#london taxi prices

[heathrowcarrier]

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[taxiservicechaurffeur]

Tactics adopted by vehicle providers to ensure comfort of tourists

Travel and transportation are two of the most important foundations that underpin international trade and industry. In many businesses, the vehicle Cheltenham to London taxi service contributes to overall company growth, which is necessary for successful corporate integration. Operators of vehicle services must abide by several essential procedures to develop and modernize their enterprises and boost vehicle sales.

Suitable drivers: The vehicle sector will continue to thrive with the aid of the right kind of drivers. Because of this, the vehicle service must be picky when selecting its drivers. The ability of the driver to communicate with others and conduct appropriately around them must also be assessed in addition to their driving prowess.

Honesty and openness: One of the most important things in the expansion of the vehicle business is upholding sincerity and openness in the manner services are offered to customers. The clients are impacted cumulatively and are more inclined to make further bookings as a result.

Flexibility: One of the most crucial and difficult methods for a vehicle company to market its services is through marketing. One of the most crucial decisions a vehicle service company must make is which marketing plan to employ. However, it's crucial to remember that a range of marketing strategies should be used to promote the vehicle industry. This is the justification for the need for flexibility on the part of a vehicle firm when distributing its activities between local and regional levels.

Passenger protection: In the vehicle business, providing the greatest degree of protection to consumers always helps the business score points. As a result, owners of vehicle businesses should periodically review and update their safety precautions to make any necessary improvements over time. This will continuously enhance how customers view the business, and this is how a company may ultimately expand.

Speak with neighborhood pubs and hotels first: Many pubs and hotels occasionally provide a fleet for their guests. As a result, if a vehicle company has relationships with these establishments, customers may call them for their preferred services, which will help to advertise the business and boost profits.

Corporate Framework for the Vehicle Industry: The type of corporate structure to use as a vehicle company owner must be decided initially. This decision has significant legal implications since it affects things like personal liability, tax collection, corporation paperwork, etc. Vehicle business owners can choose to run their companies either alone, cooperatively, in a limited partnership, or as a private limited company.

Pricing: Last but not least, the proprietor of a vehicle service has to establish fair fare price caps so that all kinds of clients may simply utilize that service. In this regard, Cheltenham to London taxi service prices has drastically dropped, and business is steadily expanding.

The importance of the tourism industry and its expansion to many parts of the world has been demanding vehicle business to an utmost level for which they are also steadily growing in the international market.

These are some of the brilliant ideas that one should use if they want to expand their vehicle business towards the tourism industry. In addition, they can develop some other strategic strategies that will help them in several ways. But creating the right supply and demand in the market is more crucial for a firm. In this situation, the Cheltenham to London taxi service would only highlight them, giving them quick access to the intended market.

[taxi-service-luton]

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[transferservicelondon]

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[shinningdance]

No Mercy

Chapter 2

Clothes? Check.

Shoes? Check.

Hygiene products, even if you’re promised some at the new destination? Check.

Your baby? Check.

Is it weir to call a weapon a baby? Properly.

Is the .50 GS Handgun still your baby? Yep.

It’s surprising that you managed to fit all those in a small backpack, you just hope it’s enough. Getting called for a very important mission at 2 am wasn’t on your bucket list, sadly you still had to do it. Especially if Kate wants you to. You step out onto the hallway of the hotel and head to the elevator. You press the 0 and watch the doors close.

Why is this mission so important that the task force 141 need your help? Sure, your skills are well known, even if no one knows your name…or anything for that matter. I mean, come on, you deserve some privacy. You don’t need to have people, or enemies, to know everything about you.

Ding

The elevator doors open, revealing the lobby of the hotel. With the bag in hand you go up to the front desk and check out. Luckily there are taxis outside waiting, you get into one and the ride to the airport starts.

The flight took aout 5 hours before you landed and now here you are, London. A city you have been to a lot of times before, sadly never for travel reasons. One step out the doors of the airport and you already see a familiar face, plus some random man next to her. Not bad looking, you have to admit.

“And there is the star.” The blond smiles as you walk closer, she offers you her hand for a polite greeting. Yeah no. You smile and immediately hug her; she lets out a small ‘oof’ as the air leaves her lungs. Not a second later her arms wrap around you, a small squeeze to your shoulder before she gently pulls you off her. “Good flight?” “You could have atleast put me in first class” You smile before eyeing the man next to her.

He’s a middle-aged man with short, dark hair that’s starting to gray, particularly at the temples. Not bad. The man notices your gaze and offers his hand, not expecting such a friendly hug like you had given Kate. “John Price, captain of the team you will be helping out on.” You eye his hand for a second before taking it, giving him a polite handshake, “Pleasure to meet you” you smile. His own lips turn up, copying your smile, “pleasures all mine…Kate already told me a lot about you, it’s nice to finally put a face to the legend.” Said woman shakes her head slightly, putting a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “He doesn’t know more than 2 things abut you.” She smiles and guides you to a nice-looking van, not too fancy or shabby, driver already inside. The man, that you now know as John Price, is following behind you too. “say…” You start as the door opens and you get inside, keeping track of everything inside, not that you don’t trust Kate, “You never fully explained why I’m here…?”

The doors close and auto lock, causing you tense up ever so slighlty. Kate is sitting next to you in the back while Mister Price is sitting next to the driver.

The blonde woman smiles at you “classified. We’ll tell you everything when we arrive at base, then you can meet the rest.”

Right. They were four guys.

[lovejosephquinn]

Imagine it’s like your third/fourth date with Joe and he decides to have the date at his so he can show off his mega cooking skills. Everything is so cute and fluffy and saccharine and then it’s the first time the two of you have sex. But it’s all adorable and sweet rather than the (wonderful) filth that you usually do!! I feel like I don’t see enough first time fics anymore :(

I GOT YOU. One fluffy fluffed up imagine just for you bestie 🥰

Under 18's DNI. Word Count: 3.5k

There was something different about Joe, the absolute charmer of a man that you had never witnessed before in anybody else. It was something you couldn't quite pin point and if you had one guess it would be that you had never been treated quite like the queen that others had told you that you oh so truly deserved.

It hadn't took long for Joe to break down the walls in which you had held up as much as you could from previous relationships, but he had it all, not just the looks that were an extreme bonus and you felt like you could jump him every time you saw him but also the persona he only really kept for people that was worth it, the whit and the chaotically beautiful and quite frankly funny yet brutally sweet and caring nature of him had shined through by the time your second date had come around.

Basically, to put it bluntly, he was your definition of perfect and it was something you couldn't possibly refuse to let go.

It was proving an impossible task to not fall in love with this human so quickly. It was cringeworthy to admit, but he was the first thing you thought about in a morning and the very last thing you dreamt about at night, it was a puzzle piece in your heart that was missing and he somehow completed it by walking into your life at the time he did.

Not to say you didn't meet the way most courting adults do nowadays, through the wonders of dreaded hooking up dating apps. You had felt like a teenager with a massive crush staying up until 4am the first time that you ever exchanged messages, talking for hours in pointless conversation, sharing memories and exchanging pleasantries and the general chit chat to get to know one another. You just clicked. What seemed too good to be true turned into texting every single day, calling each other when you both had a spare minute, sharing the occasional face time just to be able to say hello at the closest face to face you could finally get a chance to meet; and then it happened.

Date one: a simplistic meal at an authentic Italian restaurant, suited and booted, a grand first impression of a gentleman if any. Your first kiss. Sensual, slow and heartfelt.

Date two: Driving out to a lake which was situated around the lovely grounds of a valley, you held hands pretty much all the way around, giggling, sharing ice cream, feeding the ducks with over priced bread and laughing at Joe nearly falling in the water when he leaned to actually hand feed the duckling, resulting in him almost looking like a drowned rat and being branded an accidental murderer forever.

