I entered the used bookstore with a ringing from the bell above the door and approached the counter with a smile. "So, a slow day?" I asked, leaning my elbows on the glass and resting my chin on my upturned hands.

Erik looked at me from over the book in his hands and leaned back, reclining even further in his position sitting in a chair behind the register with his feet on the glass counter top. He laid the book open on his stomach, throwing his hands behind his head with a grin. "Maybe."

I looked around. It was dead quiet in the tiny shop. "Maybe?"

"Yes," he answered. "Not a soul has entered this place all morning," he groaned, closing his eyes. "The boredom was threatening to kill me."

"Reading didn't help?" I asked with mock shock. This place was heaven for me. It was small, but the walls and few shelves between them were crammed with volumes, some in better condition than others, and many a day my first year had been spent here. It was how I met Erik, who worked here for his dad. "Something must really be bothering you."

His head dropped limp on his shoulders and hung backward. "You have no idea."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Nope."

"Then," I said, "what's this?" I reached over the counter and plucked the book from his stomach, checking the title. "Ooh, a love story."

"Shut up."

"Who?"

"I said shut up."

"Oh, come on. I'm curious. Who is he?"

Erik groaned again. "He came in a week ago."

"Eyes?"

"Green. My weakness."

"Hair?"

"Perfect. Brown."

"Body?"

"Like a god."

I smirked. "Personality?"

"He seemed sweet enough. Nice."

I grinned. "Seems perfect for you."

He gave out a sigh. "I know. I'm waiting on him to come back."

"Oh? What makes you think he will?"

Erik leered at me over the register. "My good looks and charm, of course."

I laughed. "You have those?"

He sat up and gave my arm a smack with the back of his hand. "Rude," he chided.

I smiled. "He'll be back," I said, patting his head once.

He leaned back again in his seat. "I know. What about you?"

I leaned on one had and used the other to trace imaginary designs in the glass top of the counter. "What about me?"

"What men are prowling around you?"

I barked a laugh. "Prowling? Really?"

"Is there any other way to describe it?"

I sighed. "I don't know… Romancing? Wooing?" I paused. "Stalking?"

Erik chuckled. "Okay. What men are stalking you these days?"

"The imaginary ones," I answered with a small smile.

"Honey, we need to find you a man."

"No we don't."

"Yes, we do."

I let out a sigh that was half a laugh. "Okay, Mr. Matchmaker. Who do you have in mind this time?" This happened a lot, and he was always prepared.

He sat up, looking out of the windows at the front of the shop. "See that one?"

I looked in the direction he was gesturing. At a restaurant across the small street, a young man with glasses was sitting alone at a table outside. He had dark, curly hair and seemed rather handsome, although I couldn't see too much of his face, as it was bent down toward the book in his lap.

"He reads there every day," Erik said. "Comes in every once in awhile for a new book. Seems pretty nice, and from his habit of sitting alone, single."

As he finished speaking, however, a young blonde woman approached his table and caught his attention. His book snapped shut, forgotten, as he stood and kissed her lips lightly in greeting.

"You were saying?" I asked, deadpan.

"... Nothing."

I chuckled. "Any other single men looking for someone like me?"

"Only everywhere, darling. Lunch?"

"Why not."

I stepped out onto the sidewalk outside the shop while Erik locked up so we could leave. I leaned against the dark colored wood between two of the large window panes, my fingers tapping out a short rhythm on my jeans as I waited.

The man across the street was sitting at his table with the blonde woman, chatting away about something irrelevant to me. I frowned as I watched them. Erik tried to get me a guy every week. Last time I actually agreed to go out with one was a few months ago, and it turned out he was more interested in the black-haired, blue-eyed bookstore clerk.

"What're you thinking about?" came Erik's voice as he locked up the door near me.

I smiled a bit. "Your fling from awhile back."

Erik groaned. "Let's just get some food."

"Fish and chips around the corner," I said.

"Sounds great. Come on."

