Free Blindsided by Kyra Lennon Page A

experienced Christmas in L.A before so it was hard to compare, but in London, the festive spirit was definitely in the air, and not just because it was cold. The Christmas lights weren’t on yet but seeing them hanging overhead added to the atmosphere, and the displays in the shop windows were begging shoppers to come inside to spend their cash.
    “Do you think we should buy some Christmas gifts while we’re here?” I asked as we walked past a huge book store.
    “What kind of a guy are you?” Hunter asked. “Christmas gifts are always bought on Christmas Eve in a last minute panic.”
    I laughed. “Yeah, I agree but we’re in London. Maybe we can try for something a little more thoughtful than gift certificates and chocolates.”
    “Like statues of Big Ben, and models of red buses and black taxis?”
    His words made me think of my friend, Leah. She loved tacky keepsakes. I was tempted to buy her one before remembering she used to live in London, and probably had a full collection already.
    “Maybe not,” I laughed. “But I guess we should have something to take home as a reminder of the trip.”
    “Besides an ever growing stomach from Aunt Janet’s cooking, you mean?”
    “Dude, that woman is a domestic goddess. It would be rude to turn down those meals!”
    Although Hunter was kidding around, I had been careful about my weight. I couldn’t afford to get too out of shape, even off-season, so I tried to avoid fried food and take healthier options when we ate out. In spite of my efforts, going back to the gym when I got home would probably still kill me.
    “You might be right,” Hunter said. “It couldn’t hurt to look around for gifts. You know where I always wanted to go? Hamley’s.”
    I grinned. “Hell yeah.”
    London’s most enormous toy store was probably not an obvious place for two eighteen-year-old guys to want to see, but, what can I say? We were both big kids, and the chance to return to our childhood for a couple of hours was too good to miss.
    We hopped on a bus, and a short while later, we were faced with the mother of all toy stores. The entire front of the huge building was sparkling with Christmas lights. It was kind of awesome before we even stepped through the doors, and I was instantly transported back to my childhood. The look of joy on Hunter’s face made me laugh out loud as we stepped through the entrance.
    “Is this actually Santa’s workshop?” Hunter asked. The store was alive with activity as shoppers bustled through the aisles. A real sense of happiness filled the air, with many friendly apologies and laughs heard when people accidentally knocked into each other as they tried to squeeze through the crowds. Boxes of toys were stacked high, and many were out on display for people to see. Staff were answering questions and directing customers to different places in the store.
    “You know, I think it might just be.” I laughed.
    I had honestly never seen anything like Hamley’s. Not in real life, anyway. There’s this really old movie called Big , where Tom Hanks gets to work for a toy manufacturer, and spends time in a similar store, playing with the stock. I always wanted to go there, and this was as close to it as I’d ever been.
    We made our way to the boys’ toys, most importantly to the train sets and radio controlled cars where I had to talk Hunter out of buying himself a radio controlled helicopter. We did, however, pool our money together in a very childlike way to buy a small Lego set. It was an impulse. We were so high on the buzz of the store, we didn’t want to leave without giving Hamley’s some of our money.
    As we wound our way through the crowds, I grabbed Hunter’s jacket to stop him. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a queue of people watching an enthusiastic store worker stuffing a teddy bear. I walked towards them, with Hunter following me and as we got closer, I noticed there was a selection of bears and rows and rows of clothes to dress