Falling For Mischief - Book One in The Hollywood Gambles Series {UNDER EDITING}

11 - Making It Through the Week Part 1: Tuesday

A/N: There will be another Authors Note at the end, but the next 4 chapters are going to have a slightly different format. The next few chapters will start off with a Diary entry from Lani's P.O.V. and then it will branch into a Third Person account. Sorry if this confuses anyone.

Lani's P.O.V.

Tuesday 14th February.

Today was Valentine's Day. I still had to work but I didn't mind it much anymore now that I knew that I would be able to see Tom straight after I finished work each day. Tom made it a surprise and he showed up at the school where I worked and gave me a special gift for Valentines. "I have a special surprise for later" were his exact words that he whispered into my ear while we were talking in the corridor of the school. I must have blushed furiously. I know how lucky I am and I wished that everyday could be like today. 

Tom mentioned something to me about going and looking around Melbourne while I worked but I often got texts saying he missed the company that I had often 'graced' him with. I was the 'light at the end of the tunnel' as he told me. 

My day teaching was as calm as it can be while trying to teach a class full of rowdy 8 and 9 year olds to co operate and actually get the work done. I had to break up a  fight that started between two boys by the names of Matthew and Andrew. I didn't know why they started fighting in the first place but pulled them apart and scolded them for their behaviour. As much as I hated to yell at the kids, sometimes it just has to happen. One of the girls in my class decided it would be a thrill and pulled out one of her teeth (thankfully it was one that was wobbly) and then proceeded to show everyone. The guys gawking at it while the girls ran in the opposite direction trying to stay as far away from the tooth as possible. 

I once again had to break up a fight, except this time it was between a teacher and a student on the playing field. Doing sports on a Tuesday afternoon is hazardous to your health with the amount of fights that break out between the staff and students, especially when the student thinks that they have the right idea and try to challenge authority (which happens just about every day anyway). I normally don't have anything to do with the sports program but was covering for one of the teachers who had to go and help a boy who got a blood nose from being hit by a bat (she had no idea how it had escalated to be that violent, but she put it down to being in the wrong place at the wrong time).

At 3:30pm, I got off work and drove home to clean myself up before going to meet Tom at Bronty's which had become like our own special place. We felt relaxed there and could act like ourselves. Granted that the atmosphere was still a bit tense due to the history I had with one of the Tristain Brothers but Tom was slowly getting over that.

At 5pm, Tom took me from Bronty's back home. He had a talk with Sammy this morning while I was still asleep and had begged her to make it so that it was only him and me at the house tonight. It took a bit of convincing, but Sammy finally agreed to take the kids out and keep them occupied for the night so that Tom could put his plan into play. 

Yours, Lani.

Third Person P.O.V.

After walking into the house, Lani stopped in her tracks and looked around the room. The floor was covered with red and white rose petals, scented candles where lit, giving the room a vanilla and lavender and Orange scent. Her eyes travelled around the room and landed on the small mahogany coffee table where two glasses and a bottle of champagne sat.

"Tom I don't know whether I should drink any of that." Her voice broke a little as she tried to weigh up the pros and cons of the situation. 

"Come on darling. Just for tonight." He leans down so his mouth is right next to her ear and whispers, "Happy Valentine's Day, Lani." The hair on the back of her neck stood at attention as a shiver ran up her spine. She had wanted to settle down with someone and be able to celebrate Valentine's Day with an actual boyfriend instead of getting the cards from students - which was cute and all but not the same.

"Alright. Just one drink though." She sighs and Tom smiles while leading her over to the couch and sitting next to him as he pours the champagne into each glass. He hands her one of the glasses and smiles. 

"This is going to be a great week already. I have the one I love by my side. I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with my favourite girl." He leans closer and captures her lips in his. She smiles and kisses him back. She pulls back and smiles at him.

"And I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend Valentine's Day, than with the man of dreams." They softly hit their glasses together and she giggles when they make a soft clink. She takes a small sip never breaking eye contact with him. "Can I ask you a question Tom?"

"Of course."

"Where will this.... relationship go? I mean, we have only known each other a few days and we are acting like we have known each other for a lot longer than that. Aren't we moving too fast?"

His eyes bore into hers and she starts to wonder whether she said something wrong. "This relationship can go anywhere from here, Lani. I won't pressure you into anything and I can't guarantee that life will be the same, as you've already witnessed with the newspaper back in London. But I will try my best to be the man that you want me to be."

She smiles at him and  takes another sip from her glass.

——— 3 GLASSES OF CHAMPAGNE LATER ———-

 Both Lani and Tom are slightly drunk. Lani is giggling like a little schoolgirl while Tom was leaning against the back of the couch staring at the ceiling.

"Why do they always paint ceilings white? Why not another color? Like black.... Okay maybe not black, but it's the thought that counts right?" He lifted his head drunkenly and looked over to Lani who was laughing at what he said as she leans to the side and falls off the edge of the couch, still laughing.

"Pricelessssssss." She drags out the 's' sound as she fights to regain her breath from the countless bouts of giggles that found their way out of her lips. She sits up slowly and crosses her legs, placing the palms of her hands on her knees and looking at him. "Whatever you doooooo. Don't tell Chrissy about this... He'll crack if he findssssss out." She giggles slightly as she finishes speaking and Tom chuckles.

Lani gets up - after falling back onto her butt several times - and walks into the kitchen tripping slightly on the slight step into the room. She raids the pantry for something to eat. She finds several bags of marshmallows and brings them out. She giggles when she sees Tom leaning his head over the top of couch and looking at her with a drunken smile.

"I found some sugary fluffness that is marshmallows." She walks over and places the bags on his chest before kissing his lips. "Oh my god! I am so getting you to watch Titanic with me!" Before he can argue she runs drunkenly to get the movie and walks back in and places it in the player before sitting next to him on the couch.

"Do I have to?" Tom whines and buries his head into her neck, placing kisses along it.

"Yes." She giggles and runs her fingers through his hair. He hums as she plays with his hair.

"That feels nice." He shifts so that his head is on her lap and he is looking up at her. She grabs one of the bags of marshmallows and opens it.

"Open up." He obeys and opens his mouth and she stuffs the marshmallow into it. 

"Do I stilff haff to waff this?" He muffles out with his mouth full. She shakes her head.

"No. I just wanted to stuff a marshmallow into your mouth." She grabs the remote and presses stop on the DVD. "Got any preferences that you want to watch?" He shook his head.

"Not really. I'll watch anything..... except Titanic...." She giggled drunkenly at him. She turns the tv off as Tom sit up, grabbing another marshmallow. She then lays her head on his lap and slowly drifting into the world of sleep.

A/N: Ok so i hope that didn't confuse anyone. Here is another chapter. All you guys are amazing! I hope you liked this chapter. Tell me what you think :)

~Z