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THE NEXT DAY, CYNTHIA takes a day trip to Windsor Castle, and Taishi and I join her for the ride. The train isn't too terribly crowded, so we snag the seats behind her. My instructor looks as bored as ever, but I'm thrilled. I've never been on a train before.
“How long is the trip to Windsor Castle? Do you have any idea?” I ask him.
Taishi can't be bothered to give me a reply with words. He just shakes his head and turns away from me.
“You seem grumpier than usual today, Taishi. Did I do something to piss you off?” When he shakes his head again, that's when I know he's mad. “Oh my god... what did I do?”
“Nothing!” he snaps. “I'm just trying to enjoy a moment of silence. More often than not, words are entirely unnecessary. They're just noise. Enough can be conveyed through actions and expressions.”
“Wow, you are sooo moody today!”
“Not really. I'm the same as ever.”
Maybe he has a point? I don't think I've ever seen him in a good mood. “So... you wouldn't be up for chatting with me?” Even though he's shaking his head again, I try to engage him. “You were a samurai, right? That must've been exciting.”
At first, Taishi's only answer is an inaudible grumble. After a few seconds of hesitation, he finally says, “Sure.”
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
“No.”
“Did you have any brothers or sisters?” Why do I even try to talk to him? I know it's not going to work.
I never get an answer, but I don't care, because something more interesting is developing in front of us. A handsome, thirty-something British guy just sat across from Cynthia. He's with a little girl, so I immediately check him for a wedding ring.
Nope. He's not married.
When he sits, he flashes an obvious smile at our human charge. It's the kind of smile that says, you're cute, and I want to get to know you. His brown hair is disheveled, he's got a slight beard, and he's wearing glasses, which enhances his cuteness by fifty percent. I've always had a thing for hot guys in glasses.
“Oh my god, Cynthia... he's totally into you!” I exclaim, even though she can't hear me. Turning to Taishi, I ask, “How can I get her to talk to him?”
“If she was in deep meditation, you could easily put the thought in her head.”
“But she's not! So what do I do?”
“You could try screaming the suggestion at her,” Taishi suggests. “Sometimes, if you're loud enough, you can get through to them.”
“Okay...” Heeding my instructor's advice, I lean closer to Cynthia's ear and shout, as loudly as I can, “Talk to him! Strike up a conversation with him! Don't let this guy slip away!”
Cynthia doesn't react to my screams. She just goes back to reading her book.
“CYNTHIA, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PUT DOWN THE BOOK AND TALK TO THIS GUY!”
My shouting puts a familiar sneer on Taishi's nose. “Good lord, you're loud. Also, Riley-san, it isn't your job to get Cynthia with a random man on a random train. That wasn't her wish. We were supposed to put her in Colton Crane's path. That's it.”
“I know, I know...” I dismiss his objections with a wave of my hand. “Speaking of Colton... have we made any progress on that? How is she supposed to meet him if she's going to Windsor freakin' Castle?”
“I'm working on it.” Taishi's frown tells me he's hopeless.
“How?” I demand more details. “How are you going to get them together? I'm your student, so teach me your methods.”
Taishi looks a bit annoyed with me—or maybe it's my imagination. Maybe he always looks annoyed. “Well, to begin with, I put a tracker on him. We'll know Colton's whereabouts at all times. If he's anywhere in Cynthia's vicinity, we can give her a nudge in the right direction.”
“Hmm. That sounds hard.” I turn my attention back to Cynthia and try again. “Seriously, girl, you need to talk to that man!”
By some miracle, I actually get through to her. Cynthia puts down her book and asks, “How old is she?”
She's asking about the little girl. That's a decent lead-in. I approve.
“Miranda's four,” the handsome gentleman replies.
For a four-year-old, she's pretty small. And she's still sucking her thumb, which is a little weird, but I don't want to judge.
“She's adorable,” Cynthia tells him. “She has your eyes.”
“Does she?” Hot British Guy chuckles at the observation. “That's interesting. She's actually not mine.”
Cynthia looks surprised. “Oh?”
“No. She's my niece. But I guess there could be a family resemblance.” The man's gaze drops, but only for a moment. A few seconds later, his eyes are back on Cynthia. “What's your name?”
Rejoice! He's interested in her too. I know he is.
“I'm Cynthia. You?”
“I'm Kieran.” The longer he holds her gaze, the more his blue eyes seem to sparkle. There's a connection between them. I can feel it.
“God,” I sigh, “his accent is so hot.”
“Why do you like British accents so much?” Taishi asks. “I've never understood the appeal.”
I hitch my shoulder and attempt an explanation. “I don't know. It just sounds so... so pleasant and polite, I guess. A British accent makes any guy sound sexier and more intelligent.”
