Post by essie on Aug 9, 2010 22:53:40 GMT -5
Ohh!!! i feel soo special and completely thrilled that people like the story!! I totally would have updated yesterday but wasn't near a computer...as a result here is an extra long update!!
It was a very nice restaurant Charles Smoote brought them to with his personal driver. Apparently he was much more successful and well known than everyone had initially thought. It was obviously an incredibly fancy and expensive place; Callie did feel less out of her place in the dress she had chosen to wear though.
“I’m happy you could join us tonight Ryan, I have to admit I wasn’t expecting it though.” Charles Smoote gave everyone at the table another one of his perfectly photographic smiles and ran his hands through his slicked back hair.
“Well thanks for having me Mr. Smoote. You chose a lovely place.” Ryan glanced at Callie who sat next to him at the table.
“A lovely restaurant for lovely company I always say.” He winked at Callie from across the table and then quickly turned to Phil who was at his left. “So when did your flight get in Old Chap?”
“Just about-oh-I would say two hours or so ago.” Phil took a sip of his water. “I was delighted when I got Sharon’s message about your paper wanting to write an article about Celtic Thunder.”
The rest of the dinner went by quickly and pleasantly, full of enjoyable conversations and Charles Smoote scribbling away every word into a small paper notebook.
After everyone was done eating Callie excused herself to go to the bathroom. When she came back Charles told her that because of Phil’s long flight and the big day tomorrow he decided to head back to the hotel early.
“Maybe you might want to do the same Ryan?” Charles said after Callie had taken her seat. She found it strange that Ryan hadn’t said anything to her since she had gotten back. “You are the big celebrity here, and tomorrow night you have to be awake and ready to play in front of thousands of people.”
Something had changed when Callie had left for only a couple minutes. The all too familiar icy look in Ryan’s eyes were barely hidden by a fake chuckle as he wrapped his one arm around Callie’s shoulders.
She turned and gave him a surprised look, but ended up having to look at Charles and just smile. “I think Ryan’s used to staying up late and still be able to perform the next day. He is an Irishman after all!” Callie tried to unnoticeably shake his arm off but wasn’t able to without physically lifting it with her own hand.
Charles smiled back pleasantly at them. They had only recently finished eating, and the three of them spent the next half hour talking. The conversation was mostly between Charles and Ryan, Callie only nodded or smiles when one of them looked at her. She tried to focus her attention on glaring at Ryan whenever he dared look at her.
But Ryan kept his arm around her shoulders tightly the rest of the time. Whenever she tried to adjust herself in her seat or move forward/backward he was resilient. And each time Ryan would just move closer. He took this opportunity to lightly trace his fingers up and down the bare arm that his palm rested on. Whenever Callie laughed politely at something Smoote said he too would laugh, bringing his face closer to hers. He repeatedly took a single strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear, receiving a glare the entire time.
When they started leaving Callie was able to throw off Ryan’s arm as she quickly got out of her seat. She glared at him and scrunched her nose in confusion as he just stared at her apologetically.
Charles turned around from where he had stood up and Callie quickly smiled at him, trying to hide the tension between her and Ryan right now.
“I have to go grab my coat.” He said with another cheesy smile.
“Ohh no problem at all Charles.” She grabbed Ryan’s arm and pulled him toward the door. “We’ll just meet you outside by the car then…”
Ryan didn’t have any choice as he was dragged out the doors and past the tables and chairs set up outside. She stopped near the last table and quickly turned around on him, causing him to bump into her.
“What is your problem Ryan!” She shouted. If Ryan had thought she was angry before he was wrong. Callie was furious now.
He didn’t answer, just stood there shocked.
“It’s like you are trying to push me away from being friends with you at all. Were you trying to embarrass me in front of a complete stranger?”
“No—I didn’t mean to…” Ryan shuddered out.
“Are you kidding me? ‘You didn’t mean to?’” Callie tried to hide her hysterical tone as she mimicked him. “He did nothing wrong but you still thought it was incredibly important to protect me.”
“But-” He reached out, trying to gently grace the lone strand of hair and place it behind her ear, but she swat away his hand.
“NO!” Callie interrupted him. “If it’s not apparent already I don’t need protecting…especially from YOU!” She took a moment to breath. “You barely even let me talk. Whenever I tried to talk to him inside you would change the subject completely and not let me simply carry on a conversation.” She looked around questioningly and turned back to him. “Who does that?”
“Callie--” Ryan reached out his hand again, this time trying to softly place it on her shoulder to try to make her understand.
“no…” Callie whispered as she backed away two steps and shook her head in disgust. “What’s your problem Ryan!?!?” Callie screamed at him again.
His face dropped and became deadly serious, his mouth seemed to twitch with his own pent up anger. “YOU!!” He shouted back.
Callie could barely breathe and couldn’t control her own irritation this time. She took a glass of water from the nearest empty table and threw its contents at Ryan face.
He didn’t seem shocked, and didn’t move as she started to walk away.
“Do me a favor…” Callie said in a bitter whisper as she looked over her shoulder. “Just stay away from me… do me that one favor and take a taxi or something…”
Charles Smoote exited the restaurant and looked around him, smiling when he saw Callie near the car. Ryan could see them from where he was standing in the shadow the restaurant cast with the streetlights on the sidewalk.
Ryan could hear Callie trying to hide her cracking voice as she slid in the back seat.
“Ryan said he had to do some quick errands or something, so he is going to get his own ride.”
