Chapter 6 // This is my fight song, take back my life song. Prove I'm alright song.

The month had flown by, I was focused on my line reading with Ryan and now I had to worry about throwing out the first pitch, I had hoped I remembered my softball skills and hoped it was enough. Joanna had been so supportive and Nick had helped me with my pitching game and lines when I needed help.

"Nervous?" Ryan asked me.

"For?"

"For throwing out the first pitch at the New York Yankee game."

"Hell yeah, I haven't thrown a pitch since my softball games in High School and now its happening again."

"I thought you'd be more of a Cheerleader." He said laughing.

"Well maybe you got it all wrong." I said.

"What happened?"

"I was young and right out of High School when I got into wrestling. No degree nothing, but I ended up taking classes online during the day before I had wrestling shows. After I got into acting, I never looked back on it. I fell out of love for it and after 3 bad relationships, I am afraid to take another leap."

"I heard about Ben."

"You and everyone else." I sighed. "I fell in love with him when I was vulnerable. After my last boyfriend Duke had beaten me up so badly I had questioned myself and everything about me."

 "I for one thought he wasn't right for you."

"Really? Do you know him?"

"I have heard about him, honestly I thought you could have done better. I think you deserve better and that was before I even met you."

I hugged him so tightly.

"So anyways, lets finish up so we can eat."

"Good idea." Dany said walking in.

After we finished our lines and lunch, he had left the house. I smiled ended up getting my pep back. I had a lot of events tomorrow, but for now I needed to get all the rest I can get.

"You okay?"

"I am so nervous."

"You are going to do so well tomorrow." She said.

I ended up making sure that Ryan would be there. I had to make sure he was there, along with Dany, Mel and the rest of my family.  I ran over some lines with Dany and she smiled.

"You got it!"

"I never realized how hard this was." I said sighing.

"Don't worry, You got this. They can always go through the lines with you , at least its not like soaps where you have to remember every single line."

"Yeah not sure if I could ever do that." I laughed.

After we ate some dinner and I decided to take a break tonight. Too much line reading isn't healthy. I decided to rest for the night, hopefully nothing was going to be bad tomorrow. Throwing out the first pitch in front of everyone, including my family. Mel had walked through the door nearly tackling me.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I said tackling her to the ground.

"Aren't you going to let us in?" Dwayne and Jason said laughing.

"AHHH!" I hugged them both so hard.

"You okay?" He asked me.

"Yeah, how is Lauren?"

"Good, she is at home taking it easy."

"Okay." I said smiling .

I tried on dresses for the party tomorrow night. Mel and Jason were going to spend time together alone while Dwayne wanted to get some work done. He ended up staying the night at the hotel suite. That whole night had passed, from the moment I had put my head on the pillow I had zonked out.

"LC, its  almost 10 am, you have to get to the stadium!" Mel banged on the door.

"Shit, okay coming! I need to eat breakfast."

"Bacon and eggs are already working for you, shower get changed and hurry!" Jason said.

I got up so fast and started the shower, Not even drying my hair, I didn't care since I would have my cap on.

"Good work, fast timing sis." Mel said.

"Well I might look like shit, but at least I got sleep and a shower in." We laughed.

I ate my breakfast and it was the best. Dany had cleaned up for me while I finished my makeup.  


My day outfit:

I had to be there in two hours, which meant I had to make this fast.

"Thank you for the power boost Dany."

"You look awesome."

"Well, I had to support my favorite team." I said.

"Car is here LC!" Mel said while I put my lip gloss on.

We piled in the car, Dany finished the last dish and grabbed her bag.

"Ready?" I asked them.

"Nervous?" Ryan asked appearing out of nowhere.

"Holy fuck, where the hell did you come from?"

"I have been up front, you didn't notice."

"Well dammit, quit scaring me."

"I promise to stop doing it." He laughed.

I rolled my eyes and giggled. 

"I want to thank you guys for coming today, I really hope I do well."

"You will do awesome."

I nodded and breathed in and out. We pulled up as the fans were around the gates. The fans were excited and screaming so hard for all of us.Ryan and Jason stepped out first before helping us out of the limo. I got out as the fans cheered even harder.

"Thank you guys for the warm welcome. Hi!" I said waving at all of them .

There was a little girl about 3 or 4 trying not to get squashed.

"Excuse me." I said to them signaling the little girl over here with her parents.

"Hi." I bent down. "What is your name?"

"Andrea."

"Andrea, you're beautiful and sweet. I am LC."

I hugged her so tightly. I had Dany bring them in with us and as our personal guests. Her father had been sick recently and wanted to see a Yankee game for the first time before he gets worst.

"Can we do anything to help them?"

"No, its inoperable."

