Chapter Twenty-Nine
The photo on the box showed a bright pink plastic butterfly zooming around in a circle with a cat trying to swat it in the air. Ethan turned the box over, frowning as he read the back.
‘What do you think, little dude?’ Harry looked up at him. ‘Do you think Kevin would like this flying butterfly thing?’ He looked at the box again and sighed. ‘I don’t know, does he even play?’ He picked up a long stick with a rainbow of yarn on the end. ‘What about this thing?’ He shook it at Harry, who jumped up and tried to bite it. ‘It’s not for you, buddy. We’ll pick out something for you to destroy in less than a minute before we go.’ He tucked the box and the stick under his arm, grabbed a purple ball that said it had catnip inside it, putting it to his nose and taking sniff, and with a shrug, made his way towards the dog toy aisle. He knew he was probably being ridiculous, but buying toys for Kevin felt like a way to show Hazel how he felt about her without heading into dangerous territory.
‘Do cats like things like this… Rikki?’ he asked the young woman behind the counter, reading her nametag. She had tattoos up both arms and bright orange hair in plaits.
She took the box with the butterfly toy and read the back. ‘They like anything that’s a bit of a challenge. How old is your cat?’
‘Three or four? I’m not sure. He’s not mine, I’m just minding him for a night.’ He put the other items down on the counter, along with a stuffed shark for Harry.
‘You’re getting all this for one cat for one night?’
‘You don’t think he’ll be impressed?’ He grinned.
She looked at him as if she wasn’t quite sure if he was joking or not.
‘To be honest,’ he said, ‘it’s not so much about the cat as it is his owner. What do you think? Am I on a winner?’ He flashed her another grin.
‘You’re Ethan James, aren’t you?’
‘I am.’
‘Shit.’
‘Yeah, I get that a lot.’ He smirked.
She laughed, leaned over the counter and looked at Harry. ‘Oh my god your dog is the cutest.’
‘Thanks. That’s Harry.’
‘Can I give him a treat?’ she asked.
‘He’d be mad if you didn’t.’
Rikki pulled a treat from a jar and came around the counter. ‘Sit,’ she said to Harry. Harry sat, and she rewarded him with a piece of dried liver.
‘Can I take a selfie with him?’
‘With just my dog?’ Ethan asked.
‘Oh. Um. You too… I guess.’
He laughed. ‘It’s okay,’ he said. ‘I won’t force you to take a photo with me. You’re welcome to take a photo with Harry. He’s way cuter than me, anyway.’
‘He really is,’ Rikki said.
He laughed again as she handed him her phone. He couldn’t wait to tell Hazel, she’d have a good laugh at his expense.
Ethan found the list of Kevin instructions Hazel had left him on her kitchen counter.
Keep everything closed. Do not let him out!
Clean his litter tray when he poops or he won’t use it.
Watch Harry around Kevin’s food because he always tries to eat it.
Don’t give Harry Kevin’s food – they can’t share.
Put something under the litter tray to collect the spillage.
The paper towels are in case he vomits. He does that.
Take his mouse, it’s the only thing he’ll play with.
His shoulders sagged. So much for all the toys he’d just bought.
He glanced at Kevin’s pile of stuff. ‘You pack more than me,’ he said as the cat curled around his legs.
Ethan checked over Hazel’s note again, frowning as he whispered, ‘The paper towels are in case he vomits.’ He folded the note and slipped it into his back pocket.
‘You’d better not puke, Kev. I’m not good with puke. Just ask Harry.’
He grabbed Kevin’s overnight bag, food and cat litter and lugged it all to his car. Then he went back for the cat. The second Ethan’s fingers wrapped around the handle of the cat crate, Kevin shot up the hall and into Hazel’s room. Ethan stared after him.
‘Okay.’
He put the crate down and pulled the note out of his pocket, re-read the front, then flipped it over.
One more thing: get Kevin in your arms before you pick up the crate. He hates the crate.
Have fun xoxo
‘Fuck.’
