Chapter Text
---Megan’s POV---
A strong hand landed on my upper arm and squeezed hard making me feel small. I hissed at the dull ache that followed.
“Come back here you bitch,” said the unpleasant gravelly voice. He spun me around to face him. He was standing too close. I could smell the alcohol just rolling off this breath as spittle reached my face. He shook me, “You don’t think you can get away that easy, do you?”
I raised my free arm instinctively to cover my face, bracing for the impact that was sure to follow.
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP
My body jerked to shut off the alarm. Relief spreading through me. I was at home, in my bed, and safe. Duchess, my golden retriever, made her way to me and laid on my chest, nuzzling me until I petted her affectionately. She always knew how to make me feel better. I adored her so much. The nightmares were back for the first time in months. But I wasn’t surprised at what had triggered them.
Last night was an unpleasant experience. One where my friend Nathan had to kick out an all too handsy and aggressive customer. He had apologised profusely afterwards; He had not anticipated that kind of experience for me. I was simply appreciative that he was trying to provide me with a safe space to get out of my comfort zone. Dating had seemed such a scary thought, especially after the end of an 18-year marriage. I finally agreed to start getting back in some sort of saddle last month, but it was not easy, or appealing. I refused to do Tinder after a slew of unsolicited dick pics and one awful date with a man that asked me what kind of porn I liked. The bar scene in general was no better until Nathan started hosting ladies’ night at his bar a few weeks ago.
I chanced to look at my right arm. Yep, there it was. A large hand-print shaped bruise near my shoulder, courtesy of last night’s nameless brute. It looks like I will have to come up with a creative way to cover up the bruising this weekend when I put on my cosplay. It’s not going to be easy, it covered most of my upper arm and part of my shoulder. I’ll figure it out later. Hopefully, today is a better day than yesterday.
Duchess, satisfied that I was now calm, hopped off the bed and looked at me expectantly, crooking her head to the side.
“Alright Duchess, time to go for our walk?”
The butt wiggle told me that yes it was. I scooted out of bed and promptly changed into some walking gear, and we were on our way.
I returned after a short walk and was greeted at the door with a nice cup of coffee and a smile from my roommate Andy.
“Excited for today?” he asked.
“Not particularly,” I scrunched my nose at him. “My gut tells me it’s not a good idea.”
“It will be fine. From what I have seen of him at work, Roger seems like a decent enough guy. You agreed to get back out there, and I insist on cheering you on in any way I can.”
My biggest cheerleader and pain in the ass, Andy, had been insistent on setting me up on a blind date with one of his co-workers. I finally relented and agreed to coffee with him this afternoon.
Andy was a close friend of my ex-husband, Pete, and eventually became a close friend of mine as well. We used to do everything together. But that stopped a few years back when Pete's demeanor changed. When I needed out of the relationship and wasn't sure where to go, Andy had insisted on me moving in with him. He had just purchased a large house and he had space for me. He'd been looking out for me since, like the protective older brother I never had.
“OK, well I’ll go get ready for work then. Meet you in 20?” Deciding to leave the conversation at that.
He nodded, and we moved on with our morning, carpooling to work like we do on days where Andy went into the office. It was easy to do since our hours were fairly the same and he was working in the next building over.
The morning spent at work proceeded as usual for me, assisting our consultants with planning their next round of meetings. Come early afternoon I was ready to switch locations and Frank, my co-worker, agreed to accompany me for our last meeting at Monogram, my favourite café in the heart of the city, and where I was to meet Roger in the next hour.
We found a spot in a quiet corner of their patio, where there was only one person occupying the table next to ours. He was wearing a ballcap and had his head down seemingly busy reading. It was perfect for us, so we could have a quiet conversation on tasks he needed me to help him with next. After that was all covered, the topic of our conversation turned more personal.
“Megan, I hope you don’t mind me mentioning. But I don’t remember the last time you took vacation. I just want to make sure you are not burning yourself out.”
“I’m fine, and I am taking some time soon, remember?”
“That’s not vacation, and you know it. Listen, you do extremely good work here, but I want you to consider taking time. Next week, after the leadership meeting perhaps? There is a nice lull there that we can for sure accommodate,” Frank looked at me pointedly, I sighed and nodded.