"Okay, well lets give them the best day of their lives."  She nodded as we grabbed them snacks, gear and everything else.

I was supposed to do the throwing out alone, I had asked them if they could let Amal do it as well.  I had walked Amal down with me and onto the field.

"How are you holding up?" I asked him.

"I can't believe this is really happening. I owe you so much."

"Well, I think you and I will have an amazing time."

 The crowd cheered as we walked onto the mound. I let him go first and he was in his glory. I clapped as I went next. I wound my arm up and threw it down the middle.

"Congrats." Aaron said to me. "You're beautiful by the way."

"Thank you. You're sexy as hell."

I smiled and headed back to sitting for the rest of the game. Ryan and I had sat next to each other.

"What is up with you and Ryan?"

"He is my coworker?"

"Nope, something more."

"Whatever you say." I looked at Mel and rolled my eyes.

A few hours had passed, I wanted to head back and relax before heading out to attend the party. I wasn't sure what to wear so I had someone send 3 dresses over.

My dress:

This was the perfect dress, I felt beautiful.

"You look gorgeous."

"Thank you."

"Call me if you need me." Ryan said,

"I wish you were going with me."

"I know, I have some lines to fix."

"Okay call me tomorrow."

He headed out. Was Mel right? Was there more to this with Ryan and I? I went to the party and promised myself I wouldn't get comfortable with any man for a while, or even now I couldn't get my heart broken again.

"Ready?" The driver asked.

"Yeah, I am ready."

I had gotten into the limo and headed inside. After 10 minutes or so, I walked in. I felt so out of place and I didn't want to be here. I grabbed a shot from the bar, one of the big donors for CC's charity had been eyeing me down.

"Hey , I am Jason."

"Hi, she is with me." Ben said.

"Why are you here Ben ? Why do you need to constantly get to me? Go away, I am dancing with Jason and maybe going home with him. Now fuck off and leave me alone."  I said as I walked right into Aaron.

"Is he bothering you?"

"Ben, my ex, has been stalking me since I left his cheating ass in LA."

"Out , Now." Aaron said throwing him out.

I walked with him and danced the night away. I felt like I was drunk so I called Ryan immediately.

"Hey baby, how are you doing ? Thank you so much for being so hot and handsome."

"Are you drunk?"

"Maybe. What's it to you." I said giggling.

"I am coming to get you. Stay right there." I sighed.

I walked out of the hotel and Jason came running after me. He tried to kiss me and I didn't want to do anything with him.

"She said no!" Ryan grabbed me and hugged me.

"I feel like I am going to faint."

"Now?"

He picked me up and placed me into his car.. That was the last thing I remembered.

Chapter 5 // At least I showed up, you showed me nothing at all but heartbreak.

I had the possibility of four shows, three in NYC and one in Chicago. After auditioning in Chicago, I had three more in NYC.  I packed up my things and headed back to NYC, but this time with more security. I walked out of the airport and now that the paps saw me with brown hair, I had wondered how my life was like now.

"LC, how are you doing after Ben Barnes cheated on you?" Dany ushered me into a gated community.

"So this is your new house."

"My what?"

"You are safer here than some penthouse on 23rd and somewhere. You have a car everywhere now because you are Dwayne's sister."

"Okay but why the house? I could have gotten the penthouse."

"Just consider this a gift from Dwayne. He will be here in a few days on a NYC trip and he wants to make sure you're safe."

"Okay fine. I swear, he is like this over protective brother who tells me that short shorts with heels are a hookers look."

"He isn't wrong though?" I laughed at her comment.

I had dialed Ben's number multiple times and wanted to scream at him, but I couldn't push it. I ended up throwing my phone in the trash and wanted a whole new thing. Mel, Dwayne, and Dany rallied for me, new look, new part in NYC as a doctor. I needed this.

"You okay?" Dany asked me handing me a new phone and number.

"I think so, when I get my life back on track." She smiled at me sitting down next to me.

 

"One thing I know about you, you thrive when the ships are coming in. You need to find that again. I secured you a spot with some appearances, the Yankee game you dreamed to go to? You're throwing out the first pitch and going to the  party for CC's charity event."

"When am I doing this?" I asked her.

"Next month. You need to be in the spotlight and this will be good for you and your career."

"Okay sounds good." I said.

"Good, you should talk to Joanna Swisher, Nick's wife? I think you should contact her, she had a bad life before she found Nick."

"Okay. Do you think she will take my calls?"

"Yeah, I told her , you'd call."

I did what Dany asked, I called Joanna. She was the most kindest person ever and gave me a lot of good advice. 

"So when you do go to this whole thing, I will finally meet you." Joanna said. "Plus I heard about Ben, he can stuff it up his own ass with a can of beans to fart it all out."

