The Thrill Is Gone

“For the millionth bloody time, we’re not lost!” exclaimed an incredibly irritated Alfred, his grip on the steering wheel tightening as he spoke. “I’ve simply decided to take the scenic route to show you a bit of the countryside. Thought you’d appreciate that,” he grumbled, thinking that if he sounded genuinely upset with her, she’d believe his lie.

From her place on the passenger’s side, she glared at him. Her brow furrowed and lips pressed into a tight, thin line. She knew he was lying. It didn’t matter what he said to her. She knew that they were lost. The directions she’d gotten to Olivia’s house had said that it’d be a twenty seven minute drive. They were now going on an hour and were no closer to Abingdon than they were when they’d first left his flat. And it was all because Alfred, the stubborn fool, had purposely left the directions at home, claiming that his trusted road atlas would be more than enough for their journey. Had she known that his trusted atlas had been a very recent purchase, she would’ve demanded that they use her directions, but Paulina hadn’t known that. She’d thought that the atlas was some old thing that he kept tucked away in the trunk of his car for special occasions.

“Do you honestly think I'm stupid enough to buy that lame excuse?” she asked, gruffly. “I may have been smoking out like mad this week, but I’ve still got enough brain cells to know that Gloucester isn’t just around the corner from Abingdon. Fucking city wasn’t even on the map, I printed out last night.”

“We’re in Gloucester?!” the car came to a screeching halt on the side of the road. “Could’ve sworn we were in Sunningwell . . . I saw a sign that said Sunningwell!”

“Well, we were in Sunningwell but then you took that fucking right and drove us all the way out here.”

“Bleeding hell, I’ve driven us way off course.” Alfred rested his head against the steering wheel. “Why didn’t you bloody say anything earlier then?”

“I did.” Paulina reminded him. “But you kept telling me that I was mad and that you knew where we were going.”

He didn’t say a word.

“When you’re done sulking, just give me your phone and I’ll get us out of this.”

“How you gonna do that?” he asked, turning his head to see her.

“There’s navigation on this. At least, there should be. These phones usually come with a navigation app,” she answered as if it were the most obvious thing. “I can get us the directions to Olivia’s place, but they’ll only work if you actually follow them. So that means no more of this macho, I can get anywhere, crap.”

“Wasn’t trying to be macho,” he searched for his mobile in his pant pocket.

“Then why the atlas?” she questioned.

“Was just trying something new, is all, no crime in that. Is there?” he pulled out his mobile.

She took in a breath to calm herself. “Alfie, there’s nothing wrong with trying something new, but you should’ve given me a heads up about it. Saying that you were gonna use your trusted atlas wasn’t right. You should’ve just said that you’d bought an atlas and wanted to try your hand at it. That’s all you had to say to me. I would’ve understood.”

“I know, I know, but I just . . . I honestly thought I could do it. The bloke down at the shop said it’d be easy. Guess he was wrong, though. And I’m very much sorry for delaying the trip. Know how much you’ve been looking forward to Bath.”

Her expression softened at his words. It was impossible for her to stay mad at him. Alfred was just too good a person for her to stay mad at. And as she sat there, she came to the conclusion that it shouldn’t really matter if he’d gotten them lost for an hour. He was, after all, doing her a massive favor by driving her out to Bath for her birthday. Not most people would have been up for it. Bath wasn’t a celebratory destination for young adults. It wasn’t like London, where clubs are around every corner. Bath was a place frequented by people that wanted to appreciate its architectural beauty and cultural significance. It was a tourist destination where people go to on a quiet holiday, a holiday filled with long walks and tea. Not wild alcohol fueled nights.

Alfred, although keen on alcohol, was comfortable with the long walks and tea. He was alright with pretending to be interested in her lengthy Jane Austen related rants, which had become increasingly more frequent in the week leading up to her birthday. Had he been another guy, he would’ve probably told her to shut up, that she was boring him, but Alfred hadn’t. He bore her rants much like her brother’s back home did. And as she remembered the grace with which he’d put up with her, she decided that it was only right that she apologize for having been so snappy towards him and also, to show him that she appreciated everything he’d done for her.