“I’ll take it into consideration and will let you know by the end of today, but I don’t feel the need to take time away right now.”
He seemed to know that it was all he would get for now and moved on.
“What’s the plan this afternoon?”
“I’ll wrap up booking your visit to Winnipeg, then I’ll be meeting with Roger and following that a video chat with Josh about next weeks’ presentation.”
“Right, the blind date your roommate set you up with. That’s exciting,” Smiling wide and wiggling his eyebrows, he took the last swig of coffee from his cup. I rolled my eyes at his enthusiasm.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” was all I could manage to say. Anything more would sound sarcastic.
“I’ll leave you to it then. Good luck,” Frank patted my hand and got up to leave, taking his empty cup with him to return it to the counter.
I still had half an hour before meeting Roger, so I went back to work, finalizing my tasks for the day up until my meeting with Josh. With 10 minutes to go before our scheduled meeting, I sent him a text:
Hi Roger, It’s Megan. Looking forward to meeting you. I am seated on the patio and wearing a white and silver scarf with my dress so you can identify me.
I sent my text off, without really checking my surroundings. I still had some time, so I decided to take my e-reader out to read a chapter while I was waiting. After finishing 3 chapters I looked at my watch, he was 20 minutes late. Maybe he wasn’t going to show.
I received a ping on my phone a few moments later:
Megan, I am not gonna lie. I spotted you a few minutes ago and was dissapointed with what I saw. Andy told me you were pretty, but all I saw was a cow in a red dress.
I screwed up my face in confusion after reading the rude text. I couldn’t help but snicker. I wasn’t wearing a red dress; my dress was black. I looked up and spotted a lady a few tables over, having a nice time with her girlfriends. She was wearing a red dress and a scarf with the same colours as mine. I personally thought she looked gorgeous and carried herself with confidence. Sure, she had a few pounds more than she should but that should not have mattered. I chose to go back and text Roger:
If you had introduced yourself to her, you would have realized that you had the wrong person and would have then looked for another woman with a white and silver scarf and found me in a black dress. It’s too bad, I think that lady in red is gorgeous and confident. At least, neither of us will have to contend with an asshole going forward. Have a great day, Roger.
I dropped the phone back onto the table with another scoff while shaking my head. Honestly, why do I even bother trying to date. Why is this so damn hard? I took another deep breath, and a moment to calm myself down. Just as I reached towards my neck to pull off the scarf, a man makes his way to the patio in a panic, spots me and makes his way to me. I braced myself and finished taking off my scarf to tuck into my bag.
“Megan, I am sorry for the text. That was rude of me, and I hope to-, “ I held up my hand and he stopped when he saw the unimpressed look on my face.
“I think I made myself clear in my text back. I will not be associating with you today or any other day Roger.”
“But…that comment wasn’t about you. You are gorgeous, like Andy said. Can we just-,” I laughed loudly, surprising him. I sensed the person seated next to me shifting, lifting his head out of his book. Now paying attention to the scene set before him. Just great, an audience! I said sarcastically in my head.
“Oh, but it was directed to me. And that,” I pointed my finger at him, entering lecture mode and standing up, “was also as insulting and rude. Not only were you late, but you were dissapointed that I was, and I quote, a cow in a red dress, so you walked away without introducing yourself like a coward and you then sent me that wonderful text informing me that I wasn’t up to snuff. So no, we will not be going further than this today.”
“Man, when Andy said you had high expectations of men. I didn’t expect them to be that high. You should think of lowering them a little or you’re never going to find someone at your age.”
My blood began to boil but I kept my voice level.
"So, correct me if I am wrong, me expecting a date to treat women with some modicum of respect, and respecting their time is too high of a standard here? I thought that to be reasonable." I wanted to say so much more but I noticed a few more heads turned towards us, and I wanted to maintain a certain amount of dignity.
“Listen, you are just overreacting because I was late- “
My eyebrows shot up at that, "Oh no, the lateness I would have forgiven, however that nasty message commenting on what you thought was my appearance.... not so much"
"But it wasn't about you now was it. Let me sit down and make it up to you"
“Only because I am pretty enough to catch your attention now? No, I am not going to waste my time. I wasted 18 years of my life on an unhappy marriage, I am not going to spend more than 5 minutes in the presence of another asshole, if I can even help that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a scheduled call coming in a few minutes that requires my attention. Goodbye Roger.”
