Текст книги "Love Unscripted"

Автор книги: Tina Reber

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“Then there’s the… fear of having intimate details appear in print. I already have enough to deal with when they print the lies.” He started rubbing

his forehead and I knew this was tough for him to talk about.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I – I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Why would you say that?” His brows pulled together as he looked at me.

“I feel bad for bringing it up. You have enough stress to deal with – you don’t need me asking stupid questions.”

“The fact that you’re here, with me, gives you the right to know. This isn’t just about me! Don’t think for one second that I haven’t considered how

this affects you and your privacy.

“I’ve been seen in your pub twice. The paparazzi aren’t stupid. I’ve tried to keep my reason for being there hidden, but I didn’t do a very good

job. Rumors about me staring at you have already been printed.” He hung his head down and grabbed the bottle of soda that set between his feet.

“I don’t care that they’ve printed that I was looking at you, but believe me I do care that they leave you alone. Please tell me immediately if-”

“Ryan, how can you stand this?” I interrupted. “You are entitled to a life! You deserve to be happy! Is this career worth it?” I couldn’t hold it in

anymore.

He looked out over the water. I could tell that he was torn.

“Yes and no,” he answered. “I like doing what I do. I love being an actor. But the psychotic bullshit that comes with it is something I didn’t see

coming. It’s all become very overwhelming.”

“I feel bad for you,” I whispered.

He looked at me, confused.

“It’s not right that you have to pay such a steep price for doing something you love. Especially since what you do is meant to be a gift to the

public that torments you. You’re an entertainer; you shouldn’t have to hide, but I know why you have to. I know that they never leave you alone – that

you’re constantly hounded.”

“That’s an understatement,” he muttered. “Taryn, I really like being around you, but I’m afraid that…” he paused to take a deep breath.

You’re afraid that it can’t continue. Don’t be a coward, just say it. I knew it was coming eventually.

“You have to realize that being around me comes at a price for you too. I need to know that you understand what you’re getting yourself into

being with me.”

Being with you? Well, that wasn’t what I expected.

My thoughts were tangled just looking at him.

“I like being around you too,” I admitted softly. “We both know that I don’t come from your world, but I have a fairly good understanding of how

things are for you.

“Ryan, I’ll do what I have to, to be part of that for you if you want me to. I’ll deal with the craziness, because I know that comes along with being

with…”

TARYN, you’re slipping!

“Um, I mean, of being your friend,” I corrected myself.

“You would do that for me?” he asked, questioning my loyalty.

“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. “Yes, I will.”

“And you’d deal with the paparazzi, and the fans, and the invasion of your privacy? Do you even know what you’re saying yes to?” he murmured

as he scratched his head.

“You deal with it. Why is it so hard to believe that someone else would do the same for you?”

“It’s a lot to ask of someone,” he muttered, almost appearing guilty. His shoulders were hunched as he rubbed his forehead repeatedly. “A lot.”

“Well, if you want me to be your friend then you have to give me the benefit of the doubt that I can handle it,” I said bluntly.

“The media will dig for dirt on you. Is there anything I need to know before the rest of the world knows?” He eyed me intensely.

“There is nothing that I’ve been through that I’m ashamed of,” I stated directly. “I’ve already told you a lot about me. I’ve never done drugs or

been arrested. I’ve never posed nude or made embarrassing sex tapes either.” I chuckled lightly from my admission. “I don’t have any skeletons in

my closet.”

My last comment caused him to smile briefly, but our moment of levity didn’t last. He continued on with his rant.

“You’ll have to watch everything you do, everything you say. You’ll be pressed for answers; they’ll hound you for details.” His lips curled up on his

teeth from the thoughts.

“They will provoke you with statements and allegations to get you to respond. You’ll be followed and photographed. Can you handle that too?”

His tone was almost argumentative.

“Who are you trying to convince, me or you?” I spoke quietly. “Ryan, if you want me in your life… if you want to be friends, then I’ll deal with it. But

it sounds like you’re trying to talk one of us out of it.”

“It’s like inviting someone into your nightmares. It’s not right for me to do that to you,” he muttered ruefully.

“So what? You’re not allowed to have friends or be close to anyone? Or have a good time and live your life? I’m sorry, but I’m not going to allow

them to decide that for me or you.” I wrapped my arms around my knees.

“And if you think that I’m going to be scared away because of them – because of the bad stuff that you have to endure, then you have the wrong

impression of me.”

