A Chance Meeting | Chris Evans

Chapter 34

Tuesday
7.20am

Becs📚
Good morning

Chris 🤪

Becs📚
Very cute 😍

Chris 🤪
Do you mean me or the kitten? 😉

Becs📚
The kitten of course

Chris 🤪
Now that's just hurtful 💔 😭

Becs📚
🤣

Chris 🤪
You're up early - you never normally beat me to the good morning text

Becs📚
Only just though - still at the kitchen table in my PJs drinking my first coffee of the day

Chris 🤪
Wish I was too - been up for hours doing an early morning shoot 💤 then filming all day and a dinner meeting to top it off

Becs📚
Wow. That's a busy day

Chris 🤪
What about you?

Becs📚
Working then out for a meal with Viv and Ella

Chris 🤪
GTG director is calling

Becs📚
Bye

******
6.50pm

Chris 🤪
Hey. How's your day going?

Becs📚
Hi there. It's going good, thanks. Out having food and a couple of drinks. You?

Chris 🤪
At the dinner meeting 😴

Becs📚
Are you somewhere really fancy?

Chris 🤪
No we're at a seafood place - food's good though 🦀🦞🦐 And I've seen something that reminds me of you 😆

Becs📚
You have? Do I want to know?

Chris 🤪

Becs📚
Ha ha ha 😐

Becs📚
Am I that bad?

Chris 🤪
Hell, yeah 🤣

'Your girl again?' Mackie asked.
'Yeah.'
'And how goes love's young dream?' Asked Rob.
'Good, I think.'
'You think? Have you done something to mess it up again?'
'What's going on?' Asked Scarlett, wandering over.
'He's done something to mess it up again.'
'No, I haven't. Things are fine. She's just proving to be a little...hard to get to know.'
'Is she playing hard to get?' Asked Mackie. 'I love it when they do that. There's nothing like the chase.'
'Urgh Mackie, you're a pig.' Said Scarlett, hitting him.
'Hey, I'm just saying what every guy is thinking.' Said Mackie, laughing.
'Not every guy, Mackie.' Said Chris. 'And she's not playing hard to get, she's just very...guarded.'
'You should get advice from Scarlett then.' Renner said, joining the conversation. 'Before Colin she was the Queen of not getting emotionally involved.'
'Thanks.' Scarlett said.
'You don't have to get all angsty about it Dorito - just take her on a couple of dates and she'll soon warm up to your all-American charms.' Said Rob.
'That's the problem though, I've asked her out twice now and she's turned me down both times. Three times if you include inviting her onto the set.'
'Okay Scarlett, you're up.' Rob said.
'She turned you down?' Asked Mackie.
'There's something that we haven't considered - does she date guys? She might be more into girls.' Said Renner.
'I don't think so.' Said Chris. 'She seemed like she wanted to date me before. It's only since she found out who I am that she's backed off.'
'Maybe you're not her type.' Said Mackie.
'Thanks, Man.'
'How did you ask her out and what exactly did she say?' Asked Scarlett.
'First time was when she'd just found out who I was - I asked if she wanted to go for coffee.'
'And what did she say?'
'That she'd rather we just messaged for now.'
'Ouch!' Said Renner.
'Yeah.'
'Then the second time I asked her to see this movie and she said she was busy. And then I invited her to come onto the set and hang out and she said that it was too soon.'
'Oh man, that bites.' Sympathised Mackie.
'Okay.' Said Scarlett. 'I see two, no three possibilities. One: she likes you but she feels intimidated and she's holding back because of that.'
'Intimidated by dorito? He's a teddy bear.' Rob said.
'Yeah, a big cuddly teddy bear.' Said Renner, pinching Chris's cheek playfully.
'I know that, but she doesn't.' Said Scarlett. She turned to Chris. 'I mean, physically you're a big guy, which is intimidating enough for some people, but on top of that you're a celebrity. That's a big deal.'
'Okay, that's one, what are two and three?'
'Two: she likes you but she's really shy and finds it hard to open up or let anyone get close.'
'Okay.'
'And three: she just doesn't like you, or at least not in that way.'
'So how do I know which one it is?'
'Well, it'll kinda become obvious over time if she likes you or not, but that could take a long while, especially if she's shy. Your other option is to force her hand a little.'
'What?' Asked Rob, sounding a little shocked.
Chris frowned, 'I'm not sure that-'
'I don't mean literally, you doofus.' Laughed Scarlett, rolling her eyes.
'Good.'
'When I first met Colin, I was a little hesitant to get involved with him.' Scarlett began.
Renner coughed 'Ice Queen.'
'Thanks Renner. Anyway he managed to get me to go on a date with him against my better judgement.'
'How'd he do that?'
'He made it so that I'd have to either go on the date or stand him up. He asked me for coffee and when I tried to back out he said something along the lines of: he was going to be there and I could  go and have coffee with him if I wanted, or he would sit and have coffee alone and read a book. And then he just left it, didn't expect an answer from me, nothing. But the really sneaky thing was, he did it right at the end of the conversation, so I didn't have time to think up an excuse, and then he turned his phone off so that I couldn't call or text to say I wasn't going. And I couldn't bear the thought of him just sitting there waiting for me to turn up, so I went on the date.'
'And the rest is history.' Said Renner.
'Respect. I had no idea Colin was that devious.' Said Mackie.
Scarlett smiled. 'He can be very determined if he wants something.'
'Do you think that would work with Becs?' Chris said, considering.
'From what you've said, she sounds nice, and no one nice likes the thought of someone being stood up.'
'Give it a go.' Said Rob.
'Okay.'
'But the important thing is to not give her the chance to back out, so you've got to turn your phone off - no calling, no texting, no sending any funny little memes.'
'Won't she find that a bit weird?' Asked Chris. 'I message her all the time.'
'You'll just have to think of an excuse why you can't use your phone. She'll probably work out what you're doing - I did with Colin, but hopefully she'll still be too nice to stand you up.'

*****