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JUNE 15TH, 2016 — ❝ WHO THE HELL IS ELOISE HEMINGWAY? ❞
Sitting on her very soft couch, Eloise Hemingway had a book piled on her lap, a notebook strewn on the couch next to her, and her laptop sitting on a pull up table. She was deep in her work, which was obvious to her father, Nikolai, and their family friend, Robert Downey, Jr.
"Working on a new book?" Robert whispered to Nikolai, who nodded, and replied, "Yes, she's just signed a five book deal with Simon and Schuster. So she's really stressed about it."
Laughing, Robert walked over to the gray couch, and said, "Hey, Ellie."
Finding it hard to break away from her work, Eloise said, " . . . Hi."
The house around them had dark, stony black walls, and white marble floors. Robert put his hands on her shoulders, shaking her gently, and said, "El-O-Ise!"
She finally laughed, and looked over at him, and asked, "What is it, Rob?"
"Mark Ruffalo's having a party tonight, and guess who's invited," He sang to her, and she smiled, singing back, "You?"
"No, all of us!" Robert exclaimed, gesturing to she and her father, who had put his hands in his pockets and was smiling at the two of them. "Mark wants to hear about your new book deal, which he coincidentally heard about before me."
"Sorry about that," Eloise apologized, guiltily smiling at Robert. "We happened to have run into each other while I went to get coffee. Is he really in the next Thor movie?"
Robert winked at her, "You'll have to ask him that one, princess."
Eloise laughed again, and asked her father, "What time do I need to get ready, then?"
"Why are you asking me? I don't know when the party's at!" He exclaimed, laughing. He came over, lounging on the other side of her. He carefully moved the pull up table away carefully, keeping it out of her daughter's reach.
"For your information," Robert started, "I think you should take a small break from your book writing just for this party." He leaned on the couch, using one arm to support his head, and the other to reach over and grab her hand. "Tom Hiddleston is going to be there."
Her eyes widened, and she said to him, "Don't tease me like that."
Over the last six years, Eloise had been crushing hard on Tom Hiddleston, and had never had the chance to meet him. He was always at the parties that she wasn't at, and she was always at the parties he wasn't at.
Robert knew how much she was dying to meet him. And he'd been dying to set them up on a date, so he hoped that it would happen now. "Isn't it crazy that he's been your crush since you were twenty?"
"Ah, god," Eloise groaned, "it drives me crazy that we have mutual friends, and yet he doesn't know I exist."
Flicking her cheek, Nikolai said, "You don't know that. He could be dying to meet you, too."
"Doubt it!" She exclaimed, gathering up her writing materials. "This next book of mine is totally inspired with Norse mythology. You could say I'm in a bit of a funk."
"You're always in a bit of a funk," Robert said, helping her gather up her journals. "But, I want you to dedicate a book to me."
"Haven't I done that already?"
"At least three times now, but I love you so much that I want you to do it again."
Eloise laughed, putting her computer on sleep. "What time is the party?"
"In two hours," Robert replied, "I wanted to give you some time before the party came."
Her heart was beating out of her chest, and she was feeling a bit nausea in her stomach. If Tom wasn't there, then she shouldn't dress up too much. But if he was there . . . She didn't want to overdress.
"I'm going upstairs, if anyone wants to bring my pull up table, they're welcome too!" She called to her father and friend as she walked away from the couch, to the left side of the room. There was a big wooden staircase, and she started to ascend it, her mind going crazy over the possibility of Tom possibly being there.
In her white tee shirt, ripped up blue jeans, and brown wool socks, she took deep breaths. Yep, she was definitely bringing her inhaler tonight.
Rounding the top of the staircase to the left, she crossed the balcony, the conversation her father and Robert having going through one ear and going out the other. Her mind was too preoccupied. She walked down the hallway, lit up by the cloudy light seeping in through the windows.
Eloise was the daughter of Nikolai, granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway. Both she and her father had followed in his footsteps, her mother the only one who didn't. Her father was Ernest's son, but Eloise's mother was an actress, in close relations to big celebrities, like Brad Pitt.
Unfortunately, Eloise's mother didn't agree with the "sleepy" lifestyle of an author, and one divorce later, had married another celebrity, abandoning Nikolai and Eloise just seven years after Eloise was born.
