London Calling

Jen Toews sighed with relief as she walked out of her British Literature class. She was happy to be done with classes for the day. It had been two weeks since she transferred to a university in London to get her foreign exchange credit. She still felt out of place. Jen was constantly getting lost while making her way around London. She decided to prolong her misery today and to stay at school before she got lost on the way to her apartment. She would find a place in the school to be alone in order to write and unwind her nerves. To make a simple explanation, Jen was in desperate need of a stress release and she found that in her writing.

Getting a Pepsi from the nearest vending machine, Jen then made her way into a deserted room. She knew it was an art studio by the fact that all the chairs were in a circle and in front of each one was an easel for a student to paint or draw on a canvas. In the back corner of the room, there was a counter that held various supplies like brushes and discarded pencils. She found and empty spot and put her Mac there and plugged it into the outlet. She dragged a chair from the circle and sat at the counter. She turned on Dear Agony by Breaking Benjamin before getting lost in her words. Her characters’ antics allowed her to relax the tension in her shoulders. Soon enough she had completely lost track of time and completed four chapters in her newest novel.

The door to the room made a thud as it was closed, causing Jen to jump and turn around in her seat to see what the disturbance was. There was a guy with raven colored hair standing at the front of the room with his chocolate eyes set on her small form. It appeared that he had heard her sharp intake of breath and sent her an apologetic smile. “Sorry love,” he said in a soft, melodic voice that surprisingly could be heard over her music. She took a personal second to admire how wonderful his accent meshed with his tone before listening to the rest of his words, “I didn’t mean to give you a fright.” He sent a charming smile her way and Jen almost swooned at the mere sight of this handsome student. It had been a long time since Jen had noticed an attractive man, but this one was hard to miss. He had eyes that she could stare into for hours at a time. He was tall and lean, with model like features. She wasn’t even sure handsome did the man any justice, but that’s what she stuck with.

Jen turned and shut her music off before closing the laptop. She got up and replaced the laptop in her book bag. “That’s okay. I should probably stop hogging the room and find my way to my apart--- flat I guess is the word you use here.”

“You don’t have to leave on my account. I just have to get my sketchbook; I forgot to pick it up before I left class.” He reached for the black book on the professor’s desk before looking back at her once more, “Are you new to the university?”

She nodded in response before adding, “Yes, I am a foreign exchange student from Chicago and still getting trying to get used to London.”

“You don’t like London?” he asked curiously as he switched his book from one hand to the other. She could understand his confusion; it wasn’t every day that a tourist complained about a place as beautiful as London.

She answered diplomatically, “I would like it a lot more if I could find my way around. I’ve had to call my brother back home to locate my phone through our GPS system to tell me how to get from one place to another.”

The guy chuckled. He put a hand into his jeans pocket, “Well I’ll gladly come to the assistance of a damsel in distress.” A loud rumble of Jen’s stomach caused him to smirk, “That is after I have gotten some food to that angry stomach of yours.”

Jen blushed and looked down at the floor. This was not a situation she wanted to be in. She was embarrassed and she didn’t know if she should trust this guy she didn’t know at all. But what choice did she really have? She needed to get to her apartment and she would be able to do that faster if a local helped her. Plus she really needed a friend here and he seemed nice enough. She knew she could take the guy even if he was pretty slim and trim, her brother had made her take self defense classes before this trip. “I just need some directions and then I will be out of your hair,” she compromised. No need to tempt fate twice in one lifetime.

“Nonsense, what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you walk home alone at this time of night and let me at least get you some take out for when you are home. I know how difficult it can be in a new country when you’re all alone,” he offered her a smile and an outstretched hand. She took it after some more internal debate and was surprised by how warm his skin was. She felt the need to wrap her arm around his and snuggle closer to his body. She didn’t know what it was about him, but he seemed to have this instant calming effect on her and after two weeks of constant stress, that was definitely something she needed. Her move to London to have a less stressful life had not been the change she had wanted so far. She had wanted to get away from all her problems, not create new ones.

“Have you transferred to a different country before then?” she asked him as he led them out of the back doors of the school and to the student parking lot.

“Not exactly, I have traveled quite a bit for my most recent job.”

“What do you do?”

He smiled as he looked down into her eyes, “You are so curious. I am too, tell me about yourself.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Why London?”

“It was the next best choice to Canada.”

He raised a brow at her as he opened the door to his very expensive looking car for her. As she got into the black vehicle she answered his unasked question, “I am originally from Canada. I live in America with my brother because he plays hockey in the National Hockey League.”

“Wow, so you have a famous brother in America then?”

