They Call Him Superman

Chapter Three: Stark

“Yes,” He huffed out upset, “Thank you, for finding him this morning. And again, for bringing him to me, again.”

“He’s a very good boy,” I pointed down to the collar and leash, giggling, “I might recommend a harness though, if you use the collar on his neck to control him he could have trouble down the road with breathing. Especially with how energized he is. He’s very smart too.”

He nodded still looking at me. I’m shocked how open I was being with him, like I said I normally am stand offish with people. For some reason he made me feel like I have known him forever. I smiled and looked down, “Sorry. I tend to ramble.”

“It is quite alright. I didn’t know that, so thank you. So, are you here to groom dogs for a movie?”

I frowned; I wish I was here for that. I wish that I had made it that far. My parents wouldn’t have to worry, I would have flown them on first class to visit me. Hell, I would buy them a house here so I could be close to them again, even buy my sister a house. I didn’t realize I had zoned out.

“Hello?”

“What? Sorry?” I looked up at him, his face looked concerned.

“I asked if you were here to groom dogs?”

I shook my head, “No, unfortunately. I had to come here to get a second job as a crew worker.”

He looked surprised. He probably saw me as a poor girl who came here to live amongst the stars only to be casted out. A girl who was here to chase her dreams, and didn’t make it.

“Oh,” he muttered, it sounded like disgust. I raised my eye brows, that heat creeped up once more this time reaching my cheeks. I felt embarrassed. Here I was casually talking to a Celebrity and basically told him what I was hiding from my parents.

I turned and walked towards the exit. I didn’t need him looking at me like another want to be. I didn’t want him thinking that I was there just because I wanted to wiggle my way in. I came here for a job, a job I got. I didn’t need his judgement.

“f**k, wait!” I heard him. Again I ignored him and continued to walk I shoved open the door that blocked me from the outside street.

I went to my pockets to reach for my phone and realized I left it on the ground with my paperwork when Kal came running to me. I sighed and looked back at the box the nasty man was sitting in earlier. No one was there. I huffed in frustration. I was on top of everything until I was distracted by Henry. I still couldn’t get the look of his face when he said Oh out of my head.

I looked at where I was and tried my best to retrace my steps back to my car. I still had my keys at the very least. As I began the long walk back to my car it grew darker out and even the random streetlight her and there didn’t make me feel any safer. I began to become paranoid as I walked feeling like someone was watching me or following me.

It wasn’t until a car slowed to a stop beside me that I felt the rush of anxiety run through me, the heat returned to my neck, I was borderline panicking.

“Hey,” the familiar voice, unwanted voice. My head snapped up and I saw it was Henry. I looked at him surprised and confused. Was he the one following me? I turned forward and started walking again.

“Wait!” he exclaimed, he through his car in park before hopping out of it.

“Why should I?”

“Look I’m sorry, okay. I wanted to make sure you were okay…you didn’t drive a car out of the studio. I also found your phone and paperwork, Harper.”

I spun my body to face him, my face scrunched up because I never told him my name, “Did you look at my paperwork?”

I was upset, not only did he insult me he had the audacity to look at my private information, who knows what else he saw.

“I did, just to see who it belonged to, I figured it was yours though….”

I sighed and rubbed my hand on my forehead, “I appreciate your concern, I’ll gladly take them back and be on my way.”

I saw him look forward, his expression unreadable, before he looked at me again, “Listen, I didn’t mean to offend you. It didn't come out the way I wanted it too. I just assumed you were here to groom dogs because you had said you were a groomer. If you let me, I’d feel a lot better dropping you off at your car.”

I looked at him feeling a little guilty for not remembering that I did tell him I was a groomer. He also didn’t know what I was actually there for. I turned and lookied down the distance I still had to go; thinking about the people I could possibly encounter along the way. I sighed feeling like I had no choice but to accept his offer.

“Fine, but only because it gets a little sketchy here at night around these parts.”

