Author’s Note: I simply can’t get enough of Thomas Hunt right now, so I’m subjecting you all to more of my slow-burn stories about him. Sorry (but not really)! Good news is Candace is really wearing on him and he can’t deny his feelings anymore. This also fits the @Choices-September-Challenge day 17 prompt ‘Unexpected.’
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Candace leaned back against the cushion of her table’s booth, propping her feet up on the bench on the opposite side of the table as she flipped the page of her book. She delicately picked up the teacup and brought it to her lips, taking a small sip of the mild-flavored tea with milk, before settling back into her pages. She was so enthralled with the adventurous tale that she barely noticed when the waitress set the freshly-baked Cordonian Ruby tart down on the table beside her saucer, but she offered her a warm smile and nodded a thank you once the sweet aroma infiltrated her nostrils.
This little ritual had become somewhat routine over the past week, Candace visiting the cafe each night on her own to read her book and munch on the local treats. There was scant to occupy her time in the quaint Cordonian village near the castle they were staying in … aside from hiking, goat-watching, or wandering the halls of the drafty castle. After three days trying to amuse herself around the castle, Candace had finally put her free afternoon to good use and walked the mile into town to explore. To be honest, it was a very short exploration as there was only a small cafe and a general store with various foods, clothing and other staples. But while perusing the shelves of the store, she had found a copy of The Crown and the Flame, the legendary tales of the Cordonian Queen Kenna Rys, and while in Cordonia she figured she should read as the Cordonians read… she had quickly gotten sucked into the magical world of olde and had almost finished the entire book in less than a week during her daily visits to the cafe.
Candace paused her reading to take a bite of the tangy sweet tart, closing her eyes for a moment to savor the flavor as it rolled over her tongue. She couldn’t suppress the soft moan of appreciation deep in her throat as she swallowed it down, finally opening her eyes to reach for the teacup-
“I see you have been sampling the local cuisine.” A deep, commanding voice sounded from above her, startling her and causing her to knock the teacup with a soft clatter. She glanced up to find her director, Thomas Hunt, surveying the mess of tea splattered on the table with a raised brow. She felt her cheeks flush, quickly grasping her napkin and sopping up the warm liquid. “I apologize, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Candace could hear the amusement in Hunt’s tone. Her eyes flitted to meet his, noticing the tug of a smirk at the corner of his lips as he watched her cleaning up the mess.
“Well perhaps you shouldn’t sneak up on people unannounced, especially not when they’re eating their dessert.” She pursed her lips, trying her best to sound annoyed despite the rumble of a laugh tickling her throat. She gave him a quick once-over, noticing that he was wearing a thin sweater with his usual dark-wash jeans, looking much more casual than she was used to. Still extremely sharp and well-dressed, but his version of casual. Suddenly she felt rather underdressed in her jeggings, tennis shoes and chambray button-up, but, then again, she had not been expecting any company.
“It did look like you were rather … enjoying yourself.” His tone was still serious, but his face betrayed him as his eyes crinkled at the edges.
“I was.” She quipped playfully, her chocolate eyes focused intently on his. He stared unflinching, his brow softly furrowed as if he were studying her. Finally she broke their stare, looking to the pastry in front of her and gesturing him towards it. “Would you like to try it?”
“Oh no, I couldn’t.” He waved his hands in dismissal.
She chuckled at his immediate formal response, then sliced her fork through the layers of fruit and flaky crust before bringing it to her mouth. “Good, because I really didn’t want to share.” She opened wide and slipped the bite into her mouth, involuntarily closing her eyes again as she chewed it in ecstasy. “Mmmm… okay, but you really must order one of your own.”
“Well after that raving review, it appears I must.” He nodded towards the booth across from her where her feet were still propped up on the cushion. “I would love to join you, but it appears this seat is already taken.” He cracked a half-smile as Candace jumped a bit, dropping her feet to the floor and straightening up in her seat. He chuckled softly as he leaned over to set his jacket down on the seat before sliding in himself. She watched him intently as he settled in, intrigued by this rare glimpse of Thomas Hunt outside of work … the man behind the mask. His expression remained stoic as he motioned a polite yet authoritative gesture to the waitress to order a tart and a glass of port for himself. She hadn’t realized she was staring until his gaze fell upon her, his eyes softening with a hint of beguilement as he noticed her watching him. “So what are you reading?”
