Who: Rose Hathaway and Tom (Cinderella's Prince) What: Meeting up to try a brownie When: After this Where: Baxter's Bakery Rating/Warnings: PG Status: Complete
It wasn’t often that Rose Hathaway agreed to meet random men from the internet for anything, so this was a special exception. She had to admit she really wanted to get the brownie and she was confident enough that if he was exceptionally creepy she would just break his arm. Hopefully it didn’t come down to something like that, but she knew that there was always something to be skeptical about. She left her apartment not soon after she posted her last comment to Tom and made her way to Audrey’s bakery via directions from google.
Who knew that posting about Halloween would get a ton of responses and now she was getting to try something that would hopefully satisfy her sweet tooth. Once at the bakery she parked her car and headed inside. She had no idea if he was inside or not, but she let her eyes survey the area and then made her way up to the counter to at least look at the brownies until he came in.
They were meeting at a public place. Tom had plans to go get a coffee, anyway, so he could meet a pretty girl, buy her some chocolate, all those good things. It was a win-win. And maybe he’d indulge in one of those amazing brownies, too.
He came in almost right after she did, recognizing her right away from her profile picture. He headed over to stand next to her at the pastry case, wearing a very wolf-like grin. “Rose?”
The grin was a little unnerving, but she couldn’t deny that he was pretty attractive and the grin almost made her blush. Okay, she lied - she had a tinge of pink her cheeks already, “Tom? Nice to meet you. Are these the brownies you were talking about?” She pointed towards the ooey gooey ones that were near the front of the case. Her head turned in a bashful way as she glanced over at the case to make sure she was pointing at the right one.
“Pleasure’s all mine.” Tom nodded. “They use those tiny peanut butter cups, and the big ones. Look. It’s just oozing peanut butter and chocolate. I think they have to freeze them or something, so that they won’t melt when the brownies bake?” Tom shrugged. However they did it, those brownies were amazing. “I’ll buy you one.”
“I think they have to. Otherwise it would just melt completely, but this way some of it is still intact while it’s baking. It’s a great idea,” she commented with a smile before turning back to look at him, “How do you know so much about them? Have you been harassing the owner about how to make them or something? And that’s very sweet of you to offer to buy me one.”
“I read a recipe online after I saw them here. Lots of Pinterest Fails. Aaaand I can’t believe I just admitted to a pretty girl that I know what a Pinterest Fail is,” Tom chuckled softly. “I don’t think I could harass the owner too much. She’s a sweetheart. You’re very welcome, though. Like I said, it’s my pleasure. You want a coffee or something, too?” He asked, and nodded to the red headed woman behind the counter for two of the brownies.
“Oh my gosh,” she couldn’t help but giggle a little at his admittance about the Pinterest Fail secret, “That is hysterical. Those are some of my favorite things to look at. Should I be worried that you have a pinterest board dedicated to your ideal woman or a future wedding?” An eyebrow was cocked playfully as she said it and then nodded, “Sure, a vanilla latte would be fantastic actually. Are you usually this nice to sugar addicts you’ve never met before?”
Tom laughed. “Well, jeez, now you’re making it sound like you’ve seen my Pinterest account,” he said, and played up the shifty eyes, as if he was admitting a huge secret. He drew out his wallet. “Well, when they’re as pretty as you? This might be the first time I’ve met a sugar addict as pretty as you, actually,” he admitted, and he actually went a little pink around the cheeks. Mostly thinking about how corny the line was. But he said it in a charming way. Then to the red head, “two vanilla lattes, too, please.”
“I work out a lot, so I’m able to eat a lot of sugar. I get a lot of flack about it at the gym, but I figure it’s not hurting anyone so why not indulge? I could be addicted to a lot worse things,” she pointed out with a smile as she stepped to the side where the drinks would be placed when they were finished up, “And I only know about your Pinterest account from my preliminary google search of you. Joking! I don’t think I had enough time to google you before I had to come down here to get a brownie. Should I even ask if you have a Pinterest account?”
“Hey, nothing wrong with a little indulgence. Sugar’s not too bad, considering the alternatives. It’s safe.” Tom agreed with her. It was obvious that he worked out, too. His physique was showing through his tight, black t-shirt. He stepped up to pay for everything, then met her at the counter where they could pick up their orders. “...I was gonna say, if you’d had a chance to google me… you might not have agreed to meet me. I’m pretty boring on paper,” he said, tucking his wallet away into his back pocket. “And no, I don’t actually have a Pinterest account. I’m just a Pinterest Troll.”
