A Brave Start Read online

  As if reading her mind, “Mom changed things up after Fredrick moved out. I’m storing some extra boxes of stuff under the bed, I hope that’s alright. This is the bigger bedroom of the two, but we each have our own en suite bathroom and I prefer a window out the back, it’s a little quieter. But I thought you’d like having views out the front, so hopefully that, and the extra space, makes up for any extra noise. The windows are pretty good though, so when they’re closed the noise isn’t too bad.”

  “Jonathan, this is incredible, I’m sure I won’t even notice the noise!”

  Eleanor couldn’t take her eyes off the room, she started wandering around it, looking at everything in more detail as Jonathan leaned against the door frame smiling at her. To the right of the door when she walked in was a large closet, just as big as the one she’d left behind, and she hadn’t brought even half of her clothes from home so there’d be plenty of storage. In the middle of the room was a queen-sized bed, with a gorgeous tufted headboard in the most beautiful shade of blush. Not quite cream, or peach, or pink, but somewhere in between. There was a floral patterned rug on top of the wood flooring that Eleanor had been falling in love with throughout the flat. Against the wall opposite the bed was a tall bureau, flanked by two tall slim bookshelves, that had been thoughtfully styled with some of Eleanor’s favorite books or books on her favorite topics, as well as a few decorative items. Aunt Vickie had also left plenty of gaps for Eleanor to fill in.

  In the corner opposite the bed from the wardrobes was a large, tufted arm chair in the same fabric and color of the bed with a foot stool in front and a plush throw blanket artfully draped over the back. But as much as she was dying of happiness over the chair and the bed, it was the desk placed in front of the large window that Eleanor had to keep herself from squealing out loud with delight. It looked like an antique, made of a beautiful wood, stained a deep chocolate brown, and had drawers down the sides as well as drawers and cabinets across the top, but not so high that Eleanor couldn’t see clearly out the window from the desk. She couldn’t believe that this is where she would be living and sleeping and that this desk is where she’d do her work and writing. She felt like she was in a dream.

  Looking at Jonathan in a daze, “You live here?” Eleanor asked incredulously.

  “Yep. And now you do too. I’m so happy you’re here cousin, I can’t think of a better flatmate to have. And honestly, mum is so happy you’ve come to live here too. She wouldn’t stop giving me instructions about preparing your room or making me promise to tell you that we can change any of the decor. She really wants you to feel at home here. I think she popped some toiletries in the bathroom for you as well.”

  Noticing Eleanor’s tired face as she tried to stifle a yawn, he asked, “Hey cousin? You feeling alright?”

  Trying to shake off the fatigue Eleanor forced a smile, “Fine. Just tired. I’m fine. This is all so far beyond what I thought I’d be walking into. I feel like I fell asleep on the plane and this is all a dream. Thank you Jonathan.”

  “Listen, why don’t you set your stuff down and rest for a bit. I’ll call Aunt Cassie and my mum to let them know you made it and I’ll let your mum know you’ll call her later after you’ve rested a bit. I’m glad you’re here,” he repeated with a smile as he hugged her.

  Hugging him back, “I am too,” Eleanor said warmly.

  Jonathan left Eleanor alone in her new room and she looked around. The furnishings were so lovely, and the decor was beautiful but still neutral enough that Eleanor could add it it with almost anything she wanted. The bed was high off the floor and bending over to look underneath Eleanor noticed it was on taller legs that gave her an extra six inches or so, making for enough clearance to get her suitcase underneath as well as some storage containers if she needed. She saw the couple boxes that Jonathan had mentioned, but there was still plenty room left for her. Standing back up, she took in the bookcases and the bureau, the two small tables on either side of the bed, and the closet. She hadn’t brought that much with her so it seemed to be more than enough storage for her.

  Overall, the room was lavish but still comfortable and cozy, and knowing her aunt, that was probably exactly what she’d intended.

