Page 1 of From London, With Love

Chapter1

Lara

“If I have to hear ‘but she bit me first!’ once more this week, I may very well bite her myself.”

The picture in front of me freezes. I hear Mia giggle and what I can only assume is Harper choking on her mouthful of coffee. It takes a few seconds before the video buffers and reconnects. While it may be 5:00pm here in Brisbane, it’s only 7:00am where two of my favourite people reside; the same two I happen to be FaceTiming right now.

It’s Friday afternoon, and we’re on our ‘Weekly Debrief’ call—code for ‘let’s talk shit about the week that was’, even though the girls still have Friday to get through. We started our Weekly Debrief calls over a year ago now, and they’re still the highlight of my week.?

“Lara, the children can’t really bethatbad, can they?” Harper asks, having recovered from her near-choking episode.?

“Oh Harps, you’ve got no idea,” I say while plucking my wine glass off the coffee table and leaning into the comfort of my couch. It’s emerald green in colour, made from a beautiful suede that’s soft to the touch. This couch is the only piece offurniture that would even border on the edge of luxury within my tiny, suburban apartment, and even that would be a stretch.

Through the screen of my laptop, Mia and Harper sit side by side on their bay window. Although it’s morning, London in December means the sun doesn’t begin rising until at least now, if not later.

Thankfully these two are ‘morning people’, so they don’t mind waking up earlier for our calls. Well, mostly. I say ‘morning people’ because when it comes to the girls, it’s more of a varying degree of morning. Harper is up by 5:30am most days, whereas Mia’s idea of an early rise is around now.

The contrast between the two of them has me holding back a giggle. Mia is dressed in one of her signature oversized tracksuit sets, looking as though she just rolled out of bed. Her long blonde hair is tied in a messy updo on the crown of her head. She attempts to stifle a yawn with the cuff of her soft pink sweater but fails miserably.?

Harper, on the other hand, is the portrait of sophistication. Immaculately dressed as always. Today's outfit of choice pairs a pretty white blouse with a billowing teal green skirt. At least, that’s how it appears in her seated position through the small frame on my screen. Harper’s brunette lob is in salon-perfect waves, and her curtain bangs fall softly over her face as she sips what is probably her second cup of coffee.

Today I’m Team Mia, as I too am in my pyjamas. This evening's attire consists of a navy satin short set, the day’s makeup hanging on for dear life, and my hair still holding Monday’s curls like an absolute champ.

I’ve spent the past nine months working in administration at the local primary school, during which time I’ve overheard all sorts of bizarre excuses and explanations for why children do the things they do. Who would’ve thought biting was still a concern at age ten? Not me, that’s for sure.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike children. But working around them for the rest of my life? Add it to the list of “I don’t fucking think so”, which includes the likes of working in the local supermarket deli, barista-ing, and Uber driving. I haven’t actually done the last one, but I’m quite positive it’s not the career for a socially anxious introvert.

Mia’s cheerful voice interrupts my inner thoughts. “Well Lars, unfortunately I can’t relate to the biting or the tough week.” Despite the fact she’s probably been awake all of 15 minutes, Mia is as animated as ever.?

Her eyes gleam with enthusiasm as she continues. “I came up with a new cocktail, and I must say, it’s divine! I haven’t completely decided on a name for it yet, but I have one front-runner I need to run by the two of you.”

For the past few years, Mia has worked at The Bookend, a quaint old bookstore-turned-pub a little further in towards Covent Garden, and spends her free time creating cocktails inspired by her favourite thing: fictional men.

“Ooh I’m intrigued, what’s in this one?” I ask, rubbing my hands together in anticipation.?

Most recently, she’s introduced us to two of her latest creations. The Icebreaker—relating to Hannah Grace’s novel of the same name—is a frozen variation of the popular Porn Star Martini, aptly named after the delectable Nate Hawkins. Mia also has her own personal take on the classic hot toddy: The James Toddy. Inspired by none other thantheCassius James, of Brittanee Nicole’sLoving WhiskeyDuet, this standard hot toddy with the addition of freshly ground cardamom is the perfect winter cocktail packed with spice.

One night, while Mia and Harper were visiting me in June, Mia made an entire cocktail night agenda so I could have the pleasure—herwords, not mine—of sampling each of her signatureFictional Men cocktails. Each was displayed impeccably, with subtle hints referencing their origins.

The Longwood—derived from Hailey Dickert’sThe Sister Between Us—was given its beautiful shade of red thanks to the sweet raspberry syrup and displayed with a single tulip; Mia had insisted on three, but sadly a standard cocktail glass just wouldn’t allow it. A cocktail jug, however? The perfect size.

Similarly, one of her personal favourites, The Spicy Slade—a nod to Lauren Asher’sThrottled—was always presented in the sleekest of glasses. The chilli-rimmed beverage was a huge hit with the locals and tourists alike, especially those who were familiar with the man behind the name.?

Whipping out a notebook from lord knows where, Mia clears her throat before continuing, “It’s quite possibly my best idea to date.” Mia flips to a previously bookmarked page and reads aloud. “The Screaming O: Hunt Athalar’s Version. Think of it like Taylor’s Version; something we all know and love, recreated by someone with even more experience.”

The wineglass in my hand is no longer safe as I burst into a fit of laughter. With my eyes squeezed tight from the sheer force of my laugh, I can’t see the girls, but I hear them. We must look and sound like crazy people; one of us almost squealing while another has her mouth wide with no sound coming out. That happens to me on occasion, but only if I’m laughing incredibly hard. Given we’re allveryfamiliar with the scene behind Mia’s latest inspiration, this is one of those occasions.?

Managing to recover the fastest, Harper claps her hands with joy. “Alright, let’s hear it—What this Week!” ‘What this Week’ is a little segment in our call where we talk about what we’re currently watching, listening to, and most importantly, reading. The three of us are huge readers, and have books to thank for bringing us together from opposite sides of the world.

Eighteen months or so ago, I decided I wanted to join theBookstagram community as a bit of a creative outlet and to talk about my books with like-minded people. I love that so many of my friends and family read, but we don’t share my particular taste in books. Said taste being the likes of decidedly spice-heavy novels, or questionably dark romances.

One of the first accounts I started interacting with was one belonging to two high school best friends who lived in England. The three of us quickly learnt we shared many favourite books, and we’d find ourselves talking most days. We discovered we shared a lot of common interests as well; training in the gym, baking, and failing to spot the red flags so obviously being waved by the men we interacted with.

As the months went on and we got to know each other better, the conversations became less about books and more about keeping each other updated on everyday life. Having a large time zone difference made it difficult to keep conversations fluid, and so the Weekly Debrief calls were born.?

“I’ll go first!” Harper seems overly enthusiastic, sitting up straight and on the edge of her seat, so Mia and I let her take the stage. “I’m currently watching, and absolutelylivingfor, Bridgerton. Lars, you were right—this show is crack. Don’t even get me started on the Duke.”

Mia laughs whilst trying to speak, making her hard to understand. “Harps, I hate to break it to you, but neither you nor Lara have ever even had crack.” Her laugh is a particular breed of unique, a hybrid of sorts. There are sections of witch-like cackles interspersed with an almost wheeze. The longer she goes on, the more prominent the wheeze becomes.

---