Whirlwind

The alarm I had set for myself the night before woke me up at 8:00 a.m., giving me an hour to get ready for the day I was going to be spending with Tom.

I took a quick shower, and did the usual routine before getting dressed in simple t-shirt and jeans and sneakers. I looked at the clothes in my closet, realizing that I didn’t even own anything that was nice. I only seemed to buy clothes based on two criteria: comfort or work. Maybe I could stop in a few shops and pick up a few things that would be acceptable to wear on a night out, in case the mood struck me… Or if Tom…

Or if Tom what? I had just met him and I was only here for two weeks. There was a slim chance that anything between us would happen; he just didn’t seem like the type of guy who would have a quick fling or one night stand with someone. He was just being friendly.

I headed down to the lobby and pulled out my cell phone to check the time, seeing I still had ten minutes before Tom would show up. I didn’t even know why I was carrying my cell phone. I couldn’t use it here anyways, or else it would cost way more than I wanted to pay. I tucked it away into a pocket of my purse and looked around the lobby.

As I headed closer to the front desk, I noticed the girl who had checked me in yesterday, Elizabeth, was working again today.

“Hello,” she said, smiling at me. “Are you enjoying your stay?”

“Yes, thank you,” I said. “The room is wonderful.”

“Glad to hear it! Do you have any plans for today?”

“Kind of. I met someone last night and he offered to be my personal tour guide.”

“Making friends already?” she questioned, smiling at me. I glanced at the entrance to see Tom entering. He smiled as I waved at him. “Enjoy your day.”

“Thanks,” I said to her before heading to Tom. I smiled at how similarly dressed we were, noting that he had opted for the jeans, t-shirt, sneakers combination as well. A pair of sunglasses dangled from the front of his v-neck t-shirt. “Hello, again.”

“Hello to you too,” he said, smiling. “Did you sleep well?”

I nodded my head.

“I don’t think I’m going to be able to leave this hotel ever based on the comfort of the beds alone,” I said. He laughed, and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched him. He laughed in such a unique way. I couldn’t help but notice how his tongue poked forward slightly as he laughed.

“I thought we’d grab some breakfast before we get started,” he said as we headed for the exit. “If that’s okay with you.”

“That’s perfectly fine with me,” I said, following him down the sidewalk. We went left instead of right, and I looked at the different shop windows again.

---

“So, tell me a bit about yourself,” Tom said as he sipped his tea while I dumped some sugar and cream into my coffee.

“What do you want to know?”

“Hmm, how about, what do you do for a living back in America?” he asked.

“Well, I have two part time jobs,” I said, sipping my coffee savoring the taste. It may have just been the best coffee I’d ever had. “One is a secretary to a psychologist, and the other is a barista at Starbucks.”

“I’m assuming you have some plan for a more long term career other than those two jobs?” he asked. I smiled.

“Yeah,” I said. “I actually just got my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I’d like to look into some sort of counseling.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”

“Twenty two,” I answered.

“You seem older than that,” he said. “Not that you look older.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” I said, staring down at the table. “May I ask your age?”

“Thirty one,” he answered. “Now I feel old.”

“You don’t look it,” I said, looking up at him again so our eyes met.

Our waitress returned to our table with our breakfast and placed our plates in front of us. My stomach grumbled as I looked at the food and I eagerly picked up my fork.

“So what do you do for a living?” I asked before taking a bite of my eggs.

“You really don’t know?” I looked up at him, confused.

“What?”

“Sorry,” he said. “That sounded pretty cocky, I guess. I’m an actor, most recently in the movies Thor and The Avengers.”

I felt my brows furrow and then my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“I didn’t even realize,” I said, setting my fork down and running a hand through my hair. “I don’t even remember the last time I’ve seen a movie… I just never have time. I’ve heard people talking about those movies. You were in them?”

“Yeah,” he said, laughing. “This is quite refreshing, I must say. At least now I know you aren’t hanging out with me because I’m famous.”

“I guess that’s a good point,” I said, laughing too.

“So you really don’t have time to watch any movies?” he asked. I shook my head. “May I ask why?”

“I just have always been busy with work and school,” I said. “I’ve rarely had time to myself in the past seven years.”

“Wow,” he said. “Seven years. Really?”

“Yeah,” I said, looking down. “Um, things just got kind of difficult when I was fifteen, and just never seemed to let up.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it,” Tom said, hand reaching forward until his fingers touched my arm that was on the table gently. I nodded, before looking back up at him and smiling softly.

---

Somehow we had ended up in a clothing store. Well… not somehow. I simply suggested looking to see what they had, and Tom had agreed. It was my vacation after all.

As we were both flicking through a rack of dresses, I turned to him and said, “You’re not a very good tour guide.”

“Well you’re not a very good tourist,” he replied. I smiled at him, and he smiled back before pulling something from the rack. “Now, as your personal shopper, I insist you try this on.”

