Chp. 4 – Spent the Day Laughing in the Sun

Anna opened the door to her hotel room and cautiously stepped inside. Just as she expected, Bridget was waiting for her; still in her pajamas with her honey-blonde hair piled on top of her head in what Anna thought was a very Bridget-like way.

"And where have you been all morning?" Bridget hopped off her bed to take a better look at her friend. "Is that the coffee you were supposed to bring me?" She asked pointing at Anna's jeans.

Anna shook her head. "Should've known you were more concerned about the coffee…" she joked. She didn't offer any other explanation and began putting her things away. When she went into the bathroom, Bridget followed suit, hands on her hips.

"Well?" She questioned Anna.

"Well what?" Anna asked and started brushing her teeth.

"Where were you the whole time and why is my much needed caffeine fix all over your pants?"

Anna finished brushing her teeth and thought about where to start. "Ok so I left, and you were still sleeping… went down the street to Starbucks and got us some coffee… and then I was about to leave but then…but then…" Anna could no longer continue telling the story as she had burst into uncontrollable laughter at how absurd the story sounded coming out of her own mouth. Bridget was staring at her friend with a mixture of confusion and impatience on her face.

"Ok, ok…" Anna was still struggling for control. "Ok, so I'm about to leave, and I'm putting my wallet away, not looking at the door in front of me… and then the door swings right into my face and knocks me flat on my back. That's how the coffee landed all over me."

"You're kidding!" Bridget cried and started howling with laughter.

"Wait, it gets better. So I'm like completely disoriented on the floor and this guy gives me stuff to help me clean up and starts apologizing… but I just wanted to get the hell out of there… so I leave and he follows me, still saying he's sorry that he hit me in the face… and then I got really pissed and just let him have it, right there in the middle of the street."

"Poor guy," Bridget added chuckling.

"Poor guy!? I'm the one who got knocked out here! But anyway, he felt so bad that he took me to get some more coffee…and we just got to talking… and I just lost track of time I guess until you called."

"Wait… you were on a little coffee date when I called?" Bridget asked.

"A date? No, he just bought me coffee 'cause he felt sorry for me." Anna insisted.

"Was he cute?"

"God Bridget we just went for coffee! I mean yeah, I guess you would say cute… umm yeah really cute," Anna admitted and felt a blush burn into her cheeks.

"Geez Anna," Bridget sighed and flopped back down on her bed. "Figures you

would get hit in the face by a beautiful stranger you'll probably never see again."

"Oh, well I gave him my cell number," she admitted and flushed again; not sure how to tell her friend that they would be seeing Tom again today.

Bridget however, bolted upright. "Good girl! Do I get to meet him? Pleaseeeeee!"

Anna rolled her eyes. "Yes you will actually, Tom's going to take us to the London Pavilion later today."

"Oooooh, we get to be led around London by the mysterious and handsome Tom." Bridget cried in excitement. Anna shook her head at the girl and went to find a clean pair of jeans to change into.

"HEY JUDE, DON'T MAKE IT-"

"Hello?"

" 'ello, is this Anna?"

Anna tried not to let a sigh escape her lips at the way he said her name.

"Yeah, hey Tom! What's up?"

"Just seein' if yer still interested in havin' me show ya 'round."

"Yes" she replied quickly, trying not to sound too thrilled that he hadn't forgotten his offer.

"Is that him?" Bridget asked her from across the room and Anna nodded.

"HI TOM!" she bellowed in Anna's direction. Anna shot her a look but Tom chuckled through the receiver.

"Sorry, that was my friend Bridget. She's… really excited about today I guess."

"How 'bout we meet in front of yer hotel in 15 minutes?" Anna agreed and gave Tom the name and general location of their place.

