25 - Eliza

Though the weather was certainly warmer here in LA but I missed the cool crispness of New York, or maybe it was just the simpler life I'd had there that I missed. It felt like I'd been on the go since I'd got here. Shelly had set up signings every day since I got here last Saturday. It is now Monday and the first day I didn't have anything wiith the rest of the week looking much the same as the last one.

The signings and meet and greets weren't bad really, though I doubted I'd ever really like them. They made me miss Tom that much more. Majority of the questions would be about my books and myself but there were always a few about Tom and I. I knew there would only be so long that I could keep giving the vague answers like I have been but telling the truth that we weren't together anymore hurt too much.

As if that wasn't complicated enough I'd somehow managed to strike up a real friendship with Henry since that first meeting. I still refused to read the gossip magazines but Katy filled me in on what they were saying about me every day when we talked. They were speculating that Tom and I weren't together and that I was now with Henry and though the first part was technically true the other part was completely wrong.

"Hey, are you alright?" Henry asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, yeah. Just thinking. What were you saying?"

"Nothing of importance." He smiles at me, "I know you've been on the go since your feet hit the ground. How about we take the day off work completely? We can continue working on this later."

A couple days ago he'd approached me with a rough draft of his idea for my book being turned into a live action film. What had surprised me was that instead of making it a movie like everyone had suggested so far he wanted to make it into a tv series instead. I'd looked over the pilot episode he'd finished and I was sold. We'd been working on the next few since then but I really did need a break.

"Would you mind terribly? I am pretty frazzled."

As he laughs a shadow falls across us and I turn to look at who ever had just walked up. We always met at the Bistro where we'd gone that first day, mainly because I didn't want pictures of either of us entering the others hotel. But meeting at the same place every day had meant one or both of us had fans stopping by our table.

Turning expecting that I was completely caught off guard as a glass of ice water is thrown in my face. Wiping the water from my eyes I look up to see who I was going to thank for the cold shower only to groan as they come into focus.

"What the hell are you doing?" Henry asks angrily, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Henry, it's okay." I say putting my hand on top of his arm and look up at Zawe who was smirking down at me. "Hello Ms. Ashton. I don't believe we've formally met."

"So it wasn't enough that you stole my boyfriend but now you're going to sit here and cheat on him just weeks later? You're even worse than I thought." She spits in my face.

I chuckle and wipe my face again, standing up slowly turning to face her.

"First off, I didn't steal Tom from you. You dumped him so don't blame me for your poor choices."

"There is no way you two could be that close that quickly. Just admit it; you two were seeing each other before we broke up." She yells, making those who hadn't turned to look at us after the water to my face turn to look now.

"I am many things but a homewrecker isn't one of them." I say calmly back. "And secondly, whom I do or don't have lunch with is literally none of your concern."

She surprises me and slaps me across the face.

"You're just a whore." She spits in my face again. "I told Tom you would just use him but he wouldn't believe me. You're pathetic."

Henry does stand up now but I put my hand on his chest before he can come around the table.

"I'll let you have that one because I know you're upset you lost Tom but that's the only freebie you're going to get. Try that again and you'll be picking yourself up off the ground."

"I'm not scared of you." She sneers.

"Good, wasn't saying it to scare you, just telling you what to expect. Are you done now?"

I still had my hand on Henry's chest and she zeros in on it, setting up for round two.

"You two seem pretty close for this to be a business meeting. Or is that how you supplement you're pathetic writing career, being a high priced hooker? Is that why you didn't use your real name to publish? Escorts are usually prettier but I guess some men are just that desperate."

I was soaking wet and my cheek stung where she'd slapped me but I was amused.

"If you're trying to hurt my feelings you're wasting your time. I couldn't care less what you think of me. Cornering Tom in his trailer back in New York and kissing him didn't get you what you wanted so you come after me this time? Not really original but you did surprise me, so kudos for that. You can run along now, you said what you needed to I assume? Feel better I hope?"

"You can't tell me what to do?"

