Not a Fairytale–Chapter Two: Masquerade
CEO!Tom Hiddleston x Reader
Warnings: Mentions of Alcohol, Language, Various Cinderella references, dangerous action towards the end, Cliffhanger
Dividers: @kawaii-lau (Royal Dividers) & @firefly-graphics (Center Roses)
“L/N, we need to have a chat. My office, now. Everything else can wait.” You looked up from the monitor, sighing softly as you began to get up from your seat. This happened often. Ms. Grant would come out of her office and ask to speak to you inside. Normally it would be about something work related, but occasionally you would engage in social talk. It was part of professional friendship. She was both your boss and your friend, which was rare.
Pushing the door open, you walked into the office and made your way to the chair on the other side of her desk. “You needed to talk?” you questioned, sitting down. “Do you plan on going to the masquerade today?” she asked, still typing away on her computer. You raised an eyebrow, surprised by her question. “I wasn’t aware that I was ever invited,” you admitted. She stopped for a moment, turning to you for the following statement. “You are. You’ll go in my place,” she declared, going back to what she was doing, “I’m tied down by work tonight. I won’t be able to make it to the masquerade, but I made arrangements for you to go in my place. A dress was selected along with shoes and accessories. Your ride will be here at seven-thirty.”
You felt overwhelmed, breath hitching slightly as you took it all in. “Wait, Hang on,” you stopped her. “Do you really think it’s a good idea for me to go to a fancy company masquerade?” Franchesca stopped completely, lowering her hands to her lap. “What’s so wrong with having you go for me?” she asked as if it was a completely normal request. You looked at her indignantly, “I don’t know the first thing about fitting in at a party full of millionaires, businesspeople, and rich sponsors. I’ll stand out completely!” She rolled her eyes, turning her head to the side as she mumbled, “Standing out is kind of the point.” Giving her a bothered look, you stood up. “I can’t go to the masquerade. I’d be a fish out of water and do something stupid that’ll make the company look bad,” you argued, hands making large expressions to enunciate your distress.
“Oh, come on!” Franchesca blurted, “You’re a smart woman that can carry a business conversation about the company with ease! You are my right hand woman! I trust you with this more than I trust myself with picking out a dress for a formal event. You are my number one choice to handle things in my absence. I trust you to handle this event in my absence.” You sighed, letting your arms fall to your sides as you bowed your head. There was no way you could convince her otherwise. Not without losing your job, at least. Your job, her respect, her trust, and her friendship were on the line. And frankly, you valued them all too much to lose them.
“Fine!” you gave in, “But, you have to train me before the event. That means social conversations, what to avoid, what to talk about, and who will be there.” Franchesca gave you a bright smile clapping her hands once before she stood. “I knew I could trust my best girl!” she cheered, making you sigh. “Ya, ya,” you murmured, “But I did mean it. I need the training.” She laughed, walking around the desk over to you. “And you shall receive it,” she gushed, “I will train you up until the moment you have to leave. We wouldn’t want you to seem like a fool at your first ball, now would we?”Letting out a short laugh, you corrected her, “It’s not a ball, it’s a masquerade.” She gave you a playful surprised look, “Is that not what I said?”
“Let’s go through it one more time, just to be safe,” you asked, lounging on one of the chairs in Franchesca’s office. You’d been going over everything you had to know before the masquerade started, reviewing everything multiple times before your outfit arrived. It was currently five-thirty in the afternoon, which meant that the dress would be here any minute now. “Avoid talking about anything related to the merger. It’s still not publicly announced. Anything else, you can talk about. That includes the work environment and personal topics to your own discretion. Just don’t make me look bad. All our partners will be there. They’re all people you’ve met before, so socializing won’t be a problem,” Franchesca summarized again as she continued to work on her computer. “The only person you wouldn’t recognize is Tom Hiddleston, the CEO of the company we are merging with.” She turned her monitor to show you what was on the screen. It was a picture of an incredibly handsome man. “Now you’ll recognize him,” she stated simply, turning the screen back to face her.
A knock on the glass door made both of you turn your attention to the figures on the other side of the matted glass door. “Come in,” Franchesca called out. The door opened, allowing a team of seven people to swarm the office. “Franchesca! My love!” one of the men greeted. “Esteban!” she reciprocated, going over to him and pressing a kiss to both his cheeks. This wasn’t the first time you’d seen her interact with someone in such a way. Normally it was with people she was close to, either personally or professionally, so you just brushed it off. Finishing her greeting, Franchesca turned to you and motioned in your direction. “This is Y/N,” she introduced, “She’ll be your muse for tonight.” Esteban looked at you as if he was analyzing your appearance. After a brief, slightly self conscious moment of him looking you up and down, he turned back to Franchesca. “She will be the most beautiful flower in the ball. That I will make sure of myself,” he told her, snapping his fingers twice. His helpers began to open all the boxes and the bag on the coat wrack they brought in with them, revealing beauty tools and the most precious accessories you’d ever seen.