“What about a Japanese accent?”
I'm surprised by Taishi's question. It almost sounds flirtatious. “Um... your accent's cool, I guess. Any accent is better than the one I've got! An American accent is so... blah.”
“So, where are you heading, Cynthia? What's your destination?” Kieran asks.
“Windsor Castle.”
“Mine too.” Kieran smiles down at his niece, whose thumb is still firmly lodged between her lips. “I thought Miranda and I could have a little day out.”
“That sounds like fun. Has she even been to a castle before?” Cynthia directs the question to Kieran's niece. “Have you ever been to a castle before, Miranda?”
The girl timidly hides behind her hand, so Kieran answers on her behalf. “No, actually, I don't believe she has. Have you ever been to a castle?”
“Nope. This'll be my first,” Cynthia says. “If you haven't noticed, I'm American.”
“Really?” A cheeky smile flashes across Kieran's lips as she teases her. “I had no idea at all! None whatsoever.”
“Ha ha. Very funny.” Cynthia leans across the table and flirtatiously jabs his arm. “My Yank-ness must be pretty obvious.”
“Yank-ness,” As he repeats the imaginary word, Kieran chuckles. “Believe it or not, every English man and woman can sniff out an American. You don't even have to speak. An alarm goes off in our head.”
“Oh? And what does the alarm sound like?” Cynthia asks.
“Hmm. Good question. No American's ever asked this before. This is top secret information, Cynthia!” Kieran's cheeky smile suddenly returns. “Actually, it sounds like Donald Trump singing along to Sweet Home Alabama.”
“While eating an apple pie?” Cynthia adds.
“Precisely. How did you know that?” Kieran gasps, feigning surprise.
This couple needs to be together. I feel like the spirit guide matchmaker right now. “Taishi...” I lightly tug on my instructor's sleeve. “I'm really enjoying their little meet-cute. Don't you think they'd be good together?”
Taishi predictably glowers at me. “Do you really expect me to have an opinion on that?”
“Nope. I guess not.” If I ever get to swap instructors, I might request one who's a little more compatible with me. Taishi's perpetual bad mood is driving me nuts.
Unfortunately, the train reaches it's destination, and my perfect couple prepares to part ways.
“It was really nice meeting you, Cynthia,” Kieran politely tells her as he departs with his niece.
“Yeah. It was really nice to meet you too.”
They shake hands, turn their backs to each other, and crush my little heart in the process.
“Awww...” I whine to Taishi as we shuffle off the train. “I really thought they had something. Oh well.”
“They're going to the same place,” Taishi reminds me. “Maybe they'll bump into each other again?”
I can't believe he just said that. Is Taishi Nakamura actually trying to give me hope? He's usually a slayer of hope, so this is a major shocker.
When we arrive at Windsor Castle, the Changing of the Guard is already in progress. I watch the grand spectacle with a goofy smile on my face. If I could see myself right now, I'd probably laugh. There are a lot of perks to being a spirit, and this is one of them. I get to do and see a lot of things I never thought I would do or see.
The castle itself is amazing. The monstrous royal residence is the biggest building I've ever seen. Of course, Taishi doesn't look too impressed. His hands are buried deep in the pockets of his coat as he shuffles after Cynthia.
As our human charge explores a portrait gallery, I feel myself slipping into boredom. I was never a huge fan of art. For once, my eyes look as tired as Taishi's.
And then I perk up again. Across the room, I catch a glimpse of Kieran and Miranda. Not wanting to miss my chance, I abandon Taishi and hurry after them.
“Kieran, wait!”
Kieran turns around and faces Cynthia's direction, but it's too soon to celebrate. I need to try harder.
“Ask her out!” I scream into his ear. “I know you want to! You liked her! You can do this, Kieran!”
Kieran grabs his niece's hand and marches across the room, catching Cynthia before she exits the gallery.
“Cynthia?”
When she hears him calling her name, she looks surprised to see him again. “Oh, Kieran! Hi. How are you enjoying the castle?”
“It's lovely, of course, but...” When he hesitates, I want to punch him in the head. His reluctance is killing me.
“Just do it, Kieran!” I holler. “She won't say no, I swear!”
“I was just wondering...” Kieran begins. “I was wondering if... if you'd like to have a drink with me sometime?”
When Taishi said words weren't necessary, he was right. Cynthia's smile tells me everything I need to know. She likes Kieran too.
“Sure,” she agrees. “I'd like that.”
As soon as he hears Cynthia's answer, Taishi gives me a round of apathetic applause. “Well done,” he quietly praises me. “You have a knack for getting through to them. You're certainly persistent.” When his eyes narrow, I realize his praise is false. “Now... if only you could perform that well on our actual mission, you might be a fairly decent guide.”