A quarter of an hour later, the girls stepped outside the hotel doors into the bright sunlight of the afternoon. Bridget immediately began craning her head in every direction for anyone who could possibly turn out to be Tom. Anna peered around as well, and after a couple minutes she spotted a figure walking toward them. He was still wearing his beanie and aviators from before, but was now donning a white polo shirt and jeans. She watched him approach and ran her eyes over his frame. Since she had been pretty dazed during their meeting this morning, she hadn't gotten the chance to study anything but his face. Now as Anna watched him walk, she was able to appreciate his tall and lanky frame; he walked briskly with his hands stuffed in his pockets but as he neared the girls a friendly smile graced his features.

"Hey Anna!"

"Hi Tom!"

Not quite knowing what to do next, they awkwardly shook hands. Bridget smirked at the formal exchange and then eyed Tom up and down.

"Where's mine?" she teased. Anna however, was mortified and felt her face flush as she looked anywhere but Tom's direction. He laughed lightly though, and offered his hand to Bridget.

"You must be Bridget."

"Yup! Bridget Nichols, pleased to meet you Tom…?"

"Judd." Sorry Harry, Tom thought and was amazed at how easily the lie had rolled off his tongue.

"All right then, lead on Tom," Anna said and the trio started in the direction of the nearest Tube stop.

"Well girls, this is Piccadilly." Tom led them up from the stop and watched as their jaws dropped. The expression on the girls' faces was almost comical as their wide eyes took in all the shops and people that were milling about. Tom was no longer fazed by these places, but seeing them through the eyes of awestruck tourists gave him a sense of newfound pride in his homeland. Bridget had already taken out her camera and was clicking away madly at everything they walked by. Anna's gaze seemed to be preoccupied and trying to take it all in at once, so Tom took the opportunity to get a good look at the girl. Her hazel eyes were absolutely alight with excitement and her long brown hair cascaded down her back, reflecting the afternoon sunlight. The Beatles tee shirt she was wearing fit her well, showing off her curves. Anna's dark jeans accentuated her bottom half nicely, but Tom felt he was being rude to stare and hastily averted his eyes from her hour-glass shape. Fishing around for something to talk about instead, he noticed her sneakers.

"Nice shoes," he commented and pointed at her Converse. She turned and smiled at him brightly.

"Thanks, I like yours too," she pointed at his plain black Converse. "But mine are better," she added cheekily.

"How'd you reckon that?"

"Please, mine are the John Lennon edition." Anna hiked up her pant leg to show off her high tops complete with a Lennon cartoon figure and the rubber words "Imagine" all across the front sole of the shoe.

Tom grinned. "You win, I guess."

The pair walked comfortably in silence, enjoying the afternoon but Tom found himself bursting with questions after only a few minutes.

"I never asked you yer last name."

"It's Torre."

"An Italian bird eh?"

"The olive skin didn't give it away?"

Tom chuckled. "And what did you study at university Miss Torre?"

"Are we playing 20 Questions?" Tom was worried for a second that he had annoyed her with his inquiries, but her mischievous smile gave him his answer.

"We are indeed. So answer then."

"I majored in journalism." Alarm bells went off in Tom's head and he strained to keep the panic out of his voice with his next question.

"And what do ya plan to do now that yer done?"

"I want to write for a magazine. I loved my summer internships and I've got a couple interviews waiting when I get back home so hopefully I get a job soon." Despite his initial fear at hearing her chosen profession, Tom was pretty impressed at how close she was to achieving what she wanted.

"What do you like to write about?"

"Definitely not politics! I'm really not into that hardcore news stuff. I love writing feature stories. You know, like human interest type pieces. It's peoples' personal stories that are so interesting to me. I know a lot of people think that stuff is stupid and-"

"I think it's amazin' if you love doing it so much."

Anna blushed at his interruption. "I mean, I hate that celebrity gossip type writing. It's the extraordinary things that regular people do that interest me."

Tom's heart suddenly felt a lot lighter at her statement and he flashed her a genuine smile that she returned.

"Ok so yer obviously passionate about writin'. What do yer folks do?"

"Dad's a pediatrician and my mom was a nurse until she started having kids."

"How many of you are there?"

