Readers, if you see (_) it means to imagine your name there.
"Listen, there's something I have to tell you. We've only been going out for a few months, but I….I think I love you. No, no, that's not right!"
Taking a deep breath, you noticed your cheeks had turned a rather deep shade of red. You tried to rid yourself of the color by swallowing hard, attempting to shoo away any thoughts of your date who would be arriving at any minute. You couldn't help it as your mind pieced together a dream you had had of the man last night. You had stumbled upon his mansion made possible by his line of work and while trying to remember the way to the bathroom you stumbled upon him. Sleeping with his chest bared and feet out, you smiled softly, wanting to go in and plant a kiss on his cheek. Yet for some reason, your dream diverted you to explore the rest of his house. Only when you returned you saw he had awoken and grinned, as though knowing you were in his residence the entire time.
"Look, I need to get this off my chest. I love you. Gah! Why can't I get this right?!"
You had been dating the man for a few months and you knew not to rush love or a relationship. Love came when it so desired and often made itself known like a diva. You had been anticipating the day that love would bless you, but you knew to be patient. As you practiced your confession trying to master the powerful emotion coursing through your veins, you knew what you spoke was true. That this was love and nothing could tell you otherwise. It was warm, like hot honey dripping from a spoon into a soothing cup of tea. You could feel it filling you to the brim and transforming your heart into a prisoner, rattling against its cage. Even your hands grew sweaty from the warmth immersing you from the inside out.
"H-hey," great, now you were stammering like your heart. Gritting your teeth in frustration, you could feel your spine tingling in a way that reminded you of how your date kissed you. It was soft some days, but it was just enough to make your head swim. Other days it was passionate, like an unleashed lion and you wanted it. Swallowing hard, you locked eyes with yourself in the mirror.
Tonight was the night for him to know about it. Fear bubbled in your brain with the idea that he may reject your love or feel as though you were rushing. Eyes widening, you knew that by now if the man wasn't interested in you, he would have informed you. But after a few months of dating, you were more than certain that he would continue to be by your side; but for how long? The idea of him being chased away by your mere emotions made you breathless with concern. The last thing you ever wanted to do was scare him away; the mere idea stabbed you and stopped your heart for one second.
"I-I…I…love-," the doorbell broke you from your rehearsal and you jumped so high, you swore the ceiling gave you a concussion.
Rushing to the door, your whole body instantly stopped. Shaking fingers slowly reached for the knob and you suddenly felt as though you were trapped in a horror film, not wanting to know what lied behind the door. Yet you had to open it to face your future and fate. You couldn't keep the man nor yourself waiting as you swung open the door to reveal a rather gorgeous man.
"H-hey Tom," at the door stood a slender man with ebony curls resting above his fair flesh.
It was amazing how you two met. He was in Los Angeles working on another movie and you so happened to be the one bagging his groceries at the local market. Naturally, he was in disguise but you could tell those piercing blue eyes from anywhere. You memorized "Thor" only for his parts and of course you watched his other films and plays. You swooned at his mere role of Loki, dominating the SDCC stage, and exerting his power in the "Avengers". It was something that shook your bones like tacks in a glass jar and it made you fall so hard in love that you could barely stand.
When he saw you putting his groceries in bags, he stopped you and offered to help you. At first you denied it, knowing you could handle it on your own and knowing how gentlemanly the secret customer was. As you lifted heavy cases of water and soda, the man insisted he take them off your hands. A lady such as yourself should never lift such objects and you allowed him to load his cart with the heavy items. Your boss was watching you warily not too far away only to lock eyes with the man who had so willingly wanted to assist you. Without a word, your manager's eyes widened in astonishment before grinning like a wolf who had found their prey. You were blushing so deeply you didn't even notice the gentleman slip his phone number into your hand.
God, you were so glad you made that call.
