A Chance Meeting | Chris Evans

Chapter 46

Part two...
*****

Well it hadn't been that easy. She'd managed to beat him by one point, but she'd had to try really hard, and she was pretty sure that he could still have played better.
'Congratulations.' Chris said, grinning at her and shaking her hand again. 'Looks like I owe you chocolate.'
'Looks like you do.'
'Feeling up to another game?' He asked.
'Sure, why not.'
'Let's get some more drinks in first though.' Scott said, and took everyone's orders.
'Come and give me a hand, Becs?' He asked.
'Errr...okay.' Becca said warily.
Is this where he gives me the third degree about Chris?
'So, are you having a good time?' Scott asked as they walked to the bar area.
'Um...yeah.'
'No need to look so worried.' Scott said lightly. 'I'm not going to have a go at you.'
'You're not?'
'Of course not.' He said with a laugh. 'Why would I do that?'
'I thought this might be the point where you get the bamboo splinters out and ask me what I'm doing with your brother.'
'Bamboo splinters?' He asked, looking confused.
'It's a method of torture from the Far East - shoving bamboo splinters under the fingernails. Meant to be excruciatingly painful.'
Stop talking. Stop talking immediately.
Scott blinked at her. 'Errr...'
'Sorry. I tend to blurt out weird stuff when I'm nervous.' Becca said.
'No kidding. Well, I can promise you that I don't have any bamboo splinters.' He said, holding up his hands and smiling. 'See?'
She smiled back, a little embarrassed.
The bartender came over at that point and Scotty passed on their orders.
'I was going to, before I met you.' Scott admitted. 'Not the bamboo splinters though, more like some hard questions. But now I've met you, you seem really nice and Chris likes you, so that's good enough for me.'
'Oh.'
'If Chris likes you, then I like you.'
'You're a good brother.'
'I'm the best.' He joked. 'We can go back to the lane - they'll bring our drinks over when they're ready.'
'Okay.'
'So you're pretty good at bowling.' Scott said. 'You managed to beat Chris.'
'Yeah, I'm not sure he was really trying that hard.'
'I think he's probably trying to be a gentleman.'
Becca rolled her eyes.
'So, you're a librarian?' Scott asked.
'Yeah. What about you? What do you do?'
'I'm an actor too, not as well known as Chris, obviously.'
'What sort of acting do you do? Would I have seen you in anything?'
'Mostly TV work.' He said, mentioning a couple of shows that didn't mean anything to her.
'I haven't seen those. I don't really watch a lot of TV shows.'
'And when I'm not working, I sing in a band.'
'Wow. You're in a band? That's so cool.' Becca said, impressed. 'What sort of music do you play?'
'A bit of a mixture - some new stuff, some classics, like Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison.'
'I love that song! It's one of my favourites.'
'Yeah? We also do some stuff by Aretha, Dusty, Dolly, some Billy Joel.'
'That sounds amazing. The first song I ever remember liking was by Billy Joel.'
'Which one?'
'It was 'Uptown Girl', I still like it now.'
'That's in my current set.'
'No way!'
He stopped walking and scrolled on his phone. 'This is my current set.' He said, handing the phone to Becca.
'Wow. There's some great songs on here.'
'You should hear us play sometime.'
'I'd love to. Do you play many gigs?'
'We have one on Thursday - maybe you could come along and hear us then?'
'That'd be great, I'd love that. Where and when is it?'
'If you give me your number, I'll send you all the details. Or you could just get Chris to drive you - he usually comes to my gigs when he's about.'
'I'll give you my number.' Becca said and reeled it off.
When they got back to the lane, Chris came over.
'Everything okay?' He asked Becca, looking from one to the other.
'Yeah. Why? Were you expecting the bamboo splinters too?' She said.
Scott laughed as he walked off.
'What?' Chris asked, looking confused.
'Never mind. Everything's fine. Your brother was just telling me about his band.'
'Right. See, I told you that my friends weren't scary.'
'No, they're nice. Even Sam's warmed up now.'
'Yeah, sorry about that, sometimes he can be a little...'
'It's okay. No need to apologise.'
'But you seem to have won him over with your Star Trek knowledge.' He teased.
Becca laughed. 'Glad it's proved useful.'
'So...I was thinking...do you fancy another side-bet on the next game?' Chris asked.
Becca laughed. 'I'm not sure that I need that much chocolate.'
'Not chocolate. I was thinking we might raise the stakes a little.'
Oh God. What's he going to suggest?
'Raise them to what?' She asked.
Please don't let him have heard how squeaky my voice was then.
'If I win...you have to come on set.'
'What?!'
'If I win, you have to come on set and meet the guys.'
'I don't know-' Becca said.
'Why don't you want to? You'd love it. I know that you love Marvel.'
'I've got my reasons.'
'Which are?'
'Look, I told you that I find it hard to meet new people. It was hard enough for me to meet these guys tonight.'
'But you came, and you're having a good time, right?'
'Yes, but that is not Robert Downey Jnr, and that is not Scarlett Johansson.' She said, pointing to Sam and Matt.
'You're nervous about meeting them?'
'Of course I am.'
'I know it'd be a little intimidating at first, but when you get to know them, they're just normal people. Well, maybe not Mackie.'
Becca smiled at the joke.
It would be amazing. Just as long as I don't embarrass myself at the sight of Chris in his Captain America costume.
'Okay.' She said.
'Really?' He grinned. 'That's great.'
'You've got to win first, don't forget. And what about if I win?'
'You need to pick something. But we're raising the stakes, so not chocolate. Something significant.'
'Like what?'
'Anything you like. Anything at all.'
I'd like you. Does that count?
'Erm...'
'I've got an idea, if you can't think of anything.' Chris said
'What?'
'Well, we did kind of joke about me taking you to New York, first class all the way. We could do that.'
She stared at him in shock. 'That was a joke.'
'Yeah, I know. But you do want to go there, don't you?'
'Well, yes, but I can't let you take me to New York!'
'Why not?'
Because...because...
'Look, I didn't know who you were when I joked about that.'
'Would it've made a difference?'
'God yes! I would never have made that joke to anyone who could actually afford to do it.'
'If the cost is an issue, we don't have to do everything first class. I just thought you'd like to.'
'It's not just...'
'Why don't you think about it - you don't have to decide anything now. Let's just play the game.' Chris said, and went to take his go.
Bloody hell. Go on set of an Avengers movie or go to New York? I'm not sure if I want to win or lose!
'Oh my God!' Whispered Viv, coming to stand next to her. 'Did I just hear what I think I heard? On the Avengers set or New York?'
Becca nodded dumbly at her.
'Well, this definitely answers the question of whether he likes you or not, Becca.'
She really didn't know what to say to that.

