2 - Tom

Rolling over I was sure of two things, I'd gone to bed fully clothed and I wasn't in my hotel room. Though I hadn't opened my eyes yet the bed I was in smelled like a woman, and not Zawe. Zawe, she was the reason the night before was a blur and the reason my head now felt like it was going to explode.

I'd been stupid enough to propose last night and when she'd laughed in my face and proceeded to walk away. I couldn't remember much after I took a cab to set and I'd dove into the bourbon I had in my trailer. It certainly hadn't been my finest evening to say the least.

Sitting up I look around and as expected he wasn't in a hotel room, but I was at least clothed; that was a good sign. Spying a glass of water on the night stand with a bottle of aspirin I pop two in my mouth and down the water in one go.

The smell of coffee has me up, and poking my head out of the double doors after a quick stop in the bathroom. There was a woman standing with her back to me, humming softly while she manned the stove. Glancing at the couch I see a folded blanket and feel relieved and guilty at the same time. She'd slept on the couch which meant they hadn't... he didn't even want to think about that.

"Oh you're up, good. Coffee is ready if you want some. How are you feeling?" She chirps, smiling at him.

She was pretty with her blonde hair thrown up in a messy bun. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen Zawe with messy hair let alone no makeup and it surprised me how much I found I liked it.

"Um... beside my head threatening to explode I feel alright. Did we?" I ask, my cheeks flushing as I motion between her and I.

"Mr. Hiddleston, nothing happened between us. Sit down and we can talk if you like. How do you take your coffee?"

So she knew who I am, though that shouldn't really surprise me I suppose. I couldn't go many places without being recognized. What did surprise me is that she wasn't acting like most women do around me. She seemed a little flustered but she wasn't looking at me like she wanted to rip my clothes off.

"Black is fine. How did I end up here and where is here?" I ask, reluctantly taking a seat at the small table.

"Well, here is my apartment obviously and I found you passed out on the bench outside my store last night when I was locking up." She chuckles as she sets a mug in front of me.

I groan and cover my face with my hands, placing my elbows on the table top. I'd passed out on a bench? Good heavens that could've turned out badly.

"Don't worry, no one else saw you that I know of. I tried to call you a cab but you said you didn't want to go back to your hotel."

She goes back to manning the stove letting me wallow in self-pity. I never drank enough to get anywhere near pass out drunk level. The paparazzi would've had a field day had this woman not found me.

"Thank you." I say looking back at her.

She glances quickly over her shoulder smiling before returning her attention to the pan. Taking two plates out of the cabinet she slides the omelets and bacon onto them. Opening the refrigerator she pulls out a large bowl of mixed fruits and sets it in the middle of the table before grabbing the plates and sitting one in front of me.

"You don't have to eat if you don't want to but I figured you might want something to help with the hangover."

She digs in and I look around the room. There were bookshelves full of books covering most of the wall in the living room with several elephant statues placed around. There was a good sized television in front of the couch, a good number of DVDs on the shelf below it. The couch looks comfortable enough but I still felt guilty for having made her sleep on it.

"I'd have gladly taken the couch."

"You wouldn't have fit, at least not comfortably. It's not a big deal; I've fallen asleep on it many times before."

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"Like what? Drunk? Don't worry about it." She smiled at me, her eyes twinkling.

"May I ask why you helped me? How much it's going to cost me?"

Surely she'd taken pictures or maybe even a video of me while I was acting like an idiot. Once the press gets wind that Zawe and I split they'd be more than happy to have that kind of dirt on me. The famous Tom Hiddleston acting like a complete fool because of a bloody broken heart, it was completely pathetic.

"Because you needed help?" She looks at me, completely confused but my face must have hinted at my thoughts because in a split second her confusion turned to anger. "I realize you don't know me but if you truly think I planned to somehow profit on your mistake you are sorely mistaken."