Candace grinned, picking up the book and showing him the cover as he took his first bite of his tart. “A Cordonian classic … The Crown and the Flame. Have you heard of it?”
“I have … that Queen Kenna was quite a spectacular woman. I actually read that several years back.” Candace’s brows shot up in surprise, causing him to emit a soft laugh. Candace blushed, unsure whether it was due to him observing her obvious shock or whether it was the pleasant sound of his laughter echoing in her ears causing her cheeks to redden. She briefly thought what an agreeable noise it was, that she wouldn’t mind hearing it more often … that perhaps she wouldn’t mind being the cause of that noise again. “Don’t look so surprised, Miss Taylor.” He jested.
“I’m sorry, I just …” she bit back a giggle, “I just didn’t picture you as the type to be reading about brave heroines. And it’s Candace, remember.”
He nodded, acknowledging his error. “Right … Candace. Well, I happen to have a very open mind when it comes to literature and the arts … it comes with the job, I suppose.” He shrugged, settling back into the booth as he brought his glass to his lips, taking a small sip of the thick red liquid and swirling it in his mouth for a moment to relish the flavor.
“I guess that must be true.” Candace replied, sipping her own tea as she pondered his statement. “I just see you as a very structured person, with so many rules … it’s hard to know where you would draw that line between your work and personal life.” The words flew from her mouth before she could stop them.
Thomas gave her a sad smile, setting his glass of Port down on the table and meeting her stare. “I am very structured, very disciplined. It is because of these traits that I have achieved the success I enjoy today.” He pauses, eyes never leaving hers as he inhales slowly then releases his breath. His voice is low, almost a whisper, when he speaks again. “But you must remember, Candace … I am only human.”
Candace feels the sincerity and confession in his tone, her breath catching in her chest as she observes his dark eyes sparkling in the dim light of the cafe. “Yes … of course.” She could not muster any other words of reply.
Thomas shook his head, a lighter smile greeting his lips. “You, however, I see you as very adventurous. Focused, determined, yet a free spirit.” He quirked his brow at her, cocking his head to the side in question. “Am I close?”
Candace smirked giddily, flattered by the director’s complimentary assessment of her persona. “Yes, I’d say you are very close.” She looked away for a moment with a sentimental expression, recalling memories of her friends and family at home. “My mother always said I had good karma. If I wanted something bad enough I would will it to be so. And for the most part, that’s true … I guess I’ve always felt that my heart knew what fate had in store for me.”
“You mean with acting, I presume?” He leaned forward for her answer, focused on her soft features as she spoke.
“Yes, acting, dancing growing up, my family and friends … even dating to some extent.” Her voice drop lower at the last part of the sentence, suddenly shy to confess any circumstances of her love life. “I suppose I’ve always felt pulled towards my path instead of searching for it.”
“Hmm …” Thomas hummed, still watching her intently. “That is a beautiful sentiment.” Then he cracked a smile, emitting a soft chuckle and shaking his head. “But unfortunately a sentiment I have never been able to abide by.”
“Maybe you should try it.” Candace blurted out, unable to halt her mouth from speaking her mind. Why was she so concerned for Thomas Hunt’s path, anyway? She barely knew him.
Thomas’s mouth quirked in a wistful smile, his eyes boring into her own. For a moment he did not respond and Candace was afraid she had offended him. Eventually he shifted back in his seat, his solemn expression returned and the tiny crease between his brows appearing as he looked around the room. He caught the attention of the waitress, gesturing for the check and retrieving his wallet. When his stare returned to find her watching him, he gave her a gracious grin and nodded towards the half-eaten tart in front of him. “This was very good, thank you for the recommendation. Allow me to treat you tonight as a sign of my gratitude.” So formal, so polite … a millions miles away from the laughing version she had witnessed only moments ago.
Candace nodded, muttering a soft ‘thank you’ as he paid the bill. “I suppose it is late. I must get some rest tonight so I don’t disappoint my director in the morning.” She gave him a cheeky smirk, but held her breath as she gauged his reaction.
