Desdemona Humphries leads a rather unspectacular life. She's a great daughter, grand-daughter, and aunt. She helps her brother coach little league and helps her sister bake for the school bake sales, in between running a bed and breakfast with her f...
Desi's sister came running into the bedroom, looking like she had scared her to death by screaming her name. At the moment, though, Desi couldn't be bothered to care. She trying to keep herself from freaking out, and she was failing miserably.
"What the devil is wrong with you? Why are you screaming like a banshee?" Desi silently shoved her phone at her sister, the email still open. She started pacing as Hester read, chuckling quietly to herself. "Ok, I see what you're freaking out about, but I honestly think it's just a coincidence. I mean, what are the odds that it's actually him?"
Desi stared at her disbelievingly for a moment before answering rather sarcastically. "Gee, I don't know Hes. Maybe better than the odds that a random man named Tom, who happens to be from London, is reading fan fiction about that Tom!"
Hester started to hand Desi her phone back as the email alert went off again. She swiped to the new one and cleared her throat before thrusting the phone into Desi's hand. She stared at the words on the screen before lifting panic-stricken eyes in her younger sister's direction.
I feel like it's taking you a little longer than normal to reply back. Perhaps we need to Skype now rather than later, darling.
"What... what do I do? Oh my god, Hester! It's him, isn't it?"
Hester took a deep breath before nodding to herself. "Give him your Skype info then log in. I'll handle this."
Desi stared at her a minute longer before replying with her Skype info. She logged in to the video chat app then handed her sister the phone. Hester pointed toward the bedroom door and Desi quickly walk in that direction. She could hear the beep as Tom, whoever he was, called Desi as she was shutting the door behind herself. She didn't know what Hester had planned but if anything, she was buying Desi a few minutes to get herself back under control.
Hester accepted the call and closed her eyes momentarily as she saw the smiling face of Tom Hiddleston on the other end of the screen. She let her eyes snap back open and spoke before he had a chance to jump in first.
"Before we begin, let me be clear that I am not Desi. I'm Hester, her sister." Hester saw the frown come over his face, and she felt bad for a moment before she stiffened her spine and proceeded. She couldn't let the sad puppy look get to her before she got the information she wanted. "I don't even know where to begin, honestly." She shook her head and tried to glare at him, but it was like being angry with one of her kids. "I suppose I'll just cut to the chase. What's your game? If you're intending on coming after her for writing about you, I'm not going to let you get near her. If that's what this is about, you have lawyers, use them."
He was shaking his head in denial before Hester even finished speaking, his eyes darting around as if he hoped to catch a glimpse of Des. "I have no intention of coming after her, as you put it." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, I didn't mean for this to go as long as it did, but your sister is very stubborn and just wouldn't agree to the name exchange thing earlier. No offense, Hester, but I would rather explain this to Desi, not you. I mean her no harm, I swear to you."
Hes sat studying him for a moment, inwardly squealing like a fangirl. She was no more immune to that face than her sister was. Desi was just a little more in awe of him than Hester was, that's all. She bit her lip before making her decision.
"I'm going to go get Desi, but I swear to all that is holy if you hurt her... "
He held up his hands in mock surrender, smiling shyly but eagerly. "I promise, that is not my intention at all. Please, go get Desi. Let me explain to her. I don't want who I am to stand between us any longer."
Hester shook her head slightly as she got up to leave the bedroom, laying Desi's phone on her bed. She walked out into the living area to see her sister pacing the floor, still looking scared to death. Hes gave her a small grin as she stopped pacing to stare at her.
"Well?"
Hester nodded her head and Desi groaned. "Yeah, it's him." She held up a hand as she started to speak. "Look, before you freak out completely, I think you should hear him out. He swears to me that he isn't angry with you over the stories. If that's the case, then he might genuinely want to get to know you. At least hear what he has to say."
Hester watched the emotions play across her sister's face before she finally gave her a small grin. "If you're sure... "
Hes shrugged, grinning back at her. "I'm not sure. All I can go by is what he says, and he says that he means no harm. Give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen? You find out he's a douchebag and stop writing about him. Maybe start living, in reality, a little."
Hester's last comment earned her a finger gesture and a chuckle as Desi walked past her to the bedroom, squaring her shoulders as she went.
Desi walked into the bedroom, feeling a little like Alice after she fell down the rabbit hole. She was having a hard time reconciling herself to the fact that for all of these months, she'd been happily chatting with Tom Hiddleston. With a shaky hand, she picked up her phone and almost dropped it again when she saw him on the screen. As she looked closer at him, he looked like he was speechless, his mouth hanging open a little, and that one eyebrow lifted. The first words he said to her shocked Desi to the core.
"Bloody hell, you're beautiful!" He closed his eyes in apparent embarrassment, his facing going an attractive shade of red as he grinned. "Please forgive my outburst, darling, but I've wondered for a while now what you looked like. I have found myself daydreaming at the oddest times about what your hair color is or what your eyes look like. I must say, I'm pleased with what I see, although I don't think it would have made much difference."
Desi bit her lip for a moment before finally speaking to him. "What's your angle, Tom?"