It must have been the first time I had laughed so hard in a while.

"Now that is the first time I heard that, I think its perfect." I said.

"Good, you have my number, you can call me whenever you need advice."

"Thank you Joanna, you're amazingly awesome and thank you for the laugh, it must be the first time I had a hearty laugh in a while."

"Well thank you, glad I could help." She said.  "You're in NYC now right?"

"Yeah, I have a part on a TV show in September."

"I think we should have lunch tomorrow."

"Oh sounds good to finally get out and be with some friends."

"Oh sweetheart, you are going to love being NYC now."

"Okay sounds good, text me the details and everything."

"Will see you tomorrow." She said

We said goodbye and hung up. I had to find out what to wear now so I face timed my sister.

"Melanie!" I screamed in frantic.

"Calm down, what is the matter?"

"I have a lunch with Joanna Garcia Swisher."

"Who?" I put my hands on my face.

"Nick Swisher's wife and the star of our favorite show Reba?"

"Oh my god, okay okay." She said screaming.

I pulled an outfit together as she gave me some ideas. It was casual , shorts, nice tank top and some heels. I had to look hot, something she can appreciate a good outfit.

"You got this." Mel said.

"First impressions are everything, but you're right." I said.

"Go get some sleep, you need the rest plus you know I will be there in spirit."

"Trust me, I know."

I got ready for bed, I needed the rest, but honestly my mind was crazy. I heard a car alarm that morning, the sun shined through my new curtains and the kitchen smelled like Bacon.

"You do realize I have a lunch date with Joanna right?"

"Yeah, I think you need a piece though."

"I will never turn down bacon for anything." I giggled. "Thank you for everything Dany."

"For?"

"For giving me all this and being with me when I know you have a billion things to do already."

She hugged me and continued to do what she does best.

"You know what I always tell Simone?"

"What?"

"Don't be afraid to take a chance at something , even if you feel like you're not ready, you took a chance at this whole part, its so different and you wanted it. You could have gone to the safe route in Chicago, but you wanted to stay here in NYC and explore this awesome role."

"I think its mainly you, you have given me choices and you give me the most amazing advice. You're my best friend and sister."

"I am always going to be around when you need me the most." I hugged her and I headed upstairs to get ready for my lunch date with Joanna.

My outfit:

I put my heels on and buttoned up my top.

"How do I look?" I asked her.

"Wow, you look more amazing than I would have in that top. I am glad I put it in your closet."

I laughed as I finished my makeup. I breathed in and out and headed out. The car was going to come and pick me up, my two bodyguards, Liam and his twin Lawrence were ready for me and my lunch date.

"Ready Ms. Johnson?"

"Ready." I sighed and headed into the car.

Liam sat next to me while Lawrence had sat in the front with my driver. He turned onto a street with lots of Cafe's. I wanted to be free, so I decided that after lunch, I was heading off to the nearby Jeep dealership.

"I am going to a jeep dealership after we finish lunch."

"Okay." Lawrence said smiling.

I walked into the cafe and saw her sitting outside with Nick. I walked out and I thought Nick was always so gorgeous and damn she was even more beautiful than I had imagined. Liam and Lawrence had taken a table behind us as I smiled and sat down.

"Hi Joanna!" I said smiling .

She hugged me.

"This is LC, this is my husband Nick."

"Hi , nice to finally meet you LC." He said giving me a hug.

"Likewise." We said smiling.

"Anything you would like to drink?" The waiter asked.

"I would love to have a glass of water please."

"Sure thing." He smiled and headed inside.

"LC, did you take the part here in NYC?"

"Yes I did, I am so nervous." I sighed. "I play a doctor on New Amsterdam, now I have to learn all these words and fancy medical things."

"Trust me, you will kill it." Joanna said with Nick in agreement.

As we got to talking, Ben came up to me.

"Excuse me, may I steal LC?"

"No you may not." Liam said getting in between us.

"I have nothing to say to you Ben. Leave me alone."

"I am not done talking to you !" Both Liam, Lawrence and even Nick got up and in between us.

After Ben had left, I was shaken up by his aggressive and his abusive tone.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

"Yeah, I am. I just need to find a man and move on."

He looked at his wife and smiled. He got up and made a phone call.

"Thank you for not walking out because of Ben." I said to her.

"Don't let that man define you. He is the one man who should be sorry for cheating on you."

"Thank you for everything, I needed that."

Nick had came back, he gave me a list of men who are single and ready to move on from their girlfriends.

"I don't know, am I ready though?"

"You are." They both said.

I sighed.

After everything I had been through, I needed to know if there was anyone better out there. Was I doing the right thing and finally moving on with my life? I wasn't sure if any of these men were right for me. I knew one thing though, I needed to take things slow and let finding someone happen.