As I spoke I suddenly became overwhelmed with mixed emotions. I was going through all this effort to try to be his friend while deep inside I

longed for so much more.

“I don’t have that impression of you; that’s another reason why we are here now.” Ryan smiled at me and let out a big sigh.

Anger and disgust, directed solely at myself, crept up into my chest and burned my throat. Why are we here now? Why am I even in this boat

with you?

I kept making mistakes, slips... one after another. I can’t fall in love with you. I can’t allow myself to long for something that would never – could

never be. I’m just kidding myself.

The serene lake suddenly felt like shark-infested waters. I had to get out of this boat and back to safe ground – fast. I fought the urge to jump in

the lake and swim for shore.

I looked at the time on my cell phone. “It’s almost two o’clock. I should get you back. I’m sure you have things you have to do.”

“Not really,” he admitted, looking me in the eyes again. “I just assumed… it is poker night, isn’t it?”

Despite my compounding fears I couldn’t help but revel in the fact that he was going to be with me tonight as well.

“I’m hungry,” Ryan mentioned as we walked up to the cabin. “I’m starting to get a headache.”

“We can stop for something on the way back. How does pizza sound?”

I drove us out onto the highway and Ryan moved his arm to rest his hand on the top of my driver’s seat. Every once and a while he would twist

his finger into my hair on the top of my head. It made me shiver and smile.

“Does that tickle?” he asked.

“Yeah, it does!” I giggled, but he kept on doing it.

Every time I tried to reach for his finger, he’d move his hand away and chuckle. Our little game was fun.

About the ninth time, I managed to reach up fast enough with my right hand and I flattened his hand on my head. He twisted his finger once more

in my hair under my hand.

“Okay, I’ll stop then,” he announced, and then he made a move that stunned me. He quickly gathered my hand in his and relocated our joined

hands to rest on his thigh.

I glanced over at him in shock. I felt a slight rush when my heart skipped a beat; the sensation of his touch flooded my veins.

Ryan was staring intently at our joined hands; slowly he opened his grip and freed my hand but I didn’t pull away – I didn’t want to pull away even

though I knew I should. My desire for him overpowered all logical reasoning. A small grin appeared on his lips.

After a few minutes, he repositioned my hand, setting it to rest palm down on his thigh. Ryan released me, then used his left hand to casually

scratch his chin, all the while watching my hand on his leg.

I smiled, assuming this was another test. He paused to see if I’d pull my hand away. He was feeling me out to see how I’d react.

I left my hand where he set it. He placed his hand on top of mine and wove our fingers together. The smile on his face was breathtaking. He

adjusted his seat to recline further back, breathed out a contented sigh, and closed his eyes.

The sun was already setting when I pulled my car down the alley. I purposely made sure that the passenger door would open to the back door of

my pub so Ryan could get inside quickly.

I looked up and down the alley first; I was on the alert just in case there were paparazzi on the loose. I held the back door open while he darted

from the car to the kitchen. It was a relief when Ryan was inside safely.

“Stay inside. I’ll get the cooler and bags.”

Ryan looked angry and helpless as he stood there. I could tell he wanted to just walk out into the alley and pull the cooler from the trunk, but he

couldn’t. We could not afford to make any mistakes.

He started to breach the doorway to help me.

“Ryan, someone might see you! It’s all right. I got it. Please, just back up.” As soon as he could, he took the cooler out of my hands and slid it

into the dark kitchen.

“Here, let me have those.” He slipped his bag and mine from my shoulder. “Is that everything?”

“Just the pizza and our drinks yet, then that’s it.” I leaned back into the car and grabbed the pizza box off of the back seat.

When I handed him the box, he was smiling devilishly at me.

“What?” I asked, dying to know why he was grinning.

“Nothing!” he stated as he faked a swing to smack me on the butt.

“Okay – well I’m going to park my car. You can lock this door – wait, let me turn on a light for you first. I’ll come through the front.”

I drove down the alley and parked my car in my normal spot in the lot on the corner of Mulberry. As I walked towards the pub, I noticed someone

sitting in an old car across the street. I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman, but I could see the dark outline of a person. Don’t get paranoid

already, I said to myself. I quickly unlocked the front door to my pub and hurried inside.

About a half hour later, Pete and Tammy arrived for poker. “Hey kids!” Pete shouted. “Hey Ryan! Good to see you, man!”

“Hey Pete!” Ryan shook his hand. “How’s it going?”

“I brought some dessert,” Tammy giggled happily. She slid a tray of chocolate dipped something-or-others onto the bar. “I thought we might

sample these – let me know if it would be something good to serve on Sunday for the party.”

