Chapter Twenty-Six
Hazel nursed a coffee, her foot twitching as she endured an onslaught from her sister. Violet was berating her for saying she wasn’t available for the sous chef position at Molti Pesci.
‘How long until your flight leaves?’ Hazel asked, glancing at the departures board. Her shoulders drooped. It was still thirty-five minutes until they boarded.
Meredith snickered.
‘Don’t laugh,’ Violet said to Meredith. ‘She’s being ridiculous.’ She looked back at Hazel. ‘How can you walk away from an opportunity like that? I know you’re still freaked out about what happened at Mamma’s Kitchen, but no one even remembers that. No one thinks you’re a failure. Stop hiding. You give that Z-grade reality TV star Logan Whatshisface too much power.’
‘Not anymore, I don’t. I told that Z-grade reality TV star to fuck off.’
Violet and Meredith stared at her.
‘What?’ Meredith asked.
‘He came into a restaurant I was at,’ she took a breath, ‘with Ethan. They know each other. He didn’t remember me at first, but then he figured out who I was. We argued and I told him to fuck off, and he did.’
‘Ethan is friends with him?’ Violet asked.
‘Not anymore. He told me he wouldn’t see him again. He was pretty upset about what Logan did.’ She shrugged. ‘That’s when we officially became friends.’
‘With super-hot benefits,’ Meredith added.
Hazel flicked her friend a grin, dropping it when Violet’s glare intensified. ‘And I am going to talk to Molti Pesci,’ she said. ‘Natalia and I are going to discuss future opportunities for me. Because I’m currently unavailable.’
Violet tutted. ‘I’m glad you confronted that idiot. I can’t believe you’re only just telling me, but I’m still glad. But, Hazel, you can’t throw away the chance at a great job to look after a dog. Even if it is for Ethan James.’
‘She’s right, Nut,’ Meredith added.
‘Don’t you start. I’m not available. I have a contract.’ Hazel paused, frowning at the pair of them. ‘Besides, I don’t want to go home yet. I like it here.’
‘But don’t you miss us?’ Violet asked.
‘I did until you yelled at me.’ The sisters glared at each other.
Hazel didn’t need her sister telling her what a great opportunity it was. But that job wouldn’t be the only one that ever came up at that restaurant, and she was still going to meet with the owner. Natalia must have something in mind for Hazel if she wanted to meet with her. None of this had anything to do with Ethan. She was almost certain of it.
‘What did Ethan say about the job?’ Meredith asked.
‘I… haven’t mentioned it.’
‘What about your trip home next weekend?’ Violet asked.
Hazel shook her head. ‘I would have said something last night but you were both there and then he left, so… I’ll tell him when I see him later.’
‘And about the job you’re going to discuss with Natalia?’ Violet asked.
‘I’m not going to the meeting to discuss any job. I’m networking.’
‘You’ll lie to him, then.’
‘It’s not a lie. I’m only omitting something he doesn’t need to know.’ Her eyes briefly fluttered closed. ‘He has a lot going on and I don’t want to worry him unnecessarily and add to that pressure. I see no reason to upset him.’
She also didn’t want to risk blowing up what they had. Besides, she wasn’t one hundred per cent sure that if she told him about the job, he wouldn’t tell her to take it. That would mean saying goodbye now, and she wasn’t ready for that.
‘You need to put yourself first,’ Violet said. ‘Don’t be stupid for a guy.’ She flicked her hair back with a frustrated sigh. ‘Ethan is lovely, but if you think you’re going to be anything more than a fling to him—’
‘Hey!’ Hazel glared at her sister. ‘That’s a shitty thing to say.’
Meredith shushed them. ‘Keep it down.’
Hazel and Violet glanced around the small departure lounge, then lowered their voices.
‘Okay, not a fling, but not permanent. He’s moving to LA, right?’ Her sister sighed. ‘Just promise me you’ll go into the meeting with an open mind.’
Hazel slouched in her chair. ‘Of course I will. That’s why I’m going. Please have a little faith in me,’ she said.
Violet placed her hand over Hazel’s and squeezed. ‘I just want the best for you,’ she said.
‘We both do,’ Meredith added. ‘Ethan’s short-term. Don’t let this thing with him ruin anything for you.’
‘Okay, okay, stop, I’ve got it.’ She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. ‘And stop worrying about me. We’re just having fun. I’m not going to fall in love with the guy.’
‘Of course you are,’ Meredith said. ‘I only met him last night and I’m already in love with him.’
Ethan sprinted across the beach, up the soft dunes and into his backyard, stripping his shirt off as he went. It must have been 35°C. He dived straight into the pool, sighing with relief as the cool water bubbled over his skin. His feet were stinging from the burning sand and his eyes were stinging from his sweat. Breaking the surface of the water, he turned to see Harry staring at him through the window, his tail madly wagging.
‘Sorry little dude,’ Ethan called out.
