Someone to Remember

After the first day of meeting the other actors and actresses, Maya and the cast had been given a schedule that laid out what days, places and times they would be meeting and filming at. Tom had suggested that on the days they had to work consecutively, Maya should stay at his house overnight and on days off, she could always go back to her apartment. She didn’t have a problem with this idea, but she still felt a bit of tension from the day before.

“Hey, since we have to be in early tomorrow, how about I take you to your place now so you can get your stuff?” she remembered the man asking her.

“Sure,” she had barely replied. “What about Link though? I can’t just leave him there by himself.”

“He can come, too,” he responded with a grin. “It’ll be nice to see him again.” They left the set then and headed for Maya’s apartment. Maya had suspected Tom’s reason for this sudden sleepover/carpool idea was because of the mugging. He probably didn’t want anything else to happen to her while they were in the filming process.

It took them about fifteen minutes to get to her place and another ten for Maya to get her duffle bag and stubborn cat ready. Link had mewed loudly in protest and tried hiding from her the whole time.

“Link, come on,” she sighed with frustration. “Tom’s not going to wait forever for us.” She regretted not getting the feline a carrying crate when she had the money for it as she carried her bag in one hand and the grumpy cat in the other. After throwing her bag in the backseat of the car, she let Link settle in her lap.

“No crate for him?” Tom inquired and Maya shook her head quickly.

“Couldn’t afford one,” she replied. “Plus, I never thought I’d actually need one for him travelling.” She tried to smile politely at him, but her cheek was still extremely sore, so instead, her smile was taken as a grimace.

“That’s fine, I was only curious.”

Once again, the ride to his house was silent except for the gentle, classical music playing. Maya recognized the tune from the first time she rode with him.

“You really like this song, huh?” she asked quietly, looking over to the actor.

“Movement Two from Symphony Seven,” he replied with a bright grin, reaching over to the stereo controls to turn the volume slightly.

“Ah, Beethoven,” she said, nodding and looking out the window with a soft smile staying on her face.

“You know your classics, then,” he said, a teasing tone in his voice.

“Oh, just a bit. Some Mozart and Beethoven, but mostly that newer rock stuff,” she responded nonchalantly. The two looked over at each other, smiling warmly.

“An American actress and a rocker. My, my, you are quite dynamic, aren’t you?”

“Indeed, I am,” she replied with the best British accent she could manage. Both she and Tom laughed at her attempt.

“Now you’re sounding like a true English woman,” he teased. “I think living here is starting to rub off on you.” Maya rolled her eyes and nudged Tom lightly as they pulled into the driveway of the familiar house. She reached back and grabbed her duffle bag, careful to not disturb Link on her lap. “I’ll take that in for you,” Tom’s cool voice said. She pursed her lips a bit and sighed, reluctantly handing him the light bag.

“You know, I’m not completely useless,” she said to him, making a face in hopes of him letting her carry her own things.

“I do know that, but I was raised to be a gentleman.” He smirked lightly at her and tapped her chin. “Reminds me that I’m not completely useless.” Maya sighed again in defeat and picked up Link off her lap and her purse from the floor. They walked into the house and once again, Maya felt the twinge of jealousy play at her emotions.

At least I know I can visit here sometimes, she reminded herself as she walked back to the living room. She sat in the same spot she had earlier that day and set Link down to explore his new secondary home.

“So, what would you like for dinner?” Tom called out to her from the kitchen. Maya rose and walked into the spacious room, taking in how elegantly everything was placed.

“Anything sounds good,” she murmured as she spun slowly to take in the fixtures and cabinets. It was one of the fanciest kitchens she had ever been allowed to be in. Tom turned around and chuckled quietly at how perplexed the younger woman was.

“Would you like to pick something from the fridge?” he suggested. “I think I have some leftover chicken salad from last night that’s still good.”