“Oh COME ON, seriously?! You really want me to believe that you have a call conveniently coming in now?”
As if on cue my phone rings, and loud enough for him to hear. His eyes widen in surprise
"Goodbye Roger," I answered, popping in an earphone and swiping to answer, "Hi Josh, I have those final stats for the presentation for you. Let me just login and pull them up and then I’ll share my screen."
Roger stood there staring at me in disbelief. I blatantly ignored him as I sat down, lifted the top of my laptop up and logged in. Josh and I started talking about our day while I took the time to pull up the Teams meeting and transfer my call over to it.
Josh happened to be out in Ottawa today for meetings and was regaling me about the horrors of getting stuck in the elevator of his client’s building for over thirty minutes before he was rescued by the fire department. He then turned the table to me to fill in my day.
"My day? Well, it's going well enough, nothing worth noting compared to your harrowing story," Roger was still standing there as I raised my head back up. I sarcastically shooed Roger off by simply wiggling my fingers at him. It seemed to have gotten the message through. He sighed and stalked off. FINALLY! I returned my attention to the video on my screen, "just wrapping up initial preparations of the presentation to Bob for Tuesday morning, and I was also able to put the finishing touches on the cosplay I'll be wearing at the comic expo this weekend."
I felt like I was being watched so I quickly scanned the café, where nothing seemed amiss. The man at the table next to me had returned to reading his book. He looked very familiar. But not one of the regulars that usually frequent this place. Maybe he was one of our clients? He was on the taller side, judging by the way he was curled up over his book in his seat. He was wearing glasses, but I could see that his hair was a bit on the longer side, with blond curls peaking out from the sides and the back of his ball cap. His brow was furrowed, he was stroking his beard and lips, his eyes never leaving the words on the paper. Obviously, deep in concentration.
“Megan…,” my head shifted back to Josh. I hadn’t realized that I had let my mind wander, "You have been working really hard of late, on top of all the personal stuff you have been working towards. Please tell me you are taking time to take care of yourself....”
"I promise I am taking care of myself, Josh. I could kill for something chocolate flavoured and a nice espresso, but that can be fixed in a bit. After having that same conversation with Frank just an hour ago, I guess I WILL be taking most of next week off, if only to appease the two of you."
"I know that the next month or so will be really tough for you…so if you need more- “
"If I need more time, I will make sure to take said time and space,” I finished for him pointedly, I knew where he was going with this. I needed to head him off. I didn’t want his pity or worry, but I won’t lie to him either, “Yes, it’s absolutely going to be hard, and I am most certainly not looking forward to it. But there is no point in me taking more time off before then unless there are complications that need to be looked after. Working is a good distraction for me right now, in more ways than one. I am looking forward to it being over.”
On my screen Josh nodded in understanding. “We will leave it at that then, but if you need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask.”
I returned the nod and plastered a smile on my face. I needed to push back the tears that were threatening to come to the forefront, determined to get through the rest of the day so that I could go home and break down in privacy.
“Alright now that everything is set up on the screen and you have made good and sure that I am still in good spirits while you are away, let's start going over these stats and see which ones would be good to include in the presentation to Bob next week."
Our conversation glided towards that topic, and Josh announced that there has been a change in plans.
“Bob wants you to present the office coordinators’ stats for this leadership meeting.”
“Really? Why?”
“I think he’s curious about how the background tasks are done, and who better to do that than our top administrative performer? Do you think you can do that?”
“I think I can put something together, sure”
I hadn't noticed the man at the next table leave his post, but I did notice him walking back towards his table with a fresh steaming cup. Our eyes connected and he slipped me a gentle smile. Those eyes were a beautiful shade of blue that matched my own, glinting with mischief. That's when it dawned on me who he was. Tom Hiddleston was sitting next to me this entire time!
I realized that I was staring at him open-mouthed as he was passing by and probably for a moment or two longer than I should have so it took all the focus I could muster to close my mouth, return his nod, and hopefully muster a smile that didn’t look awkward.
