Chapter Thirty-Eight
Blaire
The screening of the new movie had gone even better than I had expected. I’d been so nervous to share the experience with Ryan and his family, especially since I had no idea how the movie had come out. But I had always thought that the movie was going to be good, and I’d been right. The movie was incredible. Sloan was incredible. As her first leading role, everyone was riveted by her outstanding performance. The whole time I kept wondering how she could stop acting when she had so much talent, and I wondered if the movie was going to make her reconsider her decision. But when I asked her at the end, she told me that she still didn’t want to go back to it. She was happy with Brady on the farm. She had plans to help him with the business and to start giving horseback riding for children. She seemed content.
It had been so nice to see everyone, and little Trinity had been beside herself with excitement. We’d all gone out for dinner after the screening, and then I’d enjoyed one of the best nights of my life with Ryan in bed. It was a whirlwind experience, and I was looking forward to meeting with my agent the following week. It was time for me to start working again. And after our movie, Whispers in the Wild I knew that I could finally start expecting better roles to come my way.
I was back home now, sitting at a little café that had just opened up nearby. It was in an open courtyard, and the sun was streaming down onto the table. Summer was starting to leave us, so the sun felt glorious on my back. I ordered a cappuccino and waited for Katie to arrive. I hadn’t seen her in ages, and I couldn’t wait to catch up.
A woman walked by with her friend, and the two of them stopped to look at me. I quickly looked down at my cappuccino, but when I looked up again, they were still watching me.
“Uh, hi, I’m so sorry to bother you,” the one girl whispered. “But are you Blaire Kaplan?”
I smiled. “I am. Nice to meet you.”
The one girl squealed, and the other girl poked her in the ribs. “Sorry, we’re ridiculous. But we can’t help ourselves. Anyway,” the girl whispered. “I don’t want to make a scene and ruin your day but is there any chance we can get a photo with you? We can just pretend like we’re old friends who haven’t seen each other in a while.”
I laughed. I wasn’t used to fans being this aware of my privacy, so this was nice. Perhaps it was because they knew what I had recently gone through with another fan. They sat down, and we got the waiter to take a few photos of us.
“You’re beautiful,” one said.
“As are you,” I said to them. It wasn’t a lie; they were both gorgeous girls. I was reminded again of how important it was to be true to myself. Being in the public eye meant that people would be watching and imitating me. I was definitely going to order something delicious over lunch.
“Thank you again. Can I just ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Are you married to Ryan Maxwell?”
I laughed. “No. That was all made up. Don’t believe everything you read. They even doctored the photo so that it looked like I was wearing a wedding ring. I tried to get them to release another statement, but they wouldn’t do it. So I’ve just left it. I figured the truth will eventually come out. It always does somehow.”
“That’s crazy. They made it seem so real. But you are going out with him?”
I nodded. “I am. I’m a lucky girl.”
“He’s gorgeous,” the girl said.
“He certainly is.”
They walked off giggling, and I noticed that they got a table not too far away from me. At that moment, Katie walked in and chuckled.
“You’re popular,” she said as she sat down. “I saw them with you and decided to just wait until they were gone.”
“Oh, they were nice girls,” I said and waved it off. “It’s so good to see you again Katie.”
“I know! It’s been ages, hasn’t it? Well, at least it feels like it’s been ages. So much has happened since we last saw each other. I’m so sorry that I couldn’t make the screening of the movie. I feel so bad about it, but I had to get this project done by the end of the day. The client was very strict with her deadline. Trust me though: I spent the whole night moaning. Poor Chris got the brunt of it.”
“Don’t be silly; it was such short notice for everyone. Don’t worry.”
“Thanks, Blaire. How did it go?”
I grinned. “It was really cool. The movie is great, and the crowd seemed to love it.”
“I always knew it would be.”
“Yeah, and you weren’t wrong. It’s a very emotionally driven movie, and it was nice to see the reactions from everyone. There were quite a few tears in the end, even from some of the guys.”
“Was Sloan there?”
“Yep, with Brady. She is looking so good. She seems very relaxed. Remember you used to tell me that she seemed nice but that she was just too high strung for your liking? Well, that part of her has all gone. You’ll probably see her flashed all over the media today.”
“And she doesn’t want to get back into acting?”
“Not at all. She’s found her happy place. Brady is a great guy, so I’m not surprised. Then again, he’s a Maxwell. I can’t wait for you to see the movie. It should be out soon.”
“Do me a favor, watch the movie with me. I didn’t make the screening, but I’d least like to watch it with you for the first time.”
“That’s a deal!”
The waitress came around to take our orders, and I quickly scanned the menu while Katie ordered. She’d been to the café the day before with Chris, so she knew what to expect.
“Uh, I’ll have the bacon and cheese griller with sweet potato fries, thank you,” I said.
Katie looked at me. “You really have changed, you know that?”
I laughed. “I went for a run this morning. Life is all about balance.”
“I completely agree. Speaking of life, how are things going with you and Ryan?”
“Things are going well. Almost too well. Is this how it was with you and Chris in the beginning? I keep expecting something to go wrong. But he’s just so easy to be with. Nothing seems forced with us.”
