Writer's Block (Chapter 21 to 30)

Chapter 21

Claire stretched out her arm realizing Ryan had already left. She opened her eyes. As she glanced at Ryan’s pillow, she noticed a small paper ship lying on top, slightly tilted to the side. She picked it up examining it carefully. It reminded her of a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson ‘Where Go My Boats?’ It used to be her brother’s favorite poem as a kid.
As she unfolded the paper she saw it was actually a note Ryan had left her. She sat up and opened it, flattening out the creases against the bed.
Claire,
I left for my early meeting. Glad you’re such a heavy sleeper ( ha ha!). There’s breakfast in the kitchen and an extra set of keys hanging next to the front door, should you choose to leave. I’ll be back by noon. Hope you haven’t left when I get home. I’m dropping George at Rosa’s.
Love, R
PS: I don’t need to be “awake and alert” this afternoon
Claire smiled and kissed the note foolishly.

She sat on the counter drinking coffee and nibbling on a chocolate cupcake. Suddenly realizing she had the apartment to herself, she picked up her cup and began to walk around, browsing through his books and CDs. She took the magazines that lay spread on the table in front of the couch, trying to set them into one pile. As she lifted one of them, she noticed an open manuscript. She picked it up and with a sudden snap, it closed. She read the title on the front page: A Multitude of Sins – (Final Draft) by David Graham
Claire immediately recognized the title. It was a quote from the Bible, more specifically the book of James. “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins”. Claire knew the Bible almost from top to bottom, considering it had been quoted endlessly by most great writers. As she read the title once more, she remembered it was also a book by Richard Ford: a collection of ten short stories featuring adultery as the main issue, along with other capital sins.
This is Ryan’s new movie script! she thought, gazing in excitement. She didn’t recognize the author (Claire knew very little about screenwriters). She had taken a few classes at Columbia, but mostly for fun. She knew screenwriting was hard and although she had gotten straight A’s in all her classes, she had never even considered writing a play, let alone a film!
She sat on the couch, placed her cup on the table and began to read, slowly submerging into the plot and characters. She finished it after two hours of intense reading. She was overwhelmed! She had to admit the dialogue was not the best she’d ever read. In fact, it felt somewhat artificial at times, maybe even forced. But the story was compelling. She figured Ryan had been offered to play Colin, an innocent young man forced to live under the shadow of his omnipotent father. De Niro would probably play Seamus, Colin’s tyrant father. The story began as Colin accidentally meets his father’s mistress, Eva; uncovering a whole new side of his father’s life and personality he had never even suspected. It was brilliant! Experiencing Colin’s struggle as he acknowledges his strength and courage but is unable to cope with a simple fact: his father is not the mighty man he grew up fearing and admiring.
She wondered if Ryan had read it. He had to take the part. Simply had to. There were a couple of steamy sex scenes in the script - Claire was not crazy about that. She wondered who would play Eva and most importantly … Victoria – Colin’s sister in law with and with whom he had fantasized all his life.
Claire paused to consider the script. A movie like this, if properly done, could change someone’s life. The truth was it dealt with human relationships crudely; it might even offend the sensibility of some. But it was a story that had to be told. There was no question about it.
She closed it and began to read it again, rewriting some of the dialogue in her mind.
She was half way through the second reading when Ryan walked in. She hurriedly placed the manuscript on the table, and jumped off the couch. “How did it go?”
Ryan smiled when he noticed she was still in his pajamas. “It went ok… I dunno, Claire. I’m not crazy about this movie”
“Oh but you have to do it!” she couldn’t hide her excitement
Ryan gazed at her confused “And why is that?”
Claire looked down embarrassed. She felt like she was back in grade school and the teacher had caught her cheating on a test.
“Babe? Is it because of De Niro?”
“Ryan… if I tell you something. Do you promise not to be mad?”
“I can try” he chucked under his breath “What is it?”
She paused and bit her lower lip “I read your script”
“Really?” he looked bewildered (Claire wished she knew what he was thinking)
“Are you mad?” she touched her hair playfully and smiled.
“Not at all. What did you think?” he was honestly intrigued
“Well… I know the dialogue could use some work and maybe that’s what’s been bothering you. But the story is incredible… Ryan, opportunities like this seldom come twice in a lifetime. This story is…” she couldn’t find the word to describe it “is…” suddenly “ …is a Rothko!” she sighed in accomplishment
“A Rothko?”
“You know… the abstract expressionist painter”
“Never heard of him. Is he any good?”
“He’s brilliant. He’s only like my favorite painter in the whole world” Claire felt childishly excited
“Hmm… a Rothko” Ryan repeated after her
“Yeah” Claire smiled “A Rothko!”
“So you really think I should do it?”
“Not a shred of a doubt”
“What about the dialogue?” Ryan pointed at the manuscript on the table
"It can be fixed. A few touches here and there and it will flow as naturally as the Mississippi River. Believe me!”
“Do you have any experience on screenwriting?” Ryan was getting excited
“Me? No!… But we can get this Graham fellow to do it”
“Why don’t you give it a shot?”
“Screenwriting? I dunno Ryan”
He walked up to her. “C’mon, chicken” he started clucking like a chicken
“Stop it!” she laughed
Ryan laughed as he walked around imitating a chicken
“Ok… ok. I’ll give it a shot. Now quit doing that!”
He turned to her smiling and kissed her “How did I get so lucky?” he whispered
Claire smiled and kissed him back. He then took her hand and led her into his room.

Chapter 22

After grabbing a late lunch at the nearby deli and shopping for groceries, they decided to head back for the apartment. The sky was cloudy and it looked like it was going to rain. Claire had called Emma telling her she was ok, and asking if she needed her car back. Emma dismissed Claire’s offer telling her Matt was lending her his extra car so she could use her SUV at will.
They walked into his apartment. Ryan let go of her hand and gestured her to wait there. He dropped the keys on the counter and walked into his room. Seconds later he came out carrying a small laptop computer.
Claire looked at him confused.
“Where do you want to work?” Ryan browsed the room.
Claire sat on one of the kitchen stools next to the counter as Ryan set the laptop in front of her, opened it and walked towards the table to grab the manuscript.
“Are you sure about this, Gosling?” she said as she dropped her sandals to the floor and lifted her feet.
“Yup” he set the manuscript next to the laptop
“Ok. But what will you do?”
“I was thinking about practicing some tunes on my guitar. Do you think it will break your concentration?”
“Only if you suck” Claire smiled teasing him
“Well, I’ll do my best not to” he winked at her