I noticed the smug smile and wink she gave me when she thought no one else was looking.

“How’s it going?” Tammy asked quietly.

“Good, real good!” I said, even though at that very moment I was fighting off a wave of nausea.

“Did you have a good time up there?” she whispered in my ear.

I nodded and smiled. I didn’t intend to share any details with anyone. Our weekend was ours and ours alone and I wanted Ryan to know that I

wouldn’t spill anything, even to my closest friends. Besides, he was watching me out of the corner of his eye.

I brought fresh mugs over to Ryan and Pete and poured them a beer from the pitcher.

“Thanks!” Ryan smiled when I set his glass in front of him. A stick of pain shot into my stomach, causing me to hunch and wince.

“So, Ryan, how were they biting up at the lake?” Pete asked while waiting with an open hand for the beer I was pouring for him.

“Good! We both caught a lot. Although Taryn caught the first one on both days.” He winked and quickly patted the back of my thigh.

“Yeah, but you still caught more than I did,” I added. I wanted to give him his fair due too.

I sat down in the chair next to Ryan and took a big sip of ginger ale. The slice of pizza that I ate was sitting in my stomach like a rock. I

contemplated resting my head on the table for a moment.

“Not drinking tonight, Taryn?” Pete asked, pointing at my glass of soda.

I suddenly felt lightheaded. “No. I have a bit of an upset stomach.”

Ryan leaned over and whispered, “Are you okay? You feeling sick again?”

“I’m fine,” I lied, wincing from the new shot of pain that hit my abdomen.

“Were you sick?” Pete asked, questioning my condition.

I just stared at the table. I wasn’t going to say anything; besides I was feeling that I might be sick again – the saliva was pooling in my mouth.

Ryan patted my leg privately under the table and sighed.

“Both of us were really sick last night. We’re not sure what made us sick, but we definitely had food poisoning, that’s for sure!” he explained,

gently rubbing my back.

“Excuse me, please,” I murmured, dashing for my stairs. I made it to my bathroom just in time to bring the pizza back up. My hands clenched the

toilet seat as the stomach acid burned my throat.

“Taryn?” Ryan called out. “Are you all right?” I was brushing my teeth when he came around the corner. “Everything okay?”

I felt slightly dizzy when I motioned my reply. “No. I just got sick again. The pizza.”

“Why don’t you just cancel poker and go lay down? You’re not going to have any fun if you’re feeling lousy.” Ryan stepped into the bathroom and

pressed his hand against my forehead. “It feels like you’re running a slight fever too.”

“I can’t cancel on them. Why don’t you just go down and play? Go have fun. Maybe I’ll come down later if I feel better.”

“No. I’m staying with you. I’ll be right back.” He was gone before I could even respond.

I went to my bedroom to change into comfy clothes. Resting on the couch sounded very appealing. Staying close to my bathroom was even

more appealing. I had just pulled the quilt off the back of the couch and onto my lap when Ryan came back through my door.

“Pete called Marie and told her you weren’t feeling well,” Ryan said while thumbing through his cell phone. “We exchanged cell numbers. I have

Marie’s number too. I told Pete I’d call him later to let him know how you’re doing.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” I whispered. “All of you could have still played. I feel horrible for ruining your night and breaking Monday tradition.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. We wouldn’t play without you. Here, I brought you a new glass of ginger ale. You should drink some water too. We’re both

probably dehydrated.” He set the glass down on the table. “I really don’t need any beer in my stomach either.”

“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “I think you’re right about being dehydrated. That’s probably why I feel so achy. I should drink some water.” I pulled

the quilt off my lap. “Would you like to see the rest of the place?”

I took him for a quick tour of my apartment. “This is the laundry room here and then these are the stairs that lead up to the roof.” He followed me

back down the hall to the kitchen.

“Wow, this is a really nice place you have! This kitchen is beautiful! I love the granite countertops and the cherry cabinets. Wine fridge and

everything.”

“Thanks. I just had it re-done a few months ago. It used to be a horrible green color with white cabinets. It was really depressing. The bathroom

is going to be my next project. Would you like some water?” I pulled glasses out of the cabinet for both of us.

While I was filling our glasses, I mentally questioned why he was so willing to hang out with some girl who just threw up. Surely he had better

things to do. But then he did intend to hang out with me all evening anyway to play poker, so I guess it didn’t make a difference to him how he spent

those hours. I was just relieved that I had him here with me where he was protected from the insanity.