He stilled at her tease at first, but eventually allowed an amused grin to tickle his mouth. “I would hate to be the cause of keeping you out too late and getting you into trouble. I do hear he’s a real stick in the mud.” Candace smiled and then laughed out loud, causing Thomas to laugh softly himself. “Would you like to walk back with me?” He asked politely, yet the wishful look in his eyes spoke more clearly than his words.
“I would love that.” She replied, giving him a thankful smile before sliding out of the booth. She tugged her jacket on and pulled it over her shoulders, suddenly aware of his presence behind her. She felt his hands gently gripping the garment, his warm hands guiding the collar towards her chin, his fingers skimming the flesh of her jaw as he pulled away but sending a shiver down her neck and her spine. She glanced back over her shoulder to find him watching her, his eyes warm and inviting. She nodded her appreciation, then turned to wave her goodbye to the waitress and exited to the street.
The night was crisp and cool, the sky full of glistening stars and a bright moon illuminating their path home. They walked in silence for most of the journey, but it was not an awkward silence. It was more like a comforting blanket draped around them as they walked, the only sound the crunch of gravel beneath their feet. It felt surprisingly intimate, as if they were in sync, communicating something through the quiet between them. Candace kept stealing glances towards him from the corner of her eyes, bewildered by the surreality of the evening. As they neared the castle, its ornate features highlighted under the night sky, Thomas finally broke the stillness.
“That book …” he started, his tone firm and pragmatic. “I read it for work. For comparison to a screenplay. It was quite wonderful, actually …”
“You’re going to make a movie of The Crown and the Flame?!? How exciting!” Candace gushed enthusiastically, her face immediately lighting up with excitement.
Her overt joy sent a thrill through Thomas’s veins, tugging lightly at his heartstrings … a sensation he had not felt in quite some time. Such a foreign sensation, and he felt himself unsure how to continue. “There was discussion of it, yes. I have hopes to work on it next, assuming that The Last Duchess is a success.”
“Oh … well, no pressure, right?” Candace joked with a laugh, catching the hint of a smile meet his lips as they approached the grand entrance of the castle.
“Hmm no, the pressure is entirely on me at this point. I have never seen you as anything less than …” he paused, searching for the right description, “extraordinary, Candace.” They stopped in front of the large wooden doors and he turned to look down at her, noticing the hopeful look in her eyes as she beamed up at him. He was suddenly very aware of their close proximity, fighting the urge in his fingertips to reach up and stroke her cheek. “Perhaps you would like to work with me again?”
She grinned, nodding her head in assent as she peered up into his eyes. “I think I would like that. I think we work well together.” Her breath hitched after she spoke, the sudden flutter of nerves in her stomach reminding her that this was no ordinary man. He was mature, accomplished, successful; he could never look at her as anything other than a talent in one of his movies. She knew this … yet the warmth shining behind his eyes gave her reason to hope.
His voice was soft, barely above a whisper. “Yes … yes I think we do.” He could see the stars reflecting in her dark eyes, the moonlight dancing across her pale skin. He felt a pull similar to gravity, urging him towards her involuntarily … He cleared his throat, a wave of embarrassment cresting over him as he took a step backwards. “Well, I have delivered you back safely, Candace. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must make one last call tonight before I retire. I assume you can find your own way from here.” His brows furrowed, his worry line reappearing between them as he straightened up. And before she could halt his transformation, her light-hearted companion from this evening had disappeared.
“Yes, of course. Thank you for walking me back.” She spoke plainly, attempting to muffle the disappointment and confusion swirling in her mind. She turned to push the heavy doors, startled when she felt a broad arm slip past her shoulder to guide it open further. She turned one last time, gazing up at him over her shoulder. Her eyes met his and she recognized the dissension in his profound stare. She felt his warm breath against her cheek as he exhaled, her gaze dropping unwillingly to study his lips before he side-stepped out of her way.
“Good night, Candace.”
“Good night, Thomas.” She stepped through the doorway, closing it firmly behind her.
Thomas stared at the closed door, his eyes tracing the knots in the rich, sturdy wood that constructed it as he steadied his mind. Once he felt that he could once again breath normally and his heart had stopped pounding, he turned forcefully to walk around the side of the building towards the gardens. He had no time for such emotional trivialities, he had work to do.
END