Making Love

Chapter Eleven

When the category of Best Actor was announced, I took Tom’s hand. My heart was racing, my palms were sweating and I badly wanted to chew on one of my newly shellacked nails, and I’ve never been a nail biter.

While the clips of the films played, I looked to Tom, whose nerves must be so much worse than mine, yet he looked as cool as a cucumber. Bastard!

Tom was up against Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon and as the clips ended, I actually felt light headed.

He deserved this and I wanted it for him, so so badly, but that didn’t mean he’d get it.

“And the Oscar goes to…”

Please say Tom Hiddleston. Please, please, PLEASE!

Chapter Eleven

‘Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hiddleston,Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hiddleston,’ became my silent mantra, as if somehow, I could will the words out of Julianne Moore’s mouth.

“Tom Hiddleston.”

He won? HE WON!

Tom’s grin was massive and he looked a little disbelieving. He kissed me and shook hands with a few people he passed, then he was running up the stairs and accepting the award.

“Oh, wow. Well,” he blew put a puff of air. “I do believe that, for perhaps the first time in my life, you’ve rendered me speechless!”

I laughed, of course. And as expected, Tom soon found his words, thanking everyone he could think of who was connected to the film or just a role model-slash-mentor in his life.

“And finally to my beautiful Elle, who makes everything in life just that little more special and who, judging from the lack of feeling in my left hand, wanted this for me even more than I did. I love you, my darling.”

And now I had a camera in my face to catch my reaction, and tears running down my face. I hope the makeup lady used waterproof mascara.

After a few moments, when the camera moved on, Luke got up.

“Come on,” he said, and led me back stage. I hadn’t thought I’d be allowed back there, but no one questioned me or told me to get out. I stayed with Luke mostly, watching as Tom gave interviews to the world and his wife in the press room. I did manage to find a few seconds to give him a big hug, kiss and tell him how proud of him I was.

Watching him now, holding his Oscar and looking happier than a kid at Christmas, I wondered how I could have ever dreaded this moment. He was simply ecstatic with the accolade, probably because it was his peers who voted for him, and his delight was a joy to behold.

The rest of the night was a whirlwind of celebration, interviews, after parties (yes, that's plural) and champagne. We didn’t get back to the hotel until 5am, but we managed our own private celebration before falling asleep.

***

“On today’s Ellen Show we have Hollywood’s Golden Boy, Oscar winner, Tom Hiddleston, and his beautiful fiancé, Elle Greystone. They’ll be dishing the dirt on how they met and we’ll be seeing if we can squeeze any secrets about the wedding out of them and of course, the upcoming Marvel movies, Thor 3, which has just begun filming in London. We also have YouTube sensation, Dancing Loki, better known as cosplayer Bunny Girl with us and...”

I turned away from the screen as Ellen continued with her monologue.

“You okay?” Tom asked. He knew this was worse for me because something about being in a studio brought home the fact this was for television, while the red carpet had felt different, even if most of the interviews would appear on television.