To show him that, she carefully placed her hand atop his. When he looked up, she offered him a friendly smile. That was enough to make Alfred sigh in relief. The last thing he wanted was for them to be cross as one another. That would’ve made for an awkward drive to Abingdon. Not to mention, Olivia would’ve had to sort the situation out, but thankfully for them, that scenario had been successfully avoided and now, all they had to focus on was getting to Olivia’s house as quickly as possible. They didn’t want to make her wait any longer than they absolutely had to.

“Should I find a petrol station so we have an address for the directions?” asked Alfred as he handed her the mobile.

“Don’t have to.”

“But how will it know where we are?”

She looked up from the mobile’s screen. “Haven’t you ever used the navigations thing on here before?”

“Never had to,” he replied. “Only go to London and Oxford and Kent, so I’ve not had to navigate.”

“Makes sense, but you should really tinker with your phone. There are a lot of helpful apps on here and it’s good to be familiar with them, that way if you ever need them, like we do now, you’ll know how to use them.” Paulina took a breath before continuing. “So the thing about the navigation is that you only need the end address. The satellite picks up the phone’s location and uses that as our start point.”

“That’s quite nifty.”

“It is,” she agreed as she typed in Olivia’s address. “And if we get lost, it’ll recalculate the directions for us.”

“How do you know so much about this?”

“I use navigation for everything,” she answered. “My dad put a GPS in my car since I have a pretty shitty sense of direction. And he also made sure that my phone came with it as backup for the GPS.”

“That mean, your mobile here has navigation, as well?”

“Yeah, but I’d rather use your phone. Screen’s bigger,” she smiled. “Ah hah!” she exclaimed. “We’ve got directions!”

“What’d they say?”

“Mmm, that we have to turn right onto The Quay/A4301, that’s in 0.8 kilometers.”

“Which way?” he turned on the engine.

“Just keep going straight and we’ll find it, that’s what the little arrow thing’s saying.”

With the help of the navigation, the pair easily arrived to the market town of Abington. It was a beautiful place with buildings that called to mind Jane Austen novels and a picturesque river that only served to add to its charm. All in all, it left Paulina in awe. And when Alfred pulled up in front of a rather large cottage, her heart nearly stopped. Never before had she seen anything so charming . . . so absolutely breathtaking! Her excitement rendered her speechless, causing Alfred to think there was something wrong with her, but he knew her well enough to know the thoughts that were running through her mind.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked her. “Something out of a dream or at the very least, an enchanted forest . . . Suiting for Olivia, very suiting.”

She looked over at Alfred, watching as a dreamy look swept across his face. His thoughts were obvious to her. He was clearly imagining Olivia with some flowers in her hair, roaming the garden barefoot.

“Just imagine what the flowers in bloom must look like with Olivia around.”

“Their beauty wilts in comparison to hers.” Alfred said before realizing what he’d done. When he realized what he’d said, his eyes went wide and in a very low voice, he found himself saying, “Y-you won’t tell her, will you? Please don’t tell her. I don’t want her thinking I'm some love struck fool.”

“But you are,” she said in a singsong voice, her lips curled upwards into a bright smile.

“Doesn’t mean she has to know . . .” he muttered.

“But if she knew, then your feelings would be out in the open.”

“And that’s a good thing why?”

“Because then it won’t be a secret that I have to keep. You know how much I hate keeping secrets. Makes me feel uncomfortable, but I keep them as a labor of love!” she unbuckled her seatbelt. “And who knows, maybe she’ll feel the same way and you guys can be all romantic together. Ah. I can see it now!”

“Oh. Come off it, Paulina.”

She ignored him. “Know what? You should make a move on her while we’re at Bath. It’s the perfect spot to romance someone.”

“How do you know that? You’ve never been!” he laughed.

