Summer Wild ✔️

Chapter Seven

The next day, there was no sign of him except for a note in the kitchenette, which read, 'I have gone to do sightseeing. Have a good day. See you later.'

Charlotte re-read it again before crushing it in her fist. Disappointed, she busied herself with making coffee and toast. It had been wishful thinking to check out London with Aiden. At the eleventh hour, he had bailed out on her.

Not used to travelling alone but also not the one to mope around, she stuffed her camera and the lenses into her tote bag and headed out. The flowers and greenery covered the walls of the building above the ornate pub. They were the perfect background  for the first shot of the day. She took a few snaps before navigating her way to the train station.

Her day passed fairly quickly at the sprawling, lush Hyde Park. It was her favourite place as it bestowed sanctuary to its visitors from the bustling city. The deeper she foraged into its belly, the more her camera whirled, capturing the moments at the Rotten Row, the swans at the lake, and finally, the Kensington Palace, whose iron-wrought gates glimmered under the sun.

After soaking the rays and enjoying the breeze, she made her way to Bond Street via Marble Arch, enjoying the landmarks in the upscale neighbourhood where the tourist crowd thinned considerably. What would Aiden think of her if he saw her now? Charlotte thought as she browsed through designer dresses.

A frown flitted across her face. There was no point in sparing him a thought as he had ditched her. It was his choice, and she wouldn't mourn it. True, she liked him, but she had never made any man the centre of her universe. For a former police officer, he had taken a coward's way out.

Had she gone too far with the towel incident yesterday? His eyes had popped out of his sockets. She had been angry at him for choosing a bed-and-breakfast rather than a hotel. Exhaustion from hauling her luggage from the airport to their place on Aiden's insistence to save money had gotten the best of her.

Well, not today. Today she would hail a ride home. Damn the fare. The tube would be torture from office hours onwards, with the tourists thrown into the mix. After the cab dropped her off at her destination, her stomach growled.

Charlotte glanced up and saw no light on the second floor to the left. Aiden wasn't home. She looked at her wristwatch. It was nine at night. It was still early for a vacation. If she had been with Meghna and Gigi, they would have been partying their heads off. A girl's night out would be a perfect remedy.

Alas, she was on her own. Charlotte pushed open the pub door. A twinkle of a bell welcomed her inside. The buzz and the warmth of the place sucked her in as she scanned for an empty table. One of the barmaids shouted, "What can I get you?"

"Um, how about the tandoori chicken?" The Asian food in the United Kingdom was to die for. The thought of Asia made her think of Meghna. She texted her friend, Guess who am I with in London right now? Hint. It's a sexy former officer.

Aiden was beyond sexy. He was hot. The thought made her smile. If she couldn't have him, it didn't mean she couldn't enjoy admiring him when he was not looking. During the flight, he had slept with furrowed brows as if still not believing he had flown first class. Whoever complained about an upgrade? Although, it was refreshing to have someone who didn't want to get extra mileage on her family name.

Her phone buzzed, and Meghna's message popped up on the screen. What?!?! You are such a badass. Going to Manali tomorrow. It's to die for. Will video call you from there to show the other India.

Charlotte smiled at her friend's reaction. She hoped the 'other India' didn't have inclement weather in store for Meghna. Stowing her phone away, she turned her attention to her food.