Date three: Another meal at a fancy five star French restaurant in the heart of London, followed by drinks in bars that Joe insisted he needed to take you to as they did the best martini's you'd ever tasted. He wasn't wrong, you fucking hated martinis until that night, maybe it was just a placebo due to the fact he enjoyed them, so you made yourself like them too, you had to impress him to right? You'd made out in the taxi all the way back to your flat, Joe dropped you off not insinuating that he wanted to take it any further as it was clear you both didn't want to rush something that was going so well and risk it failing over sleeping together too quickly.

Date four was tonight. You had arranged a quieter more casual meet this evening. Joe had shown great determination in getting you to his home to cook for you, vowing to you over and over that he was a way better chef than those of the restaurants you had eaten at together on dates in the past. Even though it was less formal affair, you still made yourself look presentable, sporting an oversized jumper dress with a more relaxed approach to stick to wearing trainers, it wasn't like you would have them on long anyway. Minimal make up and a nice up do, packing your over night bag as you had the bright idea that you would stay over the night so that you didn't have to rush through the time you had together; you could take your time.

You packed pyjamas, why? Because you didn't know how comfortable you would be to sleep in your underwear next to a male who you weren't sure would want to see such a thing. He's a man, of course he fucking would; but you didn't want to come across eager.

It was about a 25 minute drive to where you needed to be, you were still nervous to see Joe after already seeing so much of each other in the last few weeks, it was still fresh to you but you knew as soon as you were together, the comfortability would kick in pretty much when you arrived and shared your first glances.

When you got to the front door, it opened before your fist had even touched the object. You stood there with it mid air, a small wolf whistle followed by the sweetest smile, his sweetest smile, teeth and all. Joe of course was dressed to the nines, shirt and trousers but as you looked down to check the full variety of what you had to stare it, you noticed the cute pink socks sticking out like a sore thumb underneath the foot of his trousers. You couldn't help but snigger a giggle.

"Real men wear pink." Were his first words.

"And you're looking sincerely sexy in those pink socks Joe." You both chortled out a bark of laughter as Joe gestured for you to come through before closing the door behind you.

Once you were no longer in view of the public, you were met by Joe's hand clutching around your waist, bringing you in to close the space between your bodies. You leaned upward to receive a content little peck on the lips, your hands placed on his chest to keep you steady as you brought your feet back down fully to ground level.

"You look beautiful, darling." Joe cooed.

"Oh stop it." You patted his chest as he hummed a chuckle.

"Thank you would be a better answer." He tilted his head to one side, unknowingly surprised with you reaching to share a more intimate kiss this time. As you pulled back, Joe sighed almost peacefully, the way you did when you had butterflies flipping around your stomach. The feeling was definitely most mutual.

"Okay you win, that was a perfect response." Joe took your hand once you had rested them back to your side and brought you into the kitchen/dining area where he pulled out your seat for you. You thanked him as you looked around to see how classy he had set out the cutlery, a small plate, a dinner plate and a wine glass. A jug of water in the middle of the table in case you needed it at any point throughout the meal.

"Smells divine in here." You gazed around the messy kitchen, the sign of a good hearty meal being cooked as well as it could be showed that he was pulling out all of the stops.

"I hope you're hungry, I made a little too much pasta." Joe pressed his lips into a thin line, furrowing his brow and shrugging his shoulders slightly at you.

"I meant you, the food smells good too."

"Oh stop it." Joe mimicked you, covering his hand over his mouth in a pathetic and quite frankly over dramatic attempt to pretend he was embarrassed over your compliment.

Joe poured the wine into your glass, insisting that you taste it to make sure it was the one that you had said you liked beforehand. Great memory. Perfect for the pasta dish that you were about to consume. The indeed heavenly smell of prawn tagliatelle with various vegetables was dished out in front of you. You ate everything, even went in for seconds, it was a good job you didn't eat much today and you had to all intents and purposes starved yourself so that you would be ravenous by the time you had your dinner date.

Was this man ever wrong in his assumptions? Nope. He was a sensational cook, his mum had clearly taught him a lot and he was well trained in the kitchen, perfect as you were up for a dinner date like this every night for the rest of your life if this was the quality of food you would receive.

To top it all off, he had also prepared dessert, an affogato served with home made pistachio ice cream, an eye rolling, taste bud tingling way to finish off your meal indeed. You had polished off the wine too quickly for your liking, the combination of wine heated your cheeks along with the warmth of the house and also being sat across from Joe probably didn't help the matter.

You had retired to the living room after helping him clean up. Joe had insisted that you were his guest and wouldn't lift a finger but after a playful and most valid argument between you, Joe accepted your point of it would get done faster if you did it together. Putting on a movie seemed like the best option to end a solid ten out of ten evening together, a romantic comedy that you had seen at least thirty times in your life. You downed the last of your wine in your glass and set it in front of you on the coffee table, snuggling into Joe's side, he caught the hint pretty quickly and lifted his arm to let you sink into him further. His hand stroked the bare skin of your shoulder where your jumper had faltered a little, sending goose bumps raging their way through your skin.

It wasn't long until the movie was forgotten about, a deeply passionate kiss provoked by Joe himself. He had smoothly managed to push his finger tip toward your jaw, putting enough pressure to make you look up toward him where his free hand came to cup your cheek, bringing you forward to softly connect your lips together. You lifted yourself up with the help of Joe to sit yourself directly on his lap, tongues now involved as begged at your bottom lip for entrance. The kiss became intense, your fingers ran through his untamed curls which were soft and a little frizzy from the humidity of cooking whilst your other hand was wrapped in the chains around his neck, pulling him to be as close to you as possible. The dimmed lighting added to the voluptuousness and your whole body was screaming with desire to be touched in anyway he would dare to.

The kiss broke intermittently as you both panted for just that little bit to regain the oxygen your lungs had lost in the last few minutes.

"Shall we go get a little more comfortable, love?" Joe offered, stroking his thumb over your cheek giving you a smile that could heal the world.

"I'd love to." Joe kept you in his grasp, lifting himself up off of the sofa and you instantly obliged to wrap your legs around his waist. He carried you upstairs and into his bedroom, using his elbow to switch on the light before he slowly set you down on your back onto the foam mattress that you immediately thought was going to be a great nights sleep from the instant comfort you felt. Joe rested himself by the side of you, propped up on one elbow as his hand magnetised itself straight back to your cheek. He examined your features for a moment, staring through into your soul, your eyes following every muscle that worked in the doe eyes that sparkled towards you.

"Just to be clear you do want-" Joe whispered shyly, but before he could finish it was a response you didn't even have to think about.

"I do, I really do." He knew you were on the same page, his lips coming back to join yours in the most gratifying and pleasurable kiss. Electricity was shooting it's way down to your core, followed by anxiety that he may not like what he saw underneath your clothing.

You broke the kiss this time, pushing all doubts out of your mind as you sat up to remove your jumper dress, leaving yourself in your matching underwear, slowly looking up to witness his reaction.

It was very much worth it.

Joe's eyes had grown lustful, extremely excited to see you looking so vulnerable for him. Joe pushed his hands towards the back of your bra, stopping for a second to look at you for reassurance.

"May I?"

You giggled. "You may."

Joe touched you delicately like you were made of porcelain, not wanting to break you but at the same time really wanting to feel every ounce of you. He massaged your breasts in the palm of his hands, lightly pinching your nipples and gaining a whimper from the sensitivity that it caused.

"You like that, baby?" Baby. That was the first time he had called you that and you hoped it would not be the last.

A stifling yes was all you could manage, his touch riling you up good and proper as he laid you down back into an easier position to access so that his mouth could taste where his fingers had just influenced.