It was hard not to stutter as I answered Josh’s next question, but I managed the rest of the call, focusing on keeping my eyes to my own table. I wanted Tom to have his privacy and what little peace he could get from what will certainly be a busy weekend for him at the comic expo.
I said my goodbyes to Josh a few minutes later, promising him an updated outline for the presentation for the next day before I left for the expo. I couldn’t help but be curious why Bob, our CEO, wanted to hear from me, but I was happy to have the opportunity for the face-to-face time with the man.
I’ve had little contact with him over the years, but I oversaw the procurement of anything he needed when he made the trek out west to visit the office. He seemed to be satisfied with my work during those times. But his demands were far easier compared to other millionaires I had assisted in the past during my non-profit days.
Martha, my usual barista, showed up at my table and dropped a steaming cup of espresso and a generous portion of their cocoa brownie. I looked at it and her in surprise.
"Wait, when did monogram get mind readers?!"
She laughed, her short pixie haircut bouncing as she did. "We don't, someone decided to treat you today."
"Okaaay,” I said perplexed, "Was it Frank or Andy who put you up to it?"
"Honestly, neither. Eric just asked me to prepare you these and bring them to you. They were paid for just a few minutes ago."
"Huh?! Well, I am not gonna lie. I'm not going say no to this, it's very much what I needed in this moment. Whoever it is, please relay my thanks." I smacked my lips at the brownie in front of me.
She gave me the biggest smile and walked back behind the counter. Eric nodded and saluted me from behind the counter as I held up my cup to him in greeting. I took a nice sip, laid my head back against the wall with a nice loud sigh appreciating the warmth run through me and warm my body and, in turn, my soul.
I went back to work, savouring my sips in between my research and slides. I quickly sent the extra numbers to Josh, to see if I was on the right track. I would be able to flush it all out tomorrow.
Done for the day, I shut my laptop down and put it back in my bag and re-opened my e-reader, while I waited for Andy to show up. I pulled up the plate containing the brownie and admired it for a moment. I had been looking forward to this since it made its appearance on my table. I took my first bite and rolled my eyes in enjoyment, suppressing a moan. It was so rich but not to sweet. The perfect cocoa brownie.
"I hope it's good," said a familiar, yet strange voice to my left, "the fellow behind the counter said it was the chocolatiest item they had on hand, that he thought you would like."
I swallowed my bite of brownie slowly and I finally dared to turn to face him, realizing that HE was the one that had decided to treat me. He had such a sweet genuine smile. It took my breath away.
"Eric would know! It's absolutely perfect, thank you Tom. You have no idea how much you have made my day," I held my hand up to him, which he did not hesitate to take, "My name is Megan, Megan Raine."
“Well, it was the least I could do," he leaned forward, "That unpleasant man from earlier does not represent most of us, so please, don’t adjust those expectations.”
Heat rose to my cheeks, he had fully paid attention to the entire interaction. “Thank you, I am so sorry you witnessed that. I am so embarrassed that it turned into a scene.”
“No, it was quite clear that you have nothing to be embarrassed about. You handled yourself well, while standing up for yourself. I am not sure I would have done so well.”
The heat in my face was overwhelming me now, I wanted to scold my body over its reaction to his interaction. I looked down to my plate. “Would you like to try a bite?”
His eyes lit up.
“I thought you would never ask,” he said with a smile. He pulled up a chair and brought over his own fork and what appeared to be cheesecake, “Maybe we can share both our deserts!”
“Mm, their cheesecake is amazing as well. You drive a hard bargain Mr. Hiddleston.”
We both smiled at each other and dug into each other’s desert. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was this a dream? Was I in heaven? Never in my wildest dreams had I ever thought that I would be sitting at the same table as him sharing a piece of cheesecake and brownie no less.
I pinched myself on the arm, which did not go missed by Tom. He smirked with one eyebrow raised, before taking a bite of his cheesecake. “I just had to make sure this was really happening.” We both chuckled at my comment.
He started asking me for recommendations on restaurants while he was in the city, and after having done so our conversation turned to travel. At one point, I couldn’t hold back and told him that he should definitely take the time to explore the Rockies if his schedule allowed. That it was a must for all, but to be careful of the regular tourist traps.
