#double-check

It was her laugh that caught his attention first. She was standing ten feet away from him, one hand over her mouth, one hand holding her stomach.

“Jane?”

“Hi Tom!” she giggled.

He resisted the urge to dash over and give her a hug, instead they walked towards each other, grins plastered across their faces. They both went in for an awkward hug but as Jane began giggling again at the strangeness of their situation he hugged her tightly and lifted her off the ground causing her to shriek with laughter.

“How was your flight, Jane dear?” he asked, depositing her back on solid ground.

“Long.” She tried in vain to compose herself. “Thank you so much for meeting me.”

“If I recall correctly,” he teased, leading her into the mall. “I insisted. If it were up to you, you would have been having room service in your hotel tonight and then wandered around London all on your lonesome tomorrow.”

“If you recall correctly,” she replied, mimicking him. “I’m still going to be wandering around London by myself, mister busy actor man.”

Tom laughed as he pressed the button for the elevator, watching as Jane (quite-pretty-Jane, looked-younger-than-she-was-Jane) as she glanced at all the closed retail stores curiously.

“I am sorry about that, I’d change my schedule if I could, but…”

“No! No, don’t be silly. You’re already going out of your way for a stranger. I appreciate everything you’re doing for me, really.”

They rode the elevator all the way to the top in slightly awkward silence, glancing at each other and then looking away when the other caught them.

“So…” Tom announced as they stepped out on to the rooftop restaurant. “I’m afraid this is not the best wine bar in London, but it’s still pretty good though. And what it lacks in a wine list,” he said, leading her away from the restaurant. “It makes up for with a great view.”

“Oh my goodness!” Jane gasped as she rushed to the barrier. Tom relaxed several degrees at Jane’s reaction. He joined her at the terrace edge and pulled out a small folded map out of his jacket inside pocket. He spread it out in front of her and pointed to various points of interest on the map and then pointed them out on the horizon for her.

“See that glint of gold over there? That’s Lady Justice atop the Old Bailey. And the London Eye, over there. And just before that is the National Theatre, where you will be seeing…” he pulled a ticket out of his pocket. “Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein, Friday night.”

“You didn’t!” she squealed, taking the ticket from him. “Tom, this is too much! You really didn’t have to do this – I have to pay you back!”

“Nonsense. No, really. A few of my friends are in it, so I guess you could say I got it at mate’s rates.”

“Tom, please!” Jane’s expression led Tom to believe she wasn’t going let it go.

“Alright, if it means that much to you, you can get the tab tonight and I’ll consider the debt settled.”

“Perfect! Just don’t order lobster.”

 Jane’s weariness abated in Tom’s company. They talked and drank for hours about all things London and by the time Tom walked her back to her hotel her head was swimming with ideas. They exchanged numbers and said goodbye whilst Tom waited for a cab, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to see her again before she left, so just in case, he hugged her again.

“Thanks so much, Tom. I really appreciate it.”

“It was my pleasure, Jane dear. Enjoy your stay.”

“I’m sure I will. Thank you!” she called as the cab pulled away. As soon as it was out of sight she practically ran through the hotel lobby to the elevators, setting the alarm on her phone on the ride up. She was so excited now she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to sleep, but it didn’t matter – she’d sleep on the flight back. For now she had the whole of London to see and only two days to see it.

 Friday night came around in what felt like a blink of an eye. Jane had hardly stopped moving the past two days but now she found herself milling about outside the National Theatre, waiting for the line to move forwards. Soon she found herself in another world, its dark sky littered with hundreds of lights that flickered and moved like the sea.

“Amazing…” she whispered as she took her seat.

The lights dimmed and everyone shifted in their seats, the anticipation in the crowd palpable.

“Excuse me, excuse me, sorry…”

“Tom?”

“Hi,” he whispered as he fell into the empty seat beside her.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed, as he tried to get his tall frame to fit in the limited space, the people behind him tsking irritably.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it, so I didn’t want to make any promises I couldn’t keep. Besides, the look on your face was totally worth it,” he smirked.

“Oh, shut up.”

Behind the scenes technicians crafted a storm, the lights above echoing the noise, and thus Jane’s attention was stolen from Tom for the next two hours.