He pushed up out of the pool, grabbed the key he’d stashed under the lid of the barbecue and let the dog out. Dripping across the floor, he snatched up his phone, which he’d deliberately left behind because he’d been going crazy staring at it, waiting for Lena to call. He ran his hand over the kitchen island and smiled. He’d never look at that counter in the same way again. It would be forever tied to the image of Hazel perched on its edge, her back arched as she quivered and moaned. So hot. Too hot to be thinking about in the scorching heat.
He walked back outside and flopped down by the pool, swinging his legs and feet into the water. Then, taking a deep breath, he checked his phone. There were three missed calls and one text message from Lena in all caps.
RING ME.
Hazel pulled up outside Ethan’s house just after 2 p.m. She’d meant to message him before she left the airport but forgot, and there was nothing she could do about it once she was driving. But he’d said she was welcome any time, so she figured it would be fine. She was hoping they could hit the beach for a while. It was a stinker of a day, and lounging in the surf with Ethan sounded like heaven – the perfect way to cool off and heat up.
She pressed her finger to the doorbell, her tummy fluttering with excitement. When the door swung back Ethan stood before her in pink Hawaiian print boardshorts and a silky, dark grey shirt covered in a tiny leopard print, unbuttoned enough to show off the perfect amount of tanned chest. He looked as if he couldn’t decide between a red-carpet event and a dip in the pool.
‘Hi,’ he said, sounding a little stressed. ‘I wasn’t expecting you.’
‘I thought we said we’d see each other this afternoon after I dropped the girls at the airport.’
‘Right. We totally did. I just didn’t know what time we were talking. Sorry, I’m a bit all over the place.’
She nodded. ‘Are you going somewhere?’
He looked down at his chest and chuckled. ‘I have a Zoom meeting. A couple of them, actually. They’ll only see me from the waist up.’
‘Oh.’ She was still standing on his doorstep and his arm was blocking the doorway. She was starting to wonder whether she was supposed to duck under it or leave.
‘Um… Should I…?’ She pointed back towards her car.
‘Um…’ He glanced over his shoulder. ‘I’m standing by for the first meeting now. I don’t know how long I’ll be. I don’t want you to have to hang around for ages, and to be honest, I really have to focus on this. It’s important.’
‘Okay.’ She wasn’t important. Good to know. ‘I’m sorry, I should have texted first,’ she said, her humiliation keeping pace with her growing disappointment.
‘No, I should have texted you,’ he answered. ‘But I’ll call when I’ve wrapped this up, okay?’
‘Sure.’ She tried to keep the hurt from her voice. ‘I’ve got a few things to do, too. I’ve been bumping my chores and—’
His phone buzzed in his hand and he glanced at it. ‘This it,’ he said. ‘I gotta go jump on my laptop. How do I look?’
‘Weird, because you’re half and half. But the part whoever you’re meeting with is going to see looks very hot and very movie star.’
He beamed. ‘Thanks babe.’ He kissed her cheek then closed the door, leaving her standing on the doorstep, blinking.
‘Babe?’ Hazel hissed under her breath. ‘BABE?!’ she said again, this time louder. ‘Ew.’ He’d never called her babe before, and she didn’t like it. It had sounded fake and dismissive and everything she’d thought he was when they first met.
She shouldn’t have turned up there unannounced. But, they’d made a plan and he’d said she was welcome anytime. Anytime he didn’t have something better to do, apparently. She tossed a pizza base into her trolley. Pizza was definitely needed. She tossed a second base in because the more pizza the better. Slouching over the trolley, she shuffled forward, heading towards the cat food aisle.
‘Hazel,’ a woman’s voice called from behind her. She glanced around. Ellie, the PA from Ethan’s movie, was coming up the aisle, waving at her.
‘Ellie,’ the young woman said, pointing at her chest as she looked up at Hazel.
‘I remember,’ Hazel said. ‘It’s nice to see you again.’
Ellie nodded at her trolley, filled with bags of chips and tubs of dip. ‘I have some friends coming over,’ she said. ‘We were supposed to catch up last night, but the day ran long, and then after we wrapped I gave Ethan a hand shooting his audition. He mentioned he was supposed to see you, too?’
‘He was,’ she said, nodding and smiling as if she knew what Ellie was talking about.
‘I’m so excited for him,’ Ellie said. ‘Of course if he gets it everyone will be disappointed because he’ll probably miss the wrap party. He’ll be exhausted going straight from one movie to the next, but that’s an actor’s life, I guess.’ She shrugged. ‘Anyway, I’d better go. I’m the one with the booze and the food. Nice to see you.’ She waved, and disappeared up the aisle.
Hazel slumped over her trolley again. He’d had an audition? Why wouldn’t he mention that? It was exciting news. Though she guessed that meant no week on a bougie island once he wrapped his current movie. Assuming he got the part. Which, if he was having meetings about it already, he probably would.
At least she understood what was going on now, and he was right, it was important. Did he really have to toss her out, though? She could have taken Harry to the beach while he had his meeting. It wasn’t as if she was going to Yoko Ono it and sit beside him through the whole thing.
Then again, she was only a ‘Babe’.
Fuck, Violet was right, she realised. She was a fling.
Of course I’m a fling. He’s a fling. We’re both flinging. Be sensible.
But being sensible didn’t soothe the growing ache in her chest.