“Do you want to watch some TV?” he asked while kicking his sneakers off. My insides warmed, knowing he wanted to stay with me. He

removed the throw pillow and nestled his body into the corner of the couch. “Here, why don’t you lay down,” he instructed as he placed the pillow

next to his leg.

“No, that’s okay. I’m fine.” I sat down on the opposite end of the couch and curled my feet underneath me. I was afraid I might feel nauseous

again if I lay down. His lips pulled together and he gave me a disappointed look.

Ryan wiggled his phone out of his pocket to listen to his voice mail. It sounded like he deleted thirty messages. Considering how in-demand he

was, I was surprised that he didn’t take any calls while we were fishing. Come to think of it, he hadn’t taken any calls at all while he was with me.

His fingers tapped two more times before he held the phone up to his ear. “Hi Dad,” he said cheerfully. “What are you up to?”

I looked over at him and smiled. I was glad that he was the type of man who thought enough of his parents to call them. Ryan smiled back at me.

It was impossible not to listen to his conversation since he was sitting three feet away but I tried to appear distracted. While he talked, I flipped

through the channels looking for something to watch.

“You’ll never guess what I did yesterday and today. I was fishing!”

He told his father all about the lake and the cabin and how relaxed he felt. It secretly delighted me to know he was happy and content.

“Taryn, where’s my bag?”

“They’re still down in the kitchen.”

He slipped out the apartment door and trotted down the steps. When he left, I figured he would have continued his conversation in private, but he

just ran downstairs, grabbed our bags, and came back instantly to resume his position on the couch.

“Did you book a flight yet? I have to check my calendar.” He started tapping the screen on his phone.

“Dad, just hang on a second. Okay,” he said while touching through a calendar. “Mom’s birthday is Friday the thirty-first. No, I’m scheduled to be

on set. If you fly in Wednesday night then you can stay for the weekend.” It was apparent by his tone that he was looking forward to seeing his

parents.

While he talked, I wondered what his parents looked like. Did Ryan look like his mother or did he take after his father? The way he spoke to his

dad made it clear that they had a great relationship.

“I have to work on the seventeenth. It’s no big deal. We can celebrate my birthday when I come home for Thanksgiving. Okay, let me talk to

mom…”

I looked over at him when he indicated his birthday was coming up, apparently in November since he mentioned Thanksgiving. He’d be turning

twenty-seven this year too.

“Hi Mom. How are you? I’m at a friend’s place. Her name is Taryn.” He winked at me. “It’s a long story; I’ll tell you later… because she’s sitting

right next to me, Mom. She’s a sweetheart! You are going to love her.”

I thought he might like some privacy and I was kind of hoping he might say more if I wasn’t in the room, so I uncovered my legs quickly and went

to the kitchen. I filled my glass up with water and searched through the pantry for something bland to eat. I had just found a box of crackers when

Ryan came into the kitchen, still on his phone.

He started to rub his forehead. “It’s getting worse, Mom. I can’t go anywhere.” I didn’t need to hear her questions to know what they were.

I leaned my elbows on the counter and rested my head in my hands. I had a slight headache from being sick and not having any food in my

system. The cabinet closest to the refrigerator was where I kept most of my medicine. I found the aspirin but Ryan snatched the bottle right out of my

hand.

“You shouldn’t take these now. Mom, Taryn was going to take some aspirin but she shouldn’t take them on an empty stomach.”

I looked at him, puzzled.

“It could upset your stomach even worse,” he said.

“We’ve both been sick, Mom. I think we had food poisoning last night but Taryn still isn’t able to keep anything down. Can she take aspirin on an

empty stomach? I didn’t think so.” He smirked.

I dropped my shoulders; I was doomed to deal with the pain. Ryan stepped closer and felt my forehead again. I guess my temperature was

acceptable; he opened the box of crackers and tore open a sleeve for me. I was perfectly capable of opening the cracker box, but at the same time

I loved that he was taking care of me. And here I thought that he was the one who needed taking care of.

“My mom says you should try and eat some toast and we should drink lots of water.” He swept my hair off my shoulder with his finger, gazing at

me again. “I’m sure you’ll get to meet her when you visit, Mom.” He smiled, appearing so happy. “I’ll tell you all about her… later,” he whispered.

Toast sounded good, but hearing him telling his mother that we’d get to meet each other one day completely stunned me.

“All right Mom, I love you too. I’ll call you later tonight.” He ended his call and popped a cracker in his mouth.