“Fairly famous yes, enough to know that the internet can spread nasty rumors about him and that being famous kind of sucks for him sometimes.”

“So you don’t really waste time on celebrity gossip sites?” he asked.

She faked offense and gave him a playful glare, “Did you take me for one of those vapid girls that need the latest news about her favorite celebrities? Sorry to disappoint but I pretty much live under a rock. I don’t pay attention to much around me besides what I can incorporate into my writing. I am more interested in what makes a person tick than what someone says makes them tick. I want to get to know people for myself. You could say that I have a firsthand experience of how the media can paint someone totally different from who they really are.” She looked over to see a large grin on the tan guy’s face and she giggled before asking, “What?”

She had told him her address previously and he made a turn in what she assumed was the right direction before he responded, “You are so passionate about this topic, it’s kind of cute how protective you are of your brother. Are you older than him?”

She shook her head in the negative as she rubbed her arms to warm herself in the winter weather
causing him to turn up the heat in the car. “No, he is older than me. I am protective of him. He and I are really close. Do you have any siblings?”

“All sisters, so I can relate very much to being protective.” He parked in another parking lot behind a restaurant and told her, “Stay here. I’ll get you some pasta, you like pasta right?” Getting positive feedback, he left the car running as he retrieved some food for her. After a while he came back with a brown bag in his hand and set it in her lap before continuing to her apartment. They sat in comfortable silence until they arrived at her destination.

“Thank you so much for everything. You are a real life saver.”

“I am glad I found you, I would hate to know you had to walk all this way. I would walk you to your door but I am sure I have been enough of a creep for one day.”

She chuckled, “Kind of, but you are a very endearing creeper.” He grinned as she got out of the car and turned to face him once more, “I didn’t get your name,” she informed him.

“Zayn,” he said as if he was slightly worried about telling her. She could tell from the wary look his features gained. She found it puzzling but had no reason to question the nice man. He had proved to be worth the risk of impending doom.

“I’m Jen and I feel slightly stupid for asking for your name after I let you drive me somewhere. Probably should have thought that one through a little more. Well thank you Zayn, I’m glad you didn’t kill me. Get home safe.” She shut the door and watched him drive off before going into her apartment building with the first peaceful feeling she had in London thus far. Though she did have to admit, she thought she had heard his name from somewhere before.

*****

Zayn was so busy with his laptop that he didn’t even register that anyone was in the room with him until he felt the soft pressure of a pillow being thrown at his head. He glanced at the other couch in his flat to see Liam sitting there and looking at him expectantly, “What?” he asked.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking up the National Hockey League in America,” Zayn responded as he continued to read an article about the Chicago Blackhawks.

“What are you doing that for?” Liam asked curiously.

“I met this bird yesterday and I am trying to find out who her brother is. She said he played hockey in Chicago.”

“Why are you looking for the brother?”

“Because I don’t know her last name and I was curious.”

Niall walked into the flat and saw the two on the couch, “What’s going on?” he said as he looked between the two and jumping over the couch to sit next to Zayn.

“Zayn’s looking up some bird’s brother to impress her,” Liam informed Niall in a matter of fact manner.

“What?”

Zayn groaned, “I am just trying to see if she is going to attract attention to us if I hang out with her. She said her brother---ah ha! Got it!” Zayn put his face impossibly closer to the screen as he entered Jonathan Toews and sister into the Google Images search engine. Immediately pictures of Jen and a very tall man next to her. He could instantly tell the resemblance. She had the same brunette hair and brown eyes. The only difference between them was that the brother seemed more reserved and only smiled a little bit whereas Jen’s smile was large and full of teeth. She was beautiful.

Zayn hadn’t even noticed the boys looking over his shoulder or even heard Liam get up and move behind him until Niall spoke, “I can see the need for Google now. She’s fit mate.”

“What’s she doing in London?” Liam asked.

“Her study abroad credit,” he replied.

“We want to meet her,” Liam and Niall said at the same time.

“No!” Zayn shouted closing his laptop and stood, “I just met her yesterday. I think she will get the wrong impression if I ask her back to my flat.”

Liam looked confused as he looked at an equally puzzled Niall, “She doesn’t know who you are?”

“No and that’s why Google was necessary. She is having a hard time adjusting and I want to show her around. I couldn’t do that if we both had paps coming after us. Judging from what Google says, it won’t be risky.”

Niall grinned and pinched Zayn’s cheek, “Well aren’t you just her knight in shining armor!”

Zayn smacked Niall’s hand away before saying, “Come off it.” With a slam of his door bedroom door, he acquired some peace and quiet to sketch his new project for class as his thoughts filled with what seemed like the only girl that didn’t know who he was.