"Four."

"Four! Yer poor mum! Musta been nice havin' her 'round as a kid though."

"My mom's great and I love having a big family. They're all nuts, trust me, but I want a big one too one day." Anna grinned but quickly stopped as she was embarrassed by what she had just admitted. Tom pretended not to notice, but thought she was rather cute when she let her true feelings slip.

"Ok mister, that's enough about me for now. What do-"

"Oh my God, we're here!!"

Bridget's shriek interrupted Anna's question and Tom realized he was grateful for it. He didn't really know why he felt so uncomfortable answering questions from her. Don't want anythin' to slip, do ya Tom?

The two girls stared up at the London Pavilion to take it all in. Anna had a smile that seemed to take up her entire face and it made him smile in turn.

"So what is the significance of this place in Beatleland?" Tom asked.

"This is where they premiered 'A Hard Day's Night' in 1964." Anna explained.

"Right, it's camera time." Bridget stated and Anna took hers out as well. It was almost comical the way they walked around the entrance taking shots of the most random things.

"I would like some proof that I've actually been here. Tom, do you mind taking over as photographer?" Bridget asked and Tom took both girls' cameras. This is when the outing went beyond silly. The two started off in the usual poses of standing in front of the theater, arms around each other, then moved this way and that to get different angles. Then the two separated and began ordering Tom to take their picture in this place and that place. Bridget eventually started pulling faces and leaping about to get in-air action shots. Tom laughed as Anna struck a pose as a star-struck teenager while Bridget pretended to be sobbing on her arm for her favorite Beatle.

"Ok that's enough of me, get in there Tom and lose the glasses already." Bridget grabbed the cameras from Tom and pushed him toward Anna. He looked around first before reluctantly removing his glasses and putting them in his back pocket.

"Ok, I want some silly touristy photos!" Bridget ordered them. Tom and Anna obliged and had fun goofing about and coming up with different photo scenarios. At one point, Anna mimed punching Tom in the face as he pretended to fall from the blow.

"Wow Anna, it looks like you're really hitting him!" Bridget commented.

"Payback for this morning!" Anna teased and Tom gave her a playful shove.

"All right, enough goofing. Let's have a nice one for the viewers at home."

On her friend's orders, Anna moved to stand next to Tom in front of the Pavilion entrance. Neither one knowing how to stand or where to place hands, they stood awkwardly next to each other, arms hanging at their sides. Bridget of course caught this and frowned.

"Could you two please not act like the other has leprosy?"

Both Anna and Tom smiled guiltily and moved closer to one another. Tom put an arm around the shorter girl's shoulders and she snaked her arm around his back. Anna hadn't been this close to him yet, and she couldn't help but notice that he smelled really good. Whatever combination of cologne and soap he used was doing a wonderful job of making her heart race. She was suddenly concentrating very hard on breathing. Was she breathing too loudly? Oh God he was going to think she was some weird, loud, mouth-breathing freak. Despite being self-conscious about this, Anna was also very aware of the way his arm was draped across her shoulders. His fingertips rested lightly on her upper arm, but the light pressure of his touch was making her stomach do a number of stunning acrobatics.

Tom was feeling slightly off-kilter as well. The sensation of her small hand resting firmly on his back felt oddly comfortable and new at the same time.

"Nice smiles guys… and done! Cute pic!"

Tom reluctantly pulled his hand from Anna's shoulder as she grabbed her camera back from Bridget. Sensing their time at the Pavilion was over, Tom suggested the next activity.

"You girls hungry?"

"Starving!" Bridget exclaimed. Tom was glad as he saw Anna nod her approval and felt relieved that their day together was not yet coming to an end.

(A/N: This chapter took a bit longer than usual, but I'm pleased with the outcome and I hope you are too! Special thanks to my lovely reviewers who seriously motivate me to keep doing this and of course to smizzle, who is awesome. Please PLease review!!! I really like hearing what people think so please just take the time to drop me a line, thanks!)