"Hmm, I don't really see pretentious in--" He waved a vague hand in Hugh's direction "--this, but if you say so," Theodore responded with a little laugh. "For a first trip, I think all the historical sites are a must: yes, the Globe, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace...it is worth it to do those things and say you've done them. Hyde Park, Soho, Oxford Street, Leicester Square...it really does take a number of trips. We go every year for Elaine's trip to school, and we still haven't come close to seeing everything."
"I actually - and remember, not stereotypical - am not much of a fan myself. But the visuals and the, yes, the risks, I think that was the draw for me. Well, and Leonardo DiCaprio, at least at the time, I must admit. But it does hold up. And Cruel Intentions, ah...how to explain my love for that?" He looked a tiny bit embarrassed. "It's so sordid, so...unlike anything in my personal experience at that age. It's a nice escape, but it has a surprising amount of heart, as well."
"Ah, so I'm 'old,'" Theodore said with mock solemnity. "I knew this was bound to happen one day. I'm not that far off from forty, you know, so you might be careful about tossing that word around; it wasn't so long ago I was coming up on thirty. You'll be there before you know it." He wagged a finger, and picked up his coffee, taking a slow sip before finally, he smiled. "I'll leave the texting acronyms to you youngsters and carry on with the proper Queen's English."
"It used to be that we would take Elaine on our field trips during the summer with us. Egypt, Mongolia, Guatemala, Mexico, Siberia, Albania...wherever the museum sent us, and she came as well. The last couple of years we've come here, since I was in the Capital for work. We've also gone all around the UK - she does love Wales, and I have to admit it's rather beautiful. So, we do spend some of our time in Salem; she does have friends there she likes to see."