He shoved the note back into his pocket, strode up the hall, stood in the doorway of Hazel’s bedroom and sweetly said, ‘Kev?’
He hadn’t been in her room since the night he’d stayed over. He loved how much it reminded him of her. There was a pile of cookbooks on her bedside table and a corkboard balanced on the top of a chest of drawers with various photos of food pinned to it. A traditional chef’s hat hung on one end of the curtain rod and twinkle lights cascaded down one wall. He’d watched her writhe under their glow, as the tiny bulbs cycled between pink and gold.
He got down on the rug and checked under the bed. Kevin was crouched, as far out of reach as he could get. Ethan tried to wiggle under the timber frame, but his shoulders got wedged and for a brief and panic-inducing moment, he thought he was stuck. He finally dislodged himself, breathing a sigh of relief, then he stretched one arm under as far as it would go, his shoulder cracking. Kevin watched him suspiciously, eyes gleaming yellow in the darkness. He didn’t move.
Ethan straightened up with a grunt, sat on the edge of Hazel’s bed, and pulled his phone from his front pocket.
Ethan: Hi. Sorry to bother you, but I missed the bit on the back of your note about picking up Kevin before the crate and now he’s under the bed.
Hazel: You can bother me whenever you like. Ignore him, he’ll come out eventually.
Ethan: I’m looking forward to bothering the hell out of you when you get home. How long is eventually?
Hazel: In that case, I’ll be on the next flight back! jk. Eventually is Kevin time.
Ethan: Tease. You had me excited for a moment. I better get Harry out of the car.
Hazel: Excited for only a moment? I’m losing my touch. Yes you better, it could be a while.
Ethan: Now I’m imagining you touching me. Just so you know, I’m lying on your bed. I don’t have any plans today. I’ll wait him out.
Hazel: Now I’m imagining you touching yourself on my bed. How did the interview go?
Ethan: Now I’m imagining you imagining me touching me on your bed. It went well. I’ll fill you in and do other things to you when I see you.
Hazel: Now who’s the tease? I can’t wait to get home.
Ethan: If your cat has anything to do with it, I’ll probably still be here where you arrive.
Hazel grinned so wide her cheeks ached. He was ridiculous, and she was already missing him. She took three slow breaths, in through her nose and out through her mouth. Having a sexy text message exchange with Ethan while she waited for Natalia to join her wasn’t the smartest idea. She was already a bunch of nerves, now she was a bunch of tingling nerves.
She put her phone on silent and slid it into her pocket, gazing around her at the Molti Pesci patio. She was seated under a blue-and-white striped umbrella with Freshwater Beach sparkling in front of her. The day was warm, so the beach was full, with colourful sun shelters dotting the sand and swimmers crowding the ocean.
‘Hazel?’ A woman with short, steel-coloured hair waved at her.
‘Natalia?’ Hazel asked as she stood.
‘Call me Nat,’ the woman said. ‘Sorry to keep you waiting. Organising two restaurants is a lot of work.’ She shook Hazel’s hand. ‘Sit, sit. Thanks for flying down.’
‘It’s a pleasure. Thanks for inviting me.’
Nat waved down one of the waitstaff. ‘Would you like a glass of wine, Hazel? I’m definitely having some wine. How about a nice pinot grigio? My usual, please Beth, and we’ll have some water too. Sparkling, I think.’ She turned and smiled at Hazel. ‘Now. Let’s talk about you. Blake had wonderful things to say about you. He told me you’re quite the rising star. I also spoke to Chef Max after you mentioned you’d be working with him. We go way back. He said you walked into his kitchen like a boss, as if you’d worked there your whole life. He was incredibly impressed with you, Hazel.’
Hazel’s hand went to her heart. Pride surged through her. It was wonderful to hear Chef Max’s words of appreciation, to get a confidence boost just when she needed it. ‘Oh my gosh,’ she said. ‘That’s so lovely. He’s great, and he has a fantastic brigade. I can’t wait to work with them again.’
Nat nodded, waiting for the server to pour their wine before saying, ‘Hazel, let me tell you what I’m thinking.’
