Chapter Ten
Hazel lay on the couch with her legs dangling over the arm and her Italian desserts cookbook splayed across her chest, her phone resting on top of it. Her sister had called for the gossip on Ethan James and Hazel was pouring out everything that had happened over coffee that morning. After their disagreement, she and Ethan had gone on to talk about the vegetables he’d bought, how Harry was doing, and the weather. It was all very polite, perfunctory and awkward, and for some reason her stomach had hurt ever since.
‘I don’t think he has many friends,’ she said to Violet. ‘He might have friends in LA, and I know he has a friend in Sydney.’ A friend he’s in love with. ‘But he doesn’t have anyone around here.’
‘Except you,’ Violet said, adding, ‘Or did you fuck that up today?’
Hazel knew she was in trouble when Violet swore. Violet was not a sweary person, probably because she took care of little kids. Which was exactly what Hazel often felt like after a conversation with her sister.
‘Don’t,’ Hazel moaned. ‘I don’t want to think about it anymore. I can’t believe I said any of that stuff to him. Why would I do that?’
‘I don’t know. How did he respond?’
Angrily. For once, she would have welcomed a dimple attack; she actually preferred those to the wounded expression she’d caused.
‘He told me he was being himself,’ she said. ‘Then he stabbed a friand.’ She quietly laughed. ‘I think he’s used to everyone swooning around him, and he doesn’t notice what he’s doing to cause it.’
‘Well yeah, because most people would swoon around him. Except you, apparently.’
‘I don’t get what you all see in him. I mean, I see it. Obviously I see it. His whole thing is so in your face. But he’s just—’
‘Hazel,’ Violet interrupted in her best big-sister voice, ‘I’ve only ever read nice things about the guy. His co-stars and crew gush about him. Everyone seems to like him but you. Meredith told me even Kevin likes him.’
‘He does, Vi. It’s weird.’
‘So maybe you should pay attention to your cat and stop lumping Ethan in with the low-ranking celebrities who came into the restaurant. That’s not fair. He’s not that Logan guy.’
Hazel tensed, the name sending a shudder through her.
‘I don’t want to talk about that.’
‘Why don’t you come home and stop hiding up there? No one cares about what happened. No one even remembers. I heard Molti Pesci might be looking for a new sous chef. Someone at work is friends with the owner. You should contact them and see what they say.’
Hazel sank further into the cushions and her darkening mood. Molti Pesci was one of her favourite restaurants. Not that she could ever afford to eat there, but a couple of times her parents had taken her there for her birthday. It was right on Freshwater Beach, five minutes from her family home, and had a fantastic reputation and a creative menu. How typical that a job would come up there when she was living in a different state and totally unavailable.
‘I told you, I’m not hiding,’ Hazel said, hiding behind her scrunched eyelids. ‘I moved. People move, you know. And I’ve signed a contract for three months. I’m already committed. I like it here, Violet, I want to see if I can make it work. Besides, I still remember what happened and I care.’
‘Well, you should still ring Molti Pesci, and you should also give Ethan James a break. Stop focusing on what he looks like. You don’t like it when people do that to you.’
Hazel puffed out a long sigh. She did hate that. She hated the surprised expressions that often greeted her just because she wasn’t ‘normal’ girl height. She’d learned to shrug it off, but it still annoyed her that the first thing people said was so often, ‘Oh my god, you’re so tall,’ as if that was news. She didn’t actually mind her height; she was only bothered by it when other people were. Their shock made her conscious that she was different.
So she did understand how it felt to be judged on how you look – which was exactly what she’d done to Ethan, she realised. She’d made her mind up about who he was before she’d even met him, and she was stubbornly holding onto that opinion despite all evidence to the contrary.
‘Vi, I need to go,’ Hazel said, ‘I’m having dinner with a friend tonight. Give Mum and Dad and Ash a hug for me. Ethan and I probably aren’t going to see much of each other, but I promise if I do see him I’ll try to be nicer.’