They spent the rest of the evening in his apartment. Ryan sat on the couch gently strumming on his guitar as he hummed different tunes. Claire wrote in a trance, stopping occasionally to check the manuscript in front of her. She hadn’t been this inspired in a long time. The story had touched a deep fiber in her, and she felt she knew the characters almost intimately. Her fingers rushed across the keyboard trying to keep up with her thoughts. It was all coming back to her.
Claire remembered how for the last three months she had sat in her apartment in Manhattan staring blankly at her computer screen, feeling numb. It had been the first time in 26 years she had felt this drought. Her life had turned into a predictable routine and nothing seemed to move her anymore. She had spent entire days at the MoMA in search of inspiration and had read thousands of books by the most talented writers, waiting for a spark… something that would light back the fire in her. Sitting now, as she did, in Ryan’s apartment; she felt like the Phoenix Bird rising from the ashes.
In her dazed state of mind she hadn’t realized that Ryan was standing behind her, wrapping his arms around her neck, leaning to look at the screen.
“This is something else, Brickwell” Claire jumped startled as he pointed at the screen. “It looks like a different movie altogether!”
Claire blushed and shook her head “This is just a first draft. I know it still needs some serious editing”
“Do you think you’ll be able to come up with something a bit more permanent for… say…tomorrow, around noon?”
“I’ll try. Why tomorrow?” she stopped typing
“I’m having lunch with the director and the executive producer. I’d like to show them what you’ve written”
“No, Ryan… this is somebody else’s work. David Graham is the author. How do you think it would look if you showed up with my script adaptation? There is such a thing as writer’s etiquette, you know?”
“I know… I know. But David Graham was just hired to write the script, the story is not even his idea, it belongs to someone else. Besides, the studio bought the rights to the script. Graham’s out of the picture.”
“Oh... I didn’t know it worked that way. I mean, Bill’s my editor, but he could never alter any of my work without my consent.”
“Well, Hollywood’s different… Here, business is business. That’s why I’m not crazy about big studio films… they lack your so called etiquette. In their mind the writer, the actor… they’re just a means to an end…making lots of money”
“Do you get to make lots of money too?” she smiled mischievously
“Nothing compared to what they make, but I’m not complaining. Fracture paid for the new house I bought in Canada.”
“That’s one of your movies, right?”
“Yes, I starred in it with Sir Anthony Hopkins” he lifted his eyebrows trying to impress her
“Sir Anthony… Oh! Mr. Gosling, how absolutely divine!” Claire faked a British accent
“Thank you… you’re too kind” He imitated her accent “Anyway, most of the movies I’ve been in are independent films … with extremely low budgets”
“You feel more at home working with independent directors, right?”
“Exactly” he winked at her and kissed the side of her neck.
Claire stretched her arms and yawned rubbing her eyes as she put down her legs.
“Had enough for today?” Ryan smiled
“Yeah… I need to stretch my legs for a bit.”
Ryan looked out the kitchen window…it was dark outside. He got a beer from the refrigerator and opened it against the counter. “Do you wanna go dancing?” he handed her his beer.
Claire grinned and stared at him in slight disbelief “Are you fucking with me, Gosling?” she took the bottle and swigged
“Not really…But let me set you straight… we go dancing first, we fuck later” he laughed as she jumped off the stool and punched him yelling “Rude!”


Chapter 23

Claire walked into Emma’s house around noon. She had left Ryan’s apartment just as he was leaving for his lunch meeting. She couldn’t recall the last time she had been so nervous. Ryan had taken with him a few pages of the script she had edited, to show at his business meeting. She wondered if they were reading them right now and what they were thinking of them. She knew it wasn’t her best work to date; but writing was a long process that required endless brush ups and final touches. She had barely been able to edit the first few pages… and that was just a second draft, she knew there was still a lot of work to do.
Emma wasn’t home. She walked into the kitchen and fixed herself some lunch. As she stood beside the counter eating a tuna fish salad, her cell phone rang. She jumped to get it.
“Claire speaking”
“Hey, beautiful?”
“Hey, Gosling”
Ryan paused.
“So… how did it go?” Claire asked impatiently
“Well…” he paused again. This was driving her crazy… Say it! she thought Tell me they hated it so we can get it over and done with!
He sighed… “They loved it, Claire!”
“Huh?”
“They loved it! They want to hire you. They want you to rewrite the rest of the script and even be there when we shoot, in case anything else comes up during rehearsals”
“What? You’re kidding, right?”
“No, Claire… they were really impressed. They even called De Niro to let him know they were sending him the new pages today”
“I’m speechless… I wasn’t expecting this at all!”
“I was”
“You were?”
“Yes! Because, unlike you, I have a pretty good idea of how talented you are”
Claire dismissed his compliment “When do you start shooting?”
“In a few months”
“Oh” Claire sat down… it had been too good to be true “But Ryan, I’m heading back for New York in three weeks”
“So?”
“So I won’t be able to be here for rehearsals”
“Do you even know where we’re shooting?”
Claire stopped to consider this. The truth was the script never mentioned any specific location. The story could happen in any big city.
“Here, I guess?” she honestly hadn’t even thought about it until Ryan brought it up
“Nope…. We’re shooting in the city that never sleeps… New York, New York, baby!”
“Really! Ryan… this is unbelievable”
“Well, you better believe it!” he was ecstatic. The thought of being in New York with Claire made him feel at ease. He could now stop worrying about a long distance relationship… at least for a while. He would also get to know Claire better, meet her friends and colleagues, hang out at her apartment… She would be working side by side with him; they would be able to see each other everyday.
“I need to ask you something about the script, though” he went on
“What’s that?”
“The quote you added at the beginning. It sounds familiar”
“It’s from the bible, Ryan… that’s where the title came from” Claire explained
“How did you know where to look?”
“Most English lit students know the bible. After all it is still the top best seller, isn’t it?”
Ryan smiled. He still wondered how someone as smart as Claire would want to be with him. He felt his body tremble as he contemplated the fact that she might leave him someday. These past days with her had been like a dream and he never wanted to wake up again. It’s not as if he hadn’t dated gorgeous women after Rachel, but the connection he felt with Claire was something new to him. He thought about what his mom and sister would think of her… They would probably instantly fall madly in love with her as he had. He paused. Yes, that’s right he thought I love her!… it didn’t matter how fast everything had happened. Time was something completely irrelevant. He knew she owned him body and soul, and that made him feel painfully vulnerable.
“Gosling… you there?”
She suddenly brought him back from his thoughts. “Yeah” he paused. “Claire?”
“Yep?” she picked up the fork and played around with what was left of her salad
“Can I come over? I really need to see you”
Claire wanted to see him too, but she was afraid spending all this time together would wear out their relationship. “Ry… why don’t we relax for a bit and maybe go out to celebrate with Emma, tonight. I’m sure she’s going to be as excited as we are about this”
Ryan sighed and looked at his watch. It was almost 2 pm… “Ok” he figured he could find something to keep him busy for the next 6 hours. It was probably for the best. The last thing he wanted was to smother Claire. “I’ll pick you guys up around 8, ok?”
“I’ll be waiting… Gosling, in the mean time get some sleep… I know I need some… all this excitement is exhausting”
“Ok…” he paused “Bye, Claire” I love you, he thought, but held himself back. He needed to find the right moment to tell her. He was not about to say it for the first time over the phone
“Bye, Gosling” Claire hang up the phone smiling. She stopped to think about how her life had changed in such a short time. And now she was being offered an opportunity to not only work beside Ryan, but also to have him stay in New York, with her!