“You’re my personal shopper now?” I questioned, eyeing the dress he was holding out to me. I had to admit it was beautiful, though it looked a little short. I took it from his hands and looked at it more closely. It looked like it might be my size… I couldn’t be completely sure with the European sizes being different from the American. “Fine. I’ll try it on.”

“Good,” he said, smiling. He led me to the dressing rooms and I went inside, shutting the door behind me.

Quickly, I took off the clothes I was wearing and slid on the dress. Surprisingly it fit perfectly, and looking in the mirror I couldn’t help but think I didn’t look half bad. But it definitely seemed too short—the downside of long legs.

“Sarah?” I heard Tom outside the door.

“Yeah?”

“Does it fit?”

“Yes,” I said.

“May I see?” he questioned.

“Um, sure,” I said before opening the door. As I stood there, I watched Tom as he looked up and down my body before meeting my eyes. I knew my face was flushed; I could feel the heat radiating off of my face.

“I really think you should buy this,” he said. “You look great. Plus you can wear it when we go out to dinner tonight.”

“Dinner?” I questioned. He nodded, smiling at me.

“And then I think I’ll show you a few fun clubs,” he nodded some more. “Call it a tour of London nightlife.”

“Fine,” I said. He grinned, and I couldn’t help but grin back.

“Let’s get you some shoes for that dress.”

---

I looked in the mirror of the bathroom, hardly recognizing myself. My new dress hugged my body, showing off my curves, and I couldn’t help but feel self conscious. I really wasn’t used to this. My hair fell in soft waves down my back and I had even put on some makeup. The heels I had bought to go with the dress sat tauntingly on the floor beside me. I don’t know how I was going to walk in them.

Tom had gone back to his own place to get changed for the evening. Thinking about him, I felt nervous butterflies in my stomach. I really wasn’t used to this, as I said before. I don’t know how I was going to get through this evening. I’d be lying if I hadn’t found myself staring at Tom throughout the day, my attraction to him seemingly growing without any kind of control. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all.

Suddenly, I heard something vibrating on the counter and I looked, remembering that Tom had insisted I get a cell phone I could use here so that he could get a hold of me easily. I picked it up and answered it.

“Hello?” I said.

“Hello, love,” Tom’s voice said, and I watched in the mirror as my cheeks turned pink. “I’m down in the lobby, if you’re ready.”

“Okay,” I said, looking nervously at the heels I had yet to put on. “I’ll be right down.”

We hung up and I sighed, tucking my phone into the clutch I had also purchased that afternoon, along with some money and my room key.

Quickly, I slipped on the heels and stood there for a minute, trying to get used to how they felt. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was now exactly Tom’s height. My first few steps were hesitant and wobbly, but by the time I had made it to the elevator I was feeling more confident and walking more easily.

When the doors of the elevator opened in the lobby, I smiled when I saw Tom standing a little ways away looking at one of the paintings hanging on the wall. I couldn’t help but admire the fact that he looked good, dressed in black slacks and a tucked in white button up shirt, the first few buttons undone. For some reason, this simple outfit looked amazing on him.

As I stepped out of the elevator, he turned and saw me, smiling as his eyes traveled up and down my body yet again, assessing my outfit. I hated how my cheeks burned and how much I wanted to just force him up to my room to have my way with him. I took a deep breath, trying to push those thoughts away. I just met him, for Christ’s sake!

“You look stunning,” he said when I was standing in front of him. I smiled, thinking about how I was right about these heels making me just about the same height as Tom. I didn’t have to look up at him at all.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I said, and he smiled at me before offering me his arm.

“Ready for some fun?” he questioned as we headed outside and to a waiting taxi.

“Definitely,” I agreed.

---

“Are you doing alright?”

I turned my head to look at Tom, and felt my lips curve slowly into a smile.

“I’m perfect,” I said, and he grinned finishing the drink that was in his hand. I finished mine as well. I took in a deep breath, savoring this moment. I felt absolutely wonderful. I wish I had gone drinking more before this, because I was truly missing out.

I felt Tom’s hand clasp my own.

“Come dance with me,” he said, leaning in so he wouldn’t have to yell over the music. I’d never gone dancing before, but I nodded my head anyway.

We had had a fantastic dinner at a small, but very nice, restaurant. We had come to this club not long afterwards and sat at a secluded table in a corner drinking and talking.

Tom wrapped an arm around my waist, helping me to get to the dance floor without tripping over my feet. Drinking and heels didn’t mix very well, I was finding.

He turned, keeping his arm around my waist as he faced me and pulled me closer to him. I felt myself blush at the closeness, and my stomach erupted into a million butterflies. This was definitely not helping to keep my desire at bay.