If he wanted to fully impress her with his physique he would have to be shirtless. She hung out with extremely fit men every day and it was beginning to become something she didn’t pay much attention to unless they were shirtless, sleeveless, or whatever. But she knew he looked good, so at least he had that going for him, “Isn’t everyone a little boring on paper? What would your google results say about you then? And I’m so glad you don’t have a Pinterest account - I would be more skeptical of you.”
“I’m just an investment banker and consultant. I work in my Dad’s company. Nothing else interesting. I don’t even have a Facebook account.” Tom said, shrugging. Actually, he stayed away from Social Media as much as humanly possible. It only bred drama. “What about you? What would you look like on paper?”
“You are actually kind of boring,” she teased with a smile before reaching up to brush some hair out of her eyes, “I’m slightly addicted to Facebook, but when you go to college then you have to have one or else you’re a social pariah. Let’s see…. mine would say college grad, but decided to go become an MMA fighter. Lives with her best friend and secretly wants a pet. Wow, I’m super boring as well!”
Tom raised both eyebrows. “College grad, but MMA Fighter? That’s… an interesting combination.” Their order appeared on the bar, so Tom took his plate and his mug and moved over to a table nearby. “How did you get into the MMA thing?”
“I got a degree in athletic training, so it’s not a huge stretch. Doing martial arts is always something I did as I grew up and I really enjoyed it. During senior year I decided to give MMA a try and it worked really well for me. My best friend got accepted into grad school out here and I looked around for group here to fight for and got in. So, now that’s what I do and I also do private security in my spare time. But lately it seems to be that I help step in as security at concerts,” she explained to him as she grabbed her things from the counter and moved over to the table he grabbed.
“Well… That’s an interesting career choice.” Tom said. Though, he wasn’t one to judge. He basically did what his father told him to do. It didn’t really matter to him either way, though, because as long as he could still go out at night, he’d do pretty much anything during the day. “Beats Investment Banking, I bet.” He gave her a charming smile. “You ready to try the brownie?”
“It is, but it’s what I love to do, so I can’t complain. And it totally beats Investment Banking,” she agreed with him on that part. And then it was time to try the brownie. She picked it up in her hands and studied it for a moment. It looked absolutely amazing and she was sure it would be an orgasmic experience, but she needed to make sure not to make too many noises around him, “I am so ready. I don’t think my body is ready though.”
Oh, please make some noises. Tom would give almost anything for those noises. Okay, he’d give anything for those noises. He lifted his own brownie and showed off his gleaming, white teeth. “It’s okay, we can do it together. Count of three?”
“Okay,” she laughed and her smile was wide as she lifted the brownie to her lips, “This smells like heaven. Oh god. One….” She honestly couldn’t wait to take a bite of this brownie and the fact that they had to wait until three was probably going to kill her, but hopefully they would count quickly!
Tom picked up his brownie, grinning brightly at the pretty girl across the table from him. He raised an eyebrow… “Two…” and then they could say three in unison. And bite. Despite his charming-cool exterior, Tom had actually really been looking forward to this. He closed his eyes and gave a little groan as he chewed, obviously enjoying the bite.
“Three,” it did come in unison and the two of them were biting into the amazing brownie at the same time. Her reaction was basically the same as his, but instead she gave a loud moan and closed her eyes. She chewed and swallowed before opening her eyes and hitting the table with another moan, “Holy shit. That is amazing.”
Oh, God, the moans. Tom broke into a grin as he chewed, eyes flying open at the sound. He raised an eyebrow, obviously amused. Entertained. He laughed softly and nodded. “See? Best ever. Go on, have another bite,” he pleaded, playfully. “It’s wonderful when you do.”
She noticed him looking at her with that grin and she immediately flushed. Okay, she hadn’t managed to keep the moans inside. The brownie was that good! She couldn’t resist and then when he told her to take another bite she gave a laugh, “It is really amazing. I may need to buy all the ones she has and just hoard them forever.” She took another bite and made a smaller moan this time before giggling.
Tom laughed again at the sound of the moan, and nodded, appreciatively. “That sounds like the best idea I’ve ever heard. Especially if you’ll let me hang out when you eat them. You have no idea how entertaining it is.” He was teasing playfully, then took another bite of his own. God, it was good. He nearly moaned with her.