Soft moans were making the erection in Joe's trousers twitch as he worked his way down with unhurried yet deliberate little embracing kisses down your body. His hands following where his lips had just caressed until he was knelt down before you, placing your feet at the edge of the bed, reaching upward to slide your panties down and fully off. You were stark naked and his bush baby eyes had never shimmered brighter than they were, his jaw could of fell to the floor the way his mouth gaped open looking down at you.

"You're so fucking beautiful, I am so lucky." There was that sigh again, oh so delightful to observe.

Joe planted more kisses along your thighs before working his way towards your slit, guiding his hands to open it up so that he could start by licking a small stripe down to the base of you with the tip of his tongue. A louder moan escaped you this time.

"Relax darling, I want to make you feel so good."

When he got into a more focussed position, his hands reached for yours, intertwining your fingers together as you both gave a little reassuring squeeze to let each other know it was okay. His muscle massaged against your clit, making the muscles in your legs twinge each time he slipped it over a particular spot. He pressed succulent kisses against you with each taste, humming and breathing in the scent of you.

"That feels so good." You mewled.

"Mmm." Joe answered, he was in too deep for a truly more accurate reply.

His movements got a little faster and heavier against your bud, your body squirming around the sheets, your fingers pressing harder into his knuckles before he let one of your hands go, your instant reaction was to massage your boob and play with yourself a little. Joe surprised you by pushing a finger inside of you, the cold metal of his ring touching your entrance when the entirety of his digit made it's way up. He added another shortly, curling them upwards but keeping the pace gently measured to really make you feel even better than you could have ever imagined.

It all ended too quickly as Joe pushed himself away from you, ridding the contact from his fingers and wiping the back of his hand over his mouth to dry himself off.

"Why did you stop?"

"I can't take it anymore, I need to feel myself inside of you, you feel too good like this, god knows how you'll feel like that." Joe undressed himself and you watched his defined figure unravel before you, gawking from his neck down, not too toned but just right. His cock stood to attention, leaking pre-cum from being so heavily turned on from his time during his little cunninglingus fun. You were impressed with everything he had to offer, why wouldn't you be impressed with the sheer just above average size he was packing.

"You are perfect Quinn." You bit down onto your bottom lip, hypnotising him immediately with the way your eyes clung to his.

"No baby, that's you." BABY. BABY. B A B Y.

Joe lined himself up over you, not letting you move from your previous state, silently insisting that you relax whilst he continued to make you both feel incredible. He rubbed his cock between your slit, gaining some of his own spit and your slick to lube him up for easier access.

"Are you sure-"

"I'm sure, baby." It was your turn to mock him whimsically but he seemed to drink it in as you did, the pet name in particular. Joe pushed himself inside of you slowly, inch by inch filling you, your walls instantaneously clenching around him sending a ferocious groan straight from Joe's mouth.

"Just as I thought." He said.

You giggled a little too suddenly. "What?"

"Heavenly."

Joe began to rock his hips back and fourth into you, the girth alone sent your back arching as he leant down, the muscles in his arms flexing to keep him hovering above you, his chains dangling around your chin as he thrusted back and fourth. Sharp breathes and the heat of passion were strong between the two of you, a rush of new found energy had you both singing each other's names like a prayer. The movements were sloppy yet so eager, fiery yet heartfelt. You looked into each others eyes with promise and sensibility. If you weren't mistaken, the look of love. Too lost in your thoughts, you were brought back down to the present to see Joe's lips moving, your hearing came back into play once you had stopped being so caught in your brain.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Never better."

"Did you hear what I said?" Joe pushed into you a little harder this time making you gasp.

"Evidently not." You breathed out a distorted moan followed by a chuckle.

"Be mine." Joe repeated himself hoping that you heard him loud and clear this time.

"I already am." You smiled as soon as he did, his lips crashed against yours, your heavily beautiful kiss moving in time with that of his hips, stopping sporadically to take a breath or to get out the breathless whimpers you needed to let escape.

The knot snapped inside your stomach when he hit one final thrust, sending you both over the edge together. Your bodies tingling from head to toe, the sensation you wished would last a lifetime and more from the stimulation and pure feeling you were eating up at this very moment.

"That was-" Joe was left stuttering so much that he had to pause.

"Amazing?" You finished.

"Exactly." Joe leaned down to kiss you one last time before pulling out, your orgasms rid to their full potential, it had made it all the more zealous to have reached your peaks together.

You ran to the bathroom to flush out what you needed to, cleaning yourselves up before returning to Joe's bed, the pyjamas long forgotten about that you had packed, a comforting thought that you now would be able to sleep skin to skin, happy and tranquil. Joe rushed downstairs to turn the tv off, not long after returning and making a huge leap towards the bed to which you jumped out of your skin when you realised he was almost about to crush you the same way he could have done the duckling on your second date.

It was all laughter and mind numbing chatter for the rest of the night, you laid in Joe's arms, your ear just resting above his heart which beat steady and relaxed.

"You meant it?" Joe mentioned and you looked up at him dazed and confused in your exhausted state.

"Meant what?" You asked.

"That you were mine." Joe looked deeply into your eyes, looking for the answers before you spoke them.

"Always."

"Perfect." Joe planted a kiss onto your forehead, his fingers making light work stroking up and down the top of your back.

"That's you." You nestled your face into his chest.

"Sweet dreams then, my darling girl."

You laid in the same position until the sun rose and the light dimmed it's way through the corners of Joe's curtains. A new day had never felt so good, especially beginning it in the arms of your man. Perfect.

[bromfieldhall]

NEVER BEEN KISSED - A Polin Fic

Read on AO3

Rating: General

Chapter 1, 2,

Summary: Colin finds out that Penelope has never been kissed at midnight on New Year's Eve and resolves to ensure that doesn't happen again.

Pairing: Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington

NEVER BEEN KISSED

Chapter Three

Chapter 3

Colin wasn’t a superstitious man, but he couldn’t help but wonder if he walked under a ladder or seven that he’d forgotten about over the years.

That surely must be the only reason that the one time he needed everything to go right, it was all going so unbelievably, bloody wrong.

He’d had travel problems before - it was part and parcel of his job. Delays, inclement weather, cancellations, breakdowns. He’d had it all.

Just…not all at the same time.

A lesser man might see that as fate and decide that, perhaps, it wasn’t ‘meant to be.’

Thankfully, Colin was made of sterner stuff because nothing, barring his demise, was going to stop him getting home.

Back to Penelope.

Whether he’d manage to do it time…well, that was another matter entirely.

When his flight to London had been cancelled, he’d been fine. The weather couldn’t be helped and fog wasn’t an unusual occurrence for the UK especially considering the time of year.

So, he’d booked a flight into France instead, but from there it had got trickier. With no flights into London everyone was trying to get passage on board a ferry or the Eurostar.

Eventually, after checking the official, and some not so official online sites, he’d managed to snag a ticket for the train for an extortionate price that was exacerbated by high demand. He’d paid without second thought, just pleased to be back on track to return to London by early New Year’s Eve.

But then, his flight to Paris got delayed, which had the knock-on effect of him missing the train he wanted to catch and that’s when he’d started to get antsy. He was already cutting it fine.

He’d caught a later train by the skin of his teeth and spent the journey sitting next to a man who had been jilted by his fiancée over Christmas. While Colin had felt sorry for him, he’d really not wanted to know the ins and outs of the poor guy’s love life, or lack thereof, apparently - which, honestly, should have given the man a clue. The crying he could’ve done without as well���

Two and half hours later, it was a huge relief when the train had finally pulled into St Pancreas in the early evening. He’d wished the man a Happy New Year, given him a tissue then grabbed his luggage and hightailed it out to the taxi ranks.

