With that, Jane patted Maria’s shoulder to comfort her.
However, as she looked at the address on her phone, a hint of confusion appeared on her face. The address sent by Lenny was supposed to be an izakaya, but they couldn’t find it now. Instead, they saw a whole street of seafood stalls.
Jane checked the location again, and it was indeed correct.
“Did Lenny send the wrong address, or did we make a mistake?” Maria couldn’t help but blink her eyes.
Jane tapped her head, seemingly having figured something out, and her lips curved slightly. “Absolutely not.”
Just as Jane finished speaking, a man’s voice could be heard from a distance.
“Are you Miss North?”
Jane looked up and saw a middle-aged man standing in front of her. His appearance was ordinary, but his eyes were sharp, as if he could see through people.
“You must be Mr. Peg. I’ve heard so much about you.” Jane smiled.
Lenny’s expression remained calm as he reached out to shake hands with Jane. “I’ve always wanted to meet the CEO behind Star Entertainment. Today, I finally got the chance. Miss North, you’ve achieved so much at such a young age. It truly is admirable.”
“Oh, you flatter me, Mr. Peg. Compared to you, my achievements are insignificant.”
They exchanged compliments, but each had their own thoughts.
Lenny smiled at Jane and then turned his gaze to Maria beside her. “And this must be Miss Marner.”
Maria, upon hearing her name, stiffened for a moment but managed to smile calmly at Lenny. “Hello, Mr. Peg.”
Lenny nodded and then turned to face the seafood stall in front of him. “This used to be a cozy izakaya that I really enjoyed. I didn’t expect it to turn into a seafood stall after not coming here for a few months. I apologize for my lack of research.”
Jane didn’t say anything, just smiled at Lenny, eagerly anticipating what he would say next.
Sure enough, Lenny rubbed his chin, as if considering something. “Miss North and Miss Marner, if you don’t mind, let’s talk here.”
Compared to Jane, Maria was a bit surprised. “Ah? Here?”
Lenny glanced at Maria and said seriously, “Yes, right here. Is there a problem?”
Maria quickly waved her hand. “No, no problem. I’ve eaten at several seafood stalls here before, and the food was really good.”
In the past, Kim would take Maria out for supper, and he always managed to find those hidden gem eateries. This led to Maria gaining a lot of weight during the time she was with Kim.
Lenny’s steps hesitated slightly, and his gaze toward Maria carried a hint of meaning that wasn’t there before.
The three of them entered the seafood stall, although it seemed a bit out of place.
After all, who goes to a seafood stall dressed so formally?
Perhaps it was Maria’s foodie nature that made her forget her nervousness from earlier. After entering the seafood stall, her gaze kept scanning the tables of the customers.
The three of them found a seat, and the waiter immediately handed them the menu. Lenny was very natural and quickly ordered what he wanted to eat.
When he looked up and saw the hesitant expression on Maria’s face, Lenny spoke up, “You should order too, don’t be shy. When it comes to food, it’s best to eat to your heart’s content.”
Although Lenny said this, Maria still felt a bit reserved.
After all, she believed that the first impression she gave Lenny was crucial.
Despite her thoughts, Maria’s body was honest. After running several shoots this afternoon, she hadn’t eaten much for lunch and now that she was in this seafood stall, her appetite had been awakened.
She leaned towards Jane and whispered a few words, and Jane, who was looking at the menu, nodded and ordered a few dishes to the waiter.
The waiter’s face showed a hint of surprise as he listened. “Miss, you have a great taste. You’ve ordered our specialty dishes.”
Previously, seeing these people dressed so formally, the waiter was somewhat surprised that they ended up in a seafood stall.
“Well, those are the most popular dishes here.” Jane smiled and looked at Maria. “It seems like you’ve done quite a bit of research in this area.”
Maria pursed her lips. “When you eat a lot, you gain experience.”
Lenny, sitting across from them, looked up at Maria. “I can tell that Maria seems to come here to eat often.”
Maria scratched her cheek in embarrassment. “There was a film crew around here before, and I used to sneak out at night to have supper.”
“Isn’t it said that female celebrities are very concerned about their weight? It seems that you’re different from them.”
“I do care about my weight, of course, but I believe that the real enemy is not late-night snacks, but rather the lack of self-discipline.”
Lenny wasn’t as serious as Maria had imagined, and his words made her relax a bit.
After all, good food should not be wasted.
Upon hearing this, Lenny chuckled. “It seems there is a big difference between what is seen in front of the camera and reality.”
Maria blinked, somewhat puzzled.
Lenny directly shifted the conversation unexpectedly. “I heard from Miss North that you seem to really want this role.”
Maria’s expression gradually became serious, and she restrained the smile on her face, nodding sincerely.
“Why is that? Do you think my film can help you regain a good reputation?”
Lenny’s words hit the mark, and Maria didn’t hide anything. She responded directly, “Yes.”
“It’s the first time I’ve met someone as honest as you, Miss Marner,” Lenny said casually.
“Because I met you,” Maria replied with a smile.
She wasn’t a fool and had guessed Lenny’s intention in coming to this seafood stall.
But no matter who she faced, Maria could only be honest.
She wasn’t ignorant of the entertainment industry’s way of deception and hypocrisy; she simply didn’t want to be that way.
“Mr. Peg, you may also know that there are some very negative opinions about me online right now, so I want to get this role.”
Maria said earnestly, “But that’s only a small part. I’m an actress, and I should play various different roles instead of being stuck in one mold. I want new challenges, new opportunities.”
Upon hearing this, Lenny didn’t react much; instead, he picked up his chopsticks. “Let’s eat.”
Maria glanced at Jane, who didn’t say anything either.
However, Maria didn’t expect Lenny to be such a talkative person. The conversation shifted from the serious topic of roles and scripts to discussing the delicious taste of a dish and the goodness of another.
It was evident that Lenny was a seasoned foodie.