She playfully crumpled up a napkin and threw it at him when he teased her about how she was eating the brownie, “Oh my gosh, hush. This is as judge free zone right now. This brownie is the best thing in the world that I’ve tasted. And you can come hang out if I get all the brownies. I may let you have one.”
The crumpled up napkin was caught by Tom, but wasn’t tossed back. He laughed as he lifted it and dabbed playfully at the corners of his lips with it, then tossed it onto the table. “...Judge free zone. Right. Got it.” He gave her a winning smile. “All right. We’ll hang out again. With more brownies. Next time, maybe dinner first?”
“Only if this dinner includes a chocolate buffet,” she commented with a wink and then looked a little bashful as she realized she should probably give him a real answer, “But sure, we can do dinner. I think I would like that. You seem like you’re not an ax murderer or anything like that.” Accepting dates off the internet was still new to her, but Tom seemed nice and charming, so why not have a little fun.
“I solemnly swear that I’m not an axe murderer.” Tom said, holding up his right hand as if swearing an oath. “And you’ll have time to Google me if we go out again.” He added, breaking into another playful grin. “Just promise you’ll stay away from my Pinterest page.” Wink. Bite. Chew.
“I may just make a Pinterest account in your name now,” she teased before taking a few more bites. She continued to make softer noses of excitement with each bite she took. Her brownie was almost gone so she made sure to take a long sip from her latte, “So, if you didn’t have to be an investment banker what would you want to do with your life?”
“Oh, gosh. I really have no idea. I’d have to figure that out.” Tom said, quite honestly. He figured the answer spend all my parents money and have a life-long party probably wouldn’t cut it with this girl. Though, that was a bit closer to the truth, anyway. “What about you? Miss MMA?” He gave her a charming smile. “What else do you like to do with your time?”
“Not a whole lot. I spent a lot of time at the gym. I like being active. I’m still trying to find some good places around here to go on hikes or something. Might as well enjoy this part of nature while I’m here, right?” Rose was a pretty simple person and didn’t have a ton of other activities that she truly loved to do because she spent all her time doing the things she liked.
“Long walks along the beach?” Tom asked, suggestively. Then he laughed. “That’s what I like to do. Honestly, I think I’d be lost if I wasn’t living next to the ocean. Maybe that’s what I’d do. Maybe I’d be an ocean… person.” He grinned. “Marine biologist? Though, I’m definitely not smart enough for that sort of thing.”
“Mmmm, be a romantic cliche,” she murmured as she tried to finish chewing another bite of brownie while covering her mouth. Then she listened to him explain that marine biology was a possibility and she smiled, “Give yourself more credit than that. That sounds lovely, I’m sure you could give it a try if you wanted to. There might be some universities that offer up free classes online and you could try learning a bit more.”
Tom laughed. “Well, I guess if the shoe fits.. then I must be a romantic cliche.” He grinned, then shook his head. “Nah, I don’t know if I’d have time for it now-a-days. Too much work stuff.” He finished the last of his browning, then gulped down some more latte. “Speaking of which, I have a conference call in half an hour. I should probably say goodbye soon.”
“You are the epitome of the businessman that never rests,” she retorted with a smile as she finished up her brownie and took a sip of her latte, “Since you have to leave me I’ll say thank you very much for the brownie and the latte. It was absolutely amazing. Your idea for dinner will have a lot to live up to in order to beat this food.”
“Oh, I think I know just the place.” Tom said, giving her his brightest and most charming smile yet. It was amazing that he didn’t have chocolate in his teeth. But he didn’t. Always perfect, Tom. He pulled out his phone to program her number in, then slid it across the table so she could punch in the digits. “I hate to leave. I really do.” He finished his latte while she was giving him her number. If she was giving him her number.
He seems harmless, so she didn’t really have an issue with giving him her number. It wasn’t like he couldn’t just find her on the network if he truly wanted to. So, she reached down and put her number into the phone before handing it back over to him, “Well, let me know when and where. I’ll see if I can fit you into my schedule.” The last part was said with a playful wink.
“I’ll text you.” Tom said, grinning at the wink. “It’s been really fun. Can’t wait to do it again.” He added, then climbed up from his chair. “I’ll see you, Rose.” He gave her one more smile before starting out of the cafe.