Nikolai had made his own style and success; Eloise had always wanted to follow in her father's footsteps. Like father, like daughter.
Once closed away in her room, she put away her computer, and set her notebook and book on the bookshelf close to her bed.
She looked around her room, at her light pink walls, her white bookshelves, her queen-sized bed, and her dark brown wooden floors. She flopped down on her bed. Slapping her hands over her face, she groaned into her hands.
How many times had she been so close to almost meeting him?
Only had she admitted to Robert, her father, and her dear friend Karen Gillan, that Tom-freaking-Hiddleston was her biggest celebrity crush ever since he was cast in Thor.
She had to get dressed for this party.
She might be meeting him tonight. Maybe.
Hopefully.
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She'd arrived at the party, her heart beating out of her chest.
Eloise had yet to see him, but she hoped, so badly hoped, that he would be here.
Meeting him once was better than meeting him never.
She sat alone at the mini bar set up in Mark's house, a dark blue leotard matched with black skinny jeans and black heals were what she had chosen for the party. Her long brown hair had been pulled back into a loose bun, and she was sitting alone.
Every now and then, she would look around, or behind her, to see if he was here.
Not yet.
A couple minutes stretched on, and finally, she heard an incredibly familiar voice.
Turning, she looked behind her casually, her red lipstick suddenly making her feel insecure and too done up. Eloise's stomach was incredibly queasy, and she broke out into sweat when she finally spotted him.
Tom Hiddleston was done up in semi-casual clothes, meaning that though they looked casual, Eloise knew that they weren't made for just everyday. These were slim pants that were more dressy, meant to look casual, and his dark blue polo shirt just accented his eyes.
He'd shaven, Eloise thought, then mentally kicking herself as she turned around, reminding herself, Well, yeah, he's filming the next Thor movie!
Finally gathering up the courage, Eloise turned in her seat to stand up, only to come face-to-face with Tom himself. Her eyes widened, and her breath shortened, only for him to grin, and say, "Well, I think it's about time I meet the famous Hemingway."
Chuckling, Eloise said, "And I think it was due time for me to meet you."
"You're American," Tom said, his tone full of surprise. She laughed then, and he continued, "Your father's got a slight accent, though!"
"Yeah, everyone thinks that of me. My mom's as American as I am, which meant that I inherited her accent. Plus, staying in America for your entire life does that to you." Eloise replied, smiling up at him.
The man in the seat next to her excused himself, and Tom sat down, and asked, "Alright, I do have to ask this: Is it true that you just signed a five book contract with Simon and Schuster?"
"Yep! Before I came to the party, I was working on what books I wanted to publish. Gathering my ideas together," Eloise replied, "now I want to ask you something: Is it true Mark's going to be in Thor: Ragnarok?"
Tom laughed, and replied, "Yes, that's true."
"Oh, I can't wait for this movie to come out," Eloise said, shaking her head as she smiled at him. "I wish I could hear the details of what's happening in it."
"Hm, maybe let me take you out to dinner, first," Tom joked, and she flushed, looking at the bar she was leaning on. She'd sat back down, and asked, "What are you doing tomorrow, then?"
The way he smiled at her, god damn. She was going to have to get out her inhaler soon. "You want to go for dinner?" He asked, and she said, "I've-I-I'd love nothing more."
Tom laughed at the way she got flustered, and opened his mouth to say something else, when a woman came over, setting her hand on his shoulder, and exclaimed, "I thought I lost you!"
Looking over, Eloise's eyes turned into saucers when she saw Taylor-freaking-Swift standing there. When her eyes flickered over to Tom's face, she flushed. He didn't look at her the same way he looked at Taylor.
Her heart sank to her stomach, at the slight chance she'd had. "Oh! Who's this?" Taylor asked, and Eloise perked up, and said, "Eloise Hemingway. It's nice to meet you!"
Taylor paused. "Hemingway?" She asked, "Like . . . Ernest Hemingway?"
Nodding, Eloise replied, "The one and only. My grandfather."
"Wow! You're so lucky to be related to someone so amazing!" Taylor exclaimed. "How do you know Tom?"
"Mutual friends," Eloise replied, "I'm family friends with Robert Downey, Jr, and I'm friends with Mark Ruffalo."