“Tempting. If I do, maybe I should take someone local to show me the ropes?” He gave me a look I could not decipher. Was he flirting with me? Nope, that must be his charm. After all, this man is engaged. So, I dismissed it with a chuckle.
“If you really wanted me to, but I am pretty sure you can find your way easily. Lots of signage and whatnot. But if you want some recommendations, I’d be happy to give you some.”
His eyes looked down at his plate at that. Was that disappointment I saw in his features?
“I am sure it would be more peaceful that way, rather than bringing a Hiddlestoner that would do nothing but fawn over you,” I said, “It must be a lot of pressure to be ‘on’ all the time.”
His head came back up at that comment. “You have no idea. But you seem very composed if you claim to be a rabid fan of mine. I would not mind if you joined me. Would you consider it?”
“If you are serious, then sure I will take some time to consider it,” I tucked a stray strand of hair back behind my ear, “I’ll let you know.”
We left it at that, turning our conversation to other topics. Both having a great time. He was so easy to talk to and seemed authentic with all his remarks. It seemed like we had only spent a half hour together, but I realized it was closer to two hours when Andy walked up to the table to drop off his bag.
“Hey Meg, I’m just gonna grab a snack and then we are good to head home, yeah?”
Tom seemed to freeze a bit at the interaction. I nodded at Andy, and he stalked away, nonplussed at seeing me talk to a celebrity. Knowing him, he was probably still going through work in his head and just assumed I was talking to a friend or client.
“Well, I guess that’s my cue to start wrapping up our conversation,” Tom seemed to be a bit colder now.
“Yes, I guess so. I am sorry, I would have introduced you, but my roommate is still in his head. He usually needs time to wind down after work.”
“Roommate?”
“Yes, I rent a room at Andy’s and we’re great friends. I guess it’s a bit unconventional to have a roommate at my age. But with some recent personal hardships, it was necessary. I am glad that he insisted I board at his house rather than with a stranger. I feel safe there.”
Tom seemed to warm at that, but he narrowed his eyes at my last sentence. I realized that I divulged too much. I needed to correct it right away before more questions were asked that I was not prepared to answer.
“I mean, compared to the possibility of rooming with strangers.”
“Ah,” he responded. That seemed to have somewhat convinced him, though not entirely. “Will I see you at the expo? I overheard you say you finished up a costume. Will I recognize you?”
“You will, I purchased a photo op with you. As for the cosplay, you may, or you may not,” I teased. Wait was I flirting? “That all depends on how good of an eye you have at noticing details, and if you can remember my face.” I groaned internally at that last sentence. Very smooth Megan.
“Then, I am sure I won’t have a problem recognizing such a pretty face,” he said as he got up from his chair and offered me his hand. I could feel another blush coming up to burn my cheeks at that comment. But knowing he was engaged, I told myself he was simply poking at me to see how I would react. I didn’t think he would seriously be flirting. Least of all with a woman like me.
I stood and clasped my hand in his for a shake, but he quickly pulled me towards him and gave me a peck on the cheek. I managed to pull back and speak.
“Thank you for the conversation. I had a lovely time.”
“Me too,” he said simply, turning and walking away.
I took a deep breath, still not quite believing my luck this afternoon. Meanwhile, Andy had just come back and plopped down on one of the free chairs.
“That dude seemed nice. Made you all giggly,” he teased.
“You didn’t recognize him, did you?” Andy furrowed his brows at my question.
“Should I have? Is he a client of your firm?”
A wave of relief came upon me, and I decided to keep Tom’s identity secret. I didn’t need the extra scene or teasing from him, should he have realized who was sitting in front of me to begin with.
“He’s just known around these parts,” was my vague answer.
“Well, from my vantage point. It was nice to see you smile like that again,” he said honestly. He started eating the small charcuterie pack that he had purchased, “How did it go with Roger?”
I sat down and recounted what had happened earlier that afternoon. Andy’s face growing horrified at how his coworker had acted. He interrupted at one point, to tell me that he was going to have a word with ‘that ass’. I told him there was no need and filled him in on the rest. When I finished my story, he started smiling, and then high fived me telling me how proud he was to hear me sticking up for myself. It felt good to have my cheerleader by my side. I was looking forward to what the next few days had to bring.