He’d been frustrated, annoyed and a few hundred quid the poorer for it, but he was back, that was the main thing.

Getting a cab from the station down to Kent had proved to be his next hurdle. On New Year’s Eve taxis were few and far between anyway, let alone finding one that was prepared to do such a long journey.

It had taken all his charm and the promise of a hefty tip to finally get a cabbie to agree to make the trip. The journey had been slow going with the fog making visibility a nightmare and with each mile that trundled by, Colin had grown more and more impatient. Finally, the cab had turned into the half a mile long drive of Aubrey Hall at around a quarter to twelve and Colin had breathed a sigh of relief. He was going to make it on time after all.

And then the engine promptly spluttered and cut out.

The cab driver had sworn and tried to start it again, but Colin had had enough. He told the man he had to go, then got out of the taxi, left his luggage and ran.

With the fog so thick, the irate shouts of the driver where soon swallowed up. Using the dim lights dotted along each side of the road to guide him, he’d kept up a decent pace for the entire length of the drive, the thought of seeing Penelope urging him on.

Lungs fit to burst, he’d finally reached the Hall and ran up the steps to the main doors. His mother’s housekeeper had let him in with a look of surprise and he’d quickly asked her to send help for the cab driver before heading off to look for the woman he loved.

Time ticked on as he’d darted in-between guests muttering, ‘excuse me’ and ‘sorry’ as he’d brushed past people in an effort to reach the ballroom. A couple of friends tried to halt his progress, expressing how unexpected it was to see him, but he’d merely gave them a quick nod in response and hurried on. There would be time enough for niceties later.

Finally, he’d reached the ballroom, flinching slightly at the loud music as he’d quickly looked around but couldn’t see her. Chest still heaving from exertion, he’d walked further into the room and saw his mother heading his way, arms outstretched, smiling widely.

“You’re late! I thought you’d changed your mind,” Eloise had admonished angrily as she’d suddenly appeared at his side. He’d frowned at her assumption and then she’d pointed towards the doors at the furthest end of the room. “She’s outside on the balcony. Go! I’ll take care of mum.”

He’d shot her a grateful smile and quickly walked towards his - he dearly hoped - future.

Opening the balcony door, he’d been struck by how ethereal she looked, standing beside the balustrade, mist swirling around her. The simple pale green dress with lace accents she wore, emphasised her curves with a fitted bodice, sheer capped sleeves and an A-line skirt falling to just above her ankles. Her wavy red hair was down around her shoulders and he was pretty certain that his laboured breathing no longer had anything to do with the run he’d just had and everything to do with the woman standing in front of him.

She was breathtaking.

He closed the door behind him, shutting out the noise from the party and took a step towards her.

“Shouldn’t you be inside with Phillip?” she asked curtly without turning around.  

That surprised him. She sounded angry with Eloise, but he didn’t have time to ponder it – it was nearly midnight.

“No, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

It felt like an eternity before she turned to face him, her expression one of shock.

“Colin?”

And then he saw it. A brief flicker of something that flared in her eyes momentarily before she blinked.

He’d seen it before when she’d looked at him. Many times, over the years. He was such a fool for not realising what it was, but now he did, and he smiled.

“Hello, Pen.”

He took a couple of steps towards her then stopped when she suddenly held up her hand to halt him.

“What…what are you doing here?” she asked, voice strained. “Eloise said you were in Sicily.”

“I was, but I wanted to come home,” he replied. “I wanted to see you.”

She regarded him a moment, then her lips twisted up into a slightly bitter smile that unnerved him a little. She looked away and turned to gaze out over the gardens once more.

“Did you? So, reading my blog had nothing to do with it then? The poor, pathetic girl with a stupid crush. Is that what made you come back? Did you feel sorry for me? Thought you’d come riding in like some knight in shining armour on his horse to what…? Give me a pity kiss because you feel bad you don’t remember doing it before? A little sweetener before you tell me to my face that it’ll never happen?” she wrapped her arms around herself again. “Well, it was wasted trip because I already know that, so you might as well go back inside and be with your family.”  

Colin stood there a moment, his heart aching at the pain he could hear bleeding through in her voice even though she did her best to cover it with anger.

Was that really how she saw herself? His chest tightened at the thought.

She knew he’d read her blog? His chest tightened even more and he drew in a shuddering breath. He hadn’t been expecting that. Eloise, he supposed, as his emotions began to swirl. He’d speak to her later but right now he had something more important to do.

Ignoring the chill, he shrugged off his coat and closed the remaining distance between them. Standing behind her, he then wrapped it gently around her shoulders. She tensed slightly at the gesture and he slowly smoothed his hands down her arms, relieved when her stance softened and she drew his coat more snugly around her. He edged a tiny bit nearer to her, then leaned down to speak into her ear.

Just as she’d been so honest in her diaries, it was only right that here, in this moment he be the same. He owed her nothing less.

“Yes, I did want to see you,” he reiterated quietly. “And, yes, your blog did have something to do with it.” She stiffened again and he resisted the urge to hold on to her more tightly, afraid that she was going to leave. Instead, he implored, “Please, Pen, just let me finish.” He waited with bated breath, then, off her slight nod, he continued, “It did have something to do with it, but only because it made me realise just how bloody lucky I am that you feel exactly the same way as I do.”

She turned her head sharply to gaze up at him, disbelief clouding her eyes, then she abruptly looked away and shook her head in negation of his words.

“Please…don’t say things you don’t mean, Colin.”

He let go of her when she suddenly turned away, but then quickly sidestepped to stand in front of her. She could go if she wanted, but he really hoped she’d stay.

“But I do mean it, Penelope,” he stated emphatically when she stopped and looked up at him, still clutching at his coat as if it were protection. From behind them, he could hear the muffled shouts of the countdown to midnight starting, but Colin didn’t care. He just had to make her see that he meant what he said. “I have just gone through my own personal version of ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ to get back to you tonight, Pen, and I can promise you that there is not a single cell in my entire body that did it out of pity…for a kiss or otherwise. And no, I don’t think I’m a knight in shining armour – but I’d like to be, for you, if you’d let me? And I certainly don’t feel sorry for you, nor do I think you stupid - far from it, in fact…well…apart from loving me, of course.” She gave him a small, tremulous smile at that and his chest finally started to loosen. “And I am definitely not here to tell you it won’t ever happen. I’m here to tell you that, whenever you’re ready, I’ll be waiting. A week, a month, a year, however long it takes for you to believe me when I say that…I love you, Pen.”

Her sharp intake of breath mingled with the sudden muted cheers of ‘Happy New Year’ and familiar bars of Auld Lang Syne that rang out from the ballroom as they stared at each other on the misty balcony, his declaration hanging between them.

Eyes wide, she blinked once, then twice, then blurted out, “Bold of you to assume it’ll take a year at most.”

Colin looked at her a moment and then began to laugh.

“Well, I thought, ��forever’, might be overplaying my hand a bit.”

Penelope joined in with a chuckle of her own, then before he’d realised it, she was standing right in front of him and gazing up at him with such adoration it almost took his breath away.

“There’s really no need for either of us to wait anymore, is there?”

Mirth fading, he looked down at her upturned face and swallowed hard. Was she really going to let him off that lightly?

“Are you sure, Pen?”

She nodded.

“You coming here tonight is enough, Colin.”

It wasn’t. It wasn’t nearly enough as far as he was concerned, and he vowed to himself that he would spend the rest of his life proving that to her. But for now, in this moment, she was so beautiful and her lips were parted so invitingly and all he had to do was dip his head and claim them…

But he didn’t have to, because Penelope moved first. Placing her hands on his chest, she stood on tiptoe and captured his lips in the sweetest of kisses. His eyes slid shut as the heady feeling of heat sparked between them before bursting into flames as his arms encircled her waist and pulled her flush against him in a searing kiss. Her hands fisted into his t-shirt and she let out a little whimper as their kiss deepened, tongues and lips meeting again and again with growing fervour until they finally broke apart panting slightly. He brought a hand up to gently cup her cheek and stared deep into her eyes.