"Lucky girl," Taylor shook her head, her short blonde locks swaying with the motion, "you're so lucky. Have they introduced you to anyone amazing?"
Only Tom Hiddleston, the man of my dreams. "No, unfortunately. I haven't found someone who's worth my time," Eloise swayed in her seat, twisting the seat around. She was growing flustered, and Tom finally acknowledged her presence again.
"That's a shame. Tom invited me to this party to cheer me up," Taylor explained, gesturing to him. "Break ups suck."
Suddenly, Eloise remembered that Taylor had just gotten out of a relationship with Calvin Harris. Maybe, maybe, Tom was safe from her clutches! Maybe Eloise did have a chance?
"Break ups are hard, sorry to hear about yours," Eloise said sympathetically. Tilting her head, and wanting to lighten the mood, she asked, "Have you heard Tom's yodel?"
With that comment, Tom flushed bright red, and Taylor grinned, and asked, "No! What's this about yodelling? Why haven't you yodelled for me yet?"
The two women exchanged grins, and Tom said, "I starred in a biopic about Hank Williams, and I just so happened to have yodelled in that. Nothing special."
"Nothing special my ass!" Eloise exclaimed, unable to help herself, "I loved it!"
Tom laughed, and Taylor clapped, saying, "Yodel, yodel!"
Sighing deeply, he cleared his throat, and opened his mouth, doing a small, quick piece. Eloise couldn't stop grinning, and when Tom finished, another female voice said, "Oh god, who got him to yodel?"
Eloise and Tom laughed when Elizabeth Olsen came into view, and the two greeted her, and then Tom introduced her to Taylor. Before small talk could start, Elizabeth turned to Eloise, and said, "Mark was wanting to talk to you about your books."
"Oh, okay. I'll be right there," Eloise said, trying to shake off Elizabeth. She smirked, and pulled Eloise's arm, and said, "No, now, because I know you'll spend the rest of the night chatting off Tom's ear. Come on."
Eloise didn't want to leave Tom. Not when she'd been around him for such a short time.
Not with her chance to finally meet him. Reluctantly, she nodded, and turning to Tom and Taylor, she said, "It was nice meeting you, both."
They both bid their goodbyes, and as Lizzie dragged her across the room, Eloise stopped and screeched, "I didn't give him my number!"
The two women stopped, and Lizzie said, "Oh, honey."
Eloise turned, and her heart sunk to her stomach when she saw that Tom and Taylor had already disappeared. She let Lizzie drag her over to Mark, and plastered a fake smile on her face for the rest of the night.
She didn't see Tom again.
↠↠↠↠↠
The next day, during lunch time, Eloise received a phone call from Karen.
"Hello?" Eloise said after swallowing a bite of her sandwich.
"Oh god, honey, I'm so sorry," Was all Karen said, and Eloise frowned, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Oh no, you haven't seen it yet," Karen replied, then took a moment to continue. "Tom Hiddleston was spotted making out with Taylor Swift on a beach today."
Eloise's heart sunk to the bottom of her stomach again. She set her sandwich down on her plate, and wiped her hand off on the napkin. She cracked open her laptop, and mumbled, "No, that-that can't be true."
There was silence on the other side of the line as she googled Tom Hiddleston and Taylor Swift, and when she saw the pictures, she frowned deeply.
And there it was . . . The shattering of her heart. "I . . . " She wasn't sure what to say. "I don't know what to say about this."
"I know honey. I'm sorry," Karen said again. "I don't know how to feel about this. It's just . . . Such an oddball pairing. I don't like it."
"You're not the only one, Karen," Eloise said, "you're not the only one."
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hello, my dear readers!
so, this is something new that i'm trying. instead of this book being social media/real life, it's going to be just real life.
i haven't done one of these before, and i've been reading a bunch of the old-school celeb fanfics recently and felt inspired.
also, this first chapter is dedicated to @lokisbabydollbride for helping me finally figure out how to write my tom/emily fanfic. thank you!!!
i hope you all enjoy this prologue!
[ update 7/3/18: i'm changing eloise's best friend from scarlett johansson to karen gillan, because i just can't have someone so problematic be so present in this book. ]