“Physically, never, but mentally, I keep a summer home there. And if my novels, films and imagination serve me right, then offering her some flowers and telling her that you like her, during a walk or tea, should be more than enough,” she said. “Just do it. It’ll work out.”

He wanted to believe her. Really, he did. He wanted to believe that taking Olivia out on a picnic and telling her that he fancied her, would work, but he just couldn’t. He knew it was childish of him to not pluck up the courage to confess his feelings for her, but he was genuinely afraid that the revelation would ruin their friendship. The thought of not having Olivia in his life was infinitely worse than the thought of simply remaining friends with her. So he was resolved on keeping his feelings to himself . . . and to Paulina. Maybe in the future he’d feel comfortable enough to tell her, but at the moment, he didn’t and he’d just have to deal with it.

“It’s your birthday weekend,” he said as if it were an actual excuse for not expressing himself to Olivia. “This is all meant to be about you . . . about having a laugh and being very Austen. To take the attention from you wouldn’t be right. Not right at all.”

The look in his eyes made it clear that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. The subject was to be dropped directly or else he’d probably get a bit snappy. And so, she decided to forget about it. It’d be a pursuit for another occasion. Most likely for their drive back to Oxford.

“Should we go on in or do you want to linger here a little longer?” she eventually asked.

“As much as I enjoy lingering, think we should head on in.” Alfred shot her a grateful smile and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Have you met her parents before? Know I’ve probably asked that, but I’ve forgotten what you’d said.”

“It’s a miracle you get such good grades with that faulty memory of yours,” teased Paulina as she opened the car door and stepped out into the open. “And yes, I’ve met her parents before. Real nice people and they’re friendly, so friendly! Remember when I ran into them, they invited me to join them for lunch. Would’ve gone with them, but I had something to do with the trust so I couldn’t go.”

“That’s comforting,” he closed his car door and slipped on his jacket, making sure to smooth it out so he looked his absolute best.

“Nothing to be nervous about,” she reassured as they began the walk up the cobblestone path. “Her parents are gonna love you. All you have to do is make sure to smile. Smiling makes people like people. And yes, I know how childish that sounds, but it’s the truth.”

“If I smile and they don’t like me, you’ll be to blame.”

Paulina rolled her eyes. “Just shut up and smile, Alfie.”

“You’re going to make quite the mother when you have children.”

A pinch to the ribs was her reply. It was simple, effective and forced Alfred to hold back the profanity that threatened to escape his lips. Eventually, the pair made it to the front door, where Paulina took the liberty of ringing the bell. They stood there in silence; Alfred preparing himself for meeting the parents of the woman he fancied and Paulina taking mental pictures of the handcrafted front door. When she had a home of her own, she wanted to have a door just like that one. In time the door was opened by a middle aged woman that bore striking resemblance to Olivia. The only difference was that instead of blonde hair, she had light caramel brown hair. Olivia had inherited her father’s blonde locks.

“Hello Mrs. Mercier, it’s nice to see you again.” Paulina greeted her warmly.

“Lovely to see you again, dear,” she stepped forward and enveloped the younger woman in a warm embrace. “And who’s this?” she asked after having separated.

“Alfred Vaughn Ferrars, at your service, Mrs. Mercier,” spoke Alfred, adding a bow of the head at the end of his name.

“So you’re Alfred.” Mrs. Mercier mused aloud, her eyes taking him in. “Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, dear. Please, do come in. Olivia was just having a chat with her father. Should be down any moment,” she led them into the cottage and closed the door behind them. “Would you care for anything to drink? Perhaps some water, juice, or lemonade?” she asked as she led them into the living room. “Make the best lemonade around these parts, I do. Would you like some?”

“Yes, please.” They replied in unison.

“Alright dears, be back directly and please, take a seat. Want you both to feel at home while you’re here.”

The pair shared a look before taking a seat on the nearest couch. They sat there in silence, trying to look as respectable as they could so if someone were to walk in, they wouldn’t be caught saying anything inappropriate or with a dumb look on their face. The first person to walk in was Olivia’s younger sister, a four year old by the name of Collette. She had her mother’s caramel brown hair and bright blue eyes.

