LAD: A British Bad Boy Romance Novel (Bad Boys of London Book 1) by Emilia Holland

braised faggots, sir? And, mayhap some spotted dick for dessert.”

    “Kristen!” Ako replied, mortified.

    “Alright, my friend. Just the spotted dick, actually.” Ako rested her head into her hands, I think having found a little crush on the barman. “It’s good. You’ll like it.” Kristen grinned. “My grandma used to make it for us as kids.”

    “Ako, if we leave at ten, what time does that get us to the London Eye?” I asked with feigned, casual curiosity.  

    “I have no idea.” Ako was now examining the menu to see what exactly the spotted dick was made of. “I’ll put it into Maps later. The bus tour starts at nine, you guys.”

    “I’d love to time it so we get on the eye around noon.” I popped another piece of fish in my mouth. “Then we can maybe do lunch somewhere on the Thames.”

    “Why the tight schedule?” Kristen squinted one eye to me.

    I had to think hard and fast. I needed a good excuse. “Because…I want Ako to go on this thing with us, despite her reservations. I figure it’d be smart to ride the world’s largest Ferris wheel before lunch. Am I wrong in saying that?”

    “God, you’re making it sound like we’re going on a rollercoaster or something! This thing moves at, like, three feet an hour.”  

    “She’s got a point.” Ako already looked nervous. “I’ll fare better if I’m on an empty stomach. Then we can go have a nice meal somewhere nearby. I think that’s a good idea, Hayley. Good job.” She penciled it into her notebook:

    1200 London Eye  
    1245 Lunch nearby

    Relief washed over me followed by my own upset stomach full of nerves. I wondered what Felix had in mind when he told me to meet him. Did he want to go on the ride with us? Trap me into a confined area to have his way with me over the water. I melted at that.  

    “One…spotted dick,” the unimpressed bartended announced as he placed the dish and three spoons in front of us.  

    “That does look tasty as hell,” Ako said. It was a spongecake-like dessert that was spotted with raisins and covered with some sort of sweet sauce. We each took a spoon and gave it a try.  

    “Yum!” It was one of the better desserts that I’d had in a long time.  

    “Let’s do a pub crawl tonight,” Kristen said resolutely at neither of us in particular.

    Ako and I shook our heads to each other. Good, we were on the same page with that. As usual, Kristen had enough energy to keep going all night long, but I needed to get some beauty rest.  

    “I’m going back to the hotel.” I put down my spoon as a pang of anxiety gripped me, thinking about what might happen tomorrow.  

    “You’re such a grandma. Ako, you coming?”  

    She tried to speak, but her mouth was full. I considered for a moment making the obvious joke about her mouth being filled with dick but decided to stay quiet.  

    “You guys, what happened to everything changing here?”

    No matter how hard she tried, there was no way I could be forced into one more dive bar. I stood from my stool and curled Felix’s jacket tighter into myself.

    “Hayley, I might join her at one more place. Why don’t you come? We won’t be late.”

    “I’m so exhausted and jet-lagged still. I want to make sure I’m well-rested for our tour tomorrow. You know how I get when I’m tried.”  

    Part of me considered it for the fact Felix might find me at the next pub, and get upset with my choosing to not go home after the incident with the bald guy from earlier. I felt he’d want me safe and in my room resting up for tomorrow.

    “Actually,” I said once we were all out on the street. “I think I’ will join you.”

— 10 —  

    I waited in a cafe across the street from the entrance of the Coca-Cola London Eye. If the monstrous, overpriced eye-sore of a Ferris wheel taking up the majority of the London skyline wasn’t bad enough, that fact it was branded by a giant soda corporation was pathetic. Nonetheless, the little