Chapter 24

“A toast” Matt lifted his glass “To Claire, talented M.A and Ryan, lucky S.O.B.”
The four of them laughed as their glasses collided.
“I still cannot believe it, Claire” Emma put down her champagne glass “You’re actually going to work in a movie. You, of all people!”
“Well…” Ryan touched Claire’s thigh under the table “It was only a matter of time before I found a way to keep her close to me. Also this way, I can jump in every time some crew member tries to make a pass at her”
“I’m not the one doing all those steamy sex scenes described – in remarkable good detail– in the script.” Claire pointed out
“You can always write them off. It’s your script now” he squeezed her thigh.
“Believe me, I’ve thought about it, but no… the story wouldn’t make sense if I did… those scenes are Colin’s rite of passage in some way”
“So Ryan, you’re playing the lead, right?” Matt sipped some champagne
“Not really… De Niro is”
“Not in my script he’s not!” Claire looked at Ryan “In my script everything is seen through Colin’s eyes”
Ryan looked at her surprised “Well…you’re going to have to let me read the rest of it soon. It sounds completely different to the original script.”
“All in due time, Gosling” she picked up her glass and sipped, lifting up her eyebrows
“So Ryan” Matt changed the subject “I hear you know Chris Bukowski”
“Yes… he’s an old friend. We met when I was shooting The Believer”
“I loved that movie!” Emma jumped in “You were great in it, by the way! And so young! How old were you?”
“Nineteen, I think” he smiled at Emma putting down his glass
“Nineteen… what were we doing at nineteen, Cee?… Oh I know… sophomore year in college… getting drunk and partying all night. How productive was that?”
Ryan laughed as Claire sneered at Emma
“Do your folks live in Canada?” Emma went on
“Yeah… I see my mom pretty often. I fly up there every couple of months.”
“Does she approve of your life choices?”
“Let’s say she’s not crazy about most of the movies I’ve done. She liked The Notebook very much and thought Fracture and Lars and the Real Girl were both very interesting. But I think that’s where she draws the line”
“Matt and I go like to go to the movies a lot. I think we’ve seen all your movies. Little Miss Virginia Woolf here; saw The Notebook for the first time two days ago”
Ryan looked at her “Did you like it?” He smiled remembering how she had teased him pretending to be Allie after the boat ride, a couple of nights ago.
“It was ok…” Claire recalled what it felt like to see him with Rachel on screen
“Ok? You bawled your eyes out!… C’mon Cee, admit it. You loved it”
“Ok… I’m a girl, I like chick flicks… so sue me”
Ryan laughed “It’s ok… I’m actually glad you liked it.” He rubbed the back of her neck “It doesn’t make you any less of a serious writer, you know?”
Their food arrived. As they were about to dive into it, Matt asked Claire
“Speaking about writing; how’s your novel going?”
Ryan looked at Claire. She had never mentioned anything about a novel.
“Hmm… not great actually” she looked at Ryan who put his fork down and stared at her “I haven’t done any writing in almost three months”
“But you were almost finishing it, right? Emma and I cannot wait for the launching”
Claire lost her appetite. Ryan lifted his glass to drink, waiting. Emma kicked Matt under the table. “Aren’t you getting a bit ahead of yourself, honey?” Emma cut in as soon as she finished swallowing her food.
“I don’t think so” Matt went on “I mean, it’s obviously going to be a success as soon as it hits the bookstores. I’m thinking about buying some shares off your publishing firm. You know, maybe getting a piece of the action. Random House has been extremely shrewd in their choice of writers these past few years. As a matter of fact, I’ve just finished reading a brilliant novel they’ve published recently. The author is a New Yorker living in Paris. It’s his second or third novel already… Wilder, I think his last name is. Remarkable young writer. In his novel, he compares the love the main character feels for a woman to a Rothko. Very creative”
“I’m sorry” Ryan was about to bite into his veal “Did you say a Rothko?’
“Yeah!” Matt smiled “A Rothko! Don’t you think it’s brilliant?”
Claire felt her heart stop.
“Huh!” Ryan put down his fork and turned to look at her.
Emma chewed nervously.
Matt went on…“Anyway, why don’t you harness this inspiration the ocean seems to have given you and finish it while you’re here?
Ryan got up. “Will you excuse me for a minute?” He walked towards the restrooms
“Sure!” Matt lifted his glass at him and smiled
Making sure Ryan was nowhere in sight, Emma sneered at Matt “You couldn’t keep quite, could you?”
“Huh?”
“Oh just… shut up! I’ll deal with you at home.”
Matt put down his glass and stared at her in bewilderment
Emma pointed at his plate with her fork “Eat your food quickly. We’re leaving soon.”
Claire sat paralyzed. A Rothko? His love for a woman to a Rothko? She could not believe it. Was Zach Wilder sending her a message?

Chapter 25

They finished their dinner without uttering a single word. Claire hardly touched her plate. Matt insisted on paying, but finally agreed to split the check with Ryan. Emma grabbed Matt, pushing him out of the restaurant as she waved Claire and Ryan goodbye. Claire got up and walked slowly towards the entrance; Ryan followed her in silence.
He handed the valet his ticket and put his jacket on Claire’s shoulders. The temperature outside had dropped at least 10 degrees. Ryan’s car pulled up into the driveway, he opened the door and she got in. They drove off in silence. Claire stared at the road ahead, motionless; memories flooding her mind.

It was a cold morning in Manhattan and Claire felt like staying in bed all day. If only Zach would bring her laptop so she didn’t have to leave the comfort of the warm sheets. Just as she concentrated, imagining she could transmit her thoughts to him by focusing on her laptop, Zach walked in. He wasn’t carrying her laptop. He was carrying breakfast!
“Hmmm” Claire smiled and stretched towards him as he laid the tray on their bed. “You’re too good to me Zach. I don’t deserve you”
Zach bent over and kissed her. He jumped into bed next to her pulling the tray closer to him. Smiling at her, he tore off a small piece from one of the bagels, added some cream cheese and fed it to her.
“I love you, honey” she said as she licked the cream cheese that rested on her lips. He kissed her again and paused to gaze at her adoringly. Claire felt as if he was looking at her for the first time.
“I love you more than I have ever thought possible. You’re my Rothko”
She smiled as he set the tray on the floor next to him and turned to take her in his arms.