“Are you Via’s friends?” she asked softly.

“We are indeed.” Paulina replied. “And you must be, Collette!”

Collette nodded shyly.

“I like your name. It’s very pretty.” Paulina complimented.

“Thank you,” a faint blush formed across her cheeks. “And what’s your name?”

“My name’s Paulina, but you can call me Paula, if you like. And this is Alfred, but you should call him Alfie. Right, Alfie?”

“Yes, of course,” he smiled a debonair smile that could charm anyone. “But if you don’t quite fancy Alfie, feel free to call me whatever you like. For Miss Collette has supreme freedom.”

Collette’s face flushed with even more color. “Want to play dollies with me?” she asked them.

“They haven’t time to play dollies,” spoke Olivia, her faint French accent filling the room.

Her accent was due to the fact that she had spent the first fifteen years of her life in France. Her mother was an English sculptor that fell madly in love with a French physicist, and ended up staying in France until her husband’s research company was relocated to England. Olivia adapted well to the change in country. From a young age, her mother had taught her English, so language was not an issue. And now, after having been in England for eight years, her accent, which had once been a tad heavy, was not very subdued and only flared up whenever she was truly furious.

Alfred turned in the direction of her voice, his lips hitching upwards into an even brighter smile. He only smiled that brightly whenever she was around. Otherwise they were nice, charming when he wanted them to be, but never as strong or infectious.

“Via,” he greeted her, his voice calm and smooth, a stark contrast to his smile.

“Alfie!” she exclaimed and in four quick steps, she managed to cross the room and take him into a tight embrace. “Find the house alright?”

Alfred nodded. “Had a bit of trouble early on, but Paulin sorted it out when she put your address in the navigation,” he replied honestly.

“Hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

“Wasn’t much,” he reassured. “Just got a bit off track is all.”

From her seat, Paulina scoffed.

“Not telling the truth, is he?” Olivia turned to Paulina and hugged her tightly. “But I'm sure you’ll tell me all about it during the drive. Won’t you? Can’t resist teasing this one!” and she nudged Alfred playfully, causing the young man to tense slightly. “So you ready to go then?”

“Your mum was going to bring us some lemonade.” Alfred said.

“Was she?” Olivia pursed her lips together. “Well, I'll go help so we can get going. Want to get to Bath while there’s still light out! Come on Etta, let’s go help mum.”

“But I want to play dollies,” whined the small child.

Olivia crouched down a bit. “When we get back from Bath, you can play dollies with them. Right Alfie, Paulin?”

“Right,” they answered.

“Promise?” asked Collette, staring at them with her big blue eyes.

“We promise.” Alfred assured.

“Okay!” she exclaimed. “We can go help mummy now.”

“Back in a bit!” a smile was given them by Olivia and she then left the living room, accompanied by her eager younger sister.

The pair returned shortly after, with two glassed gilled to the very top with lemonade. Both glasses were gladly accepted by Alfred and Paulina, who hadn’t had a thing to drink since they’d set off on their journey to Abingdon. And once they finished their lemonade, and were given a talk about the proper safety measures for driving, by Mr. and Mrs. Mercier, they were finally off on their journey to Bath.

That time around the drive was a lot smoother than it had been to Olivia’s. They had clear directions that told them exactly where they needed to go and Alfred hadn’t the faintest intention of giving the atlas another go. The seating arrangements were different with Olivia there. Paulina opted to sit in the back, claiming that she wanted to stretch her legs out. When in reality, she was making it easier for Alfred to steal glances at Olivia, whom was eagerly talking about their plans for Bath. Over the last few days, Olivia and Paulina had been planning their activities over MSN Messenger. They had jotted down all the main things they wanted to do and hoped that they’d be able to get to everything in the two days they were there. They had toyed with the idea of staying an extra day, but ended up deciding against it, when Alfred told them that they could stay at his flat for the weekend. They had a long weekend ahead of them and it was only just getting started.