“Do you have a toaster?”

I opened the lower cabinet where it was stored.

“Why don’t you go relax? I’ve got this.” Ryan took hold of my shoulders and guided me towards the hall. I smiled on my way back to my living

room. I could not believe that Ryan wanted to make toast for me. My heart suddenly felt very full.

“So what do your parents think of all this attention you’ve been getting?” I asked while we both munched on toast out on the couch.

“I guess they’re overwhelmed. Their lives have changed too because of me. My mom and dad tell me that they’re proud, you know, but they also

let me know that they’re concerned. My mom keeps telling me to keep my feet on the ground.”

I nodded in concurrence. “You’re going to have to always keep it in check. Just don’t let the fame and notoriety turn you into someone you’re not.

Your parents love the son that they raised, not the celebrity you’ve become.”

He looked at me funny and grinned. “Do you know that my mom said the same exact thing to me? And you’re right,” he answered dryly, “but you

don’t know how it is.”

“No, I don’t,” I agreed in my softest voice. “And I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I have a clue of what this is like for you. You’ll have to

explain it to me if you want me to understand.”

He shook his head and shrugged. “When I’m on set working, things are great. I love it! But since I did Seaside, things have been crazy. The

whole fan thing is… I don’t know… incomprehensible. It’s constant pressure to live up to the hype. Some days it squeezes harder than others.” It

was apparently difficult for him to find the words to talk about it.

“Well, just remember who you are, and try not to let this get bigger than that. The minute you stop being humble, you’ll be in trouble.”

He nodded his head in agreement.

“Ryan, you don’t seem to be the type of person who got into acting because you have to feed your ego. You’re apparently really good at it, and

you love doing it. It’s the career path you’ve chosen to follow, but it’s not who you are in here,” I said as I patted my own heart with my hand. “Just

keep focused on the fact that it’s your job and don’t let it define you. You’ll be okay.”

“You sound like my mother,” he informed.

“No, I’m not trying to mother you,” I defended quickly.

“No, no. That’s not what I mean!” He laughed. “I mean that you’re saying the same things my mom has said to me. It’s bizarre!”

“Well your mother is obviously a brilliant woman,” I amended.

“She keeps telling me to be careful who I trust. Like I need the reminder.” He rubbed his forehead again.

“Ryan, I have a pretty good idea why you have a hard time trusting people and why you have to question the validity of everything and

everyone.” I tilted my head until his eyes met mine.

“And I know I have to earn your trust – just like you have to earn mine. We’re just two people trying to be friends. We both have a lot to risk. But I

know your risk is much higher – it takes away your freedom and puts you in danger.”

“I know. This business makes it hard to trust people. Then when trivial things like what I had for dinner becomes headline news, it really messes

with your head.”

“Well, I solemnly swear that I will not divulge that information to anyone. I’ll take it all to my grave!”

“Yeah, I guess you’re pretty trustworthy. You wouldn’t even tell your best friends that you puked your guts out last night,” he teased.

“No,” I corrected. “I wouldn’t tell my best friends that you puked your guts out last night.”

“Speaking of puking… how are you feeling? Is the toast doing the trick?”

I nodded my head and took a sip of ginger ale. “I’m starting to feel better, thanks.”

“Good,” he said as he playfully tossed a pillow at me.

I faked like I was going to toss the pillow back at him, but instead I just set it down next to my leg.

His eyes flickered between looking at the pillow and looking at me. With a quick lunge, he curled his body down on the couch. It seemed like he

purposely fiddled with the pillow until it was in the perfect position under his head but mostly on my thigh. His feet hung out over the edge.

Our eyes met and I instantly felt his pull. I couldn’t resist it any longer. Without even thinking, I softly ran my fingers through his hair. His eyes

closed and he sighed as I touched him.

He took my other hand off his shoulder and laid it across his heart.

Chapter 8 – Reflections

“Tar – hurry up, they’re going to replay it!” Ryan yelled from the couch. I was refilling my water at the refrigerator in the kitchen.

“Watch this! Watch! The idiot is going to light the dynamite and then he doesn’t run. I can’t believe they are showing this on TV! Wait… it’s

going to blow him back like thirty feet. Oh! Oh! And boom!” he echoed.

I winced after seeing some moron fly through the air from sheer stupidity. I resumed my spot on the couch; Ryan adjusted the pillow on my thigh

and pulled my hand back to his chest.

