Scattered Seeds

Chapter Three

Tom could hear the faint strumming of guitar strings through the hotel door. He scanned the hall one more time, again finding it empty, and checked his watch.

It was about the right time to invite someone to lunch, wasn't it?

He raised his knuckles to the dark green door and hesitated again. He was certain he was breaching protocol by being there. They still had one day to go before announcing the winner. This was his last chance to just forget about the whole thing and go back to where he came from.

The guitar music stopped and, curious now, Tom forced himself to rap on the door.

Silence.

He knocked again, this time with more force, and waited. Light footsteps hit the floor, coming closer to him.

Jessica peered through the peephole in her hotel door. She wasn't expecting anyone, that was for sure. She was alone in London. When she caught sight of the tall, slim figure outside her door, she pulled back immediately. Jessica tugged her cozy brown cardigan closed over her chest and crossed her arms, wondering what the hell this guys was doing outside her door.

She'd taken breakfast in her room, wasn't even dressed yet, and she panicked at the thought of him seeing her and her room like this.

Too late now.

Besides, if she was indeed awarded the volunteer position, she was quite sure Tom would be seeing her in much worse states of unkempt. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

"Hello," Tom greeted.

He smiled down at her, but it lacked the warm glow she'd seen in so many photographs. Honestly, Tom's entire demeanor since she met him threw Jessica for a loop.

Where was the bubbly, jovial man she and so many others admired?

Tom's eyes flicked quickly from side to side, almost as if he were nervous, as he waited for a response from her.

"Hey."

She held the door open just enough to greet him. Tom noted her state of undress, and again wondered if he was too early for lunch. It didn't really matter. He was there now. When she said nothing else, simply stood there waiting for him to explain his purpose, Tom found himself faltering.

"Umm," he wavered. "May I come in?"

Her face lit up in a small expression of surprise. He seemed to have caught her off-guard. Jessica looked back over her shoulder into her room, which Tom could barely catch a glimpse of.

"Sure," she answered, releasing an arm wrapped across her body.

Jessica's sweater fell open, and Tom caught a quick glimpse of her black tank top and unbound chest. He flicked his eyes away before she could catch him looking.

She held her hand out into the room as she backed up, and opened the door wider. Tom stepped inside, taking a look around. Jessica walked ahead of him further into the room as the door shut behind them, avoiding his gaze.

Tom Hiddleston was in her hotel room.

He had taken the time to find out where she was staying, and made an effort to visit her.

Jessica hoped with all of her might this meant she'd been selected for the volunteer position. She needed this. She needed it to get her mind off of things, to clear her head.

"Sorry for the mess," she offered, grabbing a used towel from the armchair and stacking her breakfast dishes onto a tray.

Tom could have cared less about the shape of her room. In fact, its lived-in condition made him feel more at ease, more welcomed.