Chapter Thirty-Two
Hannah
When we arrived in New Zealand, I could feel the difference in the air. The bluest water sat in the middle of a city with beautiful buildings situated at the base of majestic hills. It was more than I thought it would be, and I could hardly walk without tripping over my own feet because my eyes were glued on everything around me. Ezra put his arm around my shoulder as we strolled through the city. Leonard gave us a couple of days off because they had to get some last-minute things in line for the movie shoot, but he told us to stay out of trouble because this week would be a vigorous one since we were on time constraints.
“Wow. This place exceeded all of my expectations. This is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen.”
“What? No. This looks just like New York. It is not as busy as the Big Apple, but it looks similar.”
“Oh. Well, I’ve never been to New York.”
“That explains it, then. Don’t get me wrong, this place is beautiful, but I’ve seen things like it before.”
“Well, don’t rain on my parade!”
I whipped out my cell phone and snapped pictures like a tourist as we strolled down the busy streets in the heart of the city. We ended up at a spot called Urchin Amber. It was a restaurant in the middle of the city block with seating outside to enjoy the view of the lake that was just across the street. “I want to sit outside, Ezra. Can you go and get the table out here for us? I’ll wait.”
“Sure, baby. I’ll be right back.”
I stood on the sidewalk as he went inside the building. Pedestrians rode past me on their bikes, smiling as they cycled down the walkway. Everybody seemed friendly to me, but maybe it was because I made it obvious that I wasn’t from around here. The way I snapped my phone and smiled at everything like a kid in a candy store. The water across the street glimmered like diamonds as the sunlight reflected off its surface. Just then, I received a call from Leonard.
“Hello, darling. How are you? Are you and Ezra staying out of trouble?”
“Yes, absolutely. We are just grabbing a bite to eat right now.”
“Ah, a bite to eat. That is precisely the reason I called you. I wanted to take you out to dinner. Let’s say… tomorrow evening?”
“Um,” I looked into the restaurant to spot Ezra. I saw him through the window, waiting in line to speak with the hostess. He smiled and waved towards me as I blew him a kiss. “What is this about?” I said, speaking into the phone.
“Oh, um, I believe that I may have a few more opportunities for you in the future. The near future. Movie roles, you know? I just wanted to speak with you about those possibilities since we will be wrapping up the movie here pretty soon.”
“Oh! Well, in that case, sure! I don’t mind.”
“Excellent! I will send for you at the hotel tomorrow, let’s say, around 9-ish?”
“That is perfect.”
“Very well. Enjoy yourself and you stay out of trouble. I mean it.”
“Yes, sir!”
After I hung up the phone, Ezra walked outside with a waiter. “All right, where would you two like to sit?”
Ezra looked in my direction, prompting me to lead the way. I glanced around until I found the perfect spot on the other side of a small, wooden picket fence. “Here is fine.” She led us to the table and sat two menus in front of us.
“Your server will be with you shortly. You two enjoy your stay here in New Zealand and, um, good luck with the movie.” She smiled and held her gaze towards Ezra a little longer than I felt was appropriate.
I watched her walk away from the table with a curious brow raised in her direction. After she had entered the building, I fixed my gaze upon Ezra. “Um, what was all of that about?”
He popped his napkin open. “What was all what about?”
“That. That whole extended look she had given you before she walked away from the table.”
He laughed it off as he grabbed the menu. “Oh, that was nothing. I mean, I talked to her a little bit when I was inside the restaurant. I told her I was here shooting a movie and I told her a little more about it.” I tilted my head towards him, waiting for more of an explanation of their conversation. “I just told her what movie I was shooting and how long I was going to be here. She seemed like she was really interested in it all, you know? So, I told her, then we came out here, and that’s it. That’s the end of the story.”
I noticed how he kept saying, “I was shooting a movie,” with no mention of “us.” I wanted to ask him about it, but I didn’t feel there was a need to. Maybe I was looking too deep into things and taking his conversation out of context. She did come off as a friendly young woman, and after a few moments, I convinced myself that I was thinking too much. I had a habit of doing that from time to time, so I figured this was one of them. Finally, I grabbed my menu. “All right,” I said with just enough attitude to keep the conversation open.