 “I’ve never seen anything like it! That was so amazing! Oh, damn, now I want to stay longer so I can see them play the other role.”

“I’ve seen both. They both bring something unique to each role. It’s really quite an astonishing piece of work. I’m sure they’ll be getting some mentions when awards season comes around.”

“How do you do it?” Jane asked as they strolled down the Thames back to her hotel. “How did they do it?”

“What?” Tom laughed.

“Learn lines. I would think it would be hard enough to learn any lines, but to learn to a lead role’s lines – to learn both leads? My head hurts just thinking about it.”

“Well…” Tom paused as he collected his thoughts. “Well, the first stage is learning the lines. Reading them over and over and over until you could say them in your sleep. And then… and then you’ve got to forget it all, and approach it anew. It can’t sound like you say it backwards. You need to take and give it life, put emotion and feeling into it. It just… happens, somehow. What?” he asked when he caught Jane staring at him.

“Nothing. You’re just really passionate about your work, and it shows. It’s nice.”

Tom blushed but it quickly faded when The Globe came into view.

“Come on,” he said excitedly, taking her hand and running up the steps to the theatre, pushing past people who were milling about the exits. “Hey, Charlie?” he called to a security guard.

“Hey, Tom.”

“How long til you close up?”

“About fifteen minutes, why?”

“Mind if I show my friend around?”

“Make it quick.”

Tom pulled Jane inside the old fashioned building, smiling as he watched her light up at the sight of it.

“Have you ever been on stage before?” he asked with twinkle in his eye. And before she could reply he was leading her up onto the much-revered stage, beneath the blue and gold constellations. He gestured at the space and Jane declined, stepping back to let Tom have first go of it.

 Sweet love, renew thy force; be it not said

Thy edge should blunter be than appetite,

Which but to-day by feeding is allayed,

To-morrow sharpened in his former might:

So, love, be thou, although to-day thou fill

Thy hungry eyes, even till they wink with fulness,

To-morrow see again, and do not kill

The spirit of love, with a perpetual dulness.

Let this sad interim like the ocean be

Which parts the shore, where two contracted new

Come daily to the banks, that when they see

Return of love, more blest may be the view;

As call it winter, which being full of care,

Makes summer's welcome, thrice more wished, more rare.

 Jane cheered and applauded as Tom took his bows in front of the empty stalls.

“Your turn.”

“Oh, no. I couldn’t possibly follow that.”

“Nope, you have to. Rules of the stage, I’m afraid.”

“Bullshit,” she laughed. Tom stepped to the edges of the stage and waited, amusingly impatient, for Jane to take centre stage. “Alright, alright…” she mumbled, moving into place. She worried her bottom lip as all the Shakespeare she had ever learned magically vanished from her memory.

“Need some help?”

“Shh!” Jane waved him off and paced for a few minutes until something finally came to her.

 Come, you spirits

That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,

And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full

Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood;

Stop up the access and passage to remorse,

That no compunctious visitings of nature

Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between

The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts,

And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,

Wherever in your sightless substances

You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night,

And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,

That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,

Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,

To cry 'Hold, hold!'

 “Wow…” Tom mused, slow clapping. “I never would have taken you for a Lady Macbeth fan.”

“No?”

“No, you don’t quite seem the manipulatively ambitious sort.”

“I was thinking more frustrated, and limited, and hindered in all things by incompetent men,” Jane spat before she could stop herself. “No,” she sighed, taking a seat at the edge of the stage. “Not you, you’re lovely.”

“Why, thank you,” he replied smugly as he sat beside her. “What’s happened?”

“I got offered a job.”

“Really? Where? Doing what?”

“Here, in London. Working for a woman I met at the convention. We bumped into each other at a wine tasting – surprise, surprise. And I got to talking about the wine and asking the stall holder all these random in depth questions that had him tripping over his tongue. I amused her, I think. And we talked for a while and she liked my resume.”

“You took your resume with you to a work convention?”

“Of course, don’t you?”

Tom had to concede that point. When you were mingling with other professionals, trying to make connections, having a resume and headshot close at hand made things easier.