  With a sigh Eleanor sank onto the bed, which turned out to be even more comfortable than it looked and seemed to envelop her completely. Smiling contentedly, she quickly fell fast asleep.

  * * * * *

  A little while later she woke to a knock at the door, as she struggled to make sense of her surroundings she heard Jonathan let himself in.

  “Fancy a cuppa?”

  Blinking at him rapidly, as if trying to bring him into focus, she asked anxiously, “A what-a? What time is it? How long was I out?”

  “A cuppa? Or a ‘cup of tea’ to you crazy Americans. And relax, it’s only 5 o’clock. I only let you sleep for an hour. We’ll go get dinner soon and then go for a walk. We’ll keep you up until at least ten and you’ll fall right to sleep tonight and hopefully be up and feeling rested by morning.”

  “Oh, ok,” Eleanor said groggily, pushing her hair away from her face with one hand while accepting the tea cup with the other.

  Jonathan left her to freshen up and Eleanor changed out of her traveling outfit of jeans, t-shirt, and cardigan for simple black trousers, a fresh t-shirt, and grabbed her light coat from the suitcase. She thought to herself that she was going to need to buy a heavier coat, probably sooner rather than later, her “winter” coat for Arizona would keep her warm on a cool summer evening or a warm fall day here in London but the first big chill and she’d be freezing.

  She heard Jonathan’s voice from down the hall, “Elle? Are you ready or do you need more time?”

  Walking out to meet him, “No, I’m ready. Where are we going?”

  “I thought I’d take you over to the Brunswick Centre, maybe Giraffe? Or Carluccio’s? There’s a few places over there, and then we can stop in at the Waitrose and pick up some groceries for you, I wasn’t sure what kind of food you would want for here at the flat.”

  “That sounds great. Thanks,” she said with a smile.

  Jonathan grabbed his coat and they headed out of the flat and back downstairs. Back outside, they cut across the square and Jonathan took her through a series of left and right turns. The roads here were much different than back home. Some of them only lasted for a few hundred yards, or crossed across each other, or ended abruptly in a square like Red Lion. It definitely wasn’t the grid system Eleanor was used to back home and she could tell it was going to take some getting used to.

  “There’s a shorter way to get to the Brunswick,” Jonathan was saying, “but I thought you would like to walk along Southampton Row and by Russell Square, and I could point out some things to you.”

  As they walked Eleanor took in all the cute souvenir shops selling mini Big Ben’s and red buses and postcards with London icons and images from Will and Kate’s wedding, and Harry and Meghan’s, pictured on the fronts. She made a note to come back and get some for her friends back home. They stopped in at a phone shop and picked up a new SIM card for Eleanor’s iPhone. They got a “pay-as-you-go” plan, Jonathan explained that it was typically a better value and very common in the UK, especially for expats, since it’s difficult to get a regular plan without a credit history in the UK. Just one more difference between the two countries, Eleanor thought, the US cell phone companies will lock anyone into a ridiculous contract just to take your money. Eleanor was glad to have a working cell phone, with data usage, she didn’t want to be without an app to help her navigate. Leaving the shop, they passed by Russell Square and the gorgeous old Russell Square Hotel, now the Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel, and Jonathan pointed out the way to the British Museum before they turned right, away from the square and come up to the Russell Square Tube station and then to the Brunswick Centre.

  Eleanor liked it at once. It was bright and open and had lots of interesting shops with names she recognized from her UK fashion magazines. There was als
o another Starbucks (she’d counted at least three on their short walk, as well as other coffee businesses) and a movie theatre, or cinema as Jonathan referred to it. At the other end from where they walked up she could see a bright storefront with “Waitrose” lit up above the doors. It was all so different from Phoenix yet still also slightly familiar. Eleanor kept expecting to start feeling overwhelmed again, but it never happened. It was as if her mind was already accepting that this was home now.

