Living with Her [Book 3]

Chapter 1

Dusty spotted Ashley gazing out of a window in the departure lounge in LAX and immediately ran up to her. Ashley turned just as Dusty approached, and the girls embraced.

"I missed you!" Dusty said as they pulled apart, taking in Ashley's new glow from having spent a few weeks back home in Los Angeles.

"I missed you too, fellow alumni." Ashley smiled.

"Oh my goodness, yes, can you believe we've graduated!" Dusty exclaimed.

"Of course I can; we are amazing." Ashley laughed. "And now we're off on our well-earned amazing European adventure!"

"I'm excited," Dusty said. It had been years since she'd last been on vacation, back when her father was alive.

"Me too, I can't wait to soak in the culture, and the men," Ashley added.

"When do we board?"

"Any minute now." Ashley looked back out of the window and pointed to a plane close by to where they were standing. "That's our plane."

"It is?" Dusty gazed in awe at the huge metal bird. She'd forgotten just how exciting airplane travel could be. Over the loudspeaker, there was an announcement that the Virgin Atlantic flight to London Heathrow would commence boarding imminently.

"That would be us, old sport," Ashley said in a terrible English accent.

"Spiffing." Dusty laughed in an equally terrible attempt at the dialect. Twelve hours, four films and three airplane-quality meals later, Dusty and Ashley arrived at the first point of call on their European adventure: London, England.

The two girls, wearied from travel, pulled along their now unbearably heavy suitcases as they shuffled out of the ar- rivals gate. Their pace slowed to a crawl as they approached the sliding glass exit doors and noticed that outside it was raining, heavily.

"Eurgh, rain," Ashley moaned, pausing to pull up the hood on her sweater over her head. Dusty did the same thing and braced herself for the drizzle awaiting them just outside.

"Come on, we just need to get a cab," Dusty rallied her friend with as much enthusiasm as her fatigued body could muster.

"I believe the proper term here is a taxi," Ashley quipped, her clipped fake accent returning.

"Taxi, then." Dusty smiled.

"We still need to get one to get to our hotel."

"Okay, okay."

They bustled out of the airport and hailed a nearby black taxi. "Oh my God." Ashley giggled as they got inside, her energy renewed. "The taxi looks just like it does in the movies. I feel like I'm Bridget Jones."

"You girls American?" the taxi driver asked from the front seat in a thick cockney accent.

"What gave us away?" Dusty asked.

"Well, welcome to England," he said in a friendly tone. "I hope you have a lovely time here."

"Super," Ashley declared in her own terrible attempt at the accent, which made the driver smile and shake his head.