“So, this woman,” he said instead. “Who is she, who does she work for?”

“Actually,” Jane beamed. “Elise owns the best wine bar in the city.”

“No way!”

“Mhmm. I was slightly suspicious of her offer but we exchanged numbers and she invited me to the bar last night for a follow up chat and more wine tasting.”

“And you couldn’t say no to that.”

“No, I couldn’t. The bar is, in a word, amazing. Great location, stunning interior – very posh.”

“And the job?”

“A bit open ended. Mostly cellar door stuff – run the tasting room, host groups, sales… I could also handle convention and expo type events. She thinks I know my stuff, better than the booth holders we dealt with on Tuesday, at any rate.”

“But?”

“But… What if it’s too good to be true? What if I end up being a glorified waitress? I would have left everything - my job, my family, my friends, my home - to fly halfway around the world for it to not be worth the sacrifice.”

“Mmm…” Tom mused. “I’m at a bit of a crossroads myself.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah… A guy I’ve work with a few time is directing a Marvel movie, and he’s cast me as one of the leads.”

“That’s amazing!”

“Is it… and terrifying.”

“Why?”

“What if he only hired me because he’s my mate? What if I’m not the right guy for the job? What if it flops? What if it’s my only chance to break into Hollywood and I screw it up?”

“Well, firstly… There’s a lot of money being thrown around on those films. I hardly think you’d be hired if your friend didn’t think you were up to the task. And… if it flops, then what? Would you give up acting?”

“Of course not. I’ve studied and worked for years to get here, and I love performing. You don’t walk away from your passion just because of one bad gig.”

Jane just smiled smugly.

“Well, Miss Smartypants, I think you’ll find if you take what we’ve said and replace the word “film” with “wine”, you’re in the same boat as me.”

“Damn. I hate it when you make sense.”

They shared a laugh but were shut down by the security guard doing his last sweep before locking up. Tom helped Jane down off the stage and they headed back out into the night, strolling idly as they chatted.

“So, you think I should take the job?”

“I think… if it’s about what you love, more so than your current job, you have to at least consider it. People don’t get offered their dream jobs every day, you know. And I know moving to a strange place might seem frightful but it’s not like you’ll be completely alone,” he added with a reassuring smile. “I promise to invite you to the pub with me and my friends at every available opportunity.”

“And I’ll finally get to meet the famous John?”

“For the record, Jane dear, he happens to be engaged. I swear, after all this if you end up falling for him…”

“As opposed to who?” Jane asked curiously. Tom blushed and stammered, which Jane mirrored when she gleaned his meaning.

An awkward silence fell over them, followed by idle small talk as they wander back to Jane’s hotel. Once there Jane once again stood outside with Tom while he waited for a cab.

“Just give the job offer some serious thought. And if you take it and it doesn’t end up working out, there’s no shame in going home again. And I promise, if you come to London, you won’t be alone. Okay?”

“Okay,” Jane nods, still blushing. “Get down here,” she said with open arms to the much taller Tom. Tom’s smile lit up the night as he pulled Jane into a hug, lifting her up off the ground just to hear her squeal with delight. “Thanks for everything.”

“You’re more than welcome.” He paused before stepping into the black cab. “Email me when you get back?”

“Of course.”

“Have a safe flight, Jane dear.”

“Bye, Tom.”

 Jane didn’t sleep that night, or for most of her flight home. After she touched down and reality began seeping back in she tried to push the friendly, handsome Brit from her mind so he wouldn’t sway her decision.

 Hi Tom,

Sorry I didn’t message sooner, but as you know I had a few things to figure out. I’ve been emailing Elise and she sent me an official job offer. I would be lying if my eyes didn’t do that cartoon thing where they’re replaced with dollar signs. Or should I say pound signs?

Regardless, I had a chat with my current boss and explained the situation to him and told him if he wanted me to stay on he’d have to at least attempt to meet Elise’s offer either financially or position-wise. His counter offer was insulting enough that it kind of sealed the deal for me.

So… You wouldn’t happen to be free for drinks on the 15th, would you?

- Jane

 Jane dear,

It’s a date.

- Tom

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