  She and Jonathan decided to eat at a cute restaurant called Giraffe that had a world culture theme and a diverse menu. She hadn’t realized until she sat down just how hungry she was. She ordered an amazing parmesan chicken schnitzel “Kiev” that filled her up. She and Jonathan fell into easy conversation over dinner, she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed him. They hadn’t been able to spend too much time together over the years, but they’d always felt a sibling connection and whenever they got together it was as if no time had passed. Communication had definitely gotten easier over the years as email came around, then social media, and more recently Skype and FaceTime. So they didn’t really have to catch up much. She already knew about his studies at LSE and he had heard all the stories about her students, good and bad. He also knew about her relationship with Michael and had tried giving her advice after her first breakup, being the one male she felt she could truly trust. But she’d gone against his advice and gotten back with Michael when he begged her to a year ago. It had been hard to tell Jonathan that he’d been right about Michael and she’d only given him a brief rundown of her breakup but when Jonathan brought it up at dinner she knew she couldn’t avoid it.

  “So what happened, do you know?” he asked with concern.

  “Exactly what you said would happen,” she replied bitterly. “At some point after we got back together last year he realized that he didn’t really want to be with me. I think when we broke up the first time he just missed the relationship, not me. He missed having someone come over and cook dinner or do his laundry–”

  “You did his laundry?!” Jonathan interjected, eyes wide.

  “Not all the time!” Eleanor said indignantly. “Look, I know it’s pathetic. Believe me, I know that, especially now. But yeah, every now and then when he’d be caught up with a big project I’d help him out. I’d go to his place before he got home and cook or do some cleaning. And before you think that makes me totally horrendous you should know that he did the same for me a few times. If mom was out of town for a conference and I had to work a closing shift at the store he’d let himself into the house and cook or do the dishes, run a load of laundry for me. He’s a jerk, who doesn’t know how to be honest with himself but he’s not a total Neanderthal.”

  “Well, that’s good to know,” Jonathan said, but still looked a bit horrified at the idea of Eleanor playing “housewife” for a guy who clearly didn’t deserve it.

  “I really think he just liked the idea of a relationship but just didn’t want one with me. And rather than be honest about it he let it drag on and on. . . I can’t believe I wasted so much time. I should have listened to you.”

  “You did what you thought was best at the time. He said all the right things and you thought it was the right thing. But believe me when I say, you should never go back to someone who’s dumped you once. Generally speaking they’ll dump you again. You deserve a guy who knows what he wants and that what he wants is you. You’re too good for anyone else, definitely too good for that arse Michael.”

  Eleanor smiled at Jonathan’s tirade, “Well, I doubt I’ll be dating much for the foreseeable future. I just want to focus on school and writing and figuring out my life. But I’m glad I’ve got you now to look out for me,” she finished with a smile.

  “You got it cousin,” Jonathan said, smiling back. “Come on, let’s go get some food and such for the flat.”

  Jonathan paid for dinner, despite Eleanor’s protestations, and she thought it was interesting that the server came around with a card reader and took the payment right at the table. She knew that may be more common in New York City or Los Angeles, but in Phoenix she had never seen a server use one.

  They left the restaurant and headed to the Waitrose. It was nice and big and bright, and Eleanor felt more at home, it reminded her of the ones back home. I guess a grocery store is a grocery store, Eleanor thought to herself with a smile. They walked up and down the aisles, Jonathan carrying a hand basket for her. He’d told her it was better not to use a cart or they might get more than they could carry. Eleanor hadn’t thought of that but now realized that the grocery store was about to become a much more common chore in her weekly routine than it had been back in Phoenix. As they went through the store Jonathan pointed out things they already had and Eleanor added to the basket things she wanted. By the end, they’d filled up the basket and Eleanor was carrying a couple things in her arms. Jonathan pulled a few bunches of fabric out of his pocket and Eleanor watched as he undid the drawstrings on each and unfolded four reusable tote bags. It was not common to have free plastics bags in Europe and in most stores you had to pay for them. Eleanor made a mental note to pick up a couple to stash in her own handbag for future trips. After checking out they were each carrying a couple bags.