One of my hands moved up, wrapping itself around the back of his neck and I could feel his curls tickling my fingers. I wanted badly to run my hand through his hair, but I resisted. My other hand was clasped in his free hand, held against his chest and his other hand moved to the small of my back, pressing my body more firmly against his. He moved easily along with the music, our hips moving together in a synchronized fashion. I hoped he couldn’t feel my breathing quicken or my heart beat pounding.

I don’t know how long we stayed like that, but all I know is that when we stopped I was sweating… and Tom didn’t move away from me. I felt his breath on my ear.

“Are you ready to leave?” he asked. I nodded, unable to speak for some reason. With his arm around me we headed to the exit of the club after grabbing my clutch from the bartender who had been watching it.

We managed to get a cab and we slid into the backseat, and Tom told the driver to go to my hotel.

We were silent in the cab, and I rolled the window down to try and cool down. Tom was sitting close next to me, his arm draped comfortably around my shoulders, his fingers tracing circles on my arm. I shivered slightly.

“Are you cold?” he asked. I looked at him.

“No,” I said quietly. He smiled at me and I smiled back.

“Wait here,” Tom said to me when the cab stopped and he had paid the driver. I stayed in my seat as Tom got out and stumbled ever so slightly to my door. He was very good at not showing how much he had to drink. He pulled my door open and offered me his hand, which I gladly took, and he helped me out of the car.

Wrapping his arm once more around my waist, we headed into the hotel and to the elevators. I smiled at the unfamiliar employee behind the desk and she smiled back, eyes glancing quickly in Tom’s direction before turning away.

When we reached my room, I fumbled with my clutch outside my room for a moment before Tom took it gently from my hands, opening it easily and pulling out the room key.

“Thanks,” I said sheepishly once the door was open.

“It’s no problem,” he said. He gestured to the open door. “After you.”

I walked in and immediately kicked my shoes off. I turned around and smiled up at Tom after he had shut the door to the room.

“My feet were killing me,” I said. Tom laughed and I grinned.

“I don’t understand why women insist on wearing them,” he said, gesturing to my shoes.

“Hey, you’re the one that made me buy them,” I said.

“And your point is?” he asked, laughing again. I laughed with him, and meaning to just step forward, I ended up stumbling. Tom’s arm shot out quickly, his hand landing on my waist to steady me. “Easy there.”

“I take back what I said earlier,” I said as I smiled up at him.

“What’s that?” he asked, also smiling. His hand didn’t leave my waist.

“You’re a great tour guide,” I said. “Even if you didn’t take me to any popular tourist attractions.”

And before I could give it any sort of proper thought, my hand reached up and cupped his face and I was leaning up to catch his lips with my own. I kissed him softly and I was happy when he responded. His grip tightened on my waist as I pulled away.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, biting my bottom lip.

But without saying another word, Tom’s lips were back on mine, kissing me more hungrily this time. I placed a hand on his back as the other slid to his neck and I finally allowed my fingers to slide into the soft curls I had been longing to touch all night. My hand fisted in his hair and I pulled gently, and a groan sounded in his throat as his tongue invaded my mouth. His hands slid down until they were cupping my butt and he pushed my lower half closer to his.

I had finally let the desire consume my body, and all I wanted was him. All I wanted was Tom. I pulled away suddenly and grabbed his hand, leading him quickly to my bedroom. Once there, I placed my mouth to his once more as I started unbuttoning his shirt. When I was done, I pushed it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. I ran my hands down his chest to his stomach and back up before pushing him back until he fell on the bed. He sat up slightly, leaning back on his elbows and watched me as I quickly unzipped my dress and let it fall to the floor. I stepped forward and leaned down, undoing his belt before unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. I pulled his pants off quickly, tossing them to the floor and leaving him in nothing but his boxer briefs. I could see his erection straining against the thin fabric, and I shivered in anticipation.

I climbed onto the bed so that I was straddling him and leaned down, kissing him deeply, tongue exploring his mouth.

I moved my hips down against his, causing a groan to escape both our mouths from the friction. I moved my mouth to his neck, kissing and biting.

“I’ve never done anything like this before.” His breath fell hot and heavy against my ear. I detached my mouth from his throat, my eyes meeting darkened blue. I knew he was talking about sleeping with someone he had just met.

“Would you think I’m a terrible person if I said that I have?” I whispered, afraid he may change his mind or look at me differently, negatively.

“Never,” he replied instantly. And just as quickly his lips were pressed fully against mine, our tongues touching, full of wanting and need. He pulled away for a moment, “Condom?”

“Don’t need it,” I gasped. And suddenly Tom had us flipped over so that I lay beneath him. I groaned, enjoying the feeling of his body pressed against mine.

It wasn’t long before we were both entirely absent of clothes, my legs wrapped tightly around Tom’s waist. Heavy breathing, sweaty skin.

When we were both finished, attempting to regain our breaths, I couldn’t help but smile. Tom was definitely better than Colin. There was no competition.