“Babe. Do you really think I would come out here with you and have the nerve to talk to another woman? I haven’t thought about another woman since I met you, and that is the truth. You are the one I’ve been waiting for, and I’m not going to mess it up.” He reached out for my hand and held onto it as we sat at the table. He hadn’t done anything for me not to trust him, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Besides that, he was attractive, and if I were the hostess, I might have stolen a glance or two at him just like she did.
I looked down at the bandage on his arm. He wouldn’t have gotten in the middle of that altercation if he wasn’t serious about me. That was something that he went out of his way to take care of for me. A scar that would show his love for me for as long as he lived, and for right now, that was enough. I leaned across the table and kissed him on the lips. “All right, you’ve made your case.”
“Good.” He smiled. “Now, let’s see what this New Zealand food is all about. I hope I don’t get anything that makes me sick. I have a weak stomach.”
I laughed as I opened the menu. “Well, maybe you should just get a burger or something to be on the safe side.”
“A burger? I didn’t come all the way to New Zealand for a burger. I came to shoot a movie with that weird ass director. God, that guy gives me the creeps sometimes.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” I said, placing my menu down on the table. “While you were inside, he called me. He said that he wanted to take me out to dinner tomorrow to discuss the potential for another movie role after this one.”
His brows wrinkled together. “Out to dinner? Like, a date?”
“No, silly, not a date. More like a business meeting.”
“Hannah, I don’t trust that guy. I mean, he is a good director and all, but I’ve seen the way he is. His hands sort of roam whenever he hugs you.”
“Oh, stop it. They do not! And besides, you know he is touchy-feely anyway. I mean, for God’s sake, he damn near raped you when we were on the jet when he was feeling on your chest.” I laughed out loud, but Ezra didn’t crack a smile. “Come on, babe, seriously. Leonard? He is harmless.”
“He is a creep.”
“But he is a director and says that he has more opportunities for me in the future. Look, I didn’t grab this role with the intentions of doing one movie and then retiring. I grabbed this role because I figured it would lead to other roles. That’s what we are here for. At least, that’s what I thought. Correct me if I’m wrong.”
“No, you’re not wrong, but I just don’t trust him. Like, I think he may be trying to pull you into some shady shit. Like, I think he directs porn on the side, and that is what he wants you for.”
“What?” I laughed. “Please, Ezra, that is sad. If he did have his hand in directing porn, I think that would’ve made some kind of splash by now. I’ve told a lot of people in Hollywood who my director was and nobody said one bad thing about him. Well, if, ‘that guy is an amazing director’ is a bad thing, then I take that back. But seriously, Ezra, you are worrying over nothing.”
“Nothing?” A cold, hard glare escaped his eyes and pierced my soul as I sat across from him. It was a look that was foreign to me until now. His jawbones gyrated inside of his mouth like he was grinding meat. “So, my girl is going out with a porn director, and she is sitting here telling me that I have nothing to worry about?!” His raised voice attracted the attention of neighboring customers.
I dropped my face in embarrassment. “Ezra? Will you please lower your voice? We can talk about this like civilized adults.”
“No! Look, I don’t care what you tell me. If you are my girl, then you are not going to that dinner date with him. My woman is not going to be a porn star, and I am not giving that director the chance to do anything with you when I’m not around! That’s for real.”
The area we sat in grew silent as more eyes turned in our direction. I sat quietly as tears bubbled at the bottom of my eyes. It was all going so wrong. I thought he would be happy for me. I thought he would trust me to do the right thing, the same way I trusted him just minutes ago. I looked away from him for a few long seconds as the waitress came to our table. “Hi, my name is Shannon, and I will be your server today. Can I start you all off with any appetizers? Drinks?” She waited for a response, but there was none given.
I grabbed my purse, stood up from the table, and made my way back to the hotel. “Hannah... Hannah!” he called out to me, but I didn’t turn around. I wiped my tears as I walked down the sidewalk and disappeared into a crowd of people. Somehow, I still felt alone. Lonelier than I had felt in a long time.
I didn’t talk to Ezra much at all the following day except to tell him that I was still going to dinner with Leonard. That made him even more upset, but I wasn’t going to sell myself short just to appease him. If he didn’t understand, then he would have to cope with my decision another way. I didn’t want to miss out on any opportunities to fulfill my dream.