“I love you,” he murmured, “so much.”

“I love you, Colin,” she replied, happy to be able to finally say it out loud now.

He grinned and dropped another quick kiss on her lips before adding, “It’s a bit late but, Happy New Year, Pen.”

“I’d rather it be late, than never,” she replied, smiling back. “Happy New Year.”

They kissed again, then, hand in hand, they headed back into the ballroom together.

The Whistledown Diaries – Musings from a Wallflower

Entry Date: 2nd January

Dearest Gentle Reader,

I am as surprised to be writing this entry today as you are, likely, to be reading it.

It will be short, and I hope sweet, although I hardly know where to begin, so maybe it is better that I share with you a quote from one of my favourite books instead:

‘When pain is over, the remembrance of it often becomes a pleasure.’

What, do you ask, does this mean?

Well, today, I find that this quote from Jane Austen’s, ‘Persuasion’, to be very apt.

For you see, with the help of a well-meaning, albeit interfering, friend, I am no longer suffering from the anguish of unrequited love.

I am simply in love and now find myself loved in return!

It has all happened so swiftly that I have to pinch myself at times, just to ensure that I am not dreaming.

And to clarify, dear reader, it is him. The man I pined after for so long. The man I call my dear friend. The man who is the reason I chose that quote. Because all those years that I longed for him, ached for him, yearned for him are now mere memories of a time that eventually led us to be together.

So how could I now view those very same memories with anything other than joy?

That time apart moulded us into who we are now, and I feel that we shall be stronger together because of it.

I very much hope we will.

So, is it everything I hoped for, I hear you ask?

It has only been a day, but I will say ‘no’ – it has been ‘more’ than I ever hoped for…so much more.

I have never felt so happy. So, ‘myself’ before. It is as though he truly is the other half of me, and I now feel complete.

I just hope that I make him feel the same way too.

We still need to talk, of course. And I am certain that there will be times we do not see eye to eye – he is so much taller than me anyway – but I am equally certain that we shall overcome whatever problems we face as we go into the New Year with a new future stretching out before us.

Because this is it for me. And he assures me that it is for him too.

So, what will this blog be now?

In truth, dear reader, I do not fully know. I am undecided whether to keep it going or to stop entries after this one and start a new blog altogether.

I find I’m leaning towards the latter, but I shall leave this one up for anyone that wishes to read it and perhaps find a little solace or a little hope that even us wallflowers can find happiness.

It just takes patience. Or someone finding out about your blog and telling the love of your life…

Whichever way it is, know that all is not lost.

It is your life and your story. And if waiting is not for you, then perhaps take a leaf out of my love’s book and find the courage within yourself to make your feelings known – you might just find that the other person has been waiting for years for you to do so.

And in that vein, I shall leave you with another quote that I hope will give you some food for thought:

‘It is not what we think or feel that makes us who we are. It is what we do. Or fail to do…’

~ Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

And now it is time to take my leave.

Farewell, Gentle Reader, it has been a great comfort for this Author to know you have been with me on my journey thus far.

I will be forever grateful.

Yours truly,

The Whistledown Diaries

Penelope read through the entry one more time then hit the post button. Once she saw that it was showing on the site, she quietly closed her laptop and sat back.

“Now you’re finished, are you coming back to bed, love?”

She looked over her shoulder in surprise and saw Colin half propped up against his pillows, quilt slung low about his waist. Her gaze roamed hungrily over his bare, hair roughened chest and she stood up.

“I thought you were still asleep,” she remarked, walking over to the bed and taking off her dressing gown. “Did I wake you?”

He smiled and shook his head, staring unabashedly at her naked form.

“No, I just missed you.”

He gestured to the empty space where she’d lain half an hour earlier and pulled back the cover so that she could slide back into bed beside him once more.

She cuddled up to him with a contented sigh and he put his arm around her drawing her closer as he tucked the quilt snugly around them.

They were in his room, still at Aubrey Hall. She was supposed to have gone home earlier that day but now they were together, they’d decided to stay a couple of extra nights. She’d bought some spare underwear with her anyway and had borrowed a top and jogs from Colin while the rest of her clothes had been put through a wash. They’d swamped her but no one had batted an eyelid - much like when they’d walked back into the ballroom and joined in the festivities with the rest of the family on New Year’s.

Everyone had been blessedly relaxed about them being together. She guessed that Eloise had had something to do with that for which she’d been thankful. It had more than made up for all the mischief she’d caused – happy outcome aside.

“I was just posting to my blog,” she revealed, dropping a kiss on his chest.

“I guessed as much,” he replied slightly smugly. “Couldn’t wait to tell everyone that you not only got the guy, but you got that kiss at midnight on New Year’s Eve finally, eh?”

She propped herself up and looked down at him with a slight frown.

“We didn’t kiss at midnight.”

His mouth dropped open in indignation at that comment.

“Yes, we did,” he argued.

“No, we didn’t. It was already past midnight by the time we kissed, Colin,” she pointed out reasonably.

“By a minute…two at the most,” he retorted. “You’re not seriously going to quibble over a few seconds, are you?”

“Well, you are, apparently,” she muttered archly.

He opened his mouth to object then closed it again when he realised how petulant he was being. A New Year’s Eve kiss on the stroke of midnight was important to her and if he’d been able to get back to London when he’d planned – it would’ve happened.

But he hadn’t and she was right, it’d been late.

He raised his hand and gently grasped her chin so that he could turn her head to face him. She gave him a faintly disappointed look and he sighed. He hadn’t meant to upset her over it.

“You’re right, Pen, it was kiss in the new year, not a New Year’s kiss,” he conceded before vowing earnestly, “But it won’t ever happen again. From now on, you will have a kiss at midnight every New Year’s Eve…from me.”

“From now on?” she repeated, staring at him wide eyed. “That sounds like quite the commitment, Mr Bridgerton.”

He nodded, a half-smile playing on his lips.

“Might as well know from the start what you’re letting yourself in for, Miss Featherington,” he replied, his smile growing bigger. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.” She continued to stare at him and his smile faltered a little before he added cautiously, “If you still want me, that is?”

Penelope let out a surprised laugh at that and leaned in to kiss him firmly on the lips.

“Have you seen my blog?” she asked dryly when she pulled back. “I think you’re stuck with me, not the other way around.”

“Let’s just call it even and have sex,” he proposed and rolled her onto her back with a smirk.

“So romantic. It’s only been a day and you’re not even trying anymore,” she lamented teasingly.

He chuckled and leaned down to murmur into her ear, “Sometimes I prefer to show rather than tell.”

Penelope moaned as he then began to kiss her neck and on down, down. And as she gave herself over to the sensations he ignited in her body, she had to admit, she preferred it sometimes too.

A year later at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, Penelope Featherington received her first ever kiss, of a romantic nature, from one Colin Bridgerton.

At exactly one minute past midnight on New Year’s Eve, she received her first marriage proposal too.

She accepted, of course, because just as she’d written in her last post all those months before, being with Colin was everything she’d ever dreamed it would be…and more.

THE END

[sgiandubh]

Do you have any secret tips for restaurants or cafés for a trip to Paris?