“That sounds great,” she replied, looking to the tall man, who was now leaning on the counter behind him, observing her. With his arms crossed, the white, short-sleeved shirt emphasized the man’s subtle biceps. He wasn’t built like some of the actors she knew he had worked with, but there was no denying that the training he had done in the past paid off and made him that much more attractive. She cleared her throat and looked away after realizing she was staring at him and turned to the fridge to find the salad.

“Are you all right?” he asked as he walked over to her, keeping a slight distance. “Ever since this morning before we left..” He stopped short and looked out to the living room. There it was. The tension that Maya had wanted to avoid ever since that moment earlier in the day.

“I’m fine,” she fibbed quietly. “I think I’m just a bit shaken from the early morning.” She sighed and rubbed the side of her face that didn’t hurt her. “Actually, I think I’m going to get a little bit of sleep before I eat. It’s been a long day.” She closed the fridge and rushed out to the living room again, picking up her purse.

“Upstairs, first door on the right,” Tom said from the doorway of the kitchen, looking down at the ground. Maya nodded and jogged up the stairs quickly. She threw her purse on the end of the bed where Tom had put her duffle bag.

What was going on? Why was there this unavoidable tension between the two? They had known each other for only a few weeks, almost a month, and for some reason, things were getting awkward. She scoffed to herself at the thought. She knew when she was anywhere near a male being, she turned into one of the most awkward girls ever. That was why many of her relationships never lasted longer than a few months at most. But her and Tom weren’t dating. Sure, she had feelings for the great actor, but in her mind, it was no more than a celebrity crush that she had had for years. Every girl had one, right?

Then a thought hit her. An absurd thought, at that, but one that could make sense. She laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling while she thought. Could it be possible that Tom had feelings for her as well? In her mind, she doubted the probability of that highly. But what if she was right? She shook her head and rubbed her eyes gently. She didn’t want to think about that right now. The exhaustion from being so social was more overwhelming than she expected it to be. A nap was what she needed in order to deal with everything. She closed her eyes and sighed softly before dozing off into a dreamless sleep that felt more comforting than the first day she had met Tom.

When she awoke, Maya’s first instinct was to find a clock. She pulled her phone from her purse and frowned a bit. It was nine-thirty. The short nap she had planned resulted in her being out for most of the evening. She sat up slowly and found a note on the nightstand next to her bed.

9:25 Went to the store to pick up some cat food for Link. Hope I get the right kind. Salad’s ready for you in the fridge whenever you wake up.
Tom

Her frown deepened at the thought of him spending money on her and Link. It was totally unnecessary and she felt a bit of guilt build in the pit of her stomach. She walked down the stairs to the kitchen and pulled out the bowl of salad Tom had left for her. As she began munching on the small meal, she took out her phone and dialed the familiar number of her sister.

“Hello?” said the perky voice of the younger girl.

“Hey, Grace. It’s Maya.”

“Maya!” Grace exclaimed. “I’ve missed you so much! How are you?”

“I’ve missed you, too,” the older sister said with a smile on her face. “I’m doing alright, I guess.”

“You guess? Something happened, huh? You’re normally cheery all the time.”

“Well,” Maya started, feeling strained to tell her sister about that morning. After telling her everything up to the current moment, she was greeted with silence. “Are you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here,” the twenty-one year old said. “But how’d you even meet Tom? Did you go to an audition and he was there, or what?”

“I met him when I was working at the coffee shop,” Maya said quietly. “He came in for a coffee and a croissant.” She smiled at the memory coming back to the front of her mind.

“And? What happened to make you two keep seeing each other?”

“He told me about an audition that he was doing, too. We both got the parts.”

“Is your role bigger than the other ones?”

“Yeah, I’m one of the mains.”

“One of them?” her sister asked cautiously. “Let me guess. Tom’s the other one and your roles are connected somehow.” Maya bit on her lip before replying.

“It’s a romance. So, I’m his love interest, and vice versa.” She rubbed her forehead a bit and sighed.

