“Kelly!” I grit through my teeth. Everything that I said I loved was on the pile. The purse alone was over a thousand dollars.

“No!” I stated adamantly to the cashier. “Only the two dresses and these shoes. I don’t want to buy any of these other things.”

Kelly smiled and then whispered privately in my ear. “You are going to be photographed the entire week. You need to look the part. This isn’t some wanna-be actor we’re talking about here. The public expects his girlfriend to be stylish and sexy.”

I turned around and spoke quietly. “I don’t care. I’m not spending his money on things that are unnecessary.” I pushed the extra items to the side.

“Can you give us a minute?” Kelly asked the cashier, pulling my arm for me to follow her. “Taryn, he told me to make sure you get whatever you want.”

“All I want are these two dresses and the shoes,” I informed the cashier.

“Your total comes to four thousand seven hundred and ninety,” the cashier announced.

I swallowed hard as I handed her my Shell-B credit card.

It was almost eleven o’clock when Ryan finally came through the door of our suite. He barely stepped four feet inside when I wrapped my arms around him. He dropped all his belongings on the floor and grabbed a hold of me. It felt like everything that had been wrong was put back to right the moment his lips touched mine.

“Looks like you had fun yesterday,” Ryan said, nodding his chin at the garment bags hanging on the door. I couldn’t believe how much I missed waking up in his arms.

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it fun,” I breathed out on his neck, hiding my eyes in his hair.

Ryan lifted up the bed sheet and looked down at our bodies.

“Okay, now I’m really worried! I have thoroughly checked, and I know you’re a girl. You have all the proper girl parts.” He ran his hand down over my rear, causing me to fidget. “I thought all women love to shop. What’s going on?”

I turned away, reluctant to have another conversation about my aversion to spending his money. “I don’t know. I mean I had a lot of fun with Kelly.

It’s just, well I feel guilty.”

“Guilty? Why, did you rob the store?” His eyes pulled me back, forcing me to tell the truth.

“I just wanted to get a nice dress. I didn’t think it would cost so much. I’m only going to wear it for a few hours.”

“How much did you spend?” he asked, sounding reproachful.

I looked up at him with one guilty eye. “In total?” I swallowed hard. “Four thousand eight hundred? I got two dresses and new shoes to wear, one for dinner tonight and another for the party Saturday.”

He shook his head and scowled at me. “What were you thinking?”

“I know. I told Kelly it was too much, but she told me that your girlfriend has to look stylish,” I confessed. “I should have tried to find something more affordable back home, but it’s too late now. I’ll pay you back, I promise.”

“No. That’s okay. I guess I’ll have to do another movie or something. It’s either that or we’ll have to drag the mattress out into the front yard again.” He sounded all disgruntled and then he rolled his body on top of mine.

“Tar, you’re going to have to get used to dressing up when I do public appearances, award shows, and premiers. You know that, right?”

I nodded.

“Dresses and stuff aren’t cheap. But if you feel that strongly about spending my money, you could always work off your debt,” he said slyly, softly kissing my lips. “I must warn you though; I may ask you to do things that you might find disgusting and perverse.” His devilish grin made my heart race.

“Nah, that’s okay. Let me get my purse and I’ll write you a check.” I teasingly tried to wiggle out from underneath him.

“I don’t take personal checks.” He pinned me with his long arms, pretending like he was going to take a big bite out of my exposed breast.

“Besides, I was hoping to subject you to fifty years of hard labor.”

“Does this mean we have to renegotiate our terms again?” I whined, locking my ankles together over his rear.

“Absolutely! Now roll over so I can change the fine print on our contract. I just have to get my eraser out down here,” he joked.

Our morning together passed by so quickly and now he was off again.

“I’ll see you around six,” Ryan said, kissing me goodbye in the privacy of our room. “Listen, just have fun and enjoy yourself this afternoon with Kelly. And don’t ask how much, all right? Just put it on the card – my card, not your card,” he corrected. “After the screen tests I have to pick up my new suits and then I’ll meet you here.”

I kissed him goodbye and frowned when he slipped from my hands.

Kelly saw to it that I had the works done at the spa that she took me to. I was scrubbed, massaged, and purified. I had never felt so relaxed in all my life. My skin glowed. After the manicure and pedicure I had my hair cut and styled. I felt fabulous.

“Just so you know, when we get back to the room I’m tearing that dress off your body,” Ryan informed in the car on our way to the restaurant.

I rolled my eyes.

“I’m serious!” He took my hand and rubbed it down the front of his pants. “Feel that? That’s from just thinking about it!”

“You need to focus.” I nudged him. “Titles of Jonathan Follweiler films… go.”

He rambled three titles; I listed twelve more from memory.

“I printed out all his work,” I said, unfolding the papers I had in my purse.

“Let’s see, television credits… Director and Producer of City Pulse, Director of Original Stories of Trouble and 13 Lies – all of which are current projects. He has never received an Academy Award, but he was nominated in 2004 for two - Best Picture and Best Directing for The Wandering Road. Oh, and his film Safe Distance grossed 200 million.”

I flipped the paper to the next sheet. “Last project was the film Nefarious Hearts which premiered back in May.”

I proceeded to quiz Ryan all the way to the restaurant. Again the cameras clicked the minute we stepped out of the limo, but our bodyguard moved us quickly into the building.

It was quite intimidating being the only female at a table of four very powerful men. I took the first seat next to Mr. Follweiler; he looked the least intimidating and most friendly out of the selection.