Strings (Ryan Gosling × Reader)

Chapter 11 - Interview

In the backseat of the car to the place of the interview, Ryan sits between me and his bodyguard to my right. I hold my new personal phone in my hand as I had just finished starting it up with Ryan's sweet gaze as surveillance. There's a soft smile on my lips all the time, his thoughtfulness is really touching. 

When I'm about to put it back in my bag, I look over at him, scoffing, shaking my head as I turned my gaze back at what I was doing and spoke quietly.

"You're impossible."

"Oh?" He chuckles "Why's that?"

"I told you you didn't have to make up for anything."

"I never said I wouldn't." his left brow perked up as he displayed a grin.

"You shouldn't have." I sit back, looking up at him.

"I really should've." He crosses his arms, looking ahead, his tone, despite being calm, it showed conviction "How else would I pay you back for all you do for me?"

"My salary?" I answer, finding my conclusion reasonable and enough.

"What, your $23 an hour?" He looks back at me, a crease between his eyebrows from how he's pushing them together.

"Yeah!"

"Oh, please" he scoffs, looking away "That's the basic of basics. That's what you have the right to recieve."

"So, if that's what I have the right to recieve, then that's all that I need!"

"No, I am obligated to give you your salary, I would have to give it to you regardless of if I feel grateful for you or not." He gestures with his hands as he explains the subject to me. "So, yes, I am gonna give you extra things."

I can't help but laugh at the way he speaks, after a short pause which lasted the time for him to sit up straight again, cross his arms and shake his head before he turned his face to me, even though his eyes are closed in a funny act.

"You know, you can be a real pain in the ass sometimes."

"Oh really?" I try to wipe away the laughter from my lips, but it doesn't stop, it just gets quieter.

"Yeah, with your humility and such." he turned his face to look ahead once more "Just let me give you something. And you better get used to it and learn how to accept gifts because this is the first and it won't be the last."

"Oh Ryan-" I was about to huff when he cut me off.

"Let me treat you right, Y/N." His voice dropped to a more serious tone as he looked at me, speaking calmly, something lingering in my mind about the sound of his voice which I cannot put my finger on.

I look up at him, my smiling mouth silent as I let that last sentence sink into my mind, the kind words being given a different meaning with the connotation he used them with. I close my mouth as I left my lips grinning.

"You do too much."

"Well," he shrugged "I don't think so."

We shared a moment to smile at each other before looking ahead and carrying on with our separate trails of thought. When I look at the other window of the other side of the car to see where we were, I couldn't ignore the smirk that Ryan's bodyguard had after listening to our conversation. I can't read his trail of thought, but I can only guess he enjoyed watching the moment. 

-

As we get to the place where the interview will be held, we meet with a crowd at the entrance: paparazzi, press, all the good stuff. Good for us, there were separators paving a way into the building. The energy outside was like it was carnival, Ryan was the big act and everyone was going crazy in the bleachers, waiting for him. It's absolutely insane.

You talk like you wouldn't have done the same if you had gotten the chance before this job, Y/N.

...Fair.

The bodyguard steps out of the car first and walks over to my side, which is the side pointed to the entrance. 

I haven't said his name yet, have I?

Right, his name is Ethan.

Ethan opened my door and let me step out, the flash of the cameras trying to sneak through our figures to get to Ryan, and once he got out of the car, it was like looking into the sun from how bright and abundant the flashes were. People yelling and screaming to get a smile and a wave out of him, others begging for a selfie or an autograph. I stand close to him, Ethan right behind him, alert to any threat.

 I look back at Ryan before we start moving, recieving a subtle nod from him, and once I turn back, we start moving to the big glass doors past the vultures as he smiles and waves at the cameras, wanting to guarantee at least one good picture to each, even though he doesn't need to do anything to acheive that. We walk inside and met with an assistant who takes us to the dressing room Ryan will stay in to get ready. Ethan stands outside as me and Ryan go in.

At the sight of a small couch, he plopped on it, sighing heavily.

"I'd rather be anywhere else."

"I know." I sit down on the other side of the couch, hands on my lap. 

His gaze darts around the room, then looks up to a television in front of the couch. 

"Oh look, you're gonna see me here." he pointed at the screen, my eyes following his finger "You get to count how many times I'm not able to mask my emotions."

"Got it." I chuckle as I lean back on the couch.

Not long after, someone knocks and peeks through the door.

"Ryan, you're up in five."

With a slight grunt, Ryan stood up from the couch, and once the woman in the door had left, he faced me and spoke hushedly.

"Get me out of here." 

I giggle and stand up, planting my stance in front of him.

"I get it."

"These are some... insensitive... nosy assholes that only think about clout and money."

"I know."

"They're probably gonna pull up a paparazzi picture and ask if some fucked up, unrelated, drammatic conspiracy theory is true and insist on it when I answer no as if I'm lying." He grumps and sighs irritatedly.

"...Well, I'm sure it's not gonna be all that."

"You never know." his hand goes to his forehead as his fingers rub right between his brows, trying to massage away an upcoming headache. 

"Hey, listen," I speak calmly, in attempt to soothe him "I know it's gonna be annoying."

"Hm." He grumbled.

"But you're gonna go up there and handle it like the pro you are. They don't deserve all this irritation you're fueling off of,  I honestly think they want that. They push all your buttons to see which one hits closer to home to get something out of you and frame it as something else."

His face slowly softens, the tension leaving his muscles bit by bit. I reach up to his collar and fix it while I continue.

"So, you're gonna keep your cool and act like you're in control. Because if anyone has any control over you, it's not gonna be these clowns." I wipe his shoulders and smile up at him, my hands resting on either side of his collarbone. "You're better than them. Okay?"

He takes a beat to just look down at me, a smile gracing his pink lips before he responded in a soft voice.

"Okay."

I nodded and pulled my touch away from him, holding my hands together.

"Now, you better go. I'll be watching."

Ryan smiles a bit wider as he walks to the door.

"Okay.. see you soon." He pushed down the handle and stepped out of the dressing room.