Tom Holland, The man behind the mask

4. Coffee Talk

I was only dimly aware of the other shoppers around me. Several mothers with kids in buggies. A small knot of teenage boys lounging against a boarded-up shop, sharing a fag. An elderly lady pulling a shopping trolley.
As i drew closer to Tom, they faded into the background, along with the smell of traffic fumes and the sounds of cars and people talking. I fixed my eyes intently on him. Surely if i stared at him hard enough, he'd see me? But he didn't.
We were two meters away from each other. A meter. Less.
And then he looked up.
I stopped instantly. Despite having been so preparing for this moment for the whole of the last minute. I felt shocked. Dizzy, almost, at the intense, searching way he stared into my eyes.
Tom took a step on, still staring at me, then he stopped too. Beside him the brown haired girl shuffled impatiently.
"Hi." Jeez, I sounded as if i was being strangled.
Tom narrowed his eyes slightly. "(Y/N)?" He grinned.
I nodded idiotically. His smile was sending my insides into somersaults. I gripped my jacket tighter.
"What are you doing here?" Tom said.
"I live around the corner," I stammered. "I was... I was just out."
I didn't want to mention the fact that i was meeting (Y/F/N).
There was a pause. The brown haired girl tugged on Tom's arm. But he was still looking at me.
"Er... What about you?" I said, forcing a smile.
"This isn't near your Hotel."
"No." Tom run his hand through his hair. He glanced sideways at the brunette. "I'm walking Zendaya to the hair salon, I've gotta go so i know where it is when i pick her up.
I could feel the smile freezing on my face.
"Oh," I said looking down. "Right, well..."
"D'you want to come with us?" Tom asked. "Its not that far is it Z?"
Zendaya's beautiful brown eyes widened with shock, then with a smile she said "No, But we have to go now. I don't want to be late."
We set off, Tom in the middle, explaining to Zendaya about how we had met at the auditions for Spider-Man.
I was completely bewildered. What was he doing inviting me to walk with him and his girlfriend?
A minute later we arrive outside a hair salon.
"See you in about an hour?"
Zendaya nodded, then slipped through the front door of the shop.
Tom turned to me and grinned again. "D'you wanna get a coffee?" He said.
I blinked at him, utterly confused. "Er..."
The smile fell from Tom's face. He stared at me for a second, then he scowled.
"No problem." He swung away from me and took a long stride back up the high street.
I stared at him in horror. Then I practically flew the two meter gap that had already opened between us.
"I do," I said breathlessly, falling into a rapid walk beside him. "Want to get a coffee i mean. It's just." I nodded back towards the hair salon. "Won't she mind?"
Tom frowned. "Zendaya? Why would she? I doubt she would care if..." He stopped, his face splitting into an enormous grin. "Er... Zendaya's my friend, she's part of the cast..." He said.
He was still grinning as we walked into the little cafe two doors back up the high street. It was crowded with Saturday shoppers. Bulging plastic bags filled the floor between each of the cramped tables.
I followed Tom over to the counter. My face was burning with embarrassment. It wasn't just that I'd got their relationship all wrong, I'd implied that Tom inviting me for a coffee somehow meant something. Like a date. When to him it was probably just a friendly gesture.
I took a deep breath trying to calm down. I gazed at the rows of cakes and buns on the counter. Out of the corner of my eye i could see Tom pulling his wallet out of him jeans.
"Don't worry I've got cash." I told him, but he didn't want to hear it, eventually i gave in and let him pay for the coffee.
As we fought our way through the crowded shop to a small table near the window, i started to feel excited, i mean I'd never been on a proper date before and i knew this wasn't one but hey, it was the closest I've ever come to one and it was with the best looking guy i knew!
We sat down. Tom took a gulp of his coffee.
I sat forward, transfixed by his eyes, by the elegant slope of his nose, by the perfect curve on his lips.
We stare at each other for a moment. Then i sipped at my coffee, trying desperately to think of something to say.
"Zendaya is very pretty." I said. "Beautiful, actually."
"Yeah?" Tom looked mildly surprised. "Really?"
I nodded. "Her hair's amazing. And shes got a great figure"
Tom screwed up his face "Your not lesbian, are you?"
"No, not that there's anything wrong with being gay, but no."
Tom laughed. "Good," he said. "That would be just my luck."
My breath caught in my throat as his eyes rested on mine again.
Saying that ... that meant he was interested didn't it? That definitely implied he was interested.
Tom was still staring at me. Into me.
And then my phone buzzed.
I leaped about ten centimetres into the air, then pulled my mobile out of my trouser pocket. My blush deepened as i bent over the text message. How seriously uncool was it to jump when your own phone rang?
Where r u? Gng 2 look @ shop... hurry up! x
(Y/F/N). I'd completely forgotten i was supposed to meet her up the high street half an hour ago.
Oh no. She was going to be walking down the the bottom the the high street. She'd pass right by the cafe.
I looked around, we were sitting in the front window and all the other tables were full.
If she looked into the cafe and saw me with Tom...
I couldn't face it. This thing with Tom was all so uncertain. So fragile. And my feeling were so confusing. No way was i ready to tell (Y/F/N) about it. Not until i was more sure of how i felt. Right now it was private - it belonged to me and him.
No one else.
Tom raised him eyebrows. "Who was that?"
I shook my head. "No one," I said. I didn't want to tell him i was supposed to be meeting (Y/F/N). He might suggest he came along to say hello or something.
I stood up. "I gotta go." I said. "I'm meeting someone."
Tom stood up too. God. He was so much taller than me. I felt suddenly ridiculous, only coming up too his chest like i did. I glanced up at him. For the first time since i met him he looked unsure of himself, like he didn't know what to say or do next.
"Thanks for the coffee," I said. My mouth felt dry. I didn't want to go. But (Y/F/N) would be down here in a second.
I turned and practically raced out of the coffee shop.