Informing You

Chapter One: Informant

It was four days after graduation that Anna had finally scored a job at the local newspaper as a cartoon artist. In addition to cartooning, the paper asked the 18 year old to write short articles about all sorts of things. She would be paid by the company for each article and cartoon that she managed to get published. She sat on her bed and smiled, she had her whole life ahead of her and couldn't wait to get started doing what she loved. Drawing. She would go in tomorrow morning for a run down of what they wanted, so for now she found herself daydreaming of becoming a famous animator as she watched her favourite Youtubers.

Somehow, though, she ended up from watching Game Grumps to Hetalia, to pinning pictures of England from Hetalia on Pinterest. Before long it was time for dinner, she ate in relative silence with the rest of her family.

****

"Anna! There's someone I want you to meet. He's our informant for all of our special stories about the Queen." Hilda, the CEO of the paper explained. "We want you to make a cartoon depicting the current state of the Queen's relationship with Princess Kate."

"Can do, ma'am." Anna answered. "Any tips before I meet him?"

"Yeah, if he brings his own food, you've already eaten." she replied. Anna thought it was a little odd, but didn't bother questioning anything. The piece of paper Hilda had handed her had the address of a little tea shop in the outskirts of London and in order to arrive on time she would need to leave within the next ten minutes.

****

She sat across the table from the blonde man. His eyebrows perked her interest, they were large but impeccably groomed. Much unlike his hair, which seemed like he didn't brush it that morning, if ever. He wore a well-fitting suit that showed off his thin body, Anna couldn't help but look at the way the buttons pulled the fabric of his shirt when he moved. Something was different about this man....and that something made it hard for her to focus.

"How long have you been with the paper?" he asked, picking up his tea cup and taking a sip, his pinky pointed out.

"Two months now." she replied with a genuine smile on her face.

He smiled as he placed the cup back on its saucer, using his little finger to keep the noise of the action down. "Liking the job?"

"Why do you ask?" Anna asked, wondering why he wasn't talking about the Queen or Princess.

"Just like to know about the people I speak with." He shrugged. "So, do you enjoy the job?"

"I suppose I do, yes. There have been a few bumps, but otherwise it's been jolly good." she answered, sipping some tea from her lidded cup of which she chose due to her clumsiness. "Now, I was told you were the papers informant for all things between Elizabeth and Kate?"

Arthur leaned forward in his chair and pushed an envelope across the table. "It's all here."

Anna looked at the envelope, took it and opened it - checking to be sure there was paper inside and not just an empty envelope. "Aye." she said after confirming the envelope had something in it. "Thank you."

"One more thing, Anna." he said as he leaned back in his chair, resting his arm on the back of it and placing his cheek on his closed fist. "I hope we see one another again."

Anna put the envelope in her jacket's breast pocket, "Same to you, Arthur." she replied, standing. When she stood, however, she pushed the table and knocked his tea off and into his lap. Fortunately, the liquid had cooled off and the fall didn't break the porcelain cup. But unfortunately, the tea had spilled all over his pants. "Oh bloody heck!" she exclaimed, "I'm so sorry, I'm a total klutz, really."

"It's nothing..." He replied reaching for a napkin, "Just spilled tea."

"Nonsense!" Anna blurted out, "Let me help you, after all, I was the reason it spilled."

Before he could refuse, she had grabbed a napkin and pressed it to his leg. Then realised where her hands were. "Oh steez..." she whispered, "I'm an idiot." her face burst into a furious blush, and she ran out of the small tea shop as everyone inside followed her with their eyes.

Arthur sat for a moment in shock, he felt odd, a feeling he hadn't felt in a very long time. He could still feel her hands on his thigh, he could still see her face when she blushed, he could still smell her perfume...it's sweet violet scent ingraining itself into his memory unyieldingly.

Anna was still running - even three blocks from where she started. Out of breath, sweating a little, and still blushing, she leaned against the wall of a random shop. "I've got to get myself together. Probably just cost myself the job. BAKA!" she sighed, "Well, at least the envelope is still in my pocket." She felt her jacket and her heart stopped, "Bloody heck." she cursed. "When'd it fall out?"

Arthur dried off and paid, then left the shop. "Get it together, Arthur." he told himself, "You've seen a girl before." He had no idea that he was walking in the same direction Anna had ran. He heard a crinkle under his foot and looked down, expecting it to be just a candy wrapper. It was the envelope, the one he gave her. "I doubt she would drop this. It's terribly important to her company..." he muttered to himself. His heart raced at the thought of the brown eyed reporter being mugged...kidnapped...raped! He shook himself from his daze and looked around frantically, searching for clues on where Anna might have been. He jogged around, turning his head quickly from one side to another. He felt scared. He felt helpless. All at the thought of something happening to the girl who felt so warm, blushed so deep, smelled like sweet violets.

He leaned on a lamp post, "Where are you, Anna?"

"Eh, chap, you alright?" Anna asked, from behind the man she didn't know was Arthur.

He spun on his heel, looked her in the eyes, and hugged her. "You bloody wanker." he whispered forcefully, "You lost the envelope."

She pulled out of his embrace, and moved her finger in a circular motion as it pointed towards him "Yeah, sure, but what's with the touchy-touching?" her professional persona left and she was acting natural; her Geordie accent pushing through the learnt "BBC English" she was taught to speak in formal situations.

He looked away, a light blush tinting his cheeks, "I was worried." he muttered. "Well, here." he thrust the envelope at her, "Don't lose it again."

"Sorry," she laughed, "I won't."

****

Hilda smiled, "I see you got the letter."

Anna nodded, "Yes, ma'am. What do you need me to do next?"

"You're off work for the rest of the day, I'll have something for you tomorrow, after I sort out this information." she moved some papers around on her desk, "The weather looks a little dreary, you might want to grab an umbrella."

Anna looked out the window of the three story building, "Quite so." the identity of the man was bothering her, now that she thought of it, he seemed familiar. "Ma'am, was that informants last name Kirkland?"

"Hmm?" Hilda tapped her chin twice, "Yes, Anna. Why?"

"Sorry, he just looked familiar to me." Anna grabbed her jacket off the chair, "See you tomorrow."

"Eight A.M." Hilda said, looking above her thin reading glasses she had put on when Anna wasn't looking, "sharp."