Over a warm salad of Balmain bugs, asparagus, almond slivers and saffron dressing, Nat told Hazel about the launch of the second Molti Pesci restaurant in Bondi. Their current head chef was already working there, overseeing the fit-out, while Blake was managing the kitchen in the Freshwater restaurant.
‘We’re all stupidly busy,’ she said. ‘But it’ll be worth it when both restaurants are up and running.’ She looked out at the view. ‘So nice here, isn’t it?’
Hazel nodded. ‘It is. I grew up here, so I love it. I have so many memories of this beach.’
Natalia fixed her with a businesslike stare. ‘Look, Hazel, I know you said you’re not available for a few months, and this was supposed to be an informal meeting, but after speaking with Max, I have to try again. I’m looking for someone who can come in quickly and, initially, back Blake up, with the view to taking over the kitchen at Freshwater while Blake moves to the Bondi restaurant. You’d have to hit the ground running and from what Max said, I don’t think that would be a problem. If all went to plan, once you were across the menu and felt ready, you’d step into the head chef role and take over Molti Pesci Freshie for me. We’re doing a small rebrand.’
Hazel thought she might have gasped. She definitely knew her mouth was hanging open, but she couldn’t seem to close it.
‘Me?’ she asked.
‘That’s what I’m hoping,’ Nat said.
With a trembling hand, Hazel picked up her water and took a large gulp, spluttering on the bubbles.
‘Are you okay, Hazel?’
‘Mm-hm,’ she managed to squeak. She was vibrating so violently, the water in her glass had waves. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. It was everything she’d worked towards and everything she’d ever dreamed of. There was no way she could turn it down.
Nat took a sip of wine then put her glass down, resting her elbows on the table and looking Hazel in the eyes. ‘If it makes your decision any easier, we can start with a short contract. That way, if you’re not happy, you can make a change. But I’m hoping you’ll be happy. What do you think, Hazel? Do I have any chance at all of tempting you?’
Hazel took a careful mouthful of water. She was still under contract with Ethan. Could she break that contract? Did she want to? She looked out to the ocean. He was at her house right now, trying to catch her cat. An ache settled in her heart. She had no choice. This was her future and everything she’d ever wanted. Ethan would understand. She took a deep breath.
‘I think,’ she said, her voice surprisingly calm, ‘the only question I can really ask is, when do I start?’
‘Fucking hell, Kevin,’ Ethan called from his bathroom as he cleared Kevin’s litter for the third time. ‘You’re a shit machine.’ He flushed the offending object down the toilet, his nose scrunched up.
He’d barricaded himself and the animals inside his bedroom. It was too nerve-racking letting Kevin wander around downstairs. The cat was everywhere, on top of everything and under everything else. Ethan hadn’t relaxed since the moment he’d opened the crate door and Kevin had shot out, looking crazed and anxious. But once they were in a more contained space, the cat settled in as if he’d always lived there.
Ethan stepped back into his bedroom and groaned.
‘Well, that didn’t last long,’ he said, looking down at the spinning butterfly toy he’d bought, which was now butterfly-less.
‘Which one of you did it?’ Harry stared at Ethan with guilt written all over his probably guiltless face while Kevin yawned, one leg stretching out, obviously bored by the question.
‘Don’t take the fall for him Harry, he won’t thank you for it.’
He flopped onto his bed and squeezed between the two animals, frowning at the black hairs already coating his white bed covers. Kevin stretched out beside him and purred while Harry nudged his elbow, begging for pats. He lay there with a hand on each animal, scratching them until his shoulders ached. All of this to impress Hazel. When had he become such an idiot?
‘This is ridiculous,’ he growled. He was smothered in animals, pinned to the mattress and he couldn’t even reach the TV remote.
‘Shove over, weirdos,’ he said, lifting Kevin in the air and plopping him unceremoniously beside Harry. He rolled the stiffness from his shoulders.