Even though I did not venture too far into Hollywood, nor have I seen many other sites due to trying to keep up with grooming to make ends meet, I did know of the stories and the news of how sketchy it could be at night. I walked around the side to the passenger door and entered as gently as I could not wanting to damage his expensive Mercedes in any way. He followed my action, but for the driver’s seat. Once I did my seat belt, he started moving forward to merge back into the Lane.

“Where is Kal?” I asked him as we headed up the road.

“He’s at the studio in my trailer, I came because…well…you know,” He moved his hand over tapping the button for the glove box, his hand grazing my knee in doing so send fire to shoot up my thigh, where my paperwork and phone were. I quickly took them out and close the door for him as too avoid an accidental graze from him again.

“Thank you,” I breathed out. I told him where to turn. I couldn’t help but stare at him from the corner of my eye. I really couldn’t believe I was in the same car as him right now. Not even five minutes later did we roll closer towards the parking lot.

“This is the lot,” I told him. I didn’t expect him to pull into the lot where a few other cars were parked, but when he did my eyes burned with frustration. Tell me that wasn’t my car. I hopped out of the car quickly not bothering to close his door. My car was ripped apart. The tires were gone, the glass was smash on every window of the car.

“God damn it,” I cried out kicking the door of my car. I looked inside and saw they ripped the radio out. I opened the glove box and saw it was empty. I reached in and grabbed the picture on the driver side visor. It was of my mom, dad, sister, and me. A year before they retired.

I felt my shoulders sag, a few tears escaped easily as I stared at the picture. I felt utterly defeated, they had such faith in me, but they didn’t know how cruel it was here.

I didn’t even hear him get out of the car. I jumped when he placed a hand on my shoulder. I quickly wiped my face I did need him to see me cry.

“Hey, I’m sorry about your car, I can give you a lift home?” he said as his thumb rubbed my shoulder as if trying to console me. For some odd reason it helped.

“You don’t have to do that. I can catch a bus-“

“No,” he said firmly, “I will take you home.”

I looked at him, “You’ve done enough for me, I seriously can’t ask you to make that drive.”

He shook his head, “I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I wasn’t able to get you home safely.”

I bit my lip, becoming flustered. He just witnessed my cars state and now he’s going to see where I live. A star. Not just any star, but Henry Cavill. I was embarrassed. I felt naked in a way. No one knew of my living conditions, not even my parents.

“I don’t know…”

“Why?”

“I just,” I looked down, “It’s the last ounce of dignity I have. I don’t live in a luxurious place. I live in an overcrowded apartment build on the outskirts of Hollywood. It doesn’t even meet health and regulation standards.”

“I-I what about family? You have family around right?”

It was like a animated film where there was already too much strain and it was the last feather to fall that made everything collapse. I let out a strangled cry, having tried to keep it in shaking my head. I was thousands of miles away from home. I had no one. I knew I called my parents they would come and scoop me in a heartbeat, but I needed to prove that I could do this on my own.

“My parents live in Saint Thomas, my sister lives in New York. God I’m so stupid!”

“Hey, sh,” Henry wrapped me into his arms hugging me close to him, I hardly knew this man aside from what you could read in the papers on the internet. Yet, here I was blubbering like a child in his arms. He rubbed my back.

“Harper, I know it seems like the world is against you right now, but it’ll get better…okay?”

“Don’t say things you know won’t come true. Life may go on, but these past couple of years seem like it has gone on without me.”

“I promise it will get better.”

I sniffled, “I’m sorry, you don’t need a stranger crying on you.”

I heard him chuckle, “Sometimes we all need to cry, and sometimes we need a hug. Besides we aren’t completely strangers.”

“You only know my name from a sheet, and I only know yours because you’re an actor.”

“You’re right,” He moved away from me and I looked at him confused. He held his hand in front of him towards me.

“Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill, what is your name?”

I couldn’t help, but to smile and laugh lightly as I shook his hand, “Harper Stark Hastings.”

I saw grin appear on his face as he heard my full name, “Stark, huh?”