“Everything okay?” I had to inquire.
“It’s my mom,of course.” He growled the last part as if I knew what he meant.
“You should get it?” It came out more like a question. I knew firsthand how brutal dealing with his mom could get.
“I don’t want to, but she’s only going to keep calling.”
Again, I nodded as if I was in on what he really meant.
When the room fell awkwardly cold and silent as Ford answered the phone, I knew there was something I was missing.
“Everything okay, Mom?”
I watched him nodding and pacing, and the idea that the joke was on me blanketed me like a heavy snow on a cold January night.
“You know the paps. They’ll take any bone given to them. Bella and I are nothing, and yes, James is here with me.”
With nothing to do, I debated following Ford and putting my hand on his back, but I didn’t feel it was my place. I sat on the couch, wringing my hands before reaching for an abandoned glass of wine.
“Mom, I had to film here. I’m really very sorry, but this wasn’t contrived…no, Billy…she had nothing to do with this. No, I’m not pulling a stunt like when I married Apple on a whim. Christ, Mom.” He raised his voice.
I ran through my mind if I’d ever heard him do that before. No—
“Listen, I work for a living. I make movies. This is all part of the job. Paps, shooting on location, and having someone I care about with me. Not everything is about you.”
He continued to explain himself with no letting up. The incident with Bella and the paparazzi was starting to feel much bigger than my presence being exposed; my feelings getting hurt were the least of the issues when it came to the event.
“Mom, I’m not interested in…that. Not now. I’m not.”
Ford paused, seemingly looking for the right words in front of me.
“Listen, James is only here for a short while longer and then I’m wrapping things up. It’s going to be a lot of work, and I’ll be out of touch for a while. I’m sorry plans didn’t go your way, but I’ve never been the son for that kind of thing. That’s Scott. He’s your golden boy.” As he said Scott’s name, Ford looked directly at me, heat searing his gaze.
He moved back to nodding and pacing while his mom presumably rambled on.
“Don’t suggest it again. Ask Scott the next time you concoct a plan. Ask him if he thinks it’s a good idea. He may do your bidding, but he knows I won’t. I have to go now.” That was how he ended the conversation before making his way over to me without haste.
He sat next to me and pulled me into his arms, holding me tight as if I might vanish into thin air.
“Suggest what?” I pulled back and asked, but immediately regretted it. “Shit, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.None of my business.”
With my hand in his, he said, “It most certainly is, but you’re not going to like it. My mom was trying to fix me up. She hatched a plan to send a politician’s daughter to meet me in California, but I was here in Hawaii with you, and I didn’t let her in on any of my plans. I’m not sure what she’s most upset about. My not letting her in on the plans, or that her own plans were foiled.”
All of a sudden my feelings when it came to Bella felt insignificant. Ford’s mom was clearly the larger enemy, playing multiple pawns at a time.
“Did you come here on purpose? To avoid this fix-up?” The pieces began to click together. I might have been confused earlier when it came to Bella, but I wasn’t dumb. Like lightning cracking in the sky—boom—Ford’s side of the conversation with his mom was making more sense.
He didn’t answer.
“Ford—” I removed my hand from his. “Please don’t lie to me.”
Never letting go of eye contact, he spoke. “Billy found out what my mom was planning to do and warned me. I moved up shooting here to derail my mom and her plans.”
“You mean, to avoid saying you were with me…to your mom? You came up with this scheme?”
“No. You heard me just tell my mom you are here.I am with you. I wanted to have someone I cared about with me on location.” He spat out the last part.
I eyed him, making it known I didn’t believe him.