“That’s exactly how it was with myself and Chris. I told you not to worry about it, Blaire. I always knew that you’d find a guy that made you feel the way that Chris makes me feel. It’s a strange feeling, isn’t it? But mostly because it just feels so right. You almost wonder how you could’ve lived without it before.”
“That’s exactly what it’s like. And I think that because we went through so much together in such a short space of time, we’re now so grateful for a more normal sort of life together. At least, as normal as life can be for us. Plus, he’s pretty delicious to look at, so that helps.”
She chuckled. “And how is he doing with the whole no fighting thing? Has it been hard on him?”
“He’s handling it well. I thought he’d battle more, to be honest. I mean, we both knew fighting was his life. But he’s actually enjoying the time off. I think his body is thanking him for the break,” I said as I thought back to how he had been lately. He’d looked more peaceful than ever before, and I could see that he had come to terms with what had happened.
“I’m glad. I felt so bad for him. Do you think he’ll still be involved in fighting after this? Or do you think he’ll go into something completely different?”
“We haven’t talked about it much yet. But I personally don’t see him leaving. Nick wants him to stay and train some of the other fighters, and I think that’s what he’ll end up doing. But I guess only time will tell.”
“So,” Katie asked, “is this it? Is he the one?”
I grinned. “I honestly could not imagine my life without him. He is most definitely the one.”
“I’m happy for you, Blaire. He’s a great guy.”
“Does he get the best friend approval?” I asked.
“Oh yes. He has my approval.”
“I’m glad. I’m not sure I could be with a guy that you didn’t like. Oh, and I forgot to tell you. I spoke to my agent yesterday. I still need to pay him an actual in-person visit, but we did talk on the phone yesterday, and he has a new role for me.”
“Oh good. You see? I told you not to worry. I knew the roles would come your way.”
“And guess what? He wants me to play the lead.”
“Blaire! That’s incredible. I knew this would happen, though. You always were the most talented person I knew. You were born for this.”
“Ah, Katie, that’s nice of you. I wasn’t so sure at one stage in my life. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get a lead role. But my agent says the part is mine. And the movie sounds amazing.”
“And so it begins,” Katie said. “This is the start of your big movie career.”
“I hope so.”
The food arrived moments later, and we chuckled at the size of my sandwich.
“Oh wow, this is way bigger than I thought it was going to be. Also, I think I just saw one of those girls take a photo of me. This is probably going to make the headlines tomorrow. BLAIRE EATS SANDWICH THE SIZE OF HER HEAD.”
Katie laughed. “You better still make time for your best friend when you’re super famous,” she said.
I grinned. “Are you kidding me? How could I ever forget you? We’ve been through it all together.”
“Also, you promised that you’d babysit. I haven’t forgotten that.”
“Good. I want to. I’m telling you, Katie, I’m good with children.”
“I’m glad to hear it. So, can I mark you down for about nine months from now?”
I looked up at her. “What? Are you serious? Are you pregnant?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I am.”
“And you’re only telling me now? You let me harp on forever about my job and about Ryan while sitting on such big news. How long have you known?”
“I found out the other day. I’ve been dying to tell you, but I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.”
“Katie! That’s incredible. I’m so happy for you. You and Chris are going to be the best parents. If there was ever someone that was born to be a mother, it’s you. How’s Chris taking the news?”
“Thank you. He’s very excited too. It happened quicker than we thought it would. I know some people that take years so I guess I had it in my mind that I might have to wait that long. I’m not telling anyone just yet, just in case. But I had to tell you. Also, I wanted to ask you if you’d like to be the godmother. I couldn’t think of anyone better for the job.”
“YES. Of course I will. Katie, don’t make me cry. The headlines are now going to all be about me crying with a huge sandwich in front of me.”
“BLAIRE GETS EMOTIONAL OVER SIZE OF SANDWICH,” Katie said, and we laughed.
We sat for another two hours together. By then we’d ordered more coffee, and a cake to share, and when we finally left, I felt like I couldn’t move.
“You’re eating for two, so at least you have an excuse,” I said.
“It’s okay. You went for that run, remember?” she said.
“That feels like forever ago. I’m going to need like three runs to make up for this. But it was worth it. It was so good seeing you again, Katie. I’m so excited for you guys!”
“Me too,” she admitted. “What you up to tonight?”
“Oh, not much. No plans, actually. I’m thinking a night in with Ryan is just what I need.”
“Soon you’re going to be invited to all these big Hollywood parties. You better enjoy your quiet nights in as much as you possibly can.”
I had no problem with that, and when I got home and saw Ryan, I knew that nights in with him would always beat a Hollywood party.
“Did you have a good time?” he asked.
“I did. I ate my weight in food, and I laughed a lot, which is always the sign of a good time. Oh, and guess what? Katie is pregnant! She hasn’t told anyone yet though, but she said I could tell you. She probably knew that I had to tell someone about it.”
“She’s pregnant? That’s awesome. I remember you said she was trying.”
“Yeah, she downplayed it a lot, but this is definitely something that she has not stopped thinking about since making the decision.”
“I can imagine. So, do you want a family one day?” he asked me.
We’d never talked about anything like this before, and I wondered what he wanted my answer to be. I nodded. “Definitely. How about you?”
“Oh yeah. Although, not five boys, thank you very much.”
I giggled. “Yeah, how about we stop at two?”