“Now then,” Esteban clapped twice, “We will accentuate the features of her natural beauty and make her look as if she were an angel that came down to grace humanity with her very essence. Starting with her hair and a mostly natural make-up look.” In an instant, you were made to sit up straight on the chair, surrounded by the beauticians that immediately began to work on you.
“How does it feel to be smothered by the best team of beauticians money can afford?” Franchesca asked, unable to see your reaction due to the entire team blocking you from the line of sight. “It feels a bit excessive,” you acknowledged from within the barrier they created. Each one of them was hard at work on one specific task. Whether it was your hair, eyelids, eyebrows, nails, or cheeks, they all worked on you with complete focus and harmony. “The things I do for you,” Franchesca teased, going to take a peek at the dress.
“Her natural beauty has been successfully accentuated,” Esteban announced, presenting you to Franchesca, “Now, we give this princess her gown.” Two of his employees stood across from you, holding up a fabric that covered the dress. With a swish of his hand, they let the fabric drop, revealing the most magnificent dress you’d ever seen. The soft blue, low sleeve dress was adorned with intricate silver and white adornments, making it look like something straight out of a fairy tale. You admired the dress, unable to form any coherent words to describe how beautiful it was. The only thing that escaped your lips was a surprised gasp as you felt your breath be taken away. “Tell no one, but for your needs, it has pockets. And to accompany the dress,” Esteban continued, “A matching, designer mask, made by yours truly.” Another employee walked up to the dress, carefully holding a mask that matched the blue on the dress. It was adorned with blue and silver rhinestones placed on top of a lace pattern that went from the forehead to the nose of the mask. It complimented the dress beautifully. “And of course, what’s a dress and a mask without shoes to tie the look together. They aren’t made of glass, but they may as well be,” Esteban concluded. A young lady walked up to the other side of the dress, holding a pair of silver slippers placed on top of a cushion.
You looked over at the items, still awestruck with all of it. “This is more than I ever hoped for,” you marveled. Franchesca smiled, walking up to you, “I’m glad you like it. Now go get dressed! The limo will be here soon! We wouldn’t want you to be late.”
It was eight at night when you arrived at the venue in the grand, riding in a white hummer limo. Stepping out of the vehicle, you were led into the luxurious building by an attendant. Inside, the hall was impressively massive. The room was illuminated with multiple lights coming from the ceiling lamps, candles on the tables, and the chandelier hanging near the dance area. It was magnificent. Taking in more of your surroundings, you realized just how large the building was as well as how full of people it was. The grand hall was filled with the sounds of people mingling over the loud music that surrounded them. Franchesca told you that most of the guests were allied companies, investors, partners and of course, people directly connected to the merger. You maneuvered around the tables, attempting to find anyone you knew. Unfortunately, a lot of the masks the guests wore covered their most recognizable features. Great.
A waitress walked by you as you stood near the tables. She must have sensed your internal dilemma, as she offered you a glass of champagne which you took without a moment’s thought. You thanked her as she walked away, still trying to figure out what to do as your mind went blank to the training from earlier. You looked around the room, not knowing what to do and not knowing many people there. Sticking closely to the walls, you stood there, taking a sip of the champagne you’d been handed as you watched everyone around you. You tried to recognize anyone you’d met previously with no luck. You hadn’t known anyone here long enough to recognize them with a part of their face covered. Your eyes drifted to a corner, opposite of where you were, where a group of men stood talking.They were facing away from you. All but one. Your eyes met his behind the mask that looked like cracked porcelain decorated with gold accents. You tried to see if you could recognize him, as something about him seemed slightly familiar. Continuing to study his features, you tried to connect a face to a name with no results. From this distance it was difficult to tell whether his eyes were grey or blue, but you kept looking, trying to find the answer from afar. You saw him smile and you looked away, not daring to look in his direction any longer. You decided to go back to looking around the room at the sea of mingling strangers. You meant it when you said you didn’t want to make a fool out of yourself at this event and now you felt that you failed. You couldn’t help it, he was just so entrancing. Shaking your head, you tried to clear your mind while taking another sip of the champagne.
You turned around only to meet the same mask you were entranced with earlier. They were blue. A deep, hypnotic blue that made you want to stare at them forever. But you couldn’t. Mentally shaking away those thoughts, you mustered a response, “I suppose. I can’t recognize very many people here because of their masks, but other than that, I think it’s a wonderful gathering.” The man nodded, offering you a small, yet warm smile. “If I may be so bold,” he began, “I’d say you’re not accustomed to events such as this.” His voice was deep and smooth at the same time with an accent that could just make you melt on the spot. “You’d be right,” you laughed, “I’m not accustomed to anything this formal. I feel a bit out of place."
