Ryan looked at me in utter confusion. He picked my pillow up and started to carry it away.
“Honey, I thought we were going to bed?” He yawned.
“No,” I whispered. “Please leave it here. I’m going to sleep out here on the couch.”
“Why?” he asked, completely perplexed.
“Your parents,” I whispered again.
“What about my parents?”
“Out of respect!” I quietly stated the obvious.
“What are you talking about?” I wished he would keep his voice down.
“Ryan, I’m not going to sleep with you in front of them,” I whispered.
“Are you kidding me?” Just as he spoke his mother stepped up behind him.
“What are you two whispering about?” she asked.
“I’m not quite sure, Mom. For some reason Taryn thinks she has to sleep on the couch.”
I was thoroughly embarrassed now and had to explain myself.
“I don’t want to disrespect you, that’s all. It’s fine,” I politely informed. “I don’t mind sleeping out here.” I tried to yank my pillow out of Ryan’s hand
but he wouldn’t let it go.
Ellen looked confused and then I saw the light of understanding turn on above her head.
“Oh, sweetie, that’s not necessary.” She walked over to me and gave me a big hug.
“I appreciate your consideration, but Bill and I are not that old-fashioned.” She gently laughed in my ear. “This is your home.”
Ellen touched Ryan’s cheek while she was rocking me. “You stay with Ryan in your room,” she said tenderly. “Oh how I would have loved to have
met your parents!” She kissed me on the cheek.
“Why did you think you had to sleep out on the couch?” Ryan asked privately in our bedroom. He pulled our comforter up over my shoulder.
I shrugged, slightly self-conscious. “I just don’t want your parents to have the wrong impression of me, that’s all. I wasn’t raised that way.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that! You’ve already made a good impression on my parents today,” Ryan whispered, inching his way down
the bed until our eyes were level.
“My dad talked my ear off when we played pool. He was rambling on about how intelligent you are and how I could learn a thing or two about
money management from you.”
“I’m glad they like me; relieved actually. It’s very important that they approve.” I shifted to be closer to him, gently rubbing his neck while we
talked.
“Oh, they approve all right! You’ve won them over, that’s for sure.” He brushed my hair back. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
“No,” I whispered, egging him on. “How much?”
“Let me show you,” he whispered. He softly kissed my lips, once, twice, before his wet mouth moved with mine.
I was up and out of bed before everyone else so I could spend some extra time showering and getting ready. I was already nervous and slightly
jittery thinking about going on my first major motion picture movie set. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think about doing what I would be doing
today.
“Are you excited?” Ryan asked, pulling my heart necklace out from behind my shirt while we waited by the back door.
“Nervous.” I half-smiled. My stomach was in knots.
It was still dark outside when our car arrived. It was too early for the paparazzi to be up. Ryan’s day usually started before the sun came up. I was
relieved knowing that his parents would be with me throughout this experience.
We briefly paused at the security gate and then proceeded to drive further onto the lot. The limo wove through several rows of trailers and other
trucks before stopping by a long, white trailer.
“Here, you’ll need these.” Ryan handed us badges on long cotton cords to identify that we were permitted on set.
He had his blue papers rolled up in his hand.
“I have to go to makeup and get my face done. Tar, come with me.” Ryan took me by the hand. “Mom, Dad… I’ll see you over there.” He pointed
to the direction of where he’d be filming.
His bodyguard Mike and another man escorted us to a long trailer. Inside were several beautician chairs and a complete makeup counter with
mirrors. The second we were through the door, several people started to attend to Ryan. He had barely a moment to introduce me to the special
effects makeup team. The people I met were polite, but they had a job to do and little time to do it. Everyone was in a rush.
First Ryan had to change into his wardrobe; he had to wear dark pants and a white button down cotton shirt that was pre-speckled with what
looked like blood. Then he was covered in a cotton shawl and several makeup artists went right to work on him.
He just sat there while they covered him in creams and pigments, using sponges and brushes and all sorts of items I had never seen before.
The one makeup artist, an older Asian lady wearing red, thick-rimmed glasses with her long ebony hair pulled back into a ponytail, started brushing
purple pigment below Ryan’s left eye. By the time they were done with him, he looked like he was on the losing end of a fistfight, down to the dried
fake blood coming out of his nostril.
He smiled and winked at me. “I look pretty rough, huh?”
Even though I just watched them transform him into this bloodied mess, I almost wanted to cry seeing him looking so beat up. Instead, I smiled and
nodded in agreement.
“Pete said he’d do this to my face if I ever broke your heart. Guess I better not do that then.”
I was glad to know that he was totally unaware of my eavesdropping during his conversation with Pete. I rolled my eyes at his comment,
pretending to have heard it for the first time.
Another male assistant was chattering back and forth over a hand-held radio. “Ryan, they’re ready for you over on set nine.”
Moments later, we were whisked away on the back of an ordinary golf cart, his bodyguard Mike dutifully by his side. Once we stopped, Ryan
quickly spoke into my ear.
“You’re going to see some stunts today and, at the end of this scene I have to… kiss…” His face twisted in disgust. “Her.”
We walked onto the set; I had to blink several times to realize that this ornate castle hall was actually built inside an ordinary warehouse.
“Jake, please send someone for my parents. I want them here with Taryn,” Ryan requested. “You should be okay here. No heckling!” He kissed
my forehead before rushing away.
I was hiding off to the side of the one wall, trying to stay out of the way. Thick black electrical cords twisted and twined all over the floors. There
were bright lights, scaffolding, and all kinds of gadgets everywhere. I was petrified that I might accidentally bump something expensive or someone
important. People were hustling all around me. Some were wearing headphones or carrying a piece of technical equipment. Clipboards, cameras,
lighting adjustments, it was like random chaos all around.
I felt a hand touch my back and realized that Ryan’s mom was next to me now.
“Overwhelming, isn’t it?” she asked. I was in a daze watching it all unfold around me.
A woman wearing headphones around her neck approached us. “Hi! Welcome! You may want to move over there to get a better view. Come
with me.”
I looked around for Ryan; he was standing with several men and they were all moving their arms in the air, like they were discussing how Ryan
should throw his punch. It appeared to be a rehearsal before they filmed the scene. An older man, who was short, almost bald, wearing headphones
around his neck and carrying some device that looked like a small telescope stepped over to talk to Ryan.
“That’s the director,” his dad said.
Ryan spent a good amount of time nodding and discussing how he was supposed to move.
“I think that guy to Ryan’s left is the stunt coordinator.”
I was glad his father was standing behind me explaining things. I had no idea who any of these people were.