They walked into Ryan’s apartment… They still hadn’t said a word since they had left the restaurant.
Ryan couldn’t take it anymore. He had to know.
“Claire?”
She looked at him as she put his jacket on a chair, and rushed to explain “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the novel Ryan. I just… well, it’s not finished yet. I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever finish it. The truth is I had to take some time off because I was going through a writer’s block. I was too embarrassed to tell you” she turned away fighting off the tears
“Claire, listen. I wish you had told me about your novel, but it’s ok… I understand. That’s not what’s bothering me”
Claire turned to look at him confused, tears rolling down her face.
Ryan felt his heart break; he couldn’t bear to see her cry. He wished he could just wipe off this night entirely from the records. He paused to consider….his mind, tormented by one thought and one thought only.
She stared at him, waiting
He breathed in “What’s Zach’s last name?”
Claire licked her lips and covered her mouth in horror.
“Claire?” Ryan walked a step closer
“No, Ryan… no” she shook her head and walked back to sit on the couch
“Is it Wilder?”
Claire sat sobbing in silence
“Is it, Claire?”
She looked up at him and nodded.
Ryan picked up his jacket and got out of the apartment slamming the door behind him.
Claire covered her face with both hands and broke out to cry in unbearable agony.


Ryan walked into his apartment after driving around for more than two hours. Claire lay on his couch sound asleep, still wearing her evening dress. He walked up to her and gently brushed the hair off her eyes. There were red circles around them and her face was still wet with tears. She had probably cried herself to sleep. Ryan felt so impotent. He didn’t know what to make of what had happened. Was Zach trying to get Claire back through his novel? Was it just a coincidence? He thought there must be some code between them he didn’t know about. Could this be happening now? After all this time? He felt like smashing his fist against the wall. Why? Why now? Did she still have feelings for Zach? She said she wouldn’t take him back… but how could he be sure? Zach probably knew her much better than he did. Was their brief but intense relationship strong enough to endure this?
He picked her up and carried her to his bed, covering her with a blanket. He then walked out of his room, lit a cigarette and sat in the dark.

Claire opened her eyes slowly. She had been dreaming about Rothko’s paintings. As she woke up she noticed her face felt puffy and sore. She recognized Ryan’s bedroom and turned to find him. He was not there. The door was closed. She got up and ran to the bathroom; she needed to wash her face.
Claire tiptoed out into the living room; Ryan lay asleep on the couch. She stood next to him, gazing. He looked so vulnerable. She knelt on the floor next to him and softly caressed the side of his face. She moved her hand across his eyebrow down to his cheek bone and gradually to his half grown beard. Ryan twitched, slightly. She bit her bottom lip as she continued to touch his earlobe with the side of her finger. Gathering strength, she moved closer to him and gently kissed him on the mouth, slightly brushing her lips against his. He opened his eyes and looked at her. She paused for a second before leaning to kiss him again. He kissed her back, at first, tenderly …then passionately.
He grabbed her, pressing her face against his, desperately needing to feel her close. He got up and lifted her from the floor, pushing her onto the couch. In rapture, he slid off her panties and pulled her dress up to spread her thighs. He placed himself on top of her and entered her. Claire didn’t fight back. She desperately needed to feel him, to know that in spite of everything, he still wanted her. She grabbed his back, pressing her nails against it as she moaned. He felt her tremble as his thrust deepened inside her. He licked her face as she panted. Suddenly, she screamed pressing his body against hers, as she tightened her legs around him. He moaned, collapsing on top of her as he came, deep inside of her.

They held each other endlessly. He lay, still inside her, slowly regaining his ease. Claire scratched the hair on the back of his neck tenderly. She loved Ryan. There was no doubt in her mind about that. But still… she closed her eyes. She couldn’t help but wonder about Zach’s novel. Why now? She thought. Maybe Sophie had walked out on him and he felt lonely in Paris, lingering on the three years they had shared in Manhattan. Maybe Sophie was his new Rothko… or maybe this was just something he used for creative purposes, with no meaning whatsoever. But Claire knew Zach. He wasn’t like that. He would never have shared something this private unless he wanted something. As for Sophie being his Rothko, she doubted that… he wasn’t that callous. She remembered how she had once asked him to recite Lord Byron to her in bed and he had refused, explaining Lord Byron had belonged to one of his past girlfriends and that it wouldn’t be fair to her.

Zach was special in that way.

Ryan lay on top of Claire surrounded by feelings of impotence. He knew her body was with him but felt her mind had drifted miles away. He lifted his head to look at her. Claire gazed back in silence.
“Are you ok?” he asked as he slowly moved to lie beside her. While doing so, it suddenly hit him - they hadn’t used any protection.
Claire sensed his concern and jumped in to comfort him “Don’t worry…” she fixed the lock of hair that fell on his forehead “We’ll be fine” she smiled.
Ryan smiled back and pondered on the thought of Claire becoming pregnant because of what they had just done. It was unlikely; he knew that, but… What if? It would definitely be a way of keeping her with him. Not exactly how he had pictured things would work out, but it was definitely an option. He instantly dismissed the thought; he needed to focus on what was important now: Claire’s feelings for Zach.

Claire’s cell phone rang. She jumped to grab her purse. Ryan gazed at her for a while… he then got up and walked into his bedroom. He needed to take a shower.
“Claire speaking”
“Hey honey!” It was Emma
“Hey”
“How are you? Is everything ok? Do you need me to come pick you up?”
“Nah… I’m fine Em”
“I could’ve killed Matt yesterday!... Going on and on about your novel, like that! And thank God Ryan doesn’t know anything about Rothko… Did you ever tell him about Zach?”
“Yep”
“Well… I guess he doesn’t know his last name anyway… So, no harm’s been done”
Claire sighed and sat on one of the kitchen stools “Em, he knows.”
“About what? Zach’s last name or Rothko?”
“Both”
“Fuck!” Emma felt like torturing Matt to death. She suddenly realized Ryan could be standing right next to Claire
“Is he there? Can you talk?”
“He’s taking a shower” Claire could hear the water running
“That’s it… I have another assignment for you: writings Matt’s obituary. He’s dead”
“It’s ok Em… Matt didn’t know” she smiled. “Go easy on him, will you?”
“Have you thought about Zach’s novel?”
“It’s probably just a coincidence, Em”
“Well…” Em paused and breathed in… Claire was bound to find out sooner or later “I stayed up half of the night reading his novel, Cee. I made Matt sleep on his living room couch…” she explained
Claire paused… waiting “ So?”
“It’s no coincidence Cee… he’s talking about you. He’s changed the names of the characters, of course… but everything else seems to be a detailed description of your life together”
Claire sat paralyzed sensing the moistness in her eyes.
“Cee… Are you, ok?”
She didn’t answer
“Cee…? Talk to me, please…” Emma wondered if she should have kept quiet.
“I need to go Em.. Talk to you later, ok?’
“Wait! I can be there to pick you up in no time”
“No, Em… I really need to be alone now”
“Ok…Sweet pea?”
“Yeah?” her voice trembled as she wiped the tears off her eyes
“Are you gonna be ok?”
“Yes, Em… I just need some time to think”
“I love you honey… I’ll be at Matt’s if you need me, ok?”
“Ok… Bye now Em”
Claire hung up her cell phone and stood up to look for her purse. She knew she had a number for a cab service in a small piece of paper somewhere in there. She hurried, looking back at Ryan’s room… the water was still running… she gasped. Found it!
She called for a cab and grabbed her things.
Ryan walked out of the shower just as he heard the front door slam shut.

