“What’s up with those two?” Marie whispered to me. She sat down on one of the counter stools.

I rolled my eyes.

“Did you meet Kelly and Kat?” I asked her.

“Yep.” She nodded. “They are so cool! Tammy is down there with them now. Kat is really funny!”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to introduce you to everyone. I’ve been distracted.”

“No kidding!” Marie giggled.

Suzanne started talking to Francesca; even though she was talking quietly, she apparently wanted me to hear what she was saying. She wasn’t that quiet.

“You know the studio will be upset once they discover he’s dating someone. It’s all about how he’s packaged. And as long as he’s publicly single, his fan base will be higher and his movies will make more money. You don’t think that they will allow him to be seen with her, I mean she’s not even famous. Won’t take them long to put an end to it.”

Even though she was appearing to be a mean and vindictive person, I wondered if there was any truth to her comment. Would the studio tell him who he could and could not date? Did he have to sign a contract or something which governed his personal life? I didn’t know anything about the rules that came along with being famous.

“So Taryn…” Suzanne chimed up, interrupting my private thoughts. “How did you and Ryan meet?”

I smiled briefly before turning around.

“I’m so surprised Ryan didn’t tell you that story himself, Suzanne! Perhaps you should ask him how we met. He tells the story much better than I do.”

“No, he didn’t mention you at all,” she retorted. “He’s such a good actor and a good liar that I wouldn’t believe anything he tells me anyway.”

Marie’s eyes shot up to look at me. She was instantly aware that this was a confrontation and not a casual conversation.

“I wouldn’t know about his acting abilities. I’ve never seen any of his movies,” I replied over my shoulder. “But when he looks at me I can tell he’s being honest. He has no reason to pretend with me.” I laughed quietly; only Marie could see me.

“Yes, well, enjoy it while it lasts. In a few more weeks he’ll be leaving. Then what will you do?”

The smile on my lips quickly faded. The bitch found my weak spot.

She noted my pause and used it to her advantage.

“You honestly didn’t think he would stay here, did you?” she said condescendingly in her annoying accent.

When I didn’t respond, she threw her next dagger.

“You did! How pathetic! You probably think what you have with him is special; like you are the first girl in this town that he has tried to sleep with.

I hate to be the one to inform you but you aren’t the first. My dear Ryan is such a talented actor. It’s all the same, from town to town, how easy they all fall for him. He tells them what they want to hear so he can get laid. Pity how he leaves them all broken-hearted.”

I had a sharp knife in one hand and a long tined fork in the other. The thought of stabbing her in her heart crossed my mind.

“Besides, we are leaving for Scotland soon, and he is contracted for movies immediately after that. He doesn’t have time for a relationship.

He’ll be traveling the world, and you know the saying ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ He’ll think of you only until the next girl opens her legs.”

Kelly’s words about how I had to be strong flashed through my brain. Marie’s words about this being a part of his life flashed after that. But I looked at Marie with desperation. I had no comeback for Suzanne’s comment.

“Yes, we all know that Ryan has obligations, but I don’t think that will be powerful enough to keep these two apart,” Marie replied in my defense.

“When I see how Ryan looks at you,” she said to me, “I just know. That man is falling in love with you. You two are perfect for each other. You’re his soul mate.”

Temporary relief washed over me and a smile broke across my face.

“Soul mate?” Suzanne scoffed. “Oh, he really has done a number on all of you! He should get an Academy Award for that performance!” She clapped. “You really have no idea how many women he has slept with, do you? And he made every one of them feel like they were his perfect match.”

“You never know. Maybe Taryn is his perfect match. The way he holds her and kisses her, it’s what his heart wants, not what the script says he’s supposed to do,” Marie fired back.

“Foolish American women. They are all the same,” she said to Francesca. “Let me guess… he’s been calling you and texting you? So typical for Ryan; that’s how he gets them to fall for him. He probably uses the same lines on each of them too!” She rolled her gaze over to me.

“Ryan is an actor! He gets paid to fool people into believing he’s something he’s not. It is extremely difficult for people in our industry to have long standing relationships, especially when you lie for a living.”

I momentarily had a vision of tossing her off the edge of the roof.

“Ryan is a young man in his prime. He has no desire to settle, not when the world is laid out for him and he has all these opportunities. All the parties, all the women… they are just toys to him,” she stated emphatically.

“His next movie starts filming in January. He’ll be gone for months. After that we have hundreds of photocalls and junkets to promote Day of Dawn. We still don’t know where we’re going to film the third movie, but I can say with confidence that it won’t be here.”

Marie glared at her. “Other actors have relationships and get married all the time. I don’t know why you think Ryan would be so different.”

Suzanne sat up straight in her chair. “Married? Ryan? I don’t think so. He isn’t the marrying type. Besides, everyone knows that in the end, famous celebrities always marry celebrities.”

“Not always,” Marie argued. “Matt Damon looks quite happy. The way I see it, it’s the relationships between actors that always end up in divorce.”

“Yes, well these momentary distractions could end up costing him his career. He’s already been warned by the director to get focused,” she said callously.

“Perhaps it was something on the set that was distracting him and taking away his focus?” I pointed out. “Maybe someone was having a bad costume day or was behaving like a spoiled brat? Or perhaps someone is still harboring feelings from something that happened once a long time ago? I’m sure those moments of irritation affect his performance as well.” Swallow that one Bitch! I said to myself.