A Question Of Love

Tell Me Everything...

Lunch went by all too quickly.  Jamie sat entranced as she listened to the witty banter and the well considered answers to intriguing questions.  As the meal went on, she felt more and more nervous. 

She didn't deserve to be here. All these people had asked deep and probing questions. Tom obviously relished the chance to go in-depth on his answers, drawing on his encyclopedic knowledge of the theatre, the classics and well, pretty much everything! She, on the other hand had, as far as she could see, asked a bog standard fan question. To say she was embarrassed was an understatement.

As he talked, Tom kept eye contact with everyone. He usually found it easy to do, but today? Today, he found himself having to keep reminding himself to focus on his guests. ALL his guests, not just the pretty blonde one who sat quietly smiling opposite him.  She was entrancing. He found himself wanting to know more. Much more. One to one, she'd been chatty and outgoing, obviously very relaxed in his company, which pleased him more than he would have expected. This afternoon though, she was quiet and watchful. She spoke when spoken to but something told him she, needlessly, felt out of place.  If anyone deserved to be here, it was her.  She'd been almost his sole thought about today. Why? He couldn't really say. Not yet.

To Jamie's relief, they ran out of time before they got to her question. She would never have believed she could be so grateful other people talked too much.  Her major consolation was she'd had lunch looking at, in her opinion, the world's sexiest man.

It never occurred to her that this might not have been pure chance.

It was almost 4pm when Luke announced that they would have to draw proceedings to a close.  The table gave a collective groan. Tom was the gracious host again, thanking everyone for coming and passing each person a parting gift.

He'd arranged to have copies of one of his scripts printed and bound, each dedicated and signed individually.  They were speechless. This was more than anyone could have imagined.

A round of selfies, hugs and even a few kisses later, people started to leave.  Jamie stood, aware she had pretty much just been hanging on around the edges of the day.  She'd said little at the table, but more than a few times, she caught Tom looking at her intently, his eyes crinkling in the smile that made her heart melt.

Mandy and Luke, on the other hand, had gotten on like a house on fire.  They'd hardly paid attention to anyone else being truthful. Now, as everyone else started to leave, it was even more noticeable.

Tom waved off the last of the taxis until only Luke, Tom, Jamie and Mandy remained.  By now, Mandy and Luke were practically sitting on each other's lap. Tom and Jamie exchanged knowing smirks, and Tom indicated with his head to go to the bar.

Jamie stood, Tom led the way, the other two barely noticing their departure.  As they propped up the bar, Tom turned, put his hands on her  waist, and lifted her onto one of the high plush-topped stools.

She breathed a thankyou as she felt his strong fingers grip her.  It was almost like he had branded her. The feeling was so intense that it made her  shake to her core. And more than a trifle turned on if she was honest.

"You're so welcome, darling," he said softly. "So very welcome.  I do have to apologise, though. I have done something very wrong. Very, very wrong.  Please forgive me?" Tom looked at her, his face a picture of fear and hope.

"What - what did you do?" Her mind raced at a hundred miles an hour. What on earth could he have to apologise for? And how could she refuse him anything? Did people actually do that?

"I, well I didn't answer your question." He looked sheepish.

Jamie started to speak "its o..." but Tom shook his head, interrupting.

"No, no, it isn't Jamie,  it's so not ok. I abused my position. You see, I deliberately didn't ask your question." He looked almost scare, and Jamie just wanted to hug him. For many reasons.

"Why?" She asked in a small voice, trying not to sound like she was interrogating him. "Why would you do that?" She was charging to a conclusion built on dreams and an increasing desire to just throw herself at him here and now.

Tom swallowed and smiled, his cheeks a little flushed. He knew what he was about to say would sound adolescent at best creepy at worst. "Because I wanted an excuse to see you again?" He rubbed the back of his neck and flushed pink with a huge smile.  The endearing look she'd seen a thousand times and never thought would be directed at her.

"You do?" Was all she could say, her mind currently undergoing CPR.

"Yes, very much so." Silence. They just smiled at each other more than a little taken aback.  Jamie at his candour, Tom at his own temerity.

"It looks like Luke and Mandy will be keen to take this somewhere else, so shall we? We could leave them to it here and we could go for a walk?" He reached over and took her hand gently.

Her mind screamed, and her stomach lurched. What the hell was happening.  This couldn't be real.

"I know this is a bit unusual, given we only just met, and I understand if you'd prefer not to, but I love to walk and chat. We could head to Trafalgar Square or Picadilly.  Wherever you'd like. I just really want to talk some more." He seemed so genuine that she couldn't have said no, even if her life depended on it. Even if her mind had realised there was actually a choice.

Looking over at Luke and Mandy, they were flirting up a storm.  Tom and Jamie laughed and quietly stood up.  Almost tiptoeing away, they left the two of them and headed out the door.

For a moment or two, they just stood, waiting to see if their companions would notice their absence. They did not. As they watched, Luke and Mandy edged closer and closer. Like proud parents watching their baby taking it's first steps, they grinned and turned away as a first tentative kiss was exchanged.

"Well, that got pretty hot pretty quick!" Jamie commented with a snort. "Mandy's a tough nut to crack. I've never seen her cave in so quickly!"

"Didn't it just!" Tom agreed and extended his elbow for her to thread her arm through his. "Shall we walk?"

Jamie nodded, barely able to function. This was beyond anything she'd ever anticipated.  "Thanks, yes, that would be lovely."