Chapter 26

Ryan walked in, sat at the bar and gestured the bartender.
“What will it be, man?” he cleaned the spot in front of him
“Scotch, neat”
“Coming right up”
“Wait…” the bartender looked at him “Make it a double, please”
He placed the glass in front of Ryan as he looked at the clock across the empty room and sighed “Scotch, at this time of day?… Must be a woman”
Ryan looked up to him smiling, slightly embarrassed.
The bartender stretched out his hand “I’m Pete, by the way”
Ryan shook it back “Hey, Pete…. I’m Ryan”
Pete stared at Ryan for a moment. “You’re that actor, right?”
“Yeah…” he sighed
“Yeah, I thought so… my girlfriend’s crazy about you. You were in that movie… The Notebook. She loves it… makes me watch it every Valentine’s Day”
Ryan laughed “I’m sorry, man… for what it’s worth, I didn’t write it”
“Oh… don’t worry… It usually gets her in the mood for…you know” he smiled “So I’m not complaining”
Ryan grinned as he picked up his glass. “Well, Pete…I’m glad you’re getting something out of it”
“So…” Pete got a stool and sat in front of Ryan “Do you wanna talk about it?”
Ryan looked at him confused
“This woman, the one that makes you step into a bar in the middle of the day… is she leaving you for another guy?”
“I don’t know.” Ryan sipped his scotch and sighed
“Tell me… maybe I can help you figure it out” Pete smiled at him as he got another glass for himself and poured some scotch.
“Well, Pete… it all began less that a week ago, in a deserted beach…”
Ryan spoke for hours. Pete listened intently… filling up both their glasses every time he noticed they were almost empty.
A few customers walked in, and Pete would gesture Ryan to stop, as he mixed their drinks, collected their money and rushed back to continue where they had left off.
“And that my friend”… Ryan sighed and stretched his arms crossing them at the back of his head “is how my story ends. Exactly…” he glanced at his watch “5 hours and 4 minutes ago”
“Hmmm… this is a tough one” Pete scratched his chin as he looked up to the ceiling.
“Yep” Ryan pretended to toast in the air and finished his drink.
“This Zach dude, has he tried to get in touch with her these past few months?”
“Not that I know of, no… Claire would have told me about it, I’m sure”
“So he writes this novel, presumably dedicating it to her… and yet he doesn’t make a move?”
“I guess... that was his move”
“Well… he’s a writer… writer’s are weird birds, you know?” Pete paused and jumped to clarify “not Claire, of course... I’m sure she’s perfectly normal”
Ryan laughed… Claire was a weird bird, but then again, so was he… actors weren’t regular people either.
“Can you think of anything to help me out on this one, Pete?” he pushed his glass to the side, placed his elbows on the counter and rubbed his face.
Pete finished his drink and set it back on the bar. “Look man, Zach’s miles away and you’re here. It’s obvious she wants to be with you… She’s just haunted by this guy’s memory. But it’s not real. I’m sure she’s confused right now, who wouldn’t be? Especially considering the way she found out about the whole thing... They had a long relationship, yada-yada-yada and yeah… the guy probably knows her better than you do ... or at least used to know her. But, having said this, I still think you should to keep in mind that this dude has hurt her badly… something you have never done and are therefore slightly ahead of him. You should go down to her place and tell her how you feel… don’t even think about it… Women are strange like that, man… they need security, they need to know you want to be with them…”
“You mean go up there, right now?” Ryan felt a bit dizzy, but oddly encouraged by the booze and Pete’s pep talk.
“Yeah! Go there and let her know how you feel. Don’t wait until tomorrow… you’ll give her too much time to think… something women are terrible at” he smiled knowingly
Ryan pondered for a second …“Ok…” he slowly stood up “Thanks Pete. How much do I owe you?”
“Nah, man… you made my day. Besides…I get to tell my girlfriend you where at my bar today!”
“Ok, thanks again. You’ve been great!”
As Ryan was walking towards the door… “Hey, Bogie…” Ryan looked back “Break a leg!” he smiled at him giving him two thumbs up.
Ryan waved clumsily and walked out into the busy sidewalk.

Chapter 27

Claire sat on the living room couch staring blankly at the wall. She wore her silk robe and was still dripping wet from the shower. Emma hadn’t returned home and probably wouldn’t till tomorrow, considering Claire had told her she wanted to be alone. Lola lay nearby, sleeping peacefully on the carpet.
She got up and stepped into the kitchen to get some water. She walked out pausing to glance at her laptop as it lay on the table, closed. She hadn’t been able to do any writing today. Her mind had been too caught up in Zach’s novel and the motives behind it. They had passed by a Barnes & Noble Bookstore on the way to Emma’s, and for a second she had considered making a stop to buy his book. She dismissed this idea instantly… she couldn’t deal with it just yet.
After she got home, Claire walked to her room, took off her clothes and putting on her old, comfy shirt tucked herself in bed. She was exhausted. She wished she could sleep for the rest of the month and not have to worry about anything. She somehow missed the numbness she had felt in New York these past few months.
After almost five hours of profound sleep, she woke up and checked her cell phone. No messages. She felt like crying. Why hadn’t Ryan called?
She remembered how she had left his apartment that morning and gasped. He was probably mad at her; he might even not want to see her again! Could he ever forgive her? It was too painful to even consider. And Zach? Why hadn’t he tried to reach her in New York? He had obviously been working on this novel for a while… he was a perfectionist. It had taken him ages to decide when his first novel had been ready enough to publish… She was sure this time it had been no different. She started to wonder if, by any chance, he had been in New York these past months. There was just one person they had in common who would know: Bill. She paused. Bill would never tell her. He had seen how distraught she had been after their breakup. She knew Bill would want to protect her. She wondered if he might have even talked Zach out of calling her. Claire had so many questions in her mind, it made her feel dizzy.
She stood up and stepped into the shower, hoping she could wash off her thoughts.

