He leaned forward, still nursing his neck, where he held his hands gingerly. “They can’t,” he said, finally standing up. “If they did, who’d be left to tease?”
I felt a sense of misery at the way he had lightly treated the completely horrific behavior he was just subjected to.
“You need to file a police report. I—I wish I’d recorded it,” I said, slapping the palm of my hand to my forehead. “We can still check if there are cameras anywhere nearby. You’d have proof. You could find whoever it was and take it to the courts.”
He adjusted his jacket and took a deep breath before extending his hand out to me. And then, looking at his outstretched hand with incredulity, he abandoned it and then pulled me into a hug.
“Rishi Chopra,” he said, letting go. “I’m an actor, so I’m really glad you stepped in before they could damage my fine nose. Thank you for saving me.”
I was not used to impromptu hugs from strangers, but I nodded, still shaken. “Y-you need to do something. I have not seen such vicious?—”
“I have,” he said, leading me to the side of the sidewalk as a car drove past us. “I have made multiple efforts, my dear, but also, I’m from India, and complaining to the authorities about actual, verifiable problems is not something we do. We suck it up until the next Indian gathering, and that’s where we let loose all our woes with the world. But you mustn’t distract me from a crucial question, which is, what is your name?”
“It’s Ava Hale. I saw you earlier at the café,” I said, gesturing to the Luxe Hotels building behind me. “I was just out on a walk when I saw those men assaulting you. Are you okay?”
He nodded. “I’m fine. Physically, of course. Mentally, heck, I’d just been dumped by my partner of three months, and I was wandering about in a state of shock before those guys started harassing me.”
“Oh,” I managed to say, unsure how to respond to such personal detail. “D-did you say you’re an actor?” I asked, raising my eyebrow.
He stepped back and looked at me more clearly. “I am. Though I tired of LA and wanted something new. Not to mention, acting gigs for someone who looks like me are drying up like they’ve been hit by the California drought. So, I moved to New York a few months ago for a temporary change, and now, I’m business analyst number seventeen at Reed & Co. Though I do pop into your café once in a while for some of your awesome mochas,” he said with a wink.
I recognized the name of that firm. It was a small law firm that was just next door to us. I walked past it every morning on my way to work. Which explained why he’d been at the café.
“What movies have you acted in?” I asked.
He looked taken aback at that. Perhaps he was offended that I didn’t recognize him right away.
“Haven’t you watchedMonsters and Munchies?”
I shook my head.
“OrThe Vampire Car Wash?’ OrDinosaurs in the Old West?”
I shook my head again.
“Hmm.” He snorted. “You have good taste. By the way, those are movies I acted in. All of them B movies.”
I shook my head slowly. “Sorry, I don’t watch many movies.”
That seemed to shock him to the very core. His mouth dropped open for a full five seconds before he attempted to look more composed.
He took a second to look at me. “Are you mocking me, young lady? Because if so, you’re doing an excellent job bytelling such a thing to an impressionable but promising actor.”
I felt like the laugh I was much due for was threatening to burst out of me anytime now.
“Do you watch indie films then? Not commercial ones?” he prodded, falling into step next to me.
I shook my head, thinking about my late nights at the restaurant or, more recently, at the soup kitchen. “I used to not have much free time in the past. I promise you, I’ll fix my movie-watching habits as soon as I can.”
This seemed to soften him.
He held an arm out. “I’m supposed to go to a party tonight. Would you care to join me? I feel like I owe you something for your dramatic rescue.”
I hesitated. I barely knew the guy, but I’d seen him almost every day at our café for the past few weeks. I’d have his order—a dark chocolate mocha and a lemon poppy seed muffin—bagged and ready to go, even before he reached the head of the line.
Besides, what did I have to go home to anyway?
I smiled at him. “A party sounds fantastic.”
