It was a small wedding reception filled with close family and friends. That's how Benedict and Sophie wanted it. This meant the number of single women that would be there was non-existent. Either everyone was married or in a relationship, which was rather annoying to a man like Tom Hiddleston. He had, had a few flings, but it never resulted in anything serious. For a while, he was happy running around from one girl to the next, but upon seeing his best friend get married he suddenly felt the need to settle down.

Twirling the neck of his wine glass between his fingers Tom took in his surroundings. There was the happy newlywed couple expecting a baby sometime in the summer. Next to them stood Martin and Amanda a pair who had been together for 15 years. For a split second, he wondered why he hadn't found the right one when so many others had, but he didn't have time to think on it too much. Benedict's eyes locked on him and he could see his friend was growing bored. He excused himself and walked over to the tall lanky 34 year old who sat with his legs splayed open.

"Can you at least pretend to be excited? I mean this is my wedding day." Benedict quipped.

Tom sat up a bit straighter and forced a smile. "Is this better?"

"Not really you look a bit Gene Wilder-ish." Benedict adjusted his coat and took a seat beside him. "What's gotten into you then?"

Tom sighed. "I am the only single person here. I look like a complete idiot sitting here by myself."

"I won't deny that last bit, but you are definitely not the only single person here."

"Oh?" Tom perked up a bit. "I assume you were going to introduce me to her at some point."

"Of course I was! She's a family friend of Sophie's, really a great girl." He stood up and walked across the room chatting up people as he went along.

It seemed for a moment that Benedict was never coming back. Perhaps he had only told Tom he had a date for him out of pity. Tom checked his watch watching as the seconds turned to minutes. Growing increasingly impatient he got up and headed for the bar looking to trade in his wine for a nice glass of scotch. As he put in his request, he felt someone tap him on his shoulder. Benedict had returned. Tom could feel the anticipation building up inside of him. He took his drink and turned around only to be rather disappointed.

"Tom this is Livi."

Olivia Merchant, known to her friends as Livi, was nothing out of the ordinary. She had dark brown eyes and shoulder length brown hair. She was short in stature standing at a whopping 5 foot 1, her hips were broad, and her legs were short. This wasn't exactly the type of woman he went for, but with enough scotch, she could at least be decent looking. He took a sip of his drink and extended his hand not wanting to come off rude.

"I'm Tom. It's nice to meet you."

"Well I better head back to the wife."

As Benedict walked away, Tom almost reached out to pull him back not wanting to be left alone with his new "friend." He glanced down at Livi noting that she had also decided to take advantage of the open bar.

"It's odd seeing a woman drinking scotch."

She smiled softly at him. "Well I'm going to need quite a bit of it."

He furrowed his brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let's be honest. I saw how you looked at me and I know enough about you to know I am not your type. That being said I can't say I was that impressed with you either."

"Well now that we've gotten that out of the way do you want to go for a walk?"

"Sure."

The two of them headed outside and to his surprise, they actually got along quite well. They returned to the bar a few more times he for more scotch she decided to switch it up and take water.

"So you're a friend of…." He snapped his fingers beginning to feel the effects of his somewhat heavy drinking. "….oh what's her name?"

"Sophie."

"Yeah that's it!"

"My parents and her parents are really good friends. Sophie and I didn't hang out much her being 6 years older than me, but I've pretty much known her all my life." She turned her head and noticed Tom staring up at her his eyes glassy and full of lust. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're soooooo purty." He slurred taking his hand and placing it on her bare knee. "What do you say we go somewhere more private?"

"Are you serious?" She inquired cocking her eyebrow. Just a few hours ago, they both agreed that neither of them found the other remotely attractive yet here he was asking her to go to bed with him. "I'll pass."

This answer wasn't what he wanted to hear. He ran his hand up further lifting her skirt up. "Oh come on. I'm actually really good in bed."

"That's beside the point." He began to force his hand between her legs and that's when she smacked him so hard the spit flew out of his mouth. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?"

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP AND YOU WOULDN'T LISTEN! GOD YOU'RE SUCH A PIG!"

That was the end of Livi and Tom's time together or so he thought. By the next morning, he woke up with a throbbing headache and a burning pain on one side of his face. As much as he simply wanted to crawl, back under the covers he knew he had an important meeting with his publicist. He dragged himself out of bed and got ready heading out the door with minutes to spare. As the brisk English air hit his face flashes of last night began to fill his mind. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called the one person who would be willing to hear about his not so great experience with Livi.

"You do know I'm on my honeymoon right?" Benedict growled a bit annoyed he was being disturbed during what should be a peaceful time.

"I'm sorry mate I just really needed to get this off my chest."

"Oh God what did you do now?"

"Nothing terrible I just thought you should know I tried to bed Livi last night." He could hear Benedict snickering on the other side of the phone. He knew something. "What's so funny? Did she call you already?"

"No, no it's not that. Did you just say you tried to fuck Livi?"

"I did and then you…" Benedict began to laugh harder. "…you're such an asshole."

"Sorry it's just that…Livi is a virgin."

Tom stopped dead in his tracks not believing what he was hearing. "Get on. That's impossible that would make her a 30 year old virgin and those simply do not exist."

"You want to bet? She was raised in a pretty strict Catholic family I can assure you she's saving it."

It all made so much sense now. "Wow. I just…that's pretty unfortunate for her."

"Well it doesn't have to be that way you know. You're a pretty persuasive guy."

He knew exactly where this was going. "No no no. Don't even mention it get that idea out of your head."