Dear Paris Anon,

I am happy and amused you ask me this question. Happy, because I have been calling Paris home for six years: that means there are places where I was madly kissing a beautiful (and cruel) boy from Bastia, places where I walked at night drunk as a boiled owl with people who are still in my life, places where I regularly went shopping or having an endless coffee with friends and places I was entrusted with, like precious jewels. Amused, because to be honest, Paris is probably the last French destination I could think of for an enjoyable week-end en amoureux (I suppose you want to go as a couple?), right now: it is overpriced as hell (the Olympics are round the corner), dirty and seedy (I was shocked, last time I visited and Manu Macron, my old acquaintance of yore, spoke about parking all the homeless outside of town during the Games 'for aesthetic reasons' - the boy never had a sense of humor, trust me on this one).

I shall give you 5 restaurants and 5 cafés (oh God, why didn't you ask me about Bangkok, instead?). Many of them are on the Left Bank (all of my addresses were there, simply because the closer to the university, the better).

Five restaurants: as it happens in Rome (where the gap is truly tragic), I will try and recommend places where locals go. You will find a menu in English everywhere, but at least try the holy trinity of bonjour, l'addition (the check) et merci. All the Parisian waiters are sourer than the Politburo and insolent as highway robbers, but do not be deterred by their manners. Order away.

Le Relais de Venise - son entrecôte (271 Bd Pereire, 75017). It is not in the center. They do not take reservations. You will be met with a long line of people patiently waiting (Seinfeld style) to get in. They have a minimal set menu (which is always a very good sign: https://relaisdevenise.com/menus/set-menu.php). The waitresses are kind and dressed like 1920's maids. It will be the damn best entrecôte-frites you've ever had (their sauce is a secret). Nothing changed there since 1959. Double check opening times and plan accordingly: you will need a taxi and plenty of time ahead. Almost a bargain for its stellar performance. The London one is a sad spin off.

Le Soufflé (36 rue du Mont Thabor, 75001). An original choice, but oh so good! They only cook soufflés (not exactly a pudding, but a pudding angels must have on a daily basis). Very reasonably priced for Paris (set menus at 40 and 55 euros - https://www.lesouffle.fr/bienvenue/home/menu/). If you want to eat à la carte, I recommend le soufflé Henri IV (cheese soufflé with chicken & mushrooms sauce) : it is heaven.

La Jacobine (59-61 Rue Saint-André des Arts, 75006). You will find tourists in this one, it is always full. Service is impeccable. Do not bother with Le Procope round the corner: it used to be one of my haunts, but this is over. The best soupe à l'oignon (onion soup, notoriously hard to cook) I ever had (yes, they still add white wine!). I would also recommend the magret de canard sauce aux cèpes (duck breast with a porcini mushrooms sauce). I could not find a decent menu, but that should give you an idea - they don't have a website (https://eater.space/la-jacobine). Very reasonably priced, too - and very, very good.

Chez Julien (1, rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004 Paris). This is one of my mum's favorites. It is open only in the evenings, but it is an excellent choice if you want to call it a night, because it has service continu (all night long, wow!). It is more expensive - this is, after all, the Right Bank, so expect prices to go drastically up. This is the only option serving wonderful breakfasts, so I beg you: have breakfast in town at least once, Paris hotels tend to do it on the sad and sorry side (https://www.chezjulien.paris/en/home#menu-en). Pair anything you pick with a glass of Pouilly fumé white wine (it goes with anything, it is that magically good).

Money is no object? Entice the guy to take you at (I am torn, here, to be honest) La Tour d'Argent (19 Quai de la Tournelle, 75005). It is very expensive (like VERY), but it is worth every penny (https://tourdargent.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/LTDA-SEPTEMBRE-EN.pdf). You must (it's an order!) order the canard au sang (you will find it on the menu under the entry Duckling Frédéric Delair and it is outrageously priced). But you will never have a chance to see the table show anywhere else (it is served in two times: first the fillet and then the legs and it uses a sort of Medieval contraption, to get the blood out for the sauce) - just a specialty from Normandy, you will not find in Rouen anymore. It is divine. They have been there since 1583. What are you waiting for? (for a less break the bank option, try Le Grand Véfour, near the Louvre - google it, it will take forever to explain why).

Four cafés and a salon de thé (tea parlor) : all are haunts of mine. In every single one of them something very personal happened to me. Consider yourself lucky. On a more practical side, all of them double as excellent lunch options, for a fraction of what you would spend in a restaurant. :)

Chez Carette (4 Pl. du Trocadéro, 75016, but also Place des Vosges, with a nod to C). You will have an exceptional choice of anything you could think of and the same Roaring Twenties atmosphere as in the Relais de Venise restaurant. The chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) is almost perfection (do NOT go to Angelina, on the rue de Rivoli, that is another favorite which went south and not in a good way). The best macarons you will find North of Saint Jean de Luz's Maison Adam (where the story of macarons began in earnest). This is Someone's favorite, but then he always was a Right Bank purist. Service is old school, which means supremely kind, if only a bit on the slow side: you are in France, soak it in!

Les Deux Magots (6 Pl. Saint-Germain des Prés, 75006). On the Left Bank in the publishing houses district. This is my second favorite (there is a first favorite) and you will likely find me on the heated terrace with a cigarette and a newspaper, if I were there. Service is appalling, but you should not mind, I have warned you. Reasonably priced for what and where it is. Breakfasts are mediocre, but still enjoyable and lunch/dinner menus are typical brasserie fare - you are not there for the food, you are there to cosplay Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir and act intellectual and sophisticated and have endless talks about the world's destiny (https://lesdeuxmagots.fr/en/breakfast-menu/). If nature calls, head downstairs with an air of intrinsic superiority and don't forget to pay the grumpy dame pipi (toilet lady), who will give you what you need and look at you like you are the scum of the Earth. Always makes me laugh.

Le Café de l'Epoque (2 Rue du Bouloi, 75001). On the Right Bank, at the end of one of the most beautiful passages couverts (glass-roofed passageways) of Paris. Again, you are there for the supremely dreamy atmosphere, I can only fail to describe. Look on the map for all of these passageways and then get lost in the maze of stamp shops, bookstores, taxidermists and God only knows what else you could think of (or at least add to this passageway the Galerie Vivienne). Usual brasserie/bistro fare, reasonable prices (https://cafedelepoque.fr/en/services). The lemon meringue pies are to die for.

Café Le Rostand (6 Pl. Edmond Rostand, 75006). Steps away from the Luxembourg Gardens, which I crossed every single day to go to the uni. Steps away also from the secret and sublime Medici fountain in above park (oh, the things I did there!). Surprisingly good French fare, the beef tartare is excellent (a rare thing!) and well priced (https://lerostand.fr/carte/ - use Google translate, they don't care for tourists). Service is cheeky. Round the corner, one of the most charming shops in Paris, Parapluies Simon (56 Boulevard Saint-Michel, 75006) - only umbrellas and dandy walking sticks (you can hide a whisky mini flask in one of them, I am told by Someone on the phone, but I think he is trolling us - we love that shop).

The Tea Caddy (14 Rue Saint-Julien le Pauvre, 75005). It's been there since 1928, when a certain Miss Klinklin opened it and introduced the Devon scones to France. It is my favorite favorite (https://the-tea-caddy.com/en/tea-room/) and it is perfect on a rainy day. Steps away from the Medieval church of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, one of the most authentic and moving experiences of its kind in a very secular town. The Shakespeare & Co. bookstore is just round the corner. A rare gem of a place.

I could go on and on and on. Three more short tips and you will thank me for it, as alternatives to deceiving mainstream options:

The Musée de l'Orangerie instead of The Louvre. Blasphemy? Intense perfumes come in small bottles. It is breathtaking (https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en).

Château de Rambouillet instead of Versailles (you will not be able to enjoy it AT ALL). Where else could you find Marie Antoinette's private 'milk bar' (La Laiterie de la Reine/ The Queen's Dairy), a supremely elegant affair, with milk-spouting fountains, built to encourage hygienic milk consumption as an alternative to breast-feeding (she was unable to). Trust me and plan a full day for it (https://www.chateau-rambouillet.fr/en/discover).

