The rain pelted hard against the roof of the restaurant and Laney nervously slid her cup of water back and forth on the table.
"I'm convinced that you're bad luck." Laney narrowed her eyes at Tom.
"Yeah? And why is that?" He bit back an amused smile.
"Anytime I go out to eat with you crazy ass thunder storms come out of nowhere." She grabbed her phone and pulled up the radar.
Tom shrugged. "Maybe it's the universe's way of pushing us together."
"That makes no sense." A clap of thunder made Laney jump. "I hate thunderstorms." She muttered.
"Well maybe it will clear up by the time we leave."
"Doubtful." Laney spun the phone around showing Tom the radar that revealed nothing but red for the rest of the evening. Her phone buzzed in her hand.
"Appears you have a text message." Tom looked away grabbing his beer he took a long sip.
Laney smiled it was from Chris and it was a picture of Dodger. She sent him a quick message back and set her phone down on the table.
"So you and Chris...."
Laney arched an eyebrow. "That's none of your business."
Tom set his drink down. "Your insta-stories staring you, him, Zoey and Holland proved to be very entertaining." He continued.
Laney narrowed her eyes. "I'm not going to have this conversation with you."
"What conversation?" He asked innocently.
Laney shook her head. "This was a mistake coming out to eat with you."
"Oh come on Laney." He rolled his eyes. "I'm just giving you a hard time. Honestly every picture you posted of you with him drove me crazy."
"I'm sorry?" She scrunched her nose.
He laughed at her response. "I know you're angry with me. Just promise me you will think of forgiving me. That's all I need." He looked up his eyes meeting hers.
"I'll considerate it." She said after a long moment.
-----------------------------------------------
Laney clicked on the link Tommy had sent her and barely had time to read it before he called her.
"What were you thinking?" He screeched.
"Well hello to you too." She popped a Cheeto in her mouth.
"You went out with Tom last night?"
"Who's reading Just Jared?" She wanted to know.
"Oh Haz was."
"Hello Laney!" Harrison called. She was clearly on speaker phone. "You looked gorgeous last night."
She had to laugh. "Thank you Harrison. How are you?"
"Good. You?"
"What is this?!" Tom cried. "Why did you go out with Tom last night?"
Laney groaned "He stopped by and offered to take me to dinner. I had no food in my house."
"I've always said your stomach was gonna get you in trouble."
Laney laughed. "It was nothing. We had dinner. We went home separately."
"But paparazzi was all over it."
"I know." She moaned pulling a throw pillow over her face. "I should just come and stay with you in London. Better yet let's just get married. Keep me out of trouble."
"Oh he can't!" Harrison said. "Which brings me to my question." She could hear the phone shuffle and then she was switched off speaker as Harrison began talking. "Tommy boy has been texting your cousin Zoey all day."
"Harrison!" Tom called.
"Has he really? That's so adorable. They really hit it off."
"You've been holding out a super hot cousin on me and giving him first dibs?!"
Laney laughed. "I'm sorry. But if he's busy with Zoey I'm always still available."
"Oh, I like that." She could hear the grin in his voice.
"You like what?" Tom wanted to know, "What did she say?"
"Nothing. Mind your business."
Laney heard the phone shuffle again and what she was sure was a struggle over the phone before Tom was back on the other line.
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him if you're busy with Zoey I'm still available for him."
"Nope, not happening." Tom shut it down.
Laney giggled, "I miss you. You're so good for my self esteem. Maybe I'll come to London sooner."
"Please do."
"Please tell me about you and Zoey."
"Later. Promise. Haz is a nosy SOB."
"You know you're going to tell him everything anyway." She pointed out.
"True. Ok Love I gotta go. You are not to go out with Tom again, understand? Matter of fact I'm in charge of all your decisions. So before you make any you must call me."
"Yes sir." She smiled. "Bye."
"Bye."
Laney tossed her phone down with a laugh. Her photo shoot was the next week, she didn't have anything coming up till the end of April and a trip to London would be fun. Maybe she wouldn't wait till May to go see Tom.
While she was scrolling potential plane tickets someone knocked on her door.
There was only one person it could possibly be.
Walking to the door she licked the Cheeto dust from her fingers before wiping the remaining residue on her sweatpants. She swung the door open and raised an eyebrow.
"What are you doing here?"
Hiddleston stuck his lower lip out. "Must you make it so difficult for me?"
She turned walking back to her couch leaving the door open. "I said I'd consider forgiving you." She called over her shoulder, "That wasn't an open invitation for you to stop by anytime you wanted. Matter of fact.....how do you know where I live?" She stopped and turned back to face him.
"Mike." Tom swallowed.
"Traitor!"
Tom shrugged, "I actually stopped by because I was forwarded the pictures they got of us last night. I was just checking on you."
"Checking on me?" She gave him a look, "I saw the pictures. I don't need to be checked on."
"I beg to differ...." Tom eyed the open bag of Cheetos and then looked at the orange handprints all over her pants.
"What?" She asked defensively.
"Cheetos? I know that's your comfort food. And you're listening to your 'I'm depressed' playlist." He nodded towards the computer where Charlie Puth's Losing my Mind was playing.
"Ok in my defense Charlie Puth is on all my play lists." She moved across the room and closed her laptop."I'm not supposed to be talking to you."
"Says who?" Tom tilted his head.
"Tommy. He makes my decisions. You are a bad one."
Tom let out a hearty laugh. "Ok fine fine. I will leave." He held his hands up. "But first let me ask have you gotten any food besides cheetos in this house?"
Laney sighed, "No."
"I won't ask you out to eat again but I am going to force you to go to the grocery store."
Laney wrinkled her nose in disgust but agreed grabbing her purse and keys.
"Do you need a lift?" He asked as he followed her out the door pulling it shut behind him.
She turned giving him another dirty look."OK, ok." He laughed again.