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“Can I take a picture with them?” I asked Oliver.
He smiled. “Sure. Just keep in mind that those guys are real soldiers and not merely in costume.”
“What happens if they smile?”
“Then, they get fined.”
“Really?” I gasped. “For cracking a smile?”
“Yup,” he replied. “They take their jobs very seriously.”
“Wow.”
I walked up to one of the guards but Oliver warned me not to get too close as unsuspecting tourists have either been mowed down or yelled at by the Queen’s Guard.
How should I pose?I thought to myself.Make it memorable, Amanda. Make it something you’ve never done before.
I smiled and winked at Oliver then leaned in and pretended to blow a kiss towards the Guard—at an appropriate distance of course. I didn’t want to get yelled at or embarrassed around a bunch of other tourists.
When I skipped back to Oliver, he was shaking his head as he looked at my picture on the phone screen.
“I think he actually cracked a little,” he muttered.
“He did?”
“Yup.” He zoomed in the picture and there it was—just the barest hint of a smile on the Guard’s somber face. Oliver looked at me and smiled. “You’re way too adorable for your own good, you know.”
I gave him a sideways glance. “What would you have done if you were that guard?”
He grinned and kissed me fully on the lips. “I would have kissed you back and lost my job.”
“No, you wouldn’t!” I laughed.
“Yes, I would,” he replied affectionately. “You seem to underestimate the things I’m willing to do for you, Amanda.”
I beamed at him, feeling my heart flutter at his words. He tenderly tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear and smiled softly at me.
“You know,” he murmured. “Before you came here, London was just a bleak and dreary place. Now, even the sun shines brightly. You bring sunshine with you wherever you go, darling.”
I smiled softly at him and kissed him on the lips. Back then he named me “darling”, too. It was almost like we picked up where we left off 12 years ago. Only now we were both more mature and knew that only one thing is important in life—love.
“London is very beautiful,” I murmured. “And I can’t wait to see more of Europe with you. You make everything worth facing all of my fears.”
“And I’m so proud of you,” he smiled. “My brave little darling.”
Holding hands, we walked all the way up to Buckingham Palace. The Palace gates were crowded with tourists, and I could already see some of them beginning to mess with the poor Guard and standing too close to him. Eventually, a loud warning was called out.
“MAKE WAY FOR THE QUEEN’S GUARD!”
This shocked a few tourists, who scattered back like frightened children, before bursting into nervous giggles.
I shook my head at this. People seemed to have forgotten or had absolutely no idea at all that these Guards weren’t for show and they were bearingrealweapons.
We made our way to St. James Park in front of the Buckingham Palace. Compared to the bustle of tourists in the Palace gates, the treelined paths were less crowded and made for a nice, refreshing stroll.
Oliver discreetly handed me a handful of peanuts, dropping some on the ground. I looked at him a little confused and he only replied with a wink, “Let yourself be surprised.”
A few squirrels immediately rushed over, picking up the fallen peanuts before turning up to me with bright eyes. Two of them even attempted to clamber up my pants as I laughed, scattering a few more peanuts on the ground to draw their attention away from me.
