Tea for Two

No Cigar....

"What you doing with your day off then Soz?" Annie was washing the last of the dishes as she and Sarah closed up for the night.

"Dunno, stick pins in my eyes? Count the grains of rice in my cupboard? Read the back of the sauce bottle?" Sarah shrugged. "Cosmo has to go to the vet for his check-up, too.  That'll be fun!" she grimaced.  She stopped, a puzzled expression on her face. "Soz? What do you mean Soz?"

Annie snorted. "Really? You're not very down with the kids these days, are you?" She laughed as she dried her hands.  "Don't you know what it means?"

"Of course I do! I might be on the wrong side of thirty - just like you, I might add - but even I know it means sorry..... oh!" She blushed and laughed. "I get it now."

"Not yet you're not. He hasn't even held your hand!" Annie countered with a smirk. 

"Annie!" Sarah blushed redder and pretended to be shocked.  Then, just as quickly relented. "Yeah, well, I don't think there's much happening on THAT score. He's hardly been in for the last two weeks. In fact hasn't been in at all this whole week. Think he's wrapped up in that Kate woman." she tried and failed, not to sound put out. "You remember her? She was here the day I made the best come back since Lazarus?"

Annie nodded and groaned inwardly. Sometimes, she could slap the pair of them. Not Kate, no.  Tom and Sarah.  Was she the only one who saw they were perfect for each other? Seemed like it.

"I remember her. But do YOU remember what he said? They were old friends!"

"And? Oh, Annie, you're sweet to think... but no.  He's just not into me. Friends, he said, we're just friends. Easier that way." She smiled none too convincingly. "Now, since we appear to have finished for the day, can I take the remnants of the Viccy Sponge home? It's too good to waste, and YOU can always make your own! Me?  I can't even read the recipe without burning it."

Annie laughed. "Go on Missy. See you on Thursday. Have a lovely day." They hugged, and Sarah picked up the plastic container with the remaining sponge.  Her mouth watered in anticipation.  A movie, a cat, a snuggly blanket; tea and cake. What better way to spend a day off in rainy London? God, she needed to get a life!

Hmmm, there was one thing.... she shook her head.  Stop it.  He's taken.  She made her way home, daydreaming on the Tube of cake and tea and Tom.  

Annie had locked the front door and was just turning away when footsteps thundered up from behind.

"Annie! Wait!" The voice was unmistakable. She smiled and turned round, feigning surprise.

"Tom! Hi! How are you? Sorry, we just closed." She apologised as she slipped the keys into her bag. Mentally, she hoped this wouldn't take long. She too had a Tube to catch.

"Oh.  Damn.  Sorry, ok. No problem.... Be in tomorrow?." He looked deflated but hopeful, and Annie had the feeling that coming in tomorrow might not help.

"She's off tomorrow, Tom."

"Sorry?"

"Yes.  Tomorrow.  Back Thursday." No reaction. Annie smiled and put her keys in her bag and walked away, sweeping Tom along with her. "Come on, time you and I had a little chat." Tom smiled and blushed.

"Don't know what you mean, Annie?" he tried to deny to himself - and her - he was disappointed.  Tried to cover up the fact that he'd missed her terribly when he was away.  He told himself that he just wanted a last-minute cup of tea and some cake.

"Tom, how long have we known each other?" she walked along, arm in arm with him, oblivious to the stares and the daggers aimed her way.  He was handsome, even she could see that, but just not her type.  George, her long-suffering husband?  He was her type, always would be.  Tom shrugged.  "I'll tell you, shall I?  Since 2012.  You arrived in my cafe, like an excitable puppy, script in hand, and all shiny faced anticipation." she laughed at the memory.  "I even had to stand you your cup of tea. You were so skint. Changed days, eh?"

Tom nodded, changed days indeed.  That had been before Thor.  Before Marvel, before War Horse before.... well, everything, really.  Annie had been a little oasis of tea and cake and calm in a sea of madness.  

"So, as I say, I know you, Tom.  And I know something you don't."

"You do?"

"Yes, you still don't know one end of mutual attraction from the other!" she smiled up at him, and he frowned.

"Steady Annie - I really don't know..."

"Tom, shut up!  You are helluva bright, more than most, but common sense?  My Victoria sponge has more common sense than you.  That DOG of yours has more common sense than you!"

Tom snorted and shook his head. "Funny, Emma says much the same thing to me.  Guess there might be something to it." he looked a little abashed.  "So what am I missing?"

"Sorry."

"Pardon?"

"No... Sorry."

"Sorry?"

"Yes.... SORRY!" Annie looked at him steadily, and for a second, he thought she'd lost her mind.  Then, slowly, as if coming out of a dream, he began to catch on.

"Ohhhhhh!  You mean....."

"Ah, you DO have a brain, after all.  Dear God, I thought you'd never work it out."  they'd reached the Tube station. "Go home, Tom,  have a wee think about what you have and what you want.  Make sure you don't waste a moment.  Life has a habit of showing you what you could have won. You two... honestly, you deserve each other .." 

Tom raised an eyebrow, and Annie grinned. "Yes, she's every bit as dense as you.  Don't worry, I fully intend to have a talk with her too.  DON'T make me regret it, ok?" Annie squeezed his arm.  "You're a good man Tom, you deserve a good woman."  she paused and with a wicked glint said,"and since I happen to be happily married, then you'll have to make do with Sorry!" she winked and disappeared into the station, leaving a thunderstruck Tom in her wake.

Not because he suddenly knew he wanted to be more than just a friend to Sarah, not just because he suddenly knew he wanted to take her out, wine and dine her but because he realised that he had wanted to since the moment they'd met.  Hiddleston, he thought, you're an idiot.  With you, it's always close but no cigar.  This time, he was going to make sure he got the cigar.  Even if it took buying all the cake in that bloody shop.

Cosmo wrapped himself around her legs, mewing loudly as she unlocked the door and walked in. "Hi, wee man!" she crouched down and scratched him under the chin.  She stood and walked into the living room, the cat desperately trying to keep her attention.  "You ok? What's up?  Been a good lad? OH COSMO!" her voice raised itself several registers as she surveyed the scene in front of her.

Table lamp smashed on the floor,  photo frame beside it, books scattered and her small table that sat next to the sofa lying on its side.  Beside all the carnage, a dead mouse.  Perfect, unbroken but very, very dead.  A peril of city living was the ever-present rodent population.  She rarely ever had a problem, and today?  Well, the problem wasn't the now ex-mouse. It was her overzealous cat! He sat next to the little body proud as punch of his hunting skills. If he could have smiled, he would.  

Sarah sat down heavily on the sofa. and looked at him with an air of defeat.  Ok, so tomorrow she'd have to go and buy a new lamp.  And photo frame.  She sighed, the table was in serious need of some glue now too.  Could this day get any worse?

The phone rang. Yep. It seemed it could. It was Ty. What did he want?  They still kept in touch, but she always felt really guilty, and last time, she had ended up inviting him over to make herself feel better.  They really  could be friends.  Just friends.  Nothing more. 

Now, for the first time, she really REALLY didn't want him to even be that.  In itself, that was no surprise, but the reason why?   Now THAT made her stop and take a breath.  For the first time in her life, she found herself actually caring what someone else thought about her. That someone else might be upset by something she did.  And that someone?  Not Ty, no.  That someone was Tom.