La Sainte-Chapelle instead of Notre Dame. I always preferred it to anything else, except perhaps Vézelay (far, far away from Paris). It will shock you, but in such a perfect way (https://www.sainte-chapelle.fr/en). Enough said: I will let you discover. Across the Seine, couple this visit with the Musée de Cluny and tell The Lady and the Unicorn I miss them (https://www.musee-moyenage.fr/en/).

I am not sorry for the length of this post. At all. I hope you will enjoy this modest, but very personal selection and perhaps you will come back and tell me if it was worth something. Bon voyage!

Notre Dame on a snowy evening, Paris 1953

[w2soneshots]

Italian food -Zerkaa

words: 0.8k+

warnings: light smut.

summary: you and Josh go on a cute date night.

Liked by faithlouisak and 209,156 others

y/username: date night🤍

-comments-

zerkaa: 🔥🔥

taliamar: beautiful girly😍

-> y/username: ❤️

y/nfanpage21: you two are so cute!

user35996210: that pizza looks banging

Me and Josh met at school but didn't become anything, then years later we bumped into each other at a club, he asked for my number and the rest is history. We've been together for 5 years now and make time every two weeks for a date night, we're both very busy so making that time is very important. Each time we take turns for who organises the date, it doesn't have to be dinner it could be bowling, winter wonderland or a cute setup at our apartment.

Tonight it was Josh's turn, he chose a cute Italian restaurant that's located in a beautiful building with an amazing view of London. The booking is at 6 o'clock and he doesn't get back from his Sidemen shoot until 5 so I blasted music while I got ready. When he arrived home he quickly had a shower and got dressed. Then once we were both finished getting ready we got an uber to the restaurant.

"This place is beautiful" I said once we were inside the building. Josh smiled "I thought you'd like it". I just looked back at him with a cute smile then someone took us to our table. Once we were seated a waitress came and took our orders. "Ooo can I get the margarita pizza please" I said. "I'll have the same, thank you" Josh said. When we got to the restaurant it was still light outside, but once our food arrived it had turned dark and the large windows were filled with different coloured lights coming from other buildings, it looked beautiful.

"How did the shoot go?" I asked. "Good, hang on- let me show you a picture of the set" he said dropping his pizza and pulling his phone out to show me. "Oh my god that's sick" I said enthusiastically, today they filmed "the chase: sidemen addition 2" and this time they filmed it on the actual set. "Stephen was jokes as well" he said. "I can imagine" I said with a chuckle.

When we finished our pizza's we ordered some desserts. "Thank you" I said as the waitress placed my ice cream sundae down in front of me, Josh said the same when he got given his brownies. Once we finished we left the restaurant and got a taxi home. Josh kept his hand firmly on my thigh the entire journey. When we arrived outside our building we made our way inside and were soon inside our apartment. I kicked my heels off and dropped my bag, I sighed. "You look beautiful" Josh said quietly once I turned to look at him. I bit my lip slightly, wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. His hands traveled from my waist, to my hips and finally stopped at the back of my thighs. "Jump" he whispered into the kiss, and I did.

I wrapped my legs around his body as he held me up, not breaking the kiss once. He slowly walked towards the bedroom and dropped me onto our bed. He reached forward in the dark room and pulled my jeans off, then he undressed himself leaving him in only his boxers. I pulled my shirt off and over my head also leaving me in just my black lace thong. His eyes turned slightly darker as he climbed on top of me. I smirked and he pulled me into a passionate kiss.

The next morning... I woke completely naked under the duvet, next to Josh who just had his boxers on. "Morning" I said rolling over so I was leaning my head on my arm. "How'd you sleep" he asked. I sighed "Better if I had gone to sleep earlier". "He laughed "thats the price you pay" he said. "It was worth it" I said with a cheeky wink. I slid out of the bed, pulled on my underwear and one of Josh's shirts then I walked through into the bathroom, brushed my hair into a ponytail, washed my face and brushed my teeth.

When I was done I walked back into the bedroom just to see an empty bed. I shuffled into the kitchen, "want some breakfast?" Josh asked, stood looking into the fridge. I smiled "yes please". I walked towards him and wrapped my arms around his back, on my tip toes since he's so tall. He turned around and placed his hands on my waist. "I love you so much" he said staring into my eyes. I smiled slightly and a warm blush washed over my cheeks, "I love you too" I said and pulled him into a quick kiss.

[fizzingwizard]

International flight complaints!

One teeeeeny bottle of water for 14 hours straight?? I don't expect a full sized one, but the bottle they gave us with the first meal seemed smaller than usual. I usually don't drink the whole thing but this one I had to ration. And yeah they have drink service two or three times where you can get a small cup of something. And if you're dying of thirst you can call someone. But come on. You can't bring liquids through security, so if you want something to drink that you can sip for the whole flight you have to buy it in the airport for three times the price anywhere else. I don't care a bout sodas and whatever, but water bottles should always be affordable if you won't let them bring their own drinks. It's fourteen hours dude, and that's not including getting to the airport, waiting around, going through customs, waiting for baggage, getting the connecting flight and then two trains and a taxi back home. Until I got out of the airport I was stuck with random drinking fountains and the teeny water bottle. What I SHOULD have done, I think this is allowed?? is bring an empty water bottle and fill it at the drinking fountain. I never thought about it before because I swear the water bottles on planes, while small, didn't used to be that small. This was the first time I felt water deprived. Next time I will definitely try to bring something I can fill up myself.

The movie selection was abysmal! Non-kid offerings were 75% superheroes. And on top of that there were other action movies. Want to watch something that isn't loud and obnoxious? Go fuck yourself lol. I did watch this one indie film that sounds like it was a festival winner, it was very amateurish looking, but kinda good? The kind of story that could be pretty interesting if it'd had a budget for just a little more editing. It's called Kujira no Machi and could have been (maybe even was) a seinen manga easy. A few kind of inexplicable weird bits - seinen is known for that but I really did feel ?? about a few parts - but overall I was invested and I loved the ending. A surprise good find. They also had Mr Holmes, which was a nice surprise too - Guy Ritchie Holmes and BBC Sherlock (s2 this time) seems to be ever present on this airline, so it was nice to get to watch a different take on Sherlock Holmes. After those two I was... kinda stuck for things to watch, especially on the return trip since it was largely the same movie line-up and I did NOT want to watch all Guardians of the Galaxy movies in succession.

AND THE ADS. I'm paying thousands of dollars for this flight and you still have to show me ads before every single thing! And not just one or even two... five! One for a sneakers company, two for wifi, and two for JAL offers. THE SAME FIVE ADS BEFORE EVERY SINGLE MOVIE. Followed by the "wear your seatbelt" reminder, followed be three or four opening credits... then at last you can watch the movie. Smh. I can of course opt to not watch anything... for fourteen hours! If I could sleep on planes I would but I can't. Nothing else helps the time go by. Fine play the stupid ads, but play ONE per movie, or play them all in one go but only ONCE.