“I wonder how long he was in the hospital after that one,” I asked, leaning more of my body onto him so I could stroke his hair again. We were so

comfortable together.

“This is the bad thing about television – three minutes of show and eight minutes of commercials,” he groaned.

He was just about to turn the channel to something else when his phone chimed in his pocket. He looked at the number before accepting the

call.

“Hey Pete! Yeah, she’s feeling better.” His eyes looked up at me and his hand reached for my forehead.

“We were just watching Mega Explosions. You’re watching it too? Oh my God, did you see that guy? What an asshole! What did he think was

gonna happen?”

While he was lying across my lap, I was secretly reveling in the fact that Ryan and Pete were getting along so well. I had always hoped that

whoever I was with would get along with my friends. My ex-fiancé Thomas and Pete never saw eye to eye. There was always tension between them.

I should have taken that as a warning sign right from the get-go, but I tried to make everyone happy while being quietly miserable inside.

But Ryan and Pete seemed to be in perfect synch right from the start. A huge smile crossed my lips.

“Here, Pete wants to talk to you.” Ryan handed his phone to me.

“Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?” Pete asked.

“I’m feeling better, thanks. I’m still achy though. Ryan made me toast and it helped to take my headache away.”

“Oh, Ryan made you toast, did he?” he teased.

“Yes… and your point?” I snickered.

“Nothing. I’m just happy for ya. And I’m glad that you’re feeling better. Tammy wants you to call her tomorrow. You two need to iron out the final

menu for Sunday so we can get the food on order.”

“Okay, I will. But I don’t want any seafood from Sheckys. I’m pretty sure it was the lobster tails that made us sick last night. I got sick right after

eating it. I mean it tasted all right, but within a half hour or so we were both violently ill.” I looked down at Ryan and combed my fingers through his

hair.“

I don’t want any seafood from wherever those tails came from!” Ryan confirmed loud enough for Pete to hear.

“All right, I’ll tell her that. Well I’m sorry you weren’t feeling good, but it sounds like you’re on the mend, so… hey, can I talk to Ryan again?” Pete

asked.

“Yeah! Sure.” I was momentarily surprised by his request.

“Yeah Pete, what’s up?” Ryan sat up to talk. “Yeah, I am, why? They play at eight on Sunday; I was hoping to watch it.” He started chewing on his

fingers again. “She is? Are you are freaking kidding me?” His eyes shot over to mine. The way he reacted made me wonder what they were talking

about.

“Are you serious? Unbelievable!” He breathed out a long sigh. “That’s… really good to know.” He chuckled. “Thanks!”

Ryan had a huge grin on his face as he shoved his phone back in his pocket. I was staring at him, hoping that he would let me in on the

conversation.

“So, Taryn… Pete tells me that you are a big-time Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Is this true?”

“Oh, yeah! And a huge Pens fan too.” I nodded.

“You like ice hockey, too?” He looked at me like I was lying.

“I love hockey,” I said with a big yawn, feeling sleepy and drained.

“You know I grew up near Pittsburgh, right?” he asked, waiting for my confirmation.

“No, I didn’t. You only told me that you’re from Pennsylvania or ‘PeeAye’ as you call it. Oh wait, you did tell me that you attended Pitt.” I yawned

again. “So you like football too, I take it?”

He was just sitting there shaking his head in disbelief again.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he dismissed my stare, getting up to stretch.

I saw him glancing around, taking in the sights of my different belongings. He ran his fingers over my DVD collection and commented that I didn’t

have any of his movies.

“Sorry, not a fan.” I shrugged, teasing him.

He leered at me.

“Wait a minute!” he said as he pulled a DVD from the shelf. “You do have a movie I was in!” He showed the cover to me. I honestly could not

remember if he was in the movie or not.

“You weren’t in that movie!”

“Actually I am,” he stressed. “My part was supposed to be bigger, but I got edited down to only four speaking lines. I’m in the mall scene.”

Ryan started to reminisce about the beginnings of his acting career and how his life was almost normal back in those days. How he could go out

in public and barely, if ever, be recognized.

“So how many movies have you been in?”

“This Seaside we are filming now will be my sixth; that’s including the small role in this movie.” He waved the DVD box in the air.

“First film was an indie flick called Forever Wanting More. It did so-so at the Sundance Film Festival but now it’s coming out on DVD – go

figure. Then I played Ashby in Watchtower. I guess you could say that’s the role that got my name out there.”

“Wait, when did you go to California?”

“When I auditioned for Watchtower. I ended up sharing an apartment with Alan Schefler.”