As she sat on the couch, Claire was startled by what sounded like a car pulling into Emma’s driveway. Two seconds later she heard a knock on the front door. She got up and walked towards it. She looked through the peep hole, it was Ryan. He looked concerned and wore a slight frown on his face. She turned to gaze at herself in the mirror. Her robe was slightly wet, and you could see through isolated patches of her tanned skin below, especially around the area of her back and breasts, where her hair was still dripping. She fixed it, tugging and tightening it and crossed her arms around her chest, leaving thick locks of hair beneath to cover her breasts. She took a deep breath and opened the door.
Ryan stood facing her. There was a certain determination in his gaze, as if he had come here to fulfill an important task. Claire felt her body shiver as she figured what he had come to tell her. She swallowed, feeling a sharp sting in the back of her throat, and stepped aside to let him in.
Ryan walked all the way to the center of the room and turned to look at her. She closed the door pausing before she turned to face him. She could feel her heart racing in her chest and a burning soreness in the pit of her stomach.
“Claire” Ryan closed his eyes, licked his lips and opened them again “I need to tell you something…”
“Wait!” she walked towards him lifting her hand slightly “Ryan… let me say something first”
“No…” He shook his head and swallowed “Listen, Claire…”
She jumped in, in an effort to make him change his mind “I’m sorry… I don’t know what happened to me today. I shouldn’t have left your apartment like I did. Just, please…”
Ryan stood inches away from her shaking his head…“Please…Give me another chance. I promise I won’t act like this again… I…” she tried to fight back the tears. She looked down fixing her gaze on the floor.
“Claire… look at me!” Ryan couldn’t believe his ears
She paused and shook her head
“Claire, would you please look at me” Ryan held her by the shoulders
She finally looked up… feeling so much pain inside her it was almost unbearable. She stepped back.
He took a deep breath “I came here tonight to tell you I think you’re the most beautiful, talented, funny and sexy woman I’ve ever seen and …I love you” he stopped
Claire stared at him feeling like a complete fool “You… love me?”
“Yes, I love you… What can I say? Claire, all I have done ever since we met is think about you. I dread that a day will come when you’ll figure out you’re too good for me and I’m haunted by the idea of not being with you. I want to make it work, whatever it takes.”
Claire looked at him, weeping… tears of joy. She ran towards him and he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her forehead tenderly. Both their hearts racing as he picked her up and carried her to her room.


Chapter 28

Claire woke up next morning startled by the sound of her cell phone. She looked at Ryan who slept beside her, twitching slightly after every ring. She grabbed it and stopped to pick up her robe from where it lay on the floor, as she tiptoed hurriedly out of her room.
“Hi, Em”
“Cee… Are you ok?”
“I’m fine” she whispered
“Why are you whispering?”
“He’s here!”
“Ryan’s there with you?” Emma began to whisper too
“He’s in the room next door”
“Ok… listen, I’m not coming home until Monday”
“Why?”
“Because I think you guys should spend some time together alone. I’ll be staying at Matt’s beach house, ok? You can call me on my cell phone if you need anything.”
“Emma… don’t be ridiculous”
“Shush… I’m two months older than you, so I know better”
Claired laughed
“If you guys feel like coming over, the address is in my phone book, under Matt”
“Em… “
“Yeah?”
Claire smiled mischievously “I don’t think we will”
“I know, silly… “
“You’re a pain in the ass, you know!”
Emma laughed…“I love you too Cee… Send my love to Ryan”
Claire hung up the phone smiling and walked into the kitchen for some breakfast

She had woken up completely renewed that morning, having dismissed all her insecurities about her relationship with Ryan. Zach was nothing but a distant nightmare.
She knew she would have to sit down and talk with Ryan about this at some point, but right now she just wanted to relish on the time they had spent together.
She fixed herself some coffee and walked into the living room where she sat to work on the script.
Ryan opened his eyes, looking for Claire. He could still smell her on the sheets and on his skin. He got up, slid on his jeans and wandered off to find her.
“Hey, there you are!” he smiled as he caught a glimpse of her working on the living room table. She looked up to him smiling back “Sorry, Ry… You looked so peaceful and I really have a lot of work to do”
He walked towards her and leaned to kiss her. He looked at the screen. “You’re almost done!”
Claire kept her gaze fixed on the screen “Not really... this is just a second draft. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt during my screenwriting classes is that a screenplay is a very dynamic form of literature. I mean… it needs to be constantly adjusted to the actors, the mood and what ever comes up on rehearsals and improvs... But of course, you knew this already.” She looked up at him. “I need to finish this soon. When do we start shooting, again?”
“In two months” he kissed her forehead
“Well, that doesn’t give me much time, does it?”
“I know…” he leaned next to her on the table “I should start working out”
“What for?”
“Well... I thought Colin should have a powerful body, you know… so as to contrast his apparent feeble nature”
“I like that idea… Also I think he should be shortsighted”
“You mean glasses?”
Claire nodded
“It could work…”
“And wear totally unbecoming clothes”
“You’re trying to make me look really unattractive for this movie, aren’t you?”
“Gosling… shut up! You know you could wear anything and still look incredible”
“You’re just saying that because you love me”
“I’m saying it because it’s true… but I do love you”
“Wanna go back to bed?” he looked at her lifting his eyebrows
“What? No… Gosling, you’re insatiable! I need to work… now go fix yourself some breakfast” she pushed him off the table.
They spent the whole weekend together, making love in almost every room in the house and stopping for an occasional dip in the pool, a quick bite or a well deserved nap.
As the sun set down on Sunday evening they lay on Claire’s bed. Ryan browsed through the TV channels while Claire read a novel she had started on the plane and had hardly picked up since she had gotten to California.
It was about a man planning out his death. The tone was funny and sarcastic and Claire was impressed by the author’s ability to deal with this topic in such an original way. This novel was her first, and the reviews had been more than accurate. It was exceptional. Claire paused to think about the manuscript that lay unfinished on her desk back at home in Manhattan. She had cleared it from her mind after her last meeting with Bill, when he had suggested she take some time off. She remembered where she had left off… Edwina had moved to Vienna, pushed by her mother’s eager desires, to pursue a career as a concert pianist. She had left Paul, her first true love, to wallow in his misery back in London. Paul studied biology at Cambridge and had recently been awarded a grant to continue his research on intercellular transport. The delicate beauty and imposing luxury of Vienna had knocked Edwina off her feet as her train approached the Westbahnhof. Nina, her future roommate, a Slovak cellist, was waiting for her at the station with excitement. The thought of sharing an apartment in the second district with someone her age, arose in her feelings of anticipation. It was an experience they were both looking forward to.
Claire had been to Vienna almost four years ago and had stayed at the Kaiserin Elisabeth Hotel downtown. She had marveled at the contrast of Imperial Vienna as it lay immersed in a modern 21st century city. There was music in the air, and she wondered if this would have been the place her mother had intended to come, had she not given up her music career.
Zach had found Vienna pretty boring, he had mentioned that the high point of their stay was the Hundertwasser Haus, with its crooked floors, psychedelic shapes and daring color combinations. Claire had to disagree with him on this one; she stood in awe of the grandeur and regal appearance of the city.
She did not know how the story would evolve after both young girls met… she had a faint idea of what the main points of the plot were: the hardships of being in a foreign country; away from her loved ones, her affair with her music director, Paul’s unexpected visit, her father’s anticipated death… but that was all she knew. The story had been writing itself almost involuntarily… revealing itself as she treaded a familiar path of Central Park, or as she browsed through European history books at Borders. It surprised her during her morning shower and at Sunday brunches in Soho. It came easily, flowing from her thoughts on to her fingers just as Mozart’s Number 9 Piano Concerto did to her mother whenever she sat on the piano. Then, almost suddenly, the music stopped. She had searched endlessly for that familiar tune, she might have even settled for something off key… a sound, a single note. But all she could hear was silence, void and senseless.