"Come on think of this as the ultimate conquest."

"I've already been there."

"But this is a 30 year old virgin. We're not talking about some young 15-year-old girl who knows nothing about the world just wanting to get it over with cause that's what all her friends are doing. This is a woman. A smart woman who has purposely held on to her virginity it doesn't get any better than that."

"The answer is still no. Besides I would need to be black out drunk to even remotely think about hitting that."

"Come off it she's not that bad. She's got a great set of tits you have to admit that."

"Why are you even looking? That's your now wife's family friend."

"Well…that's irrelevant. Look I will pay you to put your dick in her."

Tom rolled his eyes everything about this conversation was ridiculous. "I'm hanging up now."

"I will pay you a grand if you can get her into bed let's say by the end of the month."

"Mmmmm I'm going to need longer than that."

"Fine two months."

Tom took a deep breath still unsure if he wanted to agree to such a ridiculous bet. He reminded himself that this was just taking someone's virginity. No attachment it was strictly sex. None of this could possibly come to bite him in the ass later and Benedict would keep it a secret. No one would have to know not even Livi.

"I'll do it, but no one can find out about this I mean no one."

"Done. Now hang up and go get laid."

Tom didn't waste any time finding Livi's address on google and deciding to pay her a visit. This didn't sit well with Luke who agreed to push their meeting back until late afternoon. As he stood in front of the nicely hidden home, which sat not too far from his own he couldn't help but wonder how he had never run into her. Surely living in the same area, they frequented the same places and yet he can't recall ever seeing her before last night. He walked up the gravel walkway and peered in the front door knocking gently with his knuckle. He hoped she wouldn't answer, hoped she was out running errands, but then he heard her footsteps growing closer and now there was no turning back.

The door flew open and a shocked expression crossed her face. "Um…can I help you?"

"Are you really that surprised to see me darling? After the romantic night we spent together…"

She stopped him from finishing his sentence. "You really think trying to finger me while we're sitting outside of a wedding reception is romantic?"

"I was a bit drunk." He forced himself passed her heading into the dining room. "You have a really nice home I'm impressed."

"You say that like I'm supposed to care. I didn't invite you in."

"I know." Tom could be extremely rude at times but he had one thing on his mind and that was getting into her knickers. "I thought we could talk over a cup of tea."

"Only if you're making the tea yourself."

"I'm a guest why would I make the tea?" He looked down at her dining room table camera equipment strewn across its hard wooden surface. "Holy shit." He mumbled before looking up at her. "You're the Olivia Merchant the very photographer I'm going to meet with my publicist about."

"Luke is your publicist? God now I am regretting ever agreeing to anything with him."

"You're becoming quite famous you know. Those pictures you took of Emma Watson last month were stunning."

"Yeah well Emma is a bit more pleasant to be around."

"Am I not pleasant?"

"Actually you're very bothersome." She sighed. "But you are a guest so I guess I will make the tea."

He tossed her an awkward smile yet she didn't return the gesture. As she headed into the kitchen, he sat down and began to examine her lenses finding them to be quite interesting. He shifted the heavy object in his hand taking in the random numbers he knew nothing about and was quite fascinated by its zooming mechanisms. As he attempted to twist the barrel, he felt himself begin to lose his grip and watched helplessly as it fell from his hand and onto the floor with a loud BANG.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Livi yelled frustrated that this man was still in her home. "Alright I've had just about enough." She stormed back in handing him his cup of tea spilling a bit of it on his white v-neck shirt. "Drink your tea and get out."

"I'm really sorry I didn't mean to. I can buy you a new one."

"I wouldn't accept anything from you if my life depended on it. In fact, you can take the teacup with you right now. I just want you out of my house."

"Fine. I tried to be nice, but you just aren't having it."

"Nice? You come over uninvited practically let yourself into my home, you break my things, and then you want to convince me you're just trying to be nice?"

There was no use arguing with her and his first attempt at getting to know her better had failed. Perhaps Tom wasn't as smooth as he thought he was and as he left her house teacup in hand, he decided the bet was off.

"I can't do it Ben."

"You know this is the SECOND time you've called me while I'm on my HONEYMOON."

"I know I know I'm sorry. The bet is off she's just too difficult."

"Come off it she's not that bad."

"I'm walking down the road with a teacup in my hand after she booted me from her home."

"I have a feeling she had good reason to do so. Now just relax and perhaps try not to be such a wanker."

Tom strolled into Luke's office still sipping on his tea.

"I don't want to know." Luke stated still a bit agitated with his client. "So tomorrow you have a photo session with Olivia Merchant."

"I'll pass."

Luke pursed his lips. "Don't be difficult Tom."

"I'm not. I really don't want to do it. I have enough photos of myself can't we use some old ones for the magazine spread or better yet hire another photographer."

"No. What do you have against Olivia Merchant? She's a brilliant photographer one of the best newcomers we've seen so far this year."

"I don't care for her style it's too…artsy fartsy."

"Says the man who was photographed in a blazer with dragonflies pinned to it. She's amazing and I don't want to hear any more about it."

Tom rolled his lips together knowing there was no way getting around this. He would have to face Livi again and this time he was going to make sure he was prepared. Luke watched as Tom approached his desk and sat his teacup on the edge before turning around to leave.

"Bleeding Christ Tom I am not a maid you clean your own dishes."

"No no it's a gift." Tom smirked. "It's an authentic Olivia Merchant teacup straight out of her own cupboard I swear to it. Since you're such a big fan I thought maybe you'd like to hang on to it for me."