Ethan drifted around his pool on a large pink pool float he’d found in the garage. He’d intended to go for a run or a swim in the surf, take Harry for another walk or do a workout, but he wasn’t in the mood for any of that. He’d made the mistake of texting Sera to ask if she thought he always flirted and was always ‘on’, and she’d sent back a laughing emoji asking if it was a trick question. Now he was pissed off.
Why was it so hard for people to believe that he was a half-decent guy? How did his face get in the way of that, and what exactly was he supposed to do about it? Should he walk around frowning so he didn’t freak people out with his careless smiles?
Ethan’s phone dinged from one of the sun lounges and he rolled off the pool float, glumly flopping into the water. He pulled himself up onto the deck, hair dripping as he flipped over his phone with one damp finger. It was a text from Ronnie with an attached photo of her in a body-skimming red dress.
See what you missed? Next time we should definitely do something together xx
He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. That was the last thing he needed – Ronnie flirting with him. Though she wasn’t really flirting; he could see what she was doing. Being seen with him would mean better publicity for her, better placement in the lifestyle section or coverage on the international entertainment sites, and he couldn’t blame her for that. To get noticed you had to hustle. He’d been there and it was exhausting. He needed to support her. They needed to be a team. Ethan texted back a flame emoji, hoping he’d read the situation right, then grabbed a towel and padded into the house.
He leaned on the fridge door and stared blankly inside, then pulled out a tomato and gave it a not-so-gentle squeeze. He prided himself on his down-to-earth, easygoing reputation. That’s what he was known for in Hollywood. That’s why people liked him. But did being aware of that and playing into it actually make the whole thing fake?
Oh, fuck. He’d let Hazel get into his head. Well, she might as well join the growing crowd in there pummelling his confidence.
He tossed the tomato back in the fridge. He had to stop being so down on himself. What did he have to complain about? Life was great. His career was on fire, he was successful and respected, and he was in the best shape of his life. So what if Sera didn’t want him and Hazel thought he was a shallow piece of crap? So what if the only people who gave a shit about him were his dog and the people he paid? He was fine on his own, always had been. Everything was fine. Perfectly fine.
Grabbing a beer, he kicked the fridge door closed with so much gusto it slammed shut with a clatter.
‘What do you reckon, Harry, should I order a sashimi bowl or go a big-ass burger?’ Harry looked up at him with wide brown eyes, his tail wagging. ‘I agree. Big-ass burger it is. With fries. Just don’t tell your minder when you see her. Tell her I made a salad or something. She already thinks I’m shit enough.’ As he bent down and ruffled the dog’s head, his phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. He peered at the screen. Logan Grant’s name glowed back at him.
Ethan answered the call. ‘Dude, haven’t heard from you in a while. How’s it going?’ Logan was a colleague from Ethan’s early acting days.
‘Hey bro, I’m on the coast for the night on my way to a wedding,’ Logan said. ‘Got plans?’
‘Nope. What have you got in mind?’
‘I was hoping to tag along with you. It’s Saturday night, bro. I assumed you’d be partying with your hot co-star or hitting up the local bars.’
Ethan’s eyes fluttered to the ceiling. ‘I’ve been out all day, man. Just got back,’ he lied.
‘Let’s grab dinner at one of the places on the beach then,’ Logan said. ‘Thirty minutes long enough to get ready, pretty boy?’
Ethan leaned his elbows on the kitchen counter. He wasn’t crazy about Logan. They’d been on a soap together back in the day; Logan for a couple months and Ethan for a couple of years. The guy always came across as though he felt he was owed fame. Definitely not one of Ethan’s best mates. But Ethan was at a loose end and grumpy. Catching up with someone who had an even bigger ego than his, and who definitely wouldn’t be judging him could be just what he needed. He checked his reflection in the glass doors. He was wet, his hair was sticking out in every direction, and he had sunscreen smeared across his nose.
‘No worries,’ he said. ‘I can do thirty.’