“Is it any good?” Ryan munched on a Dorito as he pointed at the book she was reading
“As a matter of fact, it’s brilliant” Claire was mildly startled
“How many books have you read?”
“In my life? I don’t know...thousands, I guess… why do you ask?”
“Just curious” he smiled and stared back at the TV “Does this bother you?” he pointed at the screen with the remote control
“Not at all… are you watching anything interesting?”
“Well… they’re about to show Cinema Paradiso… I thought you might be interested”
“You bet!” Claire closed her book and cuddled next to Ryan as Ennio Moricone’s soundtrack flooded the room.
At a distance, almost imperceptibly, Claire thought she recognized the first notes to Mozart’s Requiem.

Chapter 29

Ryan had left the house early that morning. He needed to meet his publicist. Claire stepped out of the shower, relieved to have some time to herself. She wanted to go through the script one more time and was afraid Ryan would think she was too obsessed with it. As she got dressed, her cell phone rang. It was Mark Shaw, future director to A Multitude of Sins.
They spoke briefly; he was in a meeting at the moment and wanted to get together as soon as possible. He suggested lunch; Claire agreed.
She didn’t know what to wear. As a writer, that was not much of an issue in New York. She could do most of her work in sweats at home, emailing the articles to the newspaper editors. Teaching at Columbia required a certain dress code, but staying away from jeans and sneakers did the job. And Bill… well, meeting at Bill’s office was like coming over to a friend’s house… completely informal. She hadn’t met with the Random House high ranking executives in at least four years… and she could hardly remember what she wore then.
She browsed through her wardrobe nervously. She wondered what these Hollywood people expected from her. Finally, she went for something classic. A pinstriped grey suit cut to the waist, and matching black purse and sandals. She looked good, classic yet sexy. She fixed her hair in a ponytail and added to the ensemble a pair of Jackie O style sun glasses. She grabbed her trusty black Samsonite bag and slid her laptop inside.

After parking the SUV she checked her make up on the rear view mirror. She then stepped out into the midday sun; the restaurant was only a couple of blocks away.
She was wearing a white strappy top underneath, and wondered if they would sit in an air conditioned room or out in the sun to roast. Well, whatever, either way you’ll be sweating, she thought
She browsed the scene as she walked up to the hostess; the restaurant was packed with ‘suits’ babbling endlessly about the stock market and their recent business transactions.
‘I’m looking for Mr. Shaw”
The hostess checked her list. “This way, please”
She followed her to a table on the back. She was glad she wore a jacket. It was pretty cold in there.
“You must be Ms Brickwell” a tall middle aged man in denim pants and a shirt, stretched out his hand. His medium length hair hid beneath a baseball cap, and as she looked down she noticed he was wearing sneakers. Claire sighed relieved and shook his hand smiling
“Mr Shaw?”
“Call me Mark, please”
“Ok, Mark…I’m delighted to meet you. It’s Claire, by the way”
“Ryan didn’t tell us you were also beautiful. I guess he was keeping that information to himself”
Claire blushed “Well, maybe he doesn’t think I am”
Mark shook his head laughing… “And you’re also modest” he put his hand on his chest “I’m in love”
Claire giggled nervously
They sat as he gestured the waiter for the menus
“So… you’re the secret weapon” he winked at her
“You make it sound like I’m a character in one of John Le Carre’s novels” Claire wished she had thought of something film related, but nothing had come to mind
“You mean the guy who wrote The Russia House?”
“Exactly”
He laughed. Claire sighed relieved.
“Is it just going to be the two of us?” she noticed a third place had been set on the table
“John will be joining us soon”
“John?”
“Yeah, John Hunter, he’s one of the executive producers. He’s really looking forward to meeting you.”
“Oh, I see” Claire sipped water to moisten her dry throat.
“We are very impressed, Claire” he took his cap off and fixed his hair nonchalantly “Have you got any prior experience on this?”
“Screenwriting? Well… not really. I took some classes back in college, but have never done any professional work of the sort”
“Well… you should definitely reconsider” he paused “Ryan told us you’re a published author”
“Oh…barely I would say. I published a small collection of essays and short stories a couple of years ago”
“Anything recent?”
“No… I’m working on a novel” she added
He nodded
“But I haven’t finished it yet”
“Will it be long before you do?”
“I really can’t say. I mean… My editor would like me to have it wrapped up by the end of the year… but with these things you never know.”
“Right…”
“Is that an issue for you?”
“Well, the truth is names are important in Hollywood. You see, names sell. Now if you could publish your novel before the end of the year, it would be perfect timing for us”
“I understand” Claire began to sweat. She wanted to take her jacket off, but thought she’d wait until she could do it… casually.
They brought over their menus. He paused to open one of them. “The food here is delicious”
“Any suggestions?” Claire browsed through the menu
“How hungry are you?”
Claire was too nervous to eat, but thought it wouldn’t look good if she didn’t “Not very… I’d say I’m… peckish”
“You writers and your vocabulary. You seem to have a word for everything, don’t you?” he grinned as Claire blushed “I would recommend a salad, then… The house salad is quite an experience”
“Ok… I’ll have one of those”
“Anything to drink?”
“Diet coke will be fine for me”
The waiter took their orders as another man greeted them slightly out of breath.
“I’m sorry Mark… LA traffic, you know how it is”
“Relax, John… I was actually hoping you wouldn’t show up. You know, leave me alone with this young beautiful lady here” he pointed at her
Claire stood up to shake his hand. John was probably in his early thirty’s, tall, thin with short dark hair, light green eyes and impeccable taste in clothing. He wore an Armani suit and what Claire thought were Gucci shoes.
He smiled at her. Perfect teeth. He ordered lunch diligently and sat down, gazing at her. He was obviously a regular at this place.
As they ate lunch they talked about other things. They asked Claire about her hobbies and about her visit to California. John had lived in New York most of his life, and Claire felt at ease discussing certain aspects of life in Manhattan. After a while they even discovered they had almost been neighbors. He displayed a remarkable knowledge of both modern and classic literature, and Claire later found out he had majored in English to eventually pursue graduate education in business. He had an MBA.
“I still miss the good old days when I could spend my evenings reading books and listening to John Coltrane records in my dorm room”
Claire smiled, knowing exactly what he meant.
When they finished, she pulled out the manuscript she had printed out that morning and set it on the table.
They browsed through the pages, complimenting her on even the subtlest of changes. She was in… She knew it. Mark asked to keep her copy and insisted on paying for her to print out some more.
They finally discussed her fees. She was shocked. She never thought writers could make so much money! For a second she wondered what Zach would think of her… he would probably consider this a corruption of her talent. But Claire thought screenwriting was as much of an art as writing a novel was. It had actually been harder for her, considering she hadn’t read many screenplays and lacked the experience. It was definitely something new and although she did not know if she would pursue this further, still, as Ryan would put it, it was a learning experience.
John walked her to the car. Oddly enough, Claire felt very much at ease with him… they had so much in common. At least, part of his life had been similar to hers. He was smart and witty and, before she knew what she was doing, she had agreed to meet him for drinks that night. Ryan had mentioned he would be working out during the day and meeting Chris for dinner to discuss his ‘private project’. They probably wouldn’t see each other until Tuesday.