"Oh I'm sorry. Was there more nonsense you needed to say? Go ahead then. Everyone's all ears."

I motion around the tables and she glances around. I could see at least one cell phone pointed at us. I had no clue why she was even here, what good she thought would come from this but I was slowly tiring of her antics. Henry was quickly losing patience too but was respecting my wishes that he not get involved.

"You're a bitch." She sneers.

This time I was prepared when her arm comes up, intent on slapping me again. I raise my arm to block her strike and grab her wrist, twisting it none too gently behind her using my other hand to make her elbow bend. She gives a small squeak of surprise and pain as she is spun around so her backs towards me and I hold her arm behind her.

"Get off me, you're hurting me." She yells.

I let go of her arm and step back to my seat and cross my arms. She turns around rubbing her shoulder on the verge of tears.

"I told you not to try and hit me again. I didn't hurt you though I could've."

"You'll be hearing from my lawyers." She says turning away.

"Good, I'll be sure to let them know I'm pressing assault charges when they do."

"I didn't assault you. You nearly ripped my arm off."

"She has a whole café full of people as witnesses that you threw the first, and second blow. She merely defended herself." Henry says, folding his arms across his chest. "Hey kid, did you get all of that?"

"I did Mr. Superman sir." Says the young boy I'd seen with his cell phone pointed at us.

She looks around at the gathered people who were all scowling at her and sneers at me again.

"Whatever. I'll get him back when you break his heart anyway."

She storms off and my cheeks flush as everyone starts clapping. A waiter brings me out a towel as we sit back down and I start laughing, completely baffled by what had just happened.

"I'm sorry but I think these are a lost cause." I say pointing at the now soaked papers on the table.

"I'm not worried about that. Your lip is bleeding. Let me see."

He reaches across the table and tilts my head so he can get a better look. Now that he'd said it I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth. I had to hand it to Zawe, she could swing a good it. He touches my cheek lightly and I flinch making him growl.

"Why did you go easy on her? She's not going to have anything but a bruised ego and a sore shoulder. I'd have gladly helped."

"I'm fine Henry, really. I've had much worse, this isn't anything. If you'd have got involved it'd have been worse. You're a good man and she isn't worth you hitting a woman, especially since we have an audience.

"Now I know you based Andrea off of yourself." Henry says, grinning at me. "What was that all about anyway?"

"That's Tom's ex-girlfriend, other than that your guess is as good as mine. Just a second."

I get up and walk to the boy's table, introducing myself before I look at the boy.

"Did you get the whole thing?"

"Yes. I'm sorry. I didn't..."

"It's okay, though I probably wouldn't make a habit of it. Can you email it to me, just incase the lady decides to try and press charges."

"Sure! That was so hot."

"Michael!" His mother scolds making me laugh.

"It's fine. Just remember, fighting should always be a last resort."

"Oh I know. Dad says only cowards throw the first punch."

"He's not wrong. My Grams always told me I should never throw the first punch but after that I was okay to finish it."

I give him Shelly's email to send the video to and thank them before I walk back to my table. Sitting back down with Henry he gives me an impressed look as he hands me an ice pack he'd apparently sent a waiter after and I laugh.

"What?" I ask.

"The boy isn't wrong you know. That was pretty hot. Where'd you learn to do that?"

"I've taken a few self-defense classes over the years."

He looks at me for a few heartbeats and the butterflies in my stomach start to flutter but don't take off. Henry is a good looking man but I wasn't interested in anything but friendship anymore. Tom still held my heart but unfortunately that chapter was closed.

"Thank you for letting me deal with it. As it is, she's the only one who looks like an idiot. Though no telling how they're going to spin it." I say nodding at the cameras.

"Oh I'm sure they'll have an interesting spin on it, they always do."

"I'm going to head back to my hotel. I'm sorry your pages got ruined."

"Don't worry about it. Go relax. You deserve it now more than ever. See you tomorrow?"

"I'll be here."

We stand up and he kisses my unhurt cheek before I walk away. I wanted to get inside my room before what just happened with Zawe became common knowledge.