“Oh, I see,” Grace said with a teasing voice. “Is there a kissing scene?” When Maya didn’t answer, Grace giggled quietly. “So, there is. Have you rehearsed that yet?” Maya’s silence continued and Grace squealed. “Oh my gosh! Is he a good kisser?”

“Grace!” Maya scolded. Grace continued laughing quietly as Maya answered in a barely audible whisper. “And yes, he is.” Grace sputtered and laughed more.

“Sorry, couldn’t hear that. What’d you say?”

“Yes!” Maya practically shouted. “He’s a good kisser! In fact, he’s spectacular!” Grace’s laughter finally died down and she tried to get serious again.

“Well, I suggest you stop pushing him away and embrace your feelings for him. If you find out he feels the same as well, then congratulations, sis.” Maya sighed softly and suddenly heard the front door close.

“I have to go,” she said quickly. “I’ll call you later in the week or whenever I’m free.”

“Cue for ‘He’s home and I can’t talk about him now.’,” Grace muttered. “All right, talk to you soon. Love you.”

“Love you, too. Bye.” She hung up quickly and resumed eating her salad, stuffing her face with the lettuce and chicken.

Tom walked into the room with a large bag a cat food in his arms and set it on the kitchen floor. He reached up to the cabinet and pulled down a small bowl, glancing over at Maya. She offered him a warm smile and felt a bit better when he returned it. He then got out a pair of scissors and cut open the bag of Link’s new food, using the bowl to measure out a good amount of the bits.

“Is this what you normally feed him?” Tom asked, walking closer to her and showing her the bowl that was halfway filled.

“Looks about right, sir.” She finished eating and placed the empty bowl in the sink, washing it out quickly. Tom scrunched up him nose as a sign of protest to her actions but didn’t say anything.

“So,” he started as Maya dried her hands off. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did. I didn’t mean to be out for so long,” she explained. “I guess I was just really tired.”

“Ah, it’s fine,” he said, shrugging lightly. “You look a lot better now.” His eyes widen slightly at his own statement and Maya raised a brow curiously. “I mean, you just look more rested. You looked great, wonderful earlier, physically. I didn’t mean‒”

“Relax,” Maya breathed as she giggled quietly. “I know what you meant. I agree completely.” She nodded slowly and reached out to rub his arm. “Don’t beat yourself up over it.” He smiled at her in relief and set the bowl for Link down on the ground.

“Also, who were you just on the phone with? If it’s alright for me to ask.”

“Oh, just my sister, Grace. She still lives out in Chicago.”

“Did you tell her about this morning at your apartment?” Tom looked at her with a flash of concern in his eyes. She nodded again and crossed her arms.

“Yeah. She said that I should’ve looked into the neighborhood before renting there.” She shrugged her shoulders and bent down to scratch Link’s head after he snuck into the room.

“She’s probably right,” he said quietly. “But, nothing you can do about it now,” he quickly added as to avoid any argument.

“I know.” She stood again and looked at the man, reading the exhaustion on his face. “You should get some sleep, too. You look like you need it.”

“I’m fine,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m used to being up late from days like these.” Maya raised a brow and reached a hand out to him. He took it without a word and followed her out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

“Don’t lie to me, Thomas William Hiddleston,” she said, wagging a finger at him and using her best motherly tone.

“Not fair,” he said, scrunching up his nose again. “I don’t know your whole name.”

“Maya Renée Rogers,” she replied as she looked back at him. “But don’t you dare think about using my whole name as a scold.”

“And just why not? You’ve done so already to me.”

“Because,” she said, trying to think of a good reason. “It makes me feel like I’m five again.” He rolled his eyes, but grinned.

“Too bad, Miss Rogers. I plan on using that whenever I can,” he teased. She gasped in mock fear.

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, but I would.” She could hear something in his voice that reminded her of one of his characters, Loki. When she looked at him, she also saw the intensity that certain character always held in his eyes.

