TWH

9 - birthday boy

The next few weeks flew by in a haze of messaging, emails and phone calls. After New Year's Eve, Tom had taken me for breakfast and we'd spent the day hanging around with Emma and Richard and his flat mates, before I headed back to uni the following week. Tom started rehearsals for his play and had three casting calls for new projects.

He'd been sweet about making sure we kept in contact and there hadn't been a day where we'd not said goodnight to each other in one way or another. Everything that happened in my life I wanted to tell him about, and from the lengthy messages I received, I'm pretty sure he wanted to tell me too.

From: Tom H

Subject: Birthday boy

Okidoke, it's my birthday next weekend and I think I've decided what I'd like for my gift. Any chance you'd be free for weekend? I'm having family over on the Sunday and wondered if you'd like to go to dinner Friday/Saturday? We could actually have a first date?
I'm missing you so much? Is that odd as actually We only spent days together? Maybe that's it; I'm frustrated that it's only been days and I wish it were more.
Anyway, are you able to get to London and make an old man happy on his birthday?

Hugs,

Tom xoxo

I read his message during a lecture and then couldn't focus on anything. It didn't matter what my plans were in the slightest I was definitely going to be free to spend some time with him in his birthday. Hell, I was pretty sure I knew what I was going to give him  of been frustrated that we didn't actually have sex nye, it was great that he wanted to make sure I was happy and felt ready but my god was I frustrated and  most definitely ready now!

I text a quick reply to his message and went about sorting a little plan.

"What are you scheming?" Emma asked as she looked over my laptop in our shared kitchen.

"Tom's birthday. He's asked me over for a real date type thing" I closed the screen.

"So you're shagging her brother now then?" Toby one of the other guys on our floor chipped in.

"She's not yet but she's gonna!" Emma pipped up. "And we're not going to let it be awkward. Let's give him another name or something, to help me disassociate" she smiled and sat up straight. "So this guys you're seeing has invited you to his for his birthday."

"Is he having a party?" Toby sat down with a cup of coffee, interested now.

"I don't think so. He asked if it could be our first real date, so I'm guessing it's just the two of us. His family is coming over on the Sunday, he mentioned that but not much else, just that he knew what he wanted from me" I explained.

"He wants between your legs my darling" Toby teased and Emma rolled her eyes. I looked her way in an apologetic kind of way.

"Don't look at me like that, he's right. Tom's a... I mean - this guys you're seeing is a red blooded male, he's older than you, and your fucking hot. He's been patient with your v-card but your gonna have to prep for the whole shebang!" Always matter of fact Emma, even when discussing her best friend losing her virginity to her brother!

"Ok well then. I'm down with that. Like you said he's hot and kind and I'm ready. So what do I do now!?"

Toby opened my laptop again "we need underwear, and condoms!"

We spent the evening getting pissed I the kitchen buying sexy underwear sets from Victoria secrets and looking at places I could take Tom for dinner.

S - I'm sorting your birthday weekend. I'm excited. And I'm drunk! X

T - sounds like an interesting combination. So I don't need to book a table? X

S - nope! I'll get to you Saturday morning if that's ok? Then we can have some fun in the day and go out in the evening before you get to unwrap your present ;) xx

T - we'll now I'm very interested. What might my gift be? Xx

S - well, I can't tell you that would ruin the surprise. But you'll like it. I promise xx

T - I can't fucking wait. xxx

I booked a table at a funky restaurant not far from Tom's flat and where I knew there were some bars around if we fancied it. A family friend was setting up little boutique spa not far from there so I thought we'd spend the afternoon there and then head out for dinner.

The week was going to drag now though. I'd had a call from my agent asking me to come in for a meeting in the week. I arrange to go in the Friday afternoon, spend the evening at my parents and then head to Tom's mega early on his birthday morning. He wouldn't be up until late anyway.

I got a message on the train saying that his flat mates were off out for the weekend so we'd have the place to ourselves. And I started to get a little excited!

I walked into the offices of my management and everyone was very polite. This was either going to be something good. Or something really bad.

"Sit down Soph," mark, my guy, walked me into his office. "Ok so we have some things to go through" I swallowed hard. "Shit, good things. All good. Ha! Your face" he scoffed and I relaxed a little. "So The director has said he doesn't need to hear anyone else and he's keen to bypass other's auditions for you to have the role."

"Amazing!" I had auditioned but not really I'd just  helped out technically before he'd even finished writing things. I'd been around to his house and helped sing through stuff from the start of the process but I was still really pleased.

"And we've had calls from the 'Reader' people and they want you back to read through with the male actors they're talking to" he smiled.

I sat a little shocked. This was all happening very quickly and just as I started uni. How was that going to work?

"This is exciting Soph! You should be fucking ecstatic!" He said

"Yeah I am. I mean I know it's exciting. Just, school and things."

"No I've thought of this. So the movie is a really short shoot in the next few months, like spring, we could look at fitting it into Easter and then the show would start early summer, don't students get like 3 months off for the summer?" We can look at how long your run is and maybe not doing matinees or something?" He'd thought about things which made me feel happier, and the thought of a summer in London with Tom made me properly smile!