Only You ── TOM HOLLAND

05. The Amanda Show

"Hey," I said softly, Tom humming softly to show he heard me. "Did I say something to upset you last night?"

This gained his attention, the boy quickly abandoning the plates to meet me at the island. He shook his head softly, curls falling against his forehead as a result. "Not at all, why?"

I shrugged, "Dunno. It just kinda felt that way when you stopped dancing so abruptly." Something flashed in his eyes at that moment, but as fast as it appeared, it had vanished.

"Just got a cramp is all."

Lie. His eyes looked away from my own the moment he began speaking, meaning for the second time this morning, he lied to me. But he didn't do that when I asked if I upset him. Meaning there was a different reason he stopped dancing, yet that reason wasn't me. Then it dawned on me. The text.

"Oh." Tom looked up at me once more. "Okay then, can I ask you something then? Since you're not upset with me." He nodded. "Do you want to... meet Isaac?"

Tom's eyebrows furrowed. "Your... soulmate?" I nodded. "Do I want to meet your soulmate? Is that what you're asking me?"

I found myself wanting to frown at his tone of a voice, bitterness laced in his words. "Yeah. I mean, I just spent the night, I think it's safe to say we're practically best friends now. Isaac is... so shy, and timid, I just think he'd feel intimidated by you. So, I was hoping you'd meet him, maybe befriend him, so it doesn't put a strain on our relationship."

"Your relationship? You just met him." I didn't get the chance to respond before Tom was shaking his head. "I-I'm sorry, that came out sounding rude, and I didn't mean that. Yeah, I'll meet him, if thats what you want."

I hesitated for a moment before asking quietly, "Don't you want to meet him too?"

Then he did it. His eyes tore away from my own, focusing on his fingers tapping against the counter. "Yeah, I want to meet him too."

"Vee?" I was snapped out of my daze, quite literally, by Mandy, her fingers right in front of my face, a frown resting on her lips. "Are you okay? You look out of it."

I nodded. "Fine, sorry. Can you go to your desk? I need to know when Tom's here or he'll do something to embarrass me like tell the receptionist I argue in my sleep."

Mandy made a face. "You argue in-"

"Not the point, Amanda," I muttered, scrambling to open a tab and busy myself. "I'm your boss, and I'm asking you to go to your desk."

She snorted. "Actually-" She cut herself upon meeting my glare, mumbling complaints under her breathe.

As much as I hated to pull the boss card, sometimes it needed to be done. If it was up to Mandy, she'd spend her entire shift lounging in my office, flicking through photos and occasionally commenting on the fact that they were all in black and white. But for the sake of her job and my sanity, I needed to use my authority to kick her out every once in a while, right now being one of those times.

Once the click of the door shutting sounded, my attention drifted away from my computer, instead landing on the vase of flowers situated in the corner of the room. They were slowly dying from the lack of sunlight, but still remained bright, making my lips tug into the slightest smile.

My tranquil thoughts were interrupted by a knock, a sigh leaving my lips when Mandy poked her head in. "Didn't I just tell you to go back to your desk?"