October 2016

"Why can't you just go as...you know...Captain America?" Callie asked as Chris flipped through several costumes on the rack in his closet.

"Because that defeats the purpose," he replied, sticking his head around the corner.

"I'm not dressing as anything or anyone," she said. "You don't have to."

"I don't, but I feel like its expected, you know?" he said, disappearing again. "Downey's dressing up, Hemsworth is definitely doing it. I don't want to be the odd one out."

"Its cute how self conscious you get when you talk about them," she laughed. "I mean, if anyone should feel nervous its me. I'm meeting all of them for the first time."

He appeared again, shirtless. "They're going to love you. Relax."

She wasn't really nervous about meeting everyone. It was more the fact that it was the first real event she and Chris were going to. There would be press and media attention. The paparazzi had already broken their relationship with various photos of them out and about. But this was the first time Chris was actively bringing her to an event. And for some reason, their relationship felt much more "grown up" than her others had been before. 

"I hope so. Otherwise this night is gonna be awkward as hell," she quipped. She looked at her phone and saw a text from Shannon. 

Happy Halloween. Sorry I can't be there. Have fun!

She clicked her screen off without responding. Since his move to Seattle the month beforehand, she felt like there was wedge forming between them. It made her heart hurt to know that she couldn't just get on her bike and ride over to his house for a late night chat or that she wouldn't see him in her dad's garage anymore. But he was right that Los Angeles wasn't the town for him anymore. It wasn't like he wouldn't come back to visit Jared. And he still had the house to keep up with. It was just hard for her to accept that he really wasn't there anymore. 

"Alright, how do I look?" Chris asked. 

He was wearing a plaid button down shirt tucked into the waistband of his jeans. A red puffy vest covered a jean jacket and he had on a pair of old school sneakers. 

"Like you fell out of the eighties," she said. "Who are you supposed to be? Marty McFly?"

"You have no idea how glad I am that you got this reference," he smiled, kissing her. 

"You look fine. Now can we go?" she asked, standing. 

"I don't look half as good as you do," he growled in her ear. 

He wasn't wrong. She'd chosen her outfit specifically because she knew it made her look fantastic. A skin-tight black mini dress with a halter top and a low back line, black opaque tights and a pair of black 5-inch pumps that she'd snagged from the costume assistant on SANCTUM. She'd added a headband with a pair of fuzzy black kitten ears to make it festive. It was the safest option she had and she didn't want to go all-out like she had in the past. This party was about meeting Chris's friends and getting to know a different side of him. It wasn't about how well she could scare people. 

They got into his SUV and headed over to the hills. The streets were full of people out celebrating. Night had fallen and trick or treating had ended an hour beforehand, which meant it was time for the real fun to begin. Chris navigated down a narrow road past several new-build modern houses. 

"I could never live in something like that," he remarked casually, nodding to a boxy modern home with a perfectly manicured lawn and freshly sealed black top driveway. "It just looks so...perfect. A home isn't supposed to be perfect. Its supposed to be where you relax and unwind from all the bullshit of the outside world. I never understood the desire to always have a picture-perfect home. A little clutter means there's life, you know?"

"I don't think I'm capable of having a picture perfect house. My house always seemed too small for what we needed and we were always on top of each other. The house was always a mess and my dad was constantly trying to get us to put stuff away in any space we could find," Callie laughed. "But I can pack for a week-long trip in just a backpack, so I guess that's a bonus, right?"

"Silver lining," he smiled. "Here we are," he said as he pulled up to a gated driveway. He buzzed the intercom. 

"Who is it?" a female voice replied. 

"Hey Scar, its Evans," he said. 

"Come on in," the voice answered. 

A second later, the gate began to open and Chris pulled through. As they rounded a curve, a sprawling Tuscan mansion appeared in front of them. Cars were lined up in the roundabout in front of an ornate fountain. 

"Holy shit," Callie remarked. "This place is huge!"

"Just be careful not to get lost," Chris joked. 

He put the car in park behind an expensive-looking sportscar and got out to walk around to her door. Callie did a quick check of her hair and makeup before taking his hand and carefully picking her way along the driveway. The sound of music drifted out of the open front door. He led her up the stone walkway and knocked on the door frame. 

"Hey! Anyone home?" he called over the booming bass. 

"Evans!" a blonde woman appeared in a white sexy bunny outfit, complete with rabbit ears on her head. 

"Scarlett," Chris replied with a broad grin. "Good to see you."

Callie held her hand out to the actress. "Callie Morrison. Nice to meet you," she said confidently. 

"Scarlett," she replied. "Nice to finally meet you. Chris has told us so much about you!"

Callie looked at Chris and raised an eyebrow. "Only good things I hope," she teased. 

