When I Met Tom (A Tom Hiddleston Fan Fiction)

Chapter Three

I opened my eyes. Everything seemed a bit darker. I looked around and saw Tom sitting at his dining table with a mug and a book. He glanced over at me.

‘Hi,’ he said, ‘I was going to wake you but you looked so peaceful and I did say you needed to rest.’

‘How long was I asleep for?’ I asked, standing with the blanket still wrapped tightly around me, ‘I thought I’d only closed my eyes for a minute or two.’

‘It'’s been just over an hour, but I was going to wake you soon as I wanted to tell you what the transport police said. They had the man on CCTV when he ran off of the train and up the stairs to the main part of the station. It was a really good image of him they said, and after about fifteen minutes on the phone to them they told me that the man had just been caught wondering from platform to platform, clearly waiting to do the same thing again. They found your handbag discarded behind an escalator.’

‘Seriously?’

Tom nodded, ‘although they did tell me that the handles were both broken and that it was empty. However, I had a phone call back a few minutes after I got off of the phone to tell me that a pile of women’s bank cards and various account cards had been found on his person. So, they’ve taken them from him, they will do a security check on your card numbers to make sure they haven’t been hacked into and then they said they would send somebody round here with them.’

‘Tom, thank you so much,’ I gushed, ‘that’s brilliant, thank you.’

I don’t really know what made me do it but I walked over to him and hugged him.

‘You are so welcome,’ he laughed as he hugged me back.

I stood back, ‘I don’t even know how to thank you for this, please tell me if there is anything I can do.’

‘Don’t worry about it. I told you I would help you to sort it and I did. Now, I’m going to make you a hot chocolate, seeing as you didn’t get to have the one I bought you earlier on today. You look a lot better now you’ve had that sleep.’

I smiled at him. Honestly, how can a man be as amazing as he is? I really do not know anyone else who would have done this for me!

He went off to the kitchen to prepare our drinks and I went and sat back on the sofa, feeling relieved.

For the rest of the afternoon Tom and I sat talking while drinking hot chocolate and tea, about various things including the topic of him being on television and in films, my job, where I live and our interests, some of which were very similar. It was nice talking to him about everyday things, he really wasn't that different for somebody who has been in some very well known movies, which was lovely to see.

Eventually the transport police warden who Tom has spoken to earlier on personally delivered my bank cards back to me. When the officer left I told Tom that I would get out of his way and let him get on with what was left of his evening.

‘Don’t be silly,’ he said, ‘I’ve had a nice time talking with you like this. It’s just a shame we weren’t brought together under nicer circumstances, but I’ve really enjoyed your company.’

I felt myself blushing, ‘I’ve really enjoyed talking to you too. And thank you again, for everything.’

‘No problem.’

Tom looked like he was going to say something else, and after a few silent moments he did.

‘Charlotte, earlier on when you asked if there was anything you could do...’ he asked.

‘Yes, what is it?’ I smiled at him.

‘Would you do me the honour of dining with me one evening? Maybe tomorrow?’

‘Of course, I’d like that.’

‘Good,’ he breathed what seemed to be a sigh of relief, like he had been gearing himself up for that conversation for a while, ‘well if you don’t mind then, may I have your number?’

‘Sure, but I’ll have to give you my home phone number seeing as the screen on my mobile is smashed and I can’t use it.’

So we exchanged numbers and then he insisted on paying for a taxi to take me home rather than me going back to get the train.

I swapped the blanket that was still wrapped around me for my jacket and put my shoes back on as the taxi arrived outside the apartment block.

Tom came down to the taxi with me. As we stood next to the car in the cool early evening air Tom took my hand and gave it a gentle kiss.

‘Until tomorrow,’ he whispered, ‘have a safe journey home, sweet Charlotte.’

Now I was definitely blushing! I got into the taxi and waved to Tom as it pulled away. That had been the strangest day of my life, with one of the worst possible beginnings, but with the best ending.

I thought about the time we had spent together the whole way home. I sat there smiling to myself most of the time, as I remembered funny little things that he had said or an impression of somebody that he had done. The taxi driver probably thought I was crazy sitting behind him with a beaming smile like that, but I didn't care what he was thinking. I was going out to dinner with Tom Hiddleston.

When I eventually got home, not long after 6pm, I remembered that I had an old mobile handset that I had been meaning to send off to one of those cash for phones companies, but I hadn’t got around to it. I popped the SIM card into my old phone, after spending half an hour digging around in a number of drawers to find it, and plugged it in.

I pulled the piece of paper Tom had given me with his number on from my jeans pocket and wrote out a text message, reading: Hi, it’s Charlotte. I found an old phone to use while I get my other one repaired. I’m home now. Thank you again for everything today. It meant so much to me. See you tomorrow night.

A few minutes later I received a reply: Very grateful that you let me know you made it home safely. No problem at all. I am very, very glad to have met you today. I will see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams.

I had a shower and got ready for bed. I got myself a bowl of cereal after realising all I’d had today was hot chocolate, coffee and a couple of biscuits. We had clearly been to busy talking.

I got into bed that evening feeling very happy, and I was especially looking forward to the following day.