The Three-Month Rule

Chapter 11 - First Encounter

"Mr and Mrs Hemsworth, would you like a refill?"

"Would I not like a refill?" Chris asked in a drunken slur as the alcohol from his empty beer glasses finally hit him. Everyone stared silently at Chris, trying to translate and understand what he had just said.

"That makes no sense, dear," Elsa told him.

"I want another one," he said sadly, looking at his empty glasses from earlier.

"You don't need another," Tom told him, winking at him to subtly show his encouragement.

"I didn't say I needed one, I said I want one," a drunk Chris Hemsworth said in another slur.

"Very well. Mrs Hemsworth?" the waiter interrupted again, saving Chris from further embarrassment.

"No, thank you," Elsa smiled politely.

"Thank you," the waiter said, before trotting off to the bar.

At that moment, Allegra felt the biggest wave of happiness she'd ever felt crash into her, washing every negative thought, feeling and fear away from her body and leaving her with a happy froth on her soul. This time two weeks ago, she was preparing her questions for the surprise mystery interview Lucy had booked for her, and now here she was sitting with a drunken Chris Hemsworth, his perfect wife Elsa, and Tom Hiddleston.

***

Laughter filled the corner of the room, 'Capital Letters' by Hailee Steinfield played behind the joyful expressions and hysterical drunken voices.

The neon lights had turned green, staining everything it could a different shade, hundreds of different colours painting the room.

"It was so difficult for me not to laugh because Joss was like "Tom, I need you to make a strained dying whale noise"," Tom said between pauses of chuckling, making the four of them erupt into laughter again.

"And then you fell over the set and banged your face whilst filming," Chris said, turning completely serious.

"Yeah, and they were going to keep that in the film!" Tom laughed, pulling everyone into laughter with him again.

"Stupid," Chris grinned, taking a swig of beer from his eighth glass on the table.

"At least I didn't get my prop caught in the floor during a fight scene," Tom responded, taking a swig of his beer, his arm resting on the back of the sofa behind Allegra the whole time.

"That was meant to happen," drunk Chris mumbled, frowning.

"Oh yeah?"

"Totally. I did it to make you laugh. You looked sad," Chris shrugged, pulling his glass to him again. "Probably from where you'd fallen over," he took another swig of beer and spilt some down his beard, but he was too drunk to notice. Chris kept eye contact with Tom the whole time, making Elsa, Allegra and Tom start laughing again.

"So, Allie, what are you interested in?" Elsa asked, resting her elbow on the table and her chin in her palm.

"I'm currently writing a book," Allegra blushed.

"Wow. Can I read it?" Chris asked.

"Can you read?" Tom mocked, acting genuinely surprised.

"Yes," Chris shouted dramatically, banging his glass on the table for effect.

"What's it about?" Elsa asked with genuine interest.

Allegra opened her mouth to speak but Tom placed his free hand on top of hers and squeezed it slightly.