Chapter 4

I have a personal belief that no matter where an American is, they will find a Starbucks.

Yes, I did move 5,000 miles away to a new country with thousands of coffee and tea shops yet I still found myself in a Starbucks.

What could I say? It felt like home and long college nights.

It was still nice to go sit by a window, catch up on work, and sip coffee out of a cup that had my misspelled name on it.

I had to admit getting engaging slides ready for an HR presentation was harder than it seemed.

I wanted to call my Mom but it was three in the morning in Los Angeles. Even though usually never got homesick, I was starting to.

Somehow being two thousand miles away was completely different than being five thousand miles away.

New York was a quick walk down the path, London was across the pond.

But my trip in October would be here soon enough and then before I knew it Christmas would be here. I just had to keep trucking.

I really did enjoy my job though. I could have been working a 9 to 5 in some cubicle but I had an amazing job in a beautiful city with amazing hours.

That was something to be grateful for.

I watched as someone slid into the seat in front of me.

My heart stopped as I looked at the man with a beanie, a mustache, and sunglasses. It was seventy degrees outside with an overcast never mind that, who the hell is this?

I lowered my laptop screen, "Can I help you?"

"I should have known you would have ended up in a Starbucks of all places." the posh accent started, "So American of you."

I put my hand over my heart, "You scared me to death."

Archie took his sunglasses on, "Pretty good, innit?"

"Why do you have that on?" I asked him as I closed my computer screen all of the way

"I had to go meet with my father at Buckingham. I wanted a coffee and to go on a walk. I was going to this local place down the street. Then I looked into the window and saw you." he explained to me

I rested my chin in my hand, "I guess people like you can't roam the streets like the rest of us."

He shook his head, "Not quite. Whatcha working on?"

"I just finished a presentation for work. I've been here since eight." I looked at my watch, "It's a pretty good presentation."

"That's lovely, proud of you." Archie complimented me, "So you're free for the rest of the day?"

I nodded my head, "Why?"

"I want to take you on a tour of London, my way. Of course, we won't see everything today but we can start somewhere." Archie answered my question

I slipped my laptop into my backpack, "So I have to walk around with you looking like that?"

"Yes." Archie plainly stated, "Or I could call bodyguards and draw attention to us."

"Fair point." I leaned back in my chair, "Alright, let's do it."

Archie pulled out his car keys, "Let's go."

Oh my Gosh, my life was turning into the real-life 'The Prince and Me'.

Archie led me to his Range rover that was parked down the street. He opened up the door for me and I got in.

I put my things into the backseat as Archie got into the driver's seat.

"Where are we going first?" I asked Archie

He started up the car, "Where's the fun in telling you?"

I groaned, "I hate surprises, Archie."

Archie looked over at me, "Guess."

I looked at him, "Eyes on the road."

"Uh, the London Eye." I guessed

"I have ADHD. Do you really think I could sit still in a tiny pod for thirty minutes? Especially in this warm disguise." he rejected my guess, "It's literally right down the street from here."

I thought about it for a moment as I looked around, "Big Ben?"

"Correct." Archie approved, "Westminister in general. I haven't walked for leisure since I was young."

Archie parked his car and we got out and started to walk. It was funny to walk around by all of these tourists and they didn't have a clue that the prince was right there.

I looked around, "This is so gorgeous."

"It's ninety-six meters tall." Archie informed me, "You can tell when parliament is in session by looking at the clock face. Set above it, the Ayrton Light is illuminated during that time."

I looked at him, "Seriously? I never knew that."

Archie and I walked around Westminister for a while and he explained everything to me in such great detail. It reminded me of time he told me about criminal cases in the club.

"Isn't parliament square gorgeous?" Archie asked me as we walked

I nodded, "Everything is just so old, but in a good way. In the US I feel like everything is still a baby."

"In hindsight, it is." Archie responded, "Do you want to go to Westminster Abbey?"

"Um, of course!" I agreed without a second thought

Archie pulled out his phone, "I could definitely get us on the inside without other people being there."

"You have to see it, Alena, it's gorgeous," he spoke as we walked towards the church.

We stood in the front for a while Archie got everything sorted out. I stared at the church and it was unbelievable. It was so iconic, which sounded basic, but it just left me speechless.

"Come on." Archie whispered to me as some man with a black suit walked over to us. We went through some private entrance to the church.

"We have to start at the entrance. Alena, this is John, John, Alena." Archie spoke quickly before dragging me to the front of the church.

I stared at the ceiling and looked all around me, "This is so beautiful."

"That's Sir. Issac Newton." Archie pointed out the statue to me, "And his grave."

I raised an eyebrow, "That's crazy to think about."

"This place has so much history." Archie began while we walked down the long aisle, "My parents got married here, grandparents, great grandparents, it goes on."

"I'm getting married here." he stated

I looked at him, "To who?"

Did this asshole have a fiancee this whole time?

Archie shrugged, "I haven't quite figured that out yet, but I just know I want to get married here."

"This is such a long aisle." I pointed out

He nodded, "And over 2,000 people can fit in here. "

I stopped and looked around, "You know, it is long, but I wouldn't mind. It's so gorgeous."

"Isn't it?" Archie agreed with me, "I've appreciated its beauty from a young age."

"So what religion are you?" I asked him as we continued to walk through the church, "I personally grew up Catholic."

"Church of England. It's kind of like a brand of Catholicism if you think about it. It formed when the Pope didn't want to sanction King Henry the eighth's divorce to Catherine. She had relation to the Habsburgs who controlled Spain and Italy. Have you heard of the Habsburgs? The inbred royal family." Archie wondered

"Is that the family with the jaw issue?" I asked Archie

He looked at me and nodded his head, "Yes, it's because they liked to keep it in the family. Cousins marrying cousins, uncles marry their nieces, it was disgusting."

Archie pointed to a chair, "That's the coronation chair. I'm next to sit in it."

I looked at him, "That's a lot of pressure."

"Who is after you?" I wondered

"Right now it's Matilda, Victoria, and then Alexandra, but when I have kids it'll change," he explained to me

I look at the chair intensely, "How?

"Let's say I have three kids, then the order will be my kids and then my sisters. Then when my sisters have kids it will still be my kids then my sisters but Matilda's kids will be before Victoria and her kids." he enlightened me

"But it usually never gets that far down huh?" I realized as he nodded his head, "So do sons come before daughters."

Archie shook his head, "Starting with my kids, no. Sons only come before if they're born first, but if I have a daughter then a son, my daughter will come first in line before him. It didn't always use to be that way."

"Wow." I got out, "How much are your swimmers insured for?"

Archie let out a loud laugh, which caused me to laugh, and then we both started dying laughing inside the church.

"A hell of a lot." he laughed, "Ok give it another look, John is rushing us out."

I did a 360 for the final time, but hopefully just my final time for today.