After getting the food we walked back towards the shop and sat on the bench outside to eat, talking about my classes and his work and anything else that came to mind. Erik's arm laid over the back of the bench behind me as we laughed.

"But back to what we were talking about before," Erik suddenly started, pointing a chip at me. "There's really no one you're into?"

I shrugged. "No one's into me."

Erik's eyes drifted off behind me. "He is," he said with a smirk.

"Hmm?" came a small sound from my throat as I turned my head.

"Don't let him know you're looking!" Erik said in a rushed whisper.

"Geez, you sound like a teenager." I rolled my eyes. "Hush."

I have to admit, I was a little shocked.

At the little restaurant across the street, just inside one of the large windows, I saw someone I recognized. Well, two someones. They were eating at a table and talking, but one looked over at me a few times as we sat there.

"Know him?" asked Erik, leaning up toward my ear as he looked.

"That one is Luke," I said. "On your side." And the one sitting across from him is, uh..." I thought for a moment. "Tom, I think."

"He's into you," Erik said, "and you don't even know his name. Where's he from? A class?"

I shook my head and looked back to Erik so I wasn't staring. "Uh, no. I gave a seat near me to his friend at the cafe earlier, and then he showed up. I only talked to him for a little bit before you called."

"Interrupting, was I?"

I gave a short laugh. "I don't even know him!"

Erik grinned. "You will."

"Doubtful."

"Oh, really?" Erik looked over. "They're leaving now. He's watching you."

"And?" I asked, picking up a bit of my food.

"And you're going to go talk to him. Now."

I dropped the chip midway to my mouth. "What?"

"He's on his way over here."

"What?" My head swiveled on my shoulders. Tom was waving a goodbye to Luke, who was heading in the other direction, around the far corner of the street. When he turned back in my direction, he saw me looking and waved with a smile, beginning to walk over.

"I, uh, I -"

"I'll see you when you're finished." Erik got up, taking our food with him, and went to unlock his shop as Tom approached. I looked up at the figure coming closer and looked slightly away, gulping down the severe embarrassment I was feeling and arranging my face into what I hoped seemed to be a natural-looking smile.

"Hey," a slightly familiar voice said.

I turned my smile in Tom's direction. "Uh, hey," I answered.

"Emilie, right? Sorry, I'm probably interrupting you and your boyfriend or something-"

"My boyfriend?" I asked.

"Him?" Tom said, pointing into the bookstore. I turned to see Erik behind the counter. He grinned, waving.

I laughed. "No, no, Erik's no boyfriend of mine," I said. "Just a friend." I smiled.

"Oh," he murmured. I saw the corners of his mouth twitch in a hidden smile. "May I sit?" His hand gestured to the empty space beside me on the bench.

"Sure, I don't mind," I said quickly.

"I recognised you from the cafe," he said, lowering himself into the seat next to me. "I was wondering, um, would you maybe like to have lunch sometime? With me?"

I blinked in slight surprise at the question. "Um, I -"

"Or dinner?" he asked. "Whatever you like."

I swallowed in nervousness, unsure of what to say. Before I could stop it, however, my mouth began moving without permission. "I'd love to," came the words. "Dinner, I mean."

Tom grinned, flashing his perfect teeth in his happiness. "Wonderful. Is Saturday alright?"

I nodded, unable to speak for a moment.

"Can I see your phone?" he asked.

Again I nodded, pulling it quickly from the depths of my small bag. He took it gently from my hand once I unlocked it and tapped something into it before handing it back.

"Call me sometime soon. We'll work out some details and I'll pick you up on Saturday," he said, giving me a small smile. "Until then, Emilie."

"I'll see you, Tom," I said quietly. He nodded and turned away, leaving in the direction Luke had gone earlier. Looking past him, I could see Luke waiting just beyond the corner, and a tiny smile slipped onto my face at the sight. As I glanced downward to my mobile, the smile grew a bit larger and I bit my lip. There was a new name in my contacts.