“Good thing they took your scepter,” she mumbled quietly as she dragged him up the stairs. “Which one is your room?”

“The second one on the right,” he said, pointing in front of her. “Right next to yours.” He poked her side lightly with a subtle laugh when she squeaked.

“No!” she squealed. “Don’t tickle me!” She faced him and held onto his hands tightly. The grin on his face was full of pure evil intentions. He pried his hands loose and began to tickle her sides and stomach playfully. As she laughed and yelped, he managed to bring her into his room and lightly pushed her onto the bed where he continued his ticklish assault. The two laughed together even after he had stopped tickling her. Instead, Tom had pinned her hands next to her head and straddled her hips.

Their laughter died down and they stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments. Maya’s heart raced from the growing nervousness of his proximity. Tom looked at her hands that were now clenched into fists and slowly moved his own hands to relax hers. He slipped his hands into hers and gently locked their fingers together. His eyes darted back to hers to find that same frightened look they held earlier that day in the living room.

Maya could see his face begin to fall. She squeezed his hands lightly before freeing one of them to caress his cheek gently.

“Can I ask you something?” she murmured as her eyes trailed over his face.

“Only if I can ask something in return,” he whispered back. She took a deep breath to prepare herself to ask, but shook her head in defeat.

“N-never mind,” she muttered. “You first.” He quirked a brow slightly and leaned down to her ear, whispering almost sensually.

“Am I really a spectacular kisser?” He began to kiss down along her jaw softly and stopped at her chin. “Or were you just bragging to your sister?” Maya felt her breath catch in her throat as his lips met her skin and she felt a shiver pass through her body. She bit down on her lip and turned her head instinctively away from him.

“M-maybe,” she stuttered. “Were you eavesdropping on me, Thomas?”

“Eavesdropping? I would hardly call it that when you were shouting at the top of your lungs. It wouldn’t surprise me if the neighbors heard you,” he said before chuckling. “Am I making you nervous right now?”

“Just a bit,” she said quietly, turning her head to look at him again. “Do you..” The question formed in her mind wouldn’t assemble itself to leave her mouth. She laid there, mouth slightly agape and staring into the deep, blue eyes of the man on top of her.

“Do I what?” he asked, noticing how she struggled to speak.

“I mean, the way you come off makes me think that.. You know, I’m just not sure if I’m imagining things or not but..” She couldn’t get the sentence out of her. He stared down at her as he tried to process what she was trying to tell or ask him. And then, it hit him.

“You think I have feelings for you,” he stated. There was no hint of questioning, just a straightforward sentence. Maya looked away from him and brought her free hand down from his cheek, pressing it lightly to her chest. The strange nervousness she felt only increased when he said what she couldn’t.

“Well, do you?” she asked him quietly, looking away from the soft stare he held. Tom stayed silent for a few moments as he tried to collect his thoughts. Maya detached her other hand from his and tried to push herself up from under his weight. “You don’t have to answer that,” she muttered when she got free and rolled over to the edge of the bed. “Get some rest. We have another long day tomorrow.” With that, she stood and walked out to the door and mumbled a ‘good night’ to him.

Once she was back in her room, she began pacing from the door to the bed. She just did exactly what her sister advised her not to do, and she could feel the guilt start to wash over her again. She didn’t even want to begin to imagine how the poor man must’ve felt after all that. In a way, she was messing with his emotions just as much as he was with hers. Maya didn’t want there to be any awkwardness between them, especially since their friendship was so fresh and they had to work with each other for at least the next year. But she also didn’t necessarily want a relationship to interfere with her work. She always lost touch with her acting whenever she was preoccupied with a guy in her life. Maybe things would be different with Tom. Maybe if there was something there between the two of them, if would strengthen the acting bonds they held with each other. Was it worth the risk of finding out, though? Maya didn’t want any bad or negative outcomes from actually finding out Tom’s feelings.