You heard him chuckle and you felt as if your knees would give out at any moment. "You do stand out,” he stated, “Not in a bad way. I just think that the dress perfectly compliments your visible features.” Had it not been for the mask covering the majority of your face, he would have definitely noticed the sudden change of color on your cheeks. “Thank you,” was all you could say, “Mr…” He shook his head, “We will be able to reveal our identities to each other at midnight. For now, I’d like to provide you with some company.” Your smile widened as you nodded. He was intriguing to say the least.
“Would it be too cliche for me to ask you for a dance?” he inquired, offering his hand. You tensed a bit, knowing you weren’t all that graceful on your feet. However, you didn’t want to refuse his offer. “I must warn you,” you began, putting your hand on his, “I’m not exactly a flawless dancer.” He chuckled once more, “Worry not your pretty little head. I’ll lead you through it. All you have to do is trust me.”
He led you through the crowd, heading to the dancing area. Once you’d arrived, he wrapped his right arm around your waist, taking your right hand in his left hand. You placed your unoccupied hand on his shoulder and slowly, you both began to sway to the soft music. You let yourself melt into him, letting him fully influence your movements. It was as if you were floating on a cloud. His steps were so gentle, you barely felt your feet touch the ground. You gazed deeply into his eyes, unable to look away from his deep blue eyes. They were hypnotic. You thought that if you looked away, he would disappear.
You’d lost all notion of your surroundings, focusing only on the man you danced with. Slowly, the song came to an end and so did he, curtsying as the song finished. Coming out of your trance, you did the same. He smiled, taking your hand once more, he began to lead you away from the other dancing couples. “After a dance like that, I find myself in need of fresh air,” he commented, leading you to the balcony. You silently agreed, letting him guide you to the door of the balcony.
Once there, he opened the doors for you, allowing you to step outside first. The air felt pleasant after all the dancing, cool air contrasting the warmth of your skin. You took a few deep breaths, still attempting to relax your breathing. The balcony was relatively small in size, only large enough to fit a maximum of four people. The cement railing was covered with a red, velvet like fabric. It covered the railing and walls framing it, being held up by a pole on each side. Looking out into the scenery, your eyes went wide at the beauty of all the city lights. “It’s a beautiful view,” he said from behind you, “The lights are nice too, but the view I’m referring to is standing before me.” Letting a laugh, you turned to him, “That was the most cliche thing you could’ve said.” He smiled, “It got your attention, didn’t it?” You arched an eyebrow, laughing once more as you spoke, “Ok, it did. That doesn’t make it any less cliche.” He shrugged, looking away momentarily. “I had to break the ice somehow if I want to get to know the woman with whom I shared the most wonderful dance.” You nodded, leaning back into the fabric covered railing, “What would you like to know?”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds!” you argued, “I mean sure, the commute to work is a bit long and stressful with traffic, but the neighborhood is nice.” You’d been conversing with the porcelain masked man for a while now. It was as if conversations came naturally with him. You warmed up to him pretty quickly and you think he did too. “Yes, but you have to remember that the area is surrounded by just houses and that the nearest supermarket is three miles away. It’s not all that ideal,” he returned, keeping his voice as gentle as possible. “Well ya, but there’s really great schools in the area,” you mentioned, still trying to get your point across.
Before he could give you a reply, he was interrupted by the sound of a bell ringing. You turned to the direction of the bell, wondering what it was. “Midnight,” the porcelain masked man said, “The bell means it’s finally midnight.” Midnight? Already? How long was the conversation? “We can reveal our identities to each other now,” he confirmed. You turned your attention back to him as he began to remove his mask. You felt anxiety creep up on you as he slowly revealed his face to you.
Your heart stopped for a moment, realizing who was standing before you. This is why his eyes seemed so familiar to you. This was the face Franchesca showed you earlier. It was Thomas Hiddleston. He gave you an expectant look, urging you to either say something or take off your mask as well. “Y-you know,” you began to stutter, “I could really use a drink b-before I show you who I am.” You took a step in the direction of the door before he stopped you. “I’ll get it for you, it’s not trouble,” he smiled. Damn his gentle nature. He walked through the door and into the hall. The door closed behind him as you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding in.
