“Come on birthday boy! Everyone’s been waiting for you. It’s time to get this party started!” I tugged his hand to follow me.

“Cory! Fill em up!” I motioned to the stack of champagne glasses sitting on the bar.

“Wait! I can’t get too wasted tonight. We have final scenes tomorrow,” Ryan informed.

“Did you hear that, Kenneth?” Cal shouted to the director of their movie. “Ryan doesn’t want to get too drunk tonight because he has to work tomorrow.”

Kenneth smiled and laughed out loud. “Actually Ryan, I have a big confession to make. We – ahh – wrapped today. Tomorrow’s call sheet that you have, it’s a fake. You’re the only one who didn’t know that today was the last day on location here.”

“What?” Ryan looked totally confused. “So all that crap about the wardrobe and then you sent me to the makeup trailer – that was all bullshit?”

Kenneth grinned and nodded.

“I spent two hours sitting in that chair! Two hours while Mia painted me!” Ryan yelled in jest.

I started laughing and pointed over to the poolroom where Mia, the makeup artist who stalled him, was standing.

“Hey, I had to get you off the set somehow!” Kenneth laughed.

“Were you in on this too?” Ryan looked at me. His eyes questioned my participation.

“In on it?” Kenneth chortled. “She orchestrated it!”

“Hey I’m not taking all the credit!” I defended. “I had a lot of willing accomplices. Everyone standing in this room was in on it.”

Cory and I handed out champagne glasses to everyone.

Pete tapped a spoon on his glass to get everyone’s attention. He raised his glass in the air to make a toast.

“Here’s to Ryan… A great man and a great friend! May you be blessed with great health! No, wait,” he paused. “I don’t think you need that. You are pretty healthy.” He squeezed Ryan’s biceps. His eyes scrunched together to ponder his next statement.

“Well then, how about… To Ryan, may you be blessed with great wealth! No, come to think of it, you are pretty filthy-stinkin’ rich too!”

Ryan started to chuckle. He looked slightly embarrassed.

“I’ve got it…I’ve got it. Ryan, for your birthday, may you be blessed with the love of a great woman! Wait! Shit! You already have that too!” Pete pointed a finger at me.

“Well, what the hell?” Pete whined, faking his disgust.

Everyone laughed at Pete’s toast.

Pete looked at the many faces in the pub, waived his glass in the air and said, “to Ryan, may you get so drunk tonight that you puke all over yourself, you lucky bastard!”

“Here, here!” Our friends raised their glasses.

Ryan took me by the hand and we mingled with our guests. He was anxious to talk with Matt and Scott since he rarely got to see them.

“Ryan, this is my girlfriend, Laura,” Matt said.

Laura reached out and shook Ryan’s hand. I was curious to see how she would react and I was so relieved when she maintained her composure. The last thing I wanted was a giggling fan sleeping in the room next to ours tonight.

“Man, where are all the single women?” Scott was looking around the pub. “You call this a party?” he teased Ryan.

“Laura, why don’t you come with me. We’ll let the boys catch up.” I patted Ryan on his back and headed over towards my friends.

“So, you’re really dating Ryan Christensen, huh?” Laura asked. I misjudged… maybe she was a fan after all?

“So, you’re really dating his best friend, huh?” I smiled at her.

“Yeah, I guess I am!” Laura realized aloud.

“Did you see his movie?” I asked, half expecting her answer.

“Yep,” she nodded and continued quietly, “but between you and me, I don’t get what all the excitement is about.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Kelly asked.

I kept Laura’s comment to myself and introduced her to everyone instead.

“Ryan said you’re coming out to L.A. with him in December,” Kelly stated happily. “We’ll have so much fun!”

“Kelly…” I motioned with my head so I could speak to her privately. “I need to get a dress for the party. Do you think you can help me find something appropriate before you leave for California?” I thought about the one and only formal wear shop that I knew of, which was halfway between Seaport and Providence. That would be my hunting grounds.

“Why don’t we shop for a dress when you come out to L.A.? What better place to find a designer dress,” Kelly retorted.

“I don’t need a designer dress, I just want to look nice.”

“You’ll be photographed on the arm of Ryan Christensen. You need a designer dress,” she insisted. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you look absolutely gorgeous!”

I glanced over towards the bar and noticed a pack of guys around Ryan. They were all doing shots again.

“Ben, Kenneth… get over here!” Ryan yelled exuberantly.

“He is going to puke tonight if he keeps that up!” Marie laughed.

“He won’t be alone.” I raised my eyebrows, nodding my head in Ryan’s direction. “All of our men are over there doing shots. Good thing none of them are driving tonight.”

“Where did you get the cute bartender, Taryn?” Kat asked.

My eyes flashed back over to the bar. “That’s Cory. I hired him to work weekends, although it’s turning out to be almost a full time job for him now. Marie and I thought Ryan’s fans would appreciate looking at something other than us. And to tell you the truth, it’s comforting to have a man working here. The scary fan adoration hasn’t stopped.”

“Speaking of scary, where are the psycho twins?” Marie asked, noting that Suzanne and Francesca were absent.

“Don’t know, don’t really care!” I admitted.

“We should get everyone eating,” Tammy advised. I helped her uncover all of the hot chaffing dishes. Soon a long line formed for hot food.

Ryan butted in line behind me. He wrapped one arm across my chest and whispered in my ear, “Thank you for my party! You really got me good!” His free hand patted my rear.

Mike, Ryan’s personal guard walked up to us while we were in line.

“Guess you’re not driving us to dinner tonight, you lying S.O.B.!” Ryan teased.