inside,” he said. “I know how special you are.”
Wayne and the others returned at that moment, laying their pint glasses on the table.
“So, we all set?” Wayne said.
“I think so,” said Hawke, turning to Ashling. “We all set?” he grinned.
“Yes.” She smiled back at him, wondering if the night was ending or beginning.
The location scout turned to Ashling. “Listen, Hawke mentioned that you know the wooded areas around here well. I was wondering if I could pick your brain for an upcoming scene, while Hawke is off working tomorrow.”
“Um, sure,” said Ashling. “What did you have in mind?”
“I need somewhere with a creek. Something idyllic. Anything like that around here?”
“I know just the place,” she said, smiling. “I can show you, if you’d like.”
“That would be amazing. Can I take your number?” He looked at Hawke, as though seeking permission.
“It’s 555-8627,” she replied. “You can text me a time and I’ll tell you where to meet me. Or if you’re like Hawke and use phones in the old-fashioned way, you can always call.”
“Great, I will. Okay, you two — get out of here. We’ve kept you long enough. Have a good evening while the guys and I have a few more beers. We’re not the ones who have to look pretty tomorrow morning.”
“True, you spoiled jackasses,” said Hawke, standing. He extended a hand, offering it to Ashling. “My lady, come with me. Let’s go for a walk.”
As they made their way towards the exit, Ashling noticed that more young women had gathered, their eyes locked on the two people leaving the bar together.
Perhaps it was because of that, or because of Hawke’s attentive nature, that they failed to see the man who was tucked away behind a thick column, his dark eyes fixed on the two of them as a smile spread across his thin lips.
6
W ith his hand securely placed on her lower back once again, Hawke escorted Ashling outside under the watchful eyes of the throng of female spectators. They seemed, for the moment at least, too apprehensive to approach him. Ashling was impressed; it was as though he’d erected a wall around himself and her, protecting them from the onlookers’ nosiness.
“How do you do that?” she asked as they wandered along the sidewalk. “I would have thought you’d be inundated with autograph requests from the locals.”
“I suppose I exude a little hostility on occasion,” he said. “When I need to.”
“I can’t even imagine. You seem very…warm…to me,” she said, surprised at her own forwardness. “I can’t quite see you being hostile.”
“Oh, I can be very hostile,” he said, his tone more serious than she was used to.
“Like on movie sets when you don’t get your way?” she laughed.
“Yes — and no,” he said, his tone stoic. “More when I need to look after something. I have a life beyond my job.”
“Of course you do. I didn’t mean…”
“Oh, I know. I only mean that I can be protective, if someone I care about is in trouble.” His voice had softened once again. “Speaking of people I care about — Ashling, would you come with me? I want to show you something.”
“Sure,” she said. The truth was that no part of her wanted to do anything but accompany him. She felt a little as though she would have followed him into an active volcano, had he asked. It was a little crazy, the effect that this man had on her. But all of it was positive; he made her feel at peace, happy. It reminded her of their youth, of how comfortable she’d been with him, and excited at the same time.
“You’re surprised, you say, at some aspects of my nature,” he told her as they walked. “But you’d be more surprised at yourself.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I believe there’s someone — something — inside you that you don’t understand yet. You may be afraid of it, but it’s there and you need to learn to embrace it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Wayne and the others returned at that moment, laying their pint glasses on the table.
“So, we all set?” Wayne said.
“I think so,” said Hawke, turning to Ashling. “We all set?” he grinned.
“Yes.” She smiled back at him, wondering if the night was ending or beginning.
The location scout turned to Ashling. “Listen, Hawke mentioned that you know the wooded areas around here well. I was wondering if I could pick your brain for an upcoming scene, while Hawke is off working tomorrow.”
“Um, sure,” said Ashling. “What did you have in mind?”
“I need somewhere with a creek. Something idyllic. Anything like that around here?”
“I know just the place,” she said, smiling. “I can show you, if you’d like.”
“That would be amazing. Can I take your number?” He looked at Hawke, as though seeking permission.
“It’s 555-8627,” she replied. “You can text me a time and I’ll tell you where to meet me. Or if you’re like Hawke and use phones in the old-fashioned way, you can always call.”
“Great, I will. Okay, you two — get out of here. We’ve kept you long enough. Have a good evening while the guys and I have a few more beers. We’re not the ones who have to look pretty tomorrow morning.”
“True, you spoiled jackasses,” said Hawke, standing. He extended a hand, offering it to Ashling. “My lady, come with me. Let’s go for a walk.”
As they made their way towards the exit, Ashling noticed that more young women had gathered, their eyes locked on the two people leaving the bar together.
Perhaps it was because of that, or because of Hawke’s attentive nature, that they failed to see the man who was tucked away behind a thick column, his dark eyes fixed on the two of them as a smile spread across his thin lips.
6
W ith his hand securely placed on her lower back once again, Hawke escorted Ashling outside under the watchful eyes of the throng of female spectators. They seemed, for the moment at least, too apprehensive to approach him. Ashling was impressed; it was as though he’d erected a wall around himself and her, protecting them from the onlookers’ nosiness.
“How do you do that?” she asked as they wandered along the sidewalk. “I would have thought you’d be inundated with autograph requests from the locals.”
“I suppose I exude a little hostility on occasion,” he said. “When I need to.”
“I can’t even imagine. You seem very…warm…to me,” she said, surprised at her own forwardness. “I can’t quite see you being hostile.”
“Oh, I can be very hostile,” he said, his tone more serious than she was used to.
“Like on movie sets when you don’t get your way?” she laughed.
“Yes — and no,” he said, his tone stoic. “More when I need to look after something. I have a life beyond my job.”
“Of course you do. I didn’t mean…”
“Oh, I know. I only mean that I can be protective, if someone I care about is in trouble.” His voice had softened once again. “Speaking of people I care about — Ashling, would you come with me? I want to show you something.”
“Sure,” she said. The truth was that no part of her wanted to do anything but accompany him. She felt a little as though she would have followed him into an active volcano, had he asked. It was a little crazy, the effect that this man had on her. But all of it was positive; he made her feel at peace, happy. It reminded her of their youth, of how comfortable she’d been with him, and excited at the same time.
“You’re surprised, you say, at some aspects of my nature,” he told her as they walked. “But you’d be more surprised at yourself.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I believe there’s someone — something — inside you that you don’t understand yet. You may be afraid of it, but it’s there and you need to learn to embrace it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
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