Love Unscripted

feels Isletin is going to be a hit and a high point in my career. I agree with her. You’re my manager. I want you to push Aaron for the sleeper.”

“Ryan! There’s no money there!” David defended. “You’re making a huge mistake!”

“Then that’s my problem. By next fall I’ll have over fifty million in the bank. Maybe I’ll get involved in producing the film, or I can retire and grow

grapes, but it will be my decision. Please, just do what I ask.”

“Ryan!” David tried to stop him. “You’re going to take advice from your bartender girlfriend?”

Ryan turned and glared at him. “Just do what I ask David, or I’ll find someone else who will.”

Chapter 28 - Holidays

“It’s so good to be home,” Ryan sighed, dropping his duffel bag and suitcase on the floor. He flopped backward onto our bed and smiled.

“Mmm,” he moaned, shoving his nose into his pillow. I crawled on all fours to join him, glowing in the fact that he felt my apartment was his home

too. It was certainly a home with him in it.

“I know we just got off of two planes, but what are we doing for Christmas? Do you want to fly out to Pittsburgh and see your mom and dad or

not?” I wanted him to make a final decision so I could make travel arrangements. Christmas was just five days away.

Ryan groaned loudly. “As much as I love my mom and dad, I don’t want to fly anywhere. I only have two weeks off.”

“Well, you could always put your family on a plane and have them come out here,” I suggested.

He wrinkled his nose. “No. We have to go or I’ll never hear the end of it. You know what I really want to do for Christmas?” He wrapped me in his

arms, pulling me close. “I want to go cut down a big evergreen and have my first real Christmas tree,” he stated. “My parents put up the same fake

tree every year. I’ve never had a real tree, even when I lived on my own.”

I smiled and softly kissed his lips. Being normal sounded wonderful.

The next morning we borrowed Pete’s pickup truck to go get a tree.

“Here’s the directions Pete wrote down.” Ryan handed me a piece of paper. “After I get on the highway, where do I go from there?”

I flipped the paper around, noting that we just passed a place that had cut trees for sale. But Ryan wanted the experience of cutting his own

Christmas tree down.

“Go five more traffic lights and then turn left. We need to get lights and a tree stand too. There’s a store there.”

Ryan put the truck into park and I saw the panic attack start to well up on his face. “I can’t go in there,” he whispered.

“Sure you can,” I softly replied. “It’s a small mom and pop hardware shop. See? They have Christmas lights and stuff.”

He shook his head, indicating that he was staying put.

“It will be okay. Not everyone on the planet knows who you are.” I tried to ease his worry. “Besides, you haven’t shaved in a couple of days… it’s

almost like a disguise. If anything happens, we’ll run for it. I promise.” I held out my hand.

Hardly anyone was in the store except for two older gentlemen who worked there and a nice older lady who wrapped each of the glass

ornaments I picked out. The gentleman with the dark gray hair spent over ten minutes telling us which tree stand would be better for a live tree and

how Ryan should brace it so the tree doesn’t fall over. The man had no idea who Ryan was; in his book we were just ordinary customers.

Ryan was gri

lights for his Christmas tree without anyone taking his picture or asking for an autograph. I was glad; such a simple task that people take for granted

every day brought such joy to him.

He spent a few extra minutes shaking the loose pine needles off of our beautiful cut tree out in the alley before dragging it up our steps.

“This is wonderful!” he a

Ryan bolted the tree in place by the front window. He stood there with a big grin on his face, marveling at his handy work. I had the stereo on in

the background, playing all the traditional Christmas songs to set the mood while we decorated our first tree... together.

On Christmas Eve, we went to Pete and Tammy’s house for di

apartment later that night, I realized that both of our blood pressures were normal for once. No one chased us down the sidewalk taking our picture

while asking us ridiculous questions or pestered him for his autograph.

“Do you want to open your gifts now or wait until the morning?” Ryan asked, tossing my car keys onto the kitchen table. The glint of hopefulness

was evident in his eyes.

“You can open two presents,” I told him, knowing that he would be completely distracted by the first gift I pla

have to wait until the morning.” I picked a specific box off his pile of gifts and handed it to him.

“Okay, then you get to open two.” He crawled around the side of the tree and picked up one of the smaller boxes he had wrapped. “You first.”

Inside the box was an exquisite silver bracelet with a Celtic knot design woven around several brilliant garnets. Ryan had done the majority of

his Christmas shopping when he was in Scotland. Everything that he bought on his trip or ordered over the Internet was shipped to Mitchell’s Pub.

“Ryan this is beautiful! Thank you so much!” I put the bracelet on and then leaned to give him a kiss.

He tore the paper off his package. His eyes opened wide when his fingers lifted the silk nylons from the box.

“I hope these are intended for you to wear!” He smirked. “I don’t think this sheer item is my size.” He gingerly picked the rest of the outfit from

the tissue paper and held it up. “You are definitely trying to kill me!” He laughed. “Do I dare ask when you plan on, um, wearing this?”

“Now,” I answered nonchalantly. “That’s the second gift you get to rip open tonight.”

I relieved him of the box and softly bit his earlobe. “I’ll meet you under the tree in a few minutes.”

The living room was dark, all except for the soft white lights that sparkled between the branches of our Christmas tree. Ryan was lying on his

side on the quilt he laid on the floor, stripped down to his black boxer briefs. I had a bottle of champagne and two glasses in my hands as I made

my approach.

He sat up immediately when I came into view. I did a slow turn to show him the full picture.

“Oh wow, thank you Santa,” he breathed out.

By the time he was done unwrapping me, my outfit lay in shreds.

It was in the wee hours of morning when Ryan chuckled lightly in my ear. The sound of his laughter instantly woke me up. I was unsure if he was

still sleeping or if he was waiting for me to wake up.

The moisture in his mouth made some popping noises and then it sounded like he moaned. Not a painful moan – this sound was one of

pleasure. I wondered what he was dreaming about.

The sky outside was just starting to change with the light of the rising sun. I looked at the alarm clock; it was almost seven – way too early to be

up.

His arm jerked suddenly; his hand cupped my bare breast and he moaned again.

Is he sleeping? As if on cue, he started to softly snore. He was dreaming and squeezing my breast in his sleep!

I rolled in his arms to face him. Ryan woke with a start, looking at me through his cracked eyelids. He groaned and rolled over onto his back.

“Sorry Honey,” he mumbled, pulling the sheets up on our bodies.

I nestled my cheek on his chest, receiving a warm, welcoming arm to hold me there. In an instant, he was asleep again. I, however, was wideawake