****

Maybe because her head was still spinning from what Chris had said, and maybe because she was getting tired, but she wasn't doing anywhere near as well in this game. Chris was ten points ahead with only three turns left each. She'd gone downhill, whereas Chris seemed to be playing better than ever. Suspiciously better.
'Come on, it's not over yet. You can still pull it back.' Said Scott, patting her on the shoulder.
But then she knocked six pins down with her first ball and guttered her second. Her head just wasn't in the game.
'Never mind.' Chris said. 'That was-'
'That was an extremely disappointing performance.' Said Becca.
'Ha.' Laughed Scott. 'An extremely disappointing performance - name of your sex tape.'
There was a beat of silence when everyone just looked at Scott.
'Scotty, what the fu-' Chris said, sounding horrified.
But he was interrupted by Becca bursting out laughing.
'Jake Peralta. Brooklyn Nine Nine.' She said.
Scotty grinned at her. 'Chris said you watched it.'
'I love it. It's the funniest thing.' Becca grinned back.

****

By the time the game ended, Chris was nineteen points ahead.
'You win. Well done.' Said Becca as nicely as she could.
'You really hate losing, don't you?' Chris said with a smile.
'Yeah. Especially when I feel like I've been hustled.'
'Hustled?' Chris said, with mock innocence. 'I'm sure I have no idea what you mean.'
'You played a lot better in that game.'
'Did I?'
'Yes, almost as though you were taking it easy on me in the first game.'
Chris just grinned at her.
'I did think about throwing the game. I really wanted to take you to New York.' He said.
Becca swallowed, feeling butterflies in her stomach.
'About the bet-' She began.
'Oh no. You can't back out of it now. A bet's a bet. You're coming on set.'
'I wasn't gonna back out. I'll do it.'
'Great. I'll get something arranged when we come back from South Korea.'
Becca nodded at him.
Holy shit.
'Do you want to come and get a drink with us?' Scott asked Becca and Viv.
Becca looked at her watch.
'Thanks, but it's already pretty late and I've got a really early start in the morning.' Becca said.
'Well it was really nice to meet you, and hopefully we'll see you again soon.' Said Scott, drawing Becca and then Viv into a warm hug. 'I'll be in touch about the gig.'
'Really nice to meet you too, Scott.' Said Becca as Matt hugged Viv and then her.
'Great to meet you, Matt. Where's Sam?'
'I think he went off for a smoke, but I'll tell him you said bye.' Matt said.
'Thanks.'
She turned towards Chris and hesitated. She'd hugged the other two. Should she hug him too?
There was a second of awkwardness where neither of them did anything, but then Chris put his arms out slightly.
'You hugged them.' He said.
Don't make a big deal out of it. You can do it. It's just a hug.
She stepped in and put her arms around his waist, as he put his arms around her and pulled her gently in until her cheek was resting on his chest.
Oh my God, he smells amazing.
But more than that, it just felt so...nice. So safe and comforting.
'Bye Becs.' He said.
She wanted to stay like this forever, but the hug had already gone on longer than was normal. She let go, but Chris held on for a second longer before taking his arms away.
She stepped back, feeling like her face was blazing. She watched Chris give Viv a quick hug and then she hurried out.

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