“Awe, what a shame.” Ryan heard Charles say as he continued smiling and climbed into the back seat after her.
It was a very nice restaurant Charles Smoote brought them to with his personal driver. Apparently he was much more successful and well known than everyone had initially thought. It was obviously an incredibly fancy and expensive place; Callie did feel less out of her place in the dress she had chosen to wear though.
“I’m happy you could join us tonight Ryan, I have to admit I wasn’t expecting it though.” Charles Smoote gave everyone at the table another one of his perfectly photographic smiles and ran his hands through his slicked back hair.
“Well thanks for having me Mr. Smoote. You chose a lovely place.” Ryan glanced at Callie who sat next to him at the table.
“A lovely restaurant for lovely company I always say.” He winked at Callie from across the table and then quickly turned to Phil who was at his left. “So when did your flight get in Old Chap?”
“Just about-oh-I would say two hours or so ago.” Phil took a sip of his water. “I was delighted when I got Sharon’s message about your paper wanting to write an article about Celtic Thunder.”
The rest of the dinner went by quickly and pleasantly, full of enjoyable conversations and Charles Smoote scribbling away every word into a small paper notebook.
After everyone was done eating Callie excused herself to go to the bathroom. When she came back Charles told her that because of Phil’s long flight and the big day tomorrow he decided to head back to the hotel early.
“Maybe you might want to do the same Ryan?” Charles said after Callie had taken her seat. She found it strange that Ryan hadn’t said anything to her since she had gotten back. “You are the big celebrity here, and tomorrow night you have to be awake and ready to play in front of thousands of people.”
Something had changed when Callie had left for only a couple minutes. The all too familiar icy look in Ryan’s eyes were barely hidden by a fake chuckle as he wrapped his one arm around Callie’s shoulders.
She turned and gave him a surprised look, but ended up having to look at Charles and just smile. “I think Ryan’s used to staying up late and still be able to perform the next day. He is an Irishman after all!” Callie tried to unnoticeably shake his arm off but wasn’t able to without physically lifting it with her own hand.
Charles smiled back pleasantly at them. They had only recently finished eating, and the three of them spent the next half hour talking. The conversation was mostly between Charles and Ryan, Callie only nodded or smiles when one of them looked at her. She tried to focus her attention on glaring at Ryan whenever he dared look at her.
But Ryan kept his arm around her shoulders tightly the rest of the time. Whenever she tried to adjust herself in her seat or move forward/backward he was resilient. And each time Ryan would just move closer. He took this opportunity to lightly trace his fingers up and down the bare arm that his palm rested on. Whenever Callie laughed politely at something Smoote said he too would laugh, bringing his face closer to hers. He repeatedly took a single strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear, receiving a glare the entire time.
When they started leaving Callie was able to throw off Ryan’s arm as she quickly got out of her seat. She glared at him and scrunched her nose in confusion as he just stared at her apologetically.
Charles turned around from where he had stood up and Callie quickly smiled at him, trying to hide the tension between her and Ryan right now.
“I have to go grab my coat.” He said with another cheesy smile.
“Ohh no problem at all Charles.” She grabbed Ryan’s arm and pulled him toward the door. “We’ll just meet you outside by the car then…”
Ryan didn’t have any choice as he was dragged out the doors and past the tables and chairs set up outside. She stopped near the last table and quickly turned around on him, causing him to bump into her.
“What is your problem Ryan!” She shouted. If Ryan had thought she was angry before he was wrong. Callie was furious now.
He didn’t answer, just stood there shocked.
“It’s like you are trying to push me away from being friends with you at all. Were you trying to embarrass me in front of a complete stranger?”
“No—I didn’t mean to…” Ryan shuddered out.
“Are you kidding me? ‘You didn’t mean to?’” Callie tried to hide her hysterical tone as she mimicked him. “He did nothing wrong but you still thought it was incredibly important to protect me.”
“But-” He reached out, trying to gently grace the lone strand of hair and place it behind her ear, but she swat away his hand.
“NO!” Callie interrupted him. “If it’s not apparent already I don’t need protecting…especially from YOU!” She took a moment to breath. “You barely even let me talk. Whenever I tried to talk to him inside you would change the subject completely and not let me simply carry on a conversation.” She looked around questioningly and turned back to him. “Who does that?”
“Callie--” Ryan reached out his hand again, this time trying to softly place it on her shoulder to try to make her understand.
“no…” Callie whispered as she backed away two steps and shook her head in disgust. “What’s your problem Ryan!?!?” Callie screamed at him again.
His face dropped and became deadly serious, his mouth seemed to twitch with his own pent up anger. “YOU!!” He shouted back.
Callie could barely breathe and couldn’t control her own irritation this time. She took a glass of water from the nearest empty table and threw its contents at Ryan face.
He didn’t seem shocked, and didn’t move as she started to walk away.
“Do me a favor…” Callie said in a bitter whisper as she looked over her shoulder. “Just stay away from me… do me that one favor and take a taxi or something…”
Charles Smoote exited the restaurant and looked around him, smiling when he saw Callie near the car. Ryan could see them from where he was standing in the shadow the restaurant cast with the streetlights on the sidewalk.
Ryan could hear Callie trying to hide her cracking voice as she slid in the back seat.
“Ryan said he had to do some quick errands or something, so he is going to get his own ride.”
“Awe, what a shame.” Ryan heard Charles say as he continued smiling and climbed into the back seat after her.