Speaking of movies... I was flying to Japan from the US with JAL. Maybe because of that, they specifically seek out movies with a connection to Japan? Idk how else to explain why so many options took place partially in Japan or referenced Japan. The weird part is the references aren't always... tasteful? They run the gamut: Mr Holmes (featuring the aftermath of the atomic bomb, plus "exotic foreign superfood prickly ash," and Japanese Holmes superfans); Touch (featuring the Japanese ex-girlfriend, the piece of Japan inserted into London, what I'm pretty sure was actually a JAL flight, and the atomic bomb again); The Last Samurai (I don't have to explain this one right lol); Breakfast at Tiffany's (featuring the infamous Mr Yuniyoshi, who as a "grumpy neighbor" character wouldbe fine if he hadn't been ripped straight out of a WWII anti-Japanese propoganda poster). Etc. I get you want to appeal to the interests of many passengers, but... are these choices really the best you can do? lol. I do like Mr Holmes and Touch was a pretty good watch too if you like slow-paced movies. But I do feel like I need to read the novel to appreciate it more. The tone of the movie was really nice, but if you look just at the plot without the tone, it leaves a couple big points just sort of hanging, particularly regarding the main character's Icelandic family. Otherwise I really liked it and thought the interactions between the man character and the Japanese family-run restaurant he works at seemed very authentic. The book will either make me love it more or absolutely hate it, depending to how it deals with the atomic bomb. It's so common in literature that the atomic bomb is made into metaphor or treated like the only part of Japan history. I think talking about the impact of such a weapon is even more important now than ever, but not at the cost of reducing every Japanese person (especially in this day and age) to symbols of that horror for foreign consumption. Not saying Touch does this, but it's common enough that I always want more info.

Bonus: This is extra because it isn't anyone's fault - can't blame the airline or anyone here. I traveled back here while it was still New Year vacation for most people in Japan, because the price for the flight was waaay cheaper than going even one day later. I def would have preferred to leave a day later, but not for that much money. But that meant most places were closed enirely, or at least closing early for the holiday. Since I was getting in so late (didn't reach my town until 9:30 pm) I knew there wouldn't be many options for food besides conbini, but I expected fast food at least would be open. Nnnope! It's the holiday so the closed "early" at 9 pm lol. Luckily Gust was open so I got takeout from there. I really just wanted to be home and not lugging my bags everywhere and I also really didn't want conbini food... Thank goodness for Gust (but sorry for the workers and the delivery guy xP hope they make some extra bucks working over the holiday)

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[mariacallous]

On Wednesday, New York governor Kathy Hochul shocked the state and the country when she announced she would indefinitely shelve New York City’s long-in-development congestion pricing scheme. The policy, in the works since 2007 and set to begin in just three weeks, was designed to relieve car traffic, curb road deaths, and send a billion dollars in annual funding to the city’s transit system by charging drivers up to $15 a day to enter the busiest parts of Manhattan, with rates highest at “peak hours.” (Truck drivers and some bus drivers could have paid more than $36 daily.) At heart, the idea is straightforward, if controversial: Make people pay for the roads they use.

But congestion pricing was also set to become one of the most ambitious American climate projects, maybe ever. It was meant to coax people out of their gas-guzzling vehicles, which are alone responsible for some 22 percent of US greenhouse gas emissions, and onto subways, buses, bicycles, and their feet. Policymakers, researchers, and environment nerds the world over have concluded that, even if the transition to electric vehicles were to happen at lightning speed, avoiding the worst of climate change is going to require fewer cars overall.

Now, the movement has seen a serious setback, in a country where decades of car-centric planning decisions mean many can only imagine getting around in one very specific way. Just a few years ago, cities from Los Angeles to San Francisco to Chicago began to study what pricing roads might look like. “Cities were watching to see what would happen in New York,” says Sarah Kaufman, who directs the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation. “Now they can call it a ‘failure’ because it didn't go through.”

On Wednesday, Hochul said her about-face had to do with concerns about the city’s post-pandemic recovery. The congestion pricing plan faced lawsuits from New Jersey, where commuters argue they would face unfair financial burdens. Cameras and gantries, acquired and positioned to charge drivers while entering the zone, have already been installed in Manhattan, to the tune of some $500 million.

Kaufman, who says she was “flabbergasted” by Governor Hochul’s sudden announcement, says she is not sure where the policy goes from here. “If we can’t make courageous, and potentially less popular, moves in a city that has transit readily accessible, then I’m wondering where this can happen,” she says.

Other global cities have seen success with congestion schemes. London’s program, implemented in 2003, is still controversial among residents, but the government reports it has cut traffic in the targeted zone by a third. One 2020 study suggests the program has reduced pollutants, though exemptions for diesel buses have blunted its emissions effects. Stockholm’s program, launched in 2006, upped the city’s transit ridership, reduced the number of total miles locals traveled by car, and decreased emissions between 10 and 14 percent.

But in New York, the future of the program is unclear, and local politicians are currently scrambling to figure out how to cover the transit budget hole that would result from a last-minute nixing of the fee scheme. The city’s transit system is huge and sprawling: Five million people ride the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s buses and subways, almost double the number that fly every day in the US.

In New York, drivers entering the zone below Manhattan’s 60th Street would have been charged peak pricing of $15, but would have only faced the charge once a day. They would have paid $3.75 for off-peak hours. Taxi and ride-hail trips in the zone would have seen extra fees. After years of controversy and public debate, the state had carved out some congestion charge exemptions: some vehicles carrying people with disabilities would not have been charged, lower-income residents of the zone would have received a tax credit for their tolls; and low-income drivers would have been eligible for a 50 percent discount.

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[stephensmithuk]

A Study in Scarlet: The Lauriston Gardens Mystery

To quote the current dress regulations of the Royal Navy (https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/documents/reference-library/br-3-vol-1/chapter-38.pdf): "Sideburns for RM [Royal Marines] Personnel shall not extend below halfway down the ear." Moustaches can be worn by Royal Marines at their discretion, but not regular Royal Navy personnel. Beards require authorisation and are to be shaved off if the situation means that a gas mask is likely to be needed.

A hansom is a two-wheeled horsedrawn carriage with the driver sitting on an open-air seat at the back and officially two (although three could squeeze in) passengers in an enclosed cab below him, being able to give the driver instructions through a trap door. They were the standard London taxi until motorcabs turned up in 1908 and were largely superseded by the early 1920s, although the last licence for a hansom wasn't given up until 1947. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansom_cab)

Taxis in London can be hailed on the street or via cab ranks. Minicabs were of course not a thing at this point. The taxi business in London has been regulated since 1635 - when the numbers proliferating the streets were starting to cause hazards.

A hat tip to @geeoharee for raising the distance involved for the taxi journey. At around 5.4 miles drive, you would probably be looking at around £24 at today's prices, depending on traffic.

The Brixton Road dates back to the Roman era as it was part of the London to Brighton (to use their modern names) road - it is today part of the A23 that follows the same route and is notably used for the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. It had - and still has - a lot of Regency-style houses.

Strand is a major throughfare in the City of Westminster, part of the London theatreland area.

Trichinopoly is now called Tiruchirappalli, a major city in Tamil Nadu, India.

[werehounded]

God im gonna cry. I have. Seat I don't have to struggle to get to. I was gonna have to walk from my leicester Square hotel to the theatre which to most people is nothing, but to me, with my unsteady gait, terrible pain and fatigue, it felt insurmountable. I was worried I wouldnt be able to go because of this. I was so close to selling my ticket.

But im so glad I didn't. The people I've had contact with at atg and Harold Pinter Theatre have been so helpful and lovely. They've dealt with my request very swiftly and courteously and have been nothing g but understanding of my plight, lol

I nustbhave to find the money for the upgrade. Its one of the seats with a package tied to it cos it was one of the three seats left in the circle on my birthday, and all three were the same price anyway and next to each other too.

I've got the aisle seat which will help me be more comfy too. They're going to store my chair. I'm so happy. It might jsut be a play but it's my first alone holiday since my ces and operation, even if it is only overnight. Its my first time in London for years and even longer since I've seen anything in the west end

Idk

I'm just so excited now. Now I have my access taken care of its a weight off my shoulders. A big weight. And I know now that I can go and not worry about having to brave my pain and fatigue and having g to grt s taxi for a less than 3 min trip lmao.