"I wonder how the hell anyone can put up with you," she mused, grinning slightly.
With complete sincerity, he replied, "It's my good looks. I'm irresistible."
"Ha."
"What? You don't think so?" He asked, looking down at himself and then back at her.
She was smiling, "No, and I think I must be thinking outside the box. �You know I don�t like to run with the pack...the pack of wild girls all dieing to get into your pants."
He shrugged as if saying it wasn�t his fault. �You might want to rethink that. People will start thinking you�re odd.�
�What for?�
�For not wanting to get into my pants.�
She rolled her eyes, �I�ll take my chances, thanks.�
"Okay.�
"That's not a very good retort."
"We can't all have good retorts ALL the time, you know."
"You should check into that. I think it's a disorder. CRD: Crappy Retort Disorder."
"Har, har."
She paused, licking her lips which were getting horribly chapped because of the wind whipping itself around her with a velocity of a plane taking off. When the wind had died down a bit, "This whole entire conversation just makes me want to reinstate my previous whim."
"How's that?"
"Well, for starters---" She lost her train of thought because she notice that he was leaning towards her, eyes slightly closed, lips parted. She stepped back when she realized what was going on.
His eyes fluttered open and he backed off, "For starters what?"
"Huh?" She asked in a dazed sort of state.
"I said, 'for starters what?' because you didn't finish you previous sentence."
"Oh. Right." She licked her lips again.
"Do you want some Chapstick?" He asked, sounding a little concerned as he reached into the large pocket of his leather jacket. He held the small tube dressed in black and white out to her.
She set her fingertips on it lightly, pausing as if contemplating the repercussions of her actions. Leave it to her to the be the only person who ever contemplated Chapstick for five full minutes. She let her fingers slide around the tube and then she pulled it from his grasp. "Thanks."
"Sure," he shrugged, watching as she uncapped it and brushed the substance across her lips a few times. She capped it again, handed it back and then shoved her hands into the pockets of her gray pea coat. �Are you cold? Do you want to go inside?� He motioned to the building looming over them.
She laughed, �No thanks. I�m all set out here.�
�Crowded,� he stated, looking out over the street.
�The street? Or inside?� She asked him, looking back inside at the hordes of people milling around. The balcony where they were was quite silent except for the sound of the wind and their voices.
�Both,� he replied, grinning that grin of his that launched a thousand websites.
�Didn�t anyone ever tell you never to grin in front of a lady?�
He turned around, leaning against the cool stone. His eyebrow was raised quizzically as if he was wondering why she�d asked such an odd question, �Yes, actually. My mother. Why?�
�Because----� she drifted off again, scared to finish her sentence. �Never mind.�
He shrugged and ran a hand through his mussed dirty blonde hair; he let his blue eyes fall onto hers, but she didn�t look away. �Eva,� his voice was quite, pleading, serious.
�Ryan,� she replied, grinning. The wind picked up again, making her hair fly all over the place. Long wavy locks of honey blonde hair whipped around her face, some getting stuck in her Chapsticked lips. She brushed it all away, pulling her unruly hair into a ponytail. �Do you have a pony tail holder?�
Ryan laughed, displaying his charming grin again, �Not on me, no. I don�t carry them normally. You know me, I like to let me hair fly free.�
�Yes, well I don�t,� Eva replied, sticking her hair down the back of her coat. Some of the strands pulled away almost immediately, but for the most part, her hair was now out of her way. She looked off at the buildings towering around them. �I still can�t get over the fact that I�m here.�
�In New York?� He asked, following her gaze.
�We�re in New York? NO! I thought we were in Miami!�
�Sarcasm isn�t your strong suite, Ev.�
�Nor is it yours, Ry.�
He looked over at her and smiled again. �Did I tell you yesterday how glad I was you were here with me?�
�Yes,� she responded, looking away from him and his calculating blue eyes.
�Well, I�ll reiterate. I�m really glad you�re here.�
Eva looked towards him, �Me too.� She nodded, �Shall we go back in?�
Ryan looked inside, dreading the interviews, paparazzi and guests that would consume them the second they stepped inside. It was, after all, a party for the release of his new movie...but he didn�t really want to be there. He wanted to be outside with Eva, explaining to her how he was feeling. But something held him back. Perhaps it was the fact that she tip toed around the subject every time he showed any interest of kissing her or being serious about their relationship.
�No,� he replied finally. �I need to tell you something.�
�Can�t it wait? I�m freezing.� She shivered to show her point.
Ryan stepped closer to her, his boots clunking on the stone under their feet. He placed his hands on her arms and rubbed up and down. Eva paled slightly. �Eva, you know I---�
�RYAN!� A woman�s voice yelled from the doorway. �There you are! The press are getting really antsy to ask questions.�
�Two seconds, Pam,� he replied, holding up two fingers but not looking at Pam. She nodded and went back inside.
�Ryan, this is maybe not the best time to do what you�re about to do.�
�Why?� He asked, genuinely perplexed.
�Because...you need to be happy right now so you can answer questions and I can tell you right now that my answer to your statement, question, whatever, isn�t going to make you want to skip around the hotel room.�
�Ah,� he said, understanding her meaning.
�Yeah,� Eva replied quietly.
�So you don�t----?� He motioned around, trying to grasp at words that would not come.
�No,� she bit her bottom lip apprehensively.
Ryan�s face fell and he stepped away from her, leaning against the stone wall and looking out at the huge city.
�I�m sorry,� said Eva, turning towards him.
�There�s no way that you�ll ever---?�
Eva didn�t respond right away because she was too busy staring at him. Really staring. She noticed the fine definition of his chin and jaw bone, the jutting out of his nose, the sadness in his eyes. She put a hand on his back. �I�m scared, Ryan. I don�t want to jump into this world. It�s your world, not mine. I don�t want to be part of it.�
�But you�re part of me...and so you ARE part of it.�
�Distantly,� she agreed, �But if we were to date...I�d be thrown into a whirlwind of parties, bars, clubs, premieres, award shows. You know I hate crowds.�
�Yeah,� replied Ryan dismissively, �I know.� He swallowed. �I should get back inside.� Ryan straightened up, his hands in his pockets. �I�m sorry, Eva. I wish I could change everything.�
�No, you don�t, Ryan. Don�t say that. I wish I could change everything. I wish I could be the actor�s girlfriend. But I�m not ready. I do like you, Ryan, a lot. But that doesn�t overcome my being frightened.�
Ryan nodded resolutely, �Okay.� He reached out and put a finger on her lips gently. His touch sent cliche shivers down her spine. He pulled his finger away, making her want to reach out, grab it and pull it back. Ryan held up the Chapstick tube. �Your lips are really chapped. Why don�t you keep this.� He put it in her hand, folded her fingers over it and then turned away.
Eva watched him go inside and be devoured by people. A single tear slid down her cheek and she looked down at the tube in her hand. Uncapping it, she slid some over her lips once more.