Thomas Hiddleston.I entered the used bookstore with a ringing from the bell above the door and approached the counter with a smile. "So, a slow day?" I asked, leaning my elbows on the glass and resting my chin on my upturned hands.

Erik looked at me from over the book in his hands and leaned back, reclining even further in his position sitting in a chair behind the register with his feet on the glass counter top. He laid the book open on his stomach, throwing his hands behind his head with a grin. "Maybe."

I looked around. It was dead quiet in the tiny shop. "Maybe?"

"Yes," he answered. "Not a soul has entered this place all morning," he groaned, closing his eyes. "The boredom was threatening to kill me."

"Reading didn't help?" I asked with mock shock. This place was heaven for me. It was small, but the walls and few shelves between them were crammed with volumes, some in better condition than others, and many a day my first year had been spent here. It was how I met Erik, who worked here for his dad. "Something must really be bothering you."

His head dropped limp on his shoulders and hung backward. "You have no idea."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Nope."

"Then," I said, "what's this?" I reached over the counter and plucked the book from his stomach, checking the title. "Ooh, a love story."

"Shut up."

"Who?"

"I said shut up."

"Oh, come on. I'm curious. Who is he?"

Erik groaned again. "He came in a week ago."

"Eyes?"

"Green. My weakness."

"Hair?"

"Perfect. Brown."

"Body?"

"Like a god."

I smirked. "Personality?"

"He seemed sweet enough. Nice."

I grinned. "Seems perfect for you."

He gave out a sigh. "I know. I'm waiting on him to come back."

"Oh? What makes you think he will?"

Erik leered at me over the register. "My good looks and charm, of course."

I laughed. "You have those?"

He sat up and gave my arm a smack with the back of his hand. "Rude," he chided.

I smiled. "He'll be back," I said, patting his head once.

He leaned back again in his seat. "I know. What about you?"

I leaned on one had and used the other to trace imaginary designs in the glass top of the counter. "What about me?"

"What men are prowling around you?"

I barked a laugh. "Prowling? Really?"

"Is there any other way to describe it?"

I sighed. "I don't know… Romancing? Wooing?" I paused. "Stalking?"

Erik chuckled. "Okay. What men are stalking you these days?"

"The imaginary ones," I answered with a small smile.

"Honey, we need to find you a man."

"No we don't."

"Yes, we do."

I let out a sigh that was half a laugh. "Okay, Mr. Matchmaker. Who do you have in mind this time?" This happened a lot, and he was always prepared.

He sat up, looking out of the windows at the front of the shop. "See that one?"

I looked in the direction he was gesturing. At a restaurant across the small street, a young man with glasses was sitting alone at a table outside. He had dark, curly hair and seemed rather handsome, although I couldn't see too much of his face, as it was bent down toward the book in his lap.

"He reads there every day," Erik said. "Comes in every once in awhile for a new book. Seems pretty nice, and from his habit of sitting alone, single."

As he finished speaking, however, a young blonde woman approached his table and caught his attention. His book snapped shut, forgotten, as he stood and kissed her lips lightly in greeting.

"You were saying?" I asked, deadpan.

"... Nothing."

I chuckled. "Any other single men looking for someone like me?"

"Only everywhere, darling. Lunch?"

"Why not."

I stepped out onto the sidewalk outside the shop while Erik locked up so we could leave. I leaned against the dark colored wood between two of the large window panes, my fingers tapping out a short rhythm on my jeans as I waited.

The man across the street was sitting at his table with the blonde woman, chatting away about something irrelevant to me. I frowned as I watched them. Erik tried to get me a guy every week. Last time I actually agreed to go out with one was a few months ago, and it turned out he was more interested in the black-haired, blue-eyed bookstore clerk.

"What're you thinking about?" came Erik's voice as he locked up the door near me.

I smiled a bit. "Your fling from awhile back."

Erik groaned. "Let's just get some food."

"Fish and chips around the corner," I said.

"Sounds great. Come on."