  Jonathan led her home via the shortcut he mentioned earlier, taking them through an area called Queen Square that looked very nice. Eleanor was still feeling a bit turned around and she figured it was going to take her a few days to get orientated but she was really enjoying the fact that she could walk everywhere. That couldn’t happen in her neighborhood in Phoenix. The grocery store was at least an hour walk away!

  Back at the flat, Eleanor and Jonathan sat in the lounge and chatted for a little bit more until Eleanor’s eyelids started to flutter, struggling to stay open. They both headed to bed and Eleanor barely managed to change into her pajamas before collapsing into her new bed.

  Chapter 4

  The next morning Eleanor woke with a start, the room was dark so she thought for a moment it was still early morning but a check of the clock showed that it was actually late morning. The night before, she had pulled the curtains closed leaving a small opening, thinking the light would wake her up. There didn’t appear to be that sunny out so there wasn’t that much light coming through the opening in the curtains. Eleanor thought to herself that she’d have to get used to waking up without blinding sunlight streaming through her window. She got out of bed and stepped over to the side of the desk and looked out the window.

  She really was in London, it wasn’t all a dream, she hugged herself excitedly. She dressed quickly in a pair of skinny jeans, a plain t-shirt, and her white Converse. She tossed a loose cardigan and scarf onto the bed along with her handbag and then went out to see where Jonathan was. After walking around the flat and checking his room, she realized he wasn’t in the flat anymore. Walking back to her room she noticed a note taped to her door:

  Sorry to leave you alone this morning. I realized I forgot I have a section of my thesis I need to send to my advisor tomorrow, so I ran to the library to get it finished. Forgive me? There’s a map on the table, I’ve circled some things of interest. If you get lost just text me. I also left a couple tenners so if you need to catch a taxi to get home you can. See you back at the flat about 6 for dinner? If I think I’ll finish in time for tea I’ll call you, so keep your mobile on.

  Best,

  J

  Eleanor shook her head smiling, both at the thought of Jonathan being so last minute with his work and at his thinking she couldn’t cope without him for a day. She put the note back down and picked up the two £10 notes that he had left for her along with the map. Walking back to her room she put the money in her wallet, in a separate section from her own cash. Sitting on the edge of the bed she looked at the map. Jonathan had marked the flat and Red Lion Square with a big star and then had drawn lines from the flat to various destinations, drawing along the roads she would need to take to get there. He’d also connected some of the places to e
ach other along the roads to get between them in case she decided to visit more than one place. It seemed to make sense but her experience last night showed her that the streets of London are a bit more complicated than she’d anticipated.

  Eleanor stood up and wrapped her scarf loosely around her neck and then draped her cardigan through the handles of her handbag. After locking up the flat she tucked the keys into her bag and made her way down the stairs and out onto the street. Looking at the map again she decided to start at the British Museum since it looked like it was the nearest to the flat. Folding the map into a small square so it would fit into her palm and show just the route to the museum she headed off through the square and out onto Proctor Street and then quickly turned onto Theobalds Road and then turned again onto Southampton Row. It was the same route they’d taken to get to the Brunswick Centre the night before but it all looked different during the day.

  Looking up she noticed the sun was trying to make an appearance but overall it was a mostly cloudy day. She was moving at a good pace so she wasn’t feeling cold but she was glad she brought a light sweater with her. It definitely wasn’t hot like Phoenix in August and she was loving it! As she walked in the general direction of the British Museum, she marveled at the different styles of architecture she saw. Most of the area around the flat was pre-war, she recognized the Victorian facades and the Georgian, some styles she didn’t quite recognize but the mix was all very interesting. Every now and then there would be a newer looking building mixed in. Eleanor thought again how London had been hit hard by the Blitz in the war, so the newer buildings were usually built on spaces that had been destroyed by the bombings, creating a layered mix of architectural history. She loved it. Phoenix didn’t have very many old buildings, and the few that did exist had been turned into museums or heritage sites. They didn’t have fast food restaurants in them.