His voice was what won you over the most despite his dashingly handsome looks and how he always dressed nicely, regardless if it was for book reading or a simple dinner date. He stood before you, an indigo suit exposing his every curve and descent, matching your powder blue dress.
"Hello, (_)," leaning in, he kissed your forehead and your blush ran into your hair as a smile stretched across your face.
"Ready for dinner? I made reservations at the Tangerine Spine."
"Oh Tom, you remembered! I always wanted to go there!"
"Well of course my dear, how could I forget? A fine dining experience coupled with poetry reading from different artists. I believe you will enjoy it."
"Is it anyone we know?"
"Possibly," he flashed that daredevil grin, as though he was hiding something and it made your head swim.
It was hard to believe that you were dating Tom Hiddleston. You had possessed every woman and man's dream partner and you wouldn't want it any other way. You hadn't lived with each other yet, despite Tom's insistence on you rooming with him in his luxurious flat. But by now he understood that you refused to live with him, allowing him to carry you like the princess he saw you as. You were an independent woman who could survive on her own until she found something full time and suitable for living in a flat and paying half of the rent or whatever you and Tom would decide. Tom understood this and found it noble that you stayed true to your beliefs and yourself. He accepted your reasoning, but offered to be there for you should you needed him for any financial assistance. As of now, you didn't anything. You were perfectly comfortable with your situation: early twenties, still living with your parents who were barely at the house in LA. You didn't require any luxury in life, having lived in a suburbanite lifestyle since you were a child and class meant nothing to you, even when people threw it in your face. Materials mattered not to you in life as long as you had love and the basic essentials of a house, warmth, and food.
Offering his arm, Tom led you into the limo which took off like a carriage in the night. It didn't take long for you to reach the Tangerine Spine. On the outside it looked like a library which made your eyes widen with elation. Tangerine tapestries trimmed with tassels bore the establishment's name in gold cursive as Victorian street lamps lit up the cobblestone pathway. Even the night itself seemed to glow with a soft orange as a tangerine moon rested like a still life object on an ebony table cloth dotted with diamonds.
Your heart was pounding even louder now, the sound ringing in your ears and reminding you of your goal this evening. It wouldn't be an easy feat to accomplish, but it would be done before the night was done and you were asleep. From the corner of your eye you watched as Tom smiled, the gentle tug of his lips pulling into an expression you adored. His smile was as simple as an apple, but more dazzling than the stars above your head. Blushing softly, you couldn't believe how loud your heart was beating. You swore at any moment it would leap from your chest and run away, not wanting to look back.
Upon entering the Tangerine Spine, your eyes were drawn to the large glass chandelier illuminating thousands of tomes stacked high on chestnut bookshelves. Poe, Byron, Shakespeare, and other famous authors' names reflected on spines and met with your eyes. Tom watched as your eyes grew to the size of the moon as your heart tripled in size and silenced itself with shock. You had been to a library many times before, but you were spellbound by this place no sooner you drove by it on your way home from your first day on the job. To actually be here with Tom by your side was a dream come true. Tom allowed you to gaze at the thousands of books, your heels clicking on the ivory tiles and muffled by the tangerine carpet bearing the establishment's logo of a book opened to a tangerine.
"Name?"
Tom's eyes flashed a daring green as he smirked, watching the hostess' eyes turn a frightening shade of blue.
"As your God, I demand you eliminate the last reservation and replace it with my name."
His voice was cool as ice, but demanding like a general of war. Tom grinned rather deviously like a fox after a good meal.
"Oh yes," her voice almost seemed robotic.
"What is your name, sir?"
Leaning in, he whispered his ear into her ear. Shivers crept down her spine as she reached for her keyboard.
"Lord Lo-"
"Ah, ah," he spoke softly, that coolness rumbling in his tones and sshing her softly. Her lips were drawn into a straight line, obeying his command. Her eyes never left him, even as he peered over her shoulder to see you still admiring the books. Returning his lethal gaze to the hostess, he smirked.