This was your chance to make a quick escape. He didn’t know what you looked like, so it wasn’t likely he would recognize you at any of the meetings scheduled for the following week. It was alright. You walked over to the door, reaching for the handle. It didn’t turn. You tried the other handle, but neither door opened. Shit! The doors were locked from the outside of the balcony. You began to panic, thinking about all the possible things that could happen. He would definitely urge you to take off your mask and given how you reacted to him earlier, you knew you couldn’t refuse for long. You began looking around for alternatives, knowing the doors weren’t an option. Suddenly, it hit you. The fabric that covered the balcony could be used to climb down into the gardens below.
Using one of the over-sized pots, you hoisted yourself up to reach the pole holding the fabric up. Pulling it down, you let it fall as far down as it could reach. You climbed down, looking down to see how far down it reached. The pole was only a few feet off the ground. Perfect! Now came the hard part; actually climbing down. Taking in a deep breath, you climbed the pot closest to the dangling fabric. Using your heels to your advantage, you hooked them into the fabric, holding on to it as you began to descend. You tried your hardest to keep your arms from giving in, still having to slide down a significant distance before you could reach the ground. With every small, labored move, you slid down the fabric and got closer to the ground.
“Need some help there?” Tom’s voice sounded from above you. You were startled, almost letting go of the fabric entirely. You looked up, still wearing the mask as it was the only thing that hid your identity from him. “Uh, no, I’m good,” you responded, trying to keep your grip on the fabric. Tom looked down at you in confusion, “You’re not running from me, are you?”
“No, no! I’m not,” you lied, “It’s just that I accidentally dropped one of my earrings and the doors were locked. So I thought why not climb down to get it.” He gave you an amused look, “Climb back up and I’ll accompany you to retrieve it.” You felt your arms about to give out, knowing you wouldn’t last much longer. “Unfortunately, I don’t have the upper body strength to pull myself back up,” you admitted, using every bit of strength you had left. He snorted, “Then how is it you’ve been keeping yourself up for the entirety of this conversation?” You felt your arms begin to falter, yet you refused to let go just yet. “That is a very good question,” you responded, voice more labored now that you’d kept that position for a while.
“Just hang on, I’ll get down there in a bit to help you,” he said quickly before disappearing. You took this chance to continue your descent, this time faster with motivation. Once your foot touched the pole, you kicked off the expensive heels–so you wouldn’t break them– and jumped down. You quickly put both shoes back on before rushing to the exit. However, one of your shoes wasn’t put on properly, causing you to walk with a slight limp. As you neared the garden’s exit, you felt the ill-worn shoe slip off your foot. Your bare foot touched the cold ground as you turned around to retrieve it. “Nope, not leaving you behind,” you said to yourself, picking it up and putting it back on your foot–properly this time. Once secured, you continued to run. Taking your phone out of one of the ingeniously placed pockets, you dialed Franchesca’s number as you made your way to the limo you arrived in. You wanted to let her know you were leaving early for an excuse you’d come up with if she answered.
Tom looked around the garden directly under the balcony he’d come from. He saw no sign of the woman he spent the evening with. Deciding to look around the garden for her, a small voice advised him to look for her near the exit. Listening to the voice, he made his way to the garden’s exit. Still, there was no sign of her. He let his head drop for a moment, trying to comprehend the situation he’d gotten himself into. His thoughts were interrupted, however, when something on the floor caught his attention. He picked it up, realizing it was a small Polaroid picture. The picture showed a woman and a young girl. He didn’t think much of it at first until he looked at the woman’s eyes. Tom quickly realized those were the very eyes he’d been hypnotized by earlier in the evening.
And after tonight, he’d recognize those eyes anywhere.
A/N: Tadaa!! This chapter was really fun to write, not just because of the ending scene, but because Cinderella is my absolute favorite princess and I really enjoyed tying in aspects of the movie into the chapter. I was really looking foward to this one. Anyway, what did you think? Feel free to let me know in the comments, as feedback is both appreciated and encouraged. This took me a bit longer to write because of so many little details, but it’s finally done!! I love each and every single one of you!! Thanks so much for all the support you’ve shown me! I honestly can’t express just how much it means to me!!.😘🥰😍 Stay Safe, Stay Proud, Be Careful, and I wish you the very best!!💜💜💜💜💜💜
To all my new followers, Welcome to the Family!! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
@blue-honey-bee-from-france @whathefuckrichard69 @viviandarkbloom06 @thevampiregirlsblog @captaingothgirl1996 @vintageroses1014516 @cynic-spirit @hunterofartemisblog @harringtonb-blog @twhlily @kingtwhiddleston @racewife2004
Permanent Taglist for all things Tom Hiddleston: @myraiswack @falling4uke @accio-boys @ashcrimson-is-writing @just-trying-to-survive-marvel @whathefuckrichard69 @blue-honey-bee-from-france @frostedgiant @allthecreativeonesaretaken
