything I can help you with, organizing your stay and all that?"

"No mum, it's all right, my publisher is organizing everything, the flight, the hotel, all I have to do is come over and enjoy myself!"

After having finished the call to her mom, Sarah paced the room, unsure how to approach the next thing on her mind. Promise me, he said. Notify me as soon as your book is translated completely. Tell me when it is going to be published. Was he really interested or was he just polite? The weekend with Richard was still vivid in her mind, the easy talks, the relaxed atmosphere, but self-conciousness set in already. She was not sure if this really was supposed to happen. Could someone like her really befriend someone like him? She itched to call him, hear his voice, talk to him as freely as they did on the past weekend. But what if his real life had gotten the best of him and the stay with me was nothing more than a nice episode to remember? Finally she decided to text him. Innocuous. So she wouldn't intrude his private life if he wasn't up for conversation.

Not even a minute after she had sent the text, her phone came to life, ringing. Richard was calling her.

"Hey you! That's great news!"

Sarah smiled, he sounded as excited as she felt. "Yeah, I was astounded about how fast they had been with all that! So - are you in London the second weekend of August? Maybe we could meet for a drink or something like that?"

He would be in London. And he insisted on not only meeting her for a drink but also getting her from the airport with his car, when she told him the flight would be destined to Gatwick, with no Underground but only an uncomfortable bus drive to the city. As she could not talk him out of that, she finally accepted and they chatted away for some more before Richard had to tend to other business again.

After she had hung up, Sarah shook her head, smiling. You're thinking too much. He really likes you. She went to the fridge, got a bowl of icecream out of it and ventured over to the patio, where she sat and idly watched her horses for a while, eating and daydreaming over the things to come.

August 2014

Sarah was just heading out of the baggage claim area, when her mobile rang. Fumbling with her suitcase and her backpack it took a little time to reach her phone and when she answered she heard a sigh of relief at the other end of the line. She chuckled. "Hi Richard! Sounds like you are glad that I arrived?"

"I am! Where are you?"

"Just leaving the baggage claim."

Okay, could you just stay where you are and listen to me?" Then he fell silent, unsure how she would react to his little 'problem'. "Um... I would like you to do me a big favour, but if you think it's too much, it's allright."