She stands up and takes her plate to the sink, rinsing it off and pouring herself another cup of coffee. I knew I'd made her mad and if I hadn't felt like enough of an old shoe her next words certainly would have got me there.

"If you don't want that just leave it. Your filming three blocks that way. I'll go unlock the front for you while you gather your belongings. Your phone is charged and on the table by the door with your coat. You have a few minutes to leave before my employees start showing up."

"I'm sorry, it's just..." I start but the look she holds her hand up stopping me.

"You've nothing to explain Mr. Hiddleston. But next time you decide to go on a bender find another bench to pass out on."

She walks out the door and down the steps leaving me alone and feeling like worse than I had when I'd woken up. Hurriedly I shovel the food into my mouth and down the coffee before rinsing my dishes in the sink. I tried to think of anything I could say to her while gathering my things and slipping on my shoes but nothing came.

Slowly walking down the steps I'm a little confused by what I see when I reach the bottom. Her shop was apparently a bookstore as well as a coffee shop. There were rows of shelves on one side with a counter and small kitchen on the other. The smell of baking bread tickles my nose as I walk past the counter towards the woman who was standing by the door with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Is there anything I can..." I start but she cuts me off.

"Have a great rest of your day Mr. Hiddleston." She opens the door leaving no mistake what she wanted from me.

I cross the threshold and she closes the door behind me a little harder than necessary and I wince. I'd completely stuck my foot in my mouth without thinking about it. She could've easily just left me on the bench and taken the pictures there. I'd woken up fully clothed, aspirin beside the bed with breakfast waiting and I'd repaid her kindness by assuming she was going to blackmail me.

Several crew members were talking with their heads together as I got to set but when they look up and see me they stop and watched me walk past. Even the women who frequented the area around the set the last few days seemed to be more in more a frenzy than usual. I love my fans, I really do but sometimes I missed being just Tom.

"Tom!" Chris yells from across the street.

I wave and he jogs across the street and falls in step beside me. It wasn't uncommon for Chris to talk to me but the expression he wore now told me this wasn't going to be good.

"Have you seen the papers?"

"No. Should I have?"

Chris hands me a rolled up newspaper and I unroll it. Sure enough my name is in the headline. Groaning I read it out loud.

"Hiddleston Proposal Rejected. Do I want to read the rest?"

"Probably not. Have you even showered?"

"Yes!" I lie.

"Well you look like shit brother."

A couple crew members passing us jump as I snap at Chris and hurry away, their whispers making me clinch my teeth. There were very few times I'd ever regretted becoming famous but this day was starting to top that list. If Chris thought I looked like shit, I felt even worse.

"So what are you going to do now?" Chris asks as we exit the costume trailer.

It had definitely not been my finest day at work. At least the scenes they shot today I wasn't supposed to be happy. The woman's face after I'd upset her kept popping back into my mind.I'd overheard a couple of the crew while they watched TMZ as they covered my unfortunate evening and any concerns I'd had about the woman's intentions completely evaporate. No one knew where I'd gone after I'd left the restaurant and before I'd shown back up on set this morning. She really had just been being nice to me, and I hadn't even bothered to ask her name.

"I think I messed up." I groaned.

"With Zawe? I could've told you that. I did actually."

"No, well yes but no. I apparently got drunk after I left the restaurant and passed out on a random bench just down the street."

"Really? Surprised the tabs haven't let that slip yet. You don't get much bad press and passed out drunk in public would certainly qualify."

"That's just it, they don't know. Some woman found me and put me up until this morning, she even made me breakfast."

"You spent the night with a random woman after Zawe rejected you? You sly dog!"

"Nothing happened but this morning I kind of implied she'd done it for ulterior motives. Then she basically kicked me out."

"Well go back and tell her you're sorry."

"I don't think it's that easy. You didn't see the way she looked at me. She called me Mr. Hiddleston."

"Ouch. Well you won't know if you don't at leasttry. Start off with 'I'm an idiot'. Women love that."