Leaning against the bedhead, he turned on the TV, surfing until he landed on an episode of The Great British Bake Off. He dropped the remote to his lap, smiling as he thought of Hazel baking him a celebration cake. Maybe there’d be whipped cream involved. Maybe some of that whipped cream would even make it onto the cake. When his phone rang he was so lost in his own sweet fantasy, he didn’t notice the caller was Lena.
‘What are you doing?’ she asked. ‘Are you at home?’
‘Yeah. Why?’ He sat up.
‘Because we have an offer and I need you to look at it and get back to me straight away.’
‘For the movie?’
‘Yes, Ethan, for the movie.’
‘Is it a good offer?’
‘I’ve forwarded it to you. Open your emails and look at it.’
Ethan reached for his laptop, shoving the animals out of the way as he pulled it onto his lap. His hands trembled as he clicked on Lena’s email. He quickly scanned the notes from his agent laying out the proposal. It was a two-picture deal with an option to renegotiate for a third, with a heavy payday and a backend of profits, the percentage of which would increase for each movie. Those were the basics, and they were pretty good basics. There was more to lock down, but Nancy needed Ethan and Lena’s sign-off on the offer before she could finalise the deal.
‘Fuck, Lena. That’s a really good offer.’
‘You deserve it, Ethan.’
‘You think I should take it, right?’
‘It’s what you’ve been working towards.’
‘Right.’ He stared at the email, his brain utterly frozen. ‘Right,’ he said again.
‘So can I go back to them with a yes?’ Lena asked.
‘You can go back with a fuck yeah!’
‘Congratulations, Ethan.’
‘Thank you, Lena.’
He tossed his Mac onto the doona behind him and for a moment sat perfectly still. Then he exploded off the bed and fist-pumped the air, as he happy danced around his bedroom.
‘I got it guys,’ he said to the animals. ‘I got the part!’ Then his face dropped as he glanced around the room. He had no one to celebrate with except his dog and his not-girlfriend’s cat.
‘To Hazel!’ Glasses clinked as everyone congratulated Hazel on the new job.
She smiled gratefully, taking it all in. The people she loved most in the world were gathered around her, thrilled that the dream she’d worked so hard for was finally coming true. It should have been the greatest day of her life. She should have been exploding with excitement. But her stomach was gurgling, busily twisting itself into a bunch of knots. Because of Ethan. Because this job meant she’d be leaving him. She didn’t know how she was going to tell him or what he’d say. What she did know was how much she was going to miss him. His movie-star smile and aggressively adorable dimples. His lopsided grin and bright blue eyes. His too many abs and uncontainable biceps. Even his bougie clothes and unrestrained flirting. Everything that had once bugged her, everything she’d looked down on and judged, she’d now miss. But mostly she’d miss his friendship, his warmth and his sweetness… also, the earth-shattering orgasms.
Hazel focused on her glass and the tiny, golden bubbles exploding on the surface. She’d always known she was going to have to say goodbye to him, and after a few weeks it had become obvious that it wasn’t going to be easy, but now saying goodbye felt impossible. She’d tried to keep things fun and light, but she was so in love with Ethan, her body was awash with it.
‘Hazel?’
Her dad’s voice pierced her gloomy thoughts.
‘Sorry, Dad. What were you saying?’
‘I was saying you can stay with us, until you find somewhere to live.’
‘Thanks, Dad. Don’t forget Kevin will be coming too. He actually lets me pat him sometimes now, so he’s not a total nightmare.’
‘Ethan James melted his cold, dark heart,’ Meredith said, topping up Hazel’s glass.
Hazel watched the liquid froth to the rim and dribble over the edge as she swallowed back the lump rising in her throat. She sighed loudly, and when she looked up, everyone was staring at her.
She forced a smile and said cheerily, ‘He did. Against all odds, he somehow managed to win Kevin over.’ Everyone kept staring. ‘What?’ She took a sip from her glass.
‘He’s leaving anyway,’ Violet whispered, her hand squeezing her sister’s. ‘It was never forever. How much longer did you even have together, six weeks?’
‘Forty-seven days,’ Hazel answered.