"Not so loud, my dear. We must keep this a secret. We do not want to startle the young lady."
Nodding, the waitress looked down, eliminating a reservation that was supposed to arrive in ten minutes. No one could beat the guest before her, not with those hypnotic green eyes and eerily cool tones. Replacing the other reservation with this newcomer's name, she confirmed it with a swift 'enter' key and retrieved two menus.
"I'll be more than happy to show you to your table."
"Excellent."
Changing his voice to those soft warming tones of Tom, he called your name and you found yourself by his side once more. Candlelight followed you both like secondary shadows, glowing with the radiant gleam of the stars. Candelabras led the way, through biography, through creative nonfiction, through fantasy, and finally to a large room that once served as a lounge drawn back by tangerine curtains with gold tassels. A large window pane gave way to the orange moon just in the distance, nestled in the darkness of night. Before the window lied a small, polished stage with a microphone waiting to be spoken into. Candles rested on tangerine cloth tables with chestnut chairs at their sides and Tom pulled yours out for you as the hostess showed you your table.
Thanking Tom, you took your seat as he sat across from you. Watching the waitress walk away, Tom blinked his eyes and once more they changed to that blue you so adored. In the candlelight his eyes seemed softer and once more you heard your heart thundering in your chest. Each beat was met with a repeated rhythm with the message: I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. It pounded in your chest as you felt your cheeks warming again and your palms turning to water. You would tell him after dinner. Yes. Food and literature usually took your mind off of things and it would be best to enjoy the night before it all went wrong or right. As long as you didn't stress eat then everything would be all right. Tom could easily discern when something was troubling you and stress eating was your one dead giveaway.
Looking around you noticed the room only had ten filled tables which made you smile. Despite the Tangerine Spine's size, it was a difficult venue to get a reservation for. It was a popular restaurant frequented by celebrities and wealthy fat cats. You knew you could never afford this place, regardless of how much you put away. But now you were here with your dream man and nothing could take that away from you.
"Good evening everyone and welcome to the Tangerine Spine. I am your host for this evening, Melissa. Tonight we will have readings from three various artists from the United States. Each poet and poetess will perform four works as you enjoy an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. They will begin their performances once the dishes are properly served. If you wish to meet them, please refrain until the end of the meal. Should you need anything, feel free to wave at one of our servers, they will be more than happy to serve you."
The audience applauded Melissa as she disappeared into the establishment. Servers started to pour water into the wine glasses set on the table.
"How did you get the reservations?"
Your voice was awestruck which made Tom smile, happy to see you were elated for this wondrous evening.
"I had some help from a friend," he spoke as he gently pulled your hands to the center of the table, holding them like they were made of glass and caressing the back of your palm.
"Let me guess, Robert?"
"Possibly," he grinned that devil's grin again and your head drowned like a rock in the ocean.
"Well next time you see that man, you tell him I said thank you."
"Indeed I will, my dear," raising your hand, he gently kissed it.
By now ten minutes had passed and Tom swore he heard a faint argument reverberating through the library. Ears alert, he closed his eyes and smiled to himself. He knew this would happen. You were too focused on the menu to even take note of the distant fight which relieved Tom a bit.
"Please excuse me, my dear."
Leaving the table, the fight was silenced within a matter of minutes. With those daring green eyes Tom merely told them that there was a better restaurant across town that would be more suitable for them. Wholeheartedly agreeing with him, the couple left and the hostess watched her hypnotizer as he met with her again. Tom verbally rewarded her, praising her for doing such a good job beneath his rule, and that humans were born to rule except for you. You, his darling dearest who he loved so tenderly. You, who would soon learn his secret and would hopefully accept him as who he was. The hostess merely nodded, interested by those dazzling eyes, and when he blinked again, her eyes returned to their natural hue.
"Are you finding everything all right, sir?"
She spoke normally and he smiled softly.
"Yes, everything is simply divine, thank you."