"Of course," Scarlett said. "Come on in. The party's in here."

Callie allowed herself to be led through the entryway into a large entertaining area. Spooky music played on the speakers and a crowd of people filled the space. A bar was set up on one side of the room and a DJ was spinning tracks in front of a dance floor on the other end. Scarlett led them through the melee and out onto a patio. 

The cold October air shocked Callie after the heat from the party, but the view was what actually took her breath away. The lights from the city sparkled beneath them and the sky was crystal clear above. Scarlett brought them to a small group of people that had congregated on one end of the patio, drinks in hand. 

"Hey guys, Evans finally showed up!" Scarlett called. "And he brought his girlfriend!"

Callie got the sense that Chris was about to be the butt of many jokes. The group turned to face them. Callie could recognize Robert Downey Jr. as Kurt Cobain, Chris Hemsworth as a bar of soap, and Jeremy Renner as Chucky. Chris greeted each of them with a warm hug. 

"Its great to see all of you," he said, grinning. She looked at him and then back at the three men in front of her. 

"I'm - ," she started. 

"Callie?" a British accent met her ears from behind her. 

She turned and saw Tom Hiddleston heading toward her, drink in hand. Of course, he was wearing a tuxedo. 

"Tom!" she exclaimed, allowing him to embrace her. "Its good to see you!"

He smelled the same as before: clean, crisp, and manly. He held her slightly too long and she could see a question forming on Chris's face. 

"I didn't know you were in Los Angeles," she said, pulling back and returning to Chris's side. He put a protective arm around her waist. 

"Just for the night," Tom answered. "Scarlett messaged me yesterday and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Nice costume, by the way."

"What are you supposed to be, Hiddleston?" Robert asked, walking over. He flipped his wig out of his face. 

"Oh - erm, I was told costumes were optional," he said. Callie saw a hint of trepidation in on his face. 

"They're optional?!" Chris Hemsworth boomed. He yanked the cardboard sign off his neck. "In that case, what the hell am I doing wearing this? I'm gonna kill my wife."

Callie smiled and leaned into Chris slightly. She could smell his aftershave an cologne. 

"So, Chris, how did you meet this lovely lady friend of yours?" Robert asked, gesturing to Callie with his wine glass. 

"We - uh - actually met on a run in the canyon," he explained. 

The group rolled their eyes and groaned. "Why is everything fitness related with you?" Scarlett asked with a mock scowl. 

"He challenged me to a race to the top," Callie continued. "I lost - of course - but he made up for it by taking me out to dinner. The rest is history," she said, looking up at his face. 

"Aww, that's so sweet," Jeremy said. "You're not his type, though," he added, winking at Chris. 

"Stop it," Chris said, blushing even though a smile graced his face. "You said you would never say anything."

"Say anything about what?!" Callie asked. It was nice to gang up on Chris instead of have the whole group gang up on her. "Tell me!" she laughed. 

"Evans apparently met up with this chick on a dating app who turned out to not be a chick," Jeremy needled. "Great hairline, nothing in the chest area."

Everyone laughed. "In my defense," Chris said. "Alex is both a masculine and feminine name. And, he was quite effeminate in his photos."

"How do you mistake a guy for a girl, though?" Callie asked. 

He shook his head and smiled good naturedly. "How have you been, Hemsworth?" he asked, shifting attention. 

"Oh, you know, Elsa and the kids have been keeping me busy, so things are good," the tall man replied. 

"I'm going to get a drink," Callie said. "You catch up with your friends. I'll be back."

"I'll come with you," Tom said, jumping up from his spot on a lounge chair. 

She allowed him to escort her through the crowd and back into the large entertaining space. He led her to the bar and she gave the bartender her order. A few seconds later, she had a cosmo in her hand and he was leading her back outside. 

"So, how have you been?" he asked, pulling her to the side on the far end of the patio. 

"I've been good," she smiled. "You?"

"Busy," he chuckled. "But good. You look fantastic."

"Its all the exercise I'm getting with Chris," she said automatically. "Sorry," she cringed. "I just realized what that sounded like. My bad."

Tom chuckled. "Its okay. I've actually been seeing someone, too."

"That's fantastic!" she caught a glimpse of Chris beckoning her over. "We better get back," she said. 

"Oh - yeah, sure," he replied, following her across the patio. 

She took a seat next to Chris on a wicker love seat and leaned into his body for warmth. The mini dress was not the best choice she'd made that evening. 

"Alright, who's for 'I never'?" Robert asked, sitting down with a fresh beer. "Hemsworth, you start!"

Callie settled in and watched as Chris relaxed with his friends. It was refreshing to see him in such a different light.