As she pulled into Emma’s driveway she paused to consider if meeting John was appropriate, but immediately dismissed her doubts thinking it was probably going to be all work related.
Emma was home working in her den. Claire changed into her bikini and talked her into going to the beach for a while, to catch the afternoon sun.

Chapter 30

She met John around nine. He had offered to pick her up at Emma’s but Claire insisted she’d rather meet him there. He had chosen a bar called Green Door. Emma had mentioned it was kind of trendy and awfully hard to get into, if you hadn’t reserved in advance. Claire wondered if he had kept other options in mind.
She walked to the entrance; it was a forest green door (go figure, right!). She looked around and then at her watch. It was exactly ten minutes past nine… could he have left already? She felt a hand grab her waist and turned, startled. John smiled at her, and kissed her on the cheek. A subtle Kenzo scent intoxicated her senses. He wore an elegant black suit with a light blue shirt. Claire wondered if she was underdressed for the occasion. She had borrowed one of Emma’s tight black skirts, a bit short for her taste… (Claire was taller than Emma), matching it with a Chinese black top with red flowers. She actually looked quite sophisticated.
“You look gorgeous” he whispered to her ear, as he took her hand and walked towards the striking door.
“John… Are you sure about this place? I heard it’s kind of hard to get into.”
“Let’s just give it a shot, shall we?” he winked at her
She followed him as he snuck between the crowd waiting to get it. Claire was shocked to see they walked right in. No questions asked, no waiting in line.
Claire gazed at him in amazement.
“Hollywood has its privileges” he smiled “My English major would have never gotten me even close to the legendary door”
“You do have a point there” she said as she looked around
The bar was stunning. It had a turn of the century vibe, with red velvet couches, wall- mounted portraits and chandeliers. It reminded her of Chloderlos de Laclos novel Les Liasons Dangereux… and she thought at any moment she would run into Vicomte Valmont and Marquise Mertieul scheming evil plans in their idle time.
They sat on a dimly lit table on one of the far end corners of the bar.
“Do you like it?” he took his jacket off
“It’s …” Claire kept looking around
“Baroque… I know… but an interesting setting, don’t you think?”
“Yeah… I feel like beheading someone”
John laughed
“What’s your poison?” he teased
“Vodka tonic” Claire smiled as she set her purse on the table
“Feisty, are we?”
“Well… I took a cab here, so I’m not driving” she smiled bashfully
He gestured the waiter and ordered two vodka tonics
“I have a driver” he smiled at her… "another one of Hollywood’s pampers”
Claire covered her face “God am I in the wrong business!”
They talked until almost 3 am… John had led an interesting life. He had even been in the Peace Core. He was quite of an extreme sports freak, he admitted, enjoying most of his free time snowboarding, kite-surfing, bungee jumping and doing other life threatening activities. He had entered the movie industry by a fluke, really, helping out a friend get an investment to work. He seemed to know a lot about film and the film business and had taken a few courses at the New York Film Academy. John was one of those people who are just gifted, you know, those people who would excel at anything they pursued. No matter how hard. The kind you hate, basically. The kind who don’t need to train or study hard… The kind who would just nail it. It’s how they were born. Nothing was a challenge.
Claire was not like that. She had to work really hard for everything, and it was her discipline, she thought, what had taken her places. Of course, in her line of work she needed to be at least mildly talented… but it was her determination and drive what had kept her ‘in vogue’ in the literary world.
They drove back in his limo. Claire had never been in a limo before, not even for her prom. He got off and walked her to Emma’s front door.
“So, has Ryan beaten me to the chase?” he looked serious
“Sorry?”
“I saw the picture of you two at Chris Bukowski’s the other night” he licked his upper lip “Are you two going out?”
Claire paused
“Claire, it’s ok… I figured as much when I met you today?”
“You did? How come?”
“Well… in the picture, it’s easy to see that you’re beautiful…” he paused “ But Ryan, who happens to be as much of a player as the next guy, would never settle for just a pretty face and a pair of long legs”
“I don’t quite follow. How is that related to our meeting this morning?”
“C’mon Claire… do you really need me to spell it out? You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re obviously very talented and if I had met you before he did… well I guess the story would have been different”
Claire felt uncomfortable all of a sudden
“John, I….”
“Look, I’m a big guy, don’t worry… what I just want you to know is…” he paused and looked deep into her eyes as he took her hand “I like you. Period. But I’m also a gentleman and would never get in the way of an ongoing relationship; unless you wanted me to” he smiled
Claire stepped back slightly and slid her hand off his.
“Having said that though, I need to warn you: I’m ruthless, and sooner or later, I usually get what I want. We are going to be spending a lot of time together in New York and, just so you know, I’ll probably use every trick in the book to get you to go out with me”
Claire breathed in “John… I really like you, but...”
“Not in that way… I get it….”
She forced a smile
He bent over to kiss her on the cheek and whispered “Just give me time” he then turned and walked away.