After getting the food we walked back towards the shop and sat on the bench outside to eat, talking about my classes and his work and anything else that came to mind. Erik's arm laid over the back of the bench behind me as we laughed.

"But back to what we were talking about before," Erik suddenly started, pointing a chip at me. "There's really no one you're into?"

I shrugged. "No one's into me."

Erik's eyes drifted off behind me. "He is," he said with a smirk.

"Hmm?" came a small sound from my throat as I turned my head.

"Don't let him know you're looking!" Erik said in a rushed whisper.

"Geez, you sound like a teenager." I rolled my eyes. "Hush."

I have to admit, I was a little shocked.

At the little restaurant across the street, just inside one of the large windows, I saw someone I recognized. Well, two someones. They were eating at a table and talking, but one looked over at me a few times as we sat there.

"Know him?" asked Erik, leaning up toward my ear as he looked.

"That one is Luke," I said. "On your side." And the one sitting across from him is, uh..." I thought for a moment. "Tom, I think."

"He's into you," Erik said, "and you don't even know his name. Where's he from? A class?"

I shook my head and looked back to Erik so I wasn't staring. "Uh, no. I gave a seat near me to his friend at the cafe earlier, and then he showed up. I only talked to him for a little bit before you called."

"Interrupting, was I?"

I gave a short laugh. "I don't even know him!"

Erik grinned. "You will."

"Doubtful."

"Oh, really?" Erik looked over. "They're leaving now. He's watching you."

"And?" I asked, picking up a bit of my food.

"And you're going to go talk to him. Now."

I dropped the chip midway to my mouth. "What?"

"He's on his way over here."

"What?" My head swiveled on my shoulders. Tom was waving a goodbye to Luke, who was heading in the other direction, around the far corner of the street. When he turned back in my direction, he saw me looking and waved with a smile, beginning to walk over.

"I, uh, I -"

"I'll see you when you're finished." Erik got up, taking our food with him, and went to unlock his shop as Tom approached. I looked up at the figure coming closer and looked slightly away, gulping down the severe embarrassment I was feeling and arranging my face into what I hoped seemed to be a natural-looking smile.

"Hey," a slightly familiar voice said.

I turned my smile in Tom's direction. "Uh, hey," I answered.

"Emilie, right? Sorry, I'm probably interrupting you and your boyfriend or something-"

"My boyfriend?" I asked.

"Him?" Tom said, pointing into the bookstore. I turned to see Erik behind the counter. He grinned, waving.

I laughed. "No, no, Erik's no boyfriend of mine," I said. "Just a friend." I smiled.

"Oh," he murmured. I saw the corners of his mouth twitch in a hidden smile. "May I sit?" His hand gestured to the empty space beside me on the bench.

"Sure, I don't mind," I said quickly.

"I recognised you from the cafe," he said, lowering himself into the seat next to me. "I was wondering, um, would you maybe like to have lunch sometime? With me?"

I blinked in slight surprise at the question. "Um, I -"

"Or dinner?" he asked. "Whatever you like."

I swallowed in nervousness, unsure of what to say. Before I could stop it, however, my mouth began moving without permission. "I'd love to," came the words. "Dinner, I mean."

Tom grinned, flashing his perfect teeth in his happiness. "Wonderful. Is Saturday alright?"

I nodded, unable to speak for a moment.

"Can I see your phone?" he asked.

Again I nodded, pulling it quickly from the depths of my small bag. He took it gently from my hand once I unlocked it and tapped something into it before handing it back.

"Call me sometime soon. We'll work out some details and I'll pick you up on Saturday," he said, giving me a small smile. "Until then, Emilie."

"I'll see you, Tom," I said quietly. He nodded and turned away, leaving in the direction Luke had gone earlier. Looking past him, I could see Luke waiting just beyond the corner, and a tiny smile slipped onto my face at the sight. As I glanced downward to my mobile, the smile grew a bit larger and I bit my lip. There was a new name in my contacts.

Thomas Hiddleston.