more than i know | tom holland

Prologue

You walked into the small coffee shop with quick steps, rushing to the back. Your eyes searched the room for a free table. It was a Saturday morning and, as usual, your favourite coffee shop was packed with people. You contemplated what your next move was going to be when your eyes found a guy about your age sitting alone at a table for two, scrolling through his phone. Bingo.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" You asked him, your hand resting on the top of the wooden chair. Please say no. The young man raises his head to look at you, before letting his eyes roam around the busy coffee shop.

"No, go ahead." He replied assuming you would take the chair and move it to another table where your friends were sitting. But you didn't. You pulled the chair back and sat down. His eyes curiously watched you, noticing that you were quite out of breath. He goes back to his phone until he feels your eyes staring at him. "You alright?" He asked, genuine concern lacing his voice.

"Yeah, sorry. It's just... I told my sister that I was going on a date today and she's just texted me that she's on her way here to 'spy on me and check the guy out!'" You moved your fingers to form quotation marks.

"And he didn't show up or...?" He asked not knowing what you're getting at. His brows knitted together in confusion. You cover your face with your hands, letting out a breath.

"There is no guy. I wasn't going on a date." His eyes widened in realisation.

"So, you lied to your sister?"

"Essentially. But she's been bugging me about going out more and meeting people... She's getting married soon and she, and my mum for that matter, are constantly nagging me to bring a date to the wedding. Like, can't they be satisfied with the fact that my sister's found a husband? Do I really need to have someone at the ready?"

Tom chuckled at your small outburst.

"And now you're here to pretend to be on a date with me?"

"Um... yeah?" It came out more like a question and you closed your eyes for a brief second. You hadn't really thought this through. Your mind just short-circuited when you read your sister's text asking you to 'let loose and go on some dates'. She was super excited when you told her that you were on your way to a date right now. She asked all sorts of questions and you had to come up with everything on the spot, finally telling her you were going to meet a guy at your favourite coffee shop. "Look, you can go back on your phone and it'll just look like I'm on a shitty date when she sees us." You felt guilty that you had dragged a stranger into all of this. This was your problem to deal with, you had been the one to tell your sister that you had a date, when in reality you didn't.

" 'S alright. We can talk. I'm on my phone way too much anyway." He smiles putting the device in his pocket as if to make a point. "You want me to get you something to drink?" He lifts the mug in front of him to his lips emptying it in one go.

"Oh, you don't have to. I can get something myself."

"I'm going to get another coffee anyway. So, what would you like?" He winks and gets up from his chair and you find yourself thinking that you couldn't have picked a better guy to be your random pretend date. You tell him your order and with a smile, he moves towards the counter.

You close your eyes and let out another breath before finally taking your jacket off, hanging it on the back of the chair. Your eyes move towards your 'date'. He was wearing black jeans and a white t-shirt. Nothing spectacular, but he made it look amazing. There was no denying that he was fit. You watched his muscles move under his shirt. Were you really ogling him right now? His brown curls