This is something new that I've been working on to get a little break from my other stories. There will only be 3 chapters for this mini story. The story is based off one of my favorite movies so I hope you enjoy!
Never did he ever imagine that he'd be here.
Ryan Atwood stood in the foyer of the million dollar mansion, wondering what in earth he was doing here. The overpriced and extravagant living room made him feel slightly uncomfortable and out of place but he reminded himself that this is what he needed, he needed this job, he needed to stop doing nothing.
He had been doing nothing for a month now. He was a body guard, or as some people called a "personal protection specialist" and had been for as long as he could remember. With his 6'2 muscular build and strong features, he was perfect for the job and had been told that many times by his friends father, who himself was a bodyguard for the vice president at some point earlier in his life.
As soon as he finished going to college, he decided that maybe the military was the best choice for him, considering that his father had died in the Army when Ryan was only a young boy and he knew it was time to give the salute to his father he deserved for all that he did in his lifetime. Ryan let the ideas of becoming a bodyguard from his friend's father slip his mind, deciding that the Army was a better choice for him. Ryan joined the army and stayed for 4 years before returning back home. In that time, he learned all everything he could to becoming a better man and doing what he had to do but realized that the didn't seem himself in the Army for the rest of his life.
He returned home to Philadelphia to where his mother lived, only to learn that his mother was battling breast cancer and only had a few months to live. He stayed by his mother side for the remainder of his days, enlightening her about his days in the service and how it had been. She listened with joy and glee, happy to hear that her son had found the same magnificence in the service that her own husband found. She wouldn't lie; she had been very hesitant at first to letting her only child go off to the Army, the same service that she had lost the love of her life to over twenty two years ago.
But after she heard the passion in his voice as he spoke about the Army, she knew that she had made the best decision in supporting him to do so. Ryan and his mother, Sarah, spent every waking moment with each other, making sure that everything was taken care of and that everything would be okay when she left. And although it killed Ryan to think about, he knew he would have to say goodbye to his mother, the woman who had been his family for over twenty five years, he knew it was time to let go. It was time to let her go to his father in heaven.
Her funeral and wake were small, close friends and family in attendance as they buried her next to his father. Ryan sat at their grave for many hours, merely thinking about his life and all the time he missed with his mother while he was in the Army. He couldn't help to think that maybe if he had been home that she could have gotten better and that she'd still be with him but he knew that she was in a better place. As cliché as it was, Ryan knew that his mother wanted to be with her husband since the day he had been taken away, so he let them go. He let it go on a good note and revisited his memories of his mother with joy.
A few months later, after selling his parents house, he knew it was time for another career and remembered the wise words he'd heard when he was younger. It was the best time, he was in the best shape of his life and he knew that'd it be the best choice for him. He had no criminal acts and had just gotten out of the army; something he knew would help him in his goal. He called up his friend's father and got all the information about what he had to do and learned that with a new president being elected, some secret service men were retiring and new ones were being hired in about a month. Ryan decided at that moment, he would be in the secret service.
Ryan worked out every day for ridiculous amounts of hours, he took classes for martial arts and self defense, even escape driving, making sure that he had everything he needed. He went to Washington D.C. a month later with utmost confidence that he would get a job working for the secret service. Some could say he was a little biased about getting the job but he'd been told by his mother, many times, that he had the same willpower and drive as his father and that always seemed to make him push harder. So he did, and he got into the secret service.
Ryan worked hard every single day to become the best secret service agent he could and before long, he was one of the secret service agents to guard the president himself and not one to guard the area around the white house perimeter. He went wherever the president went, to all different countries, his vacation home of Camp David, anywhere the president went, and there was Ryan right next to him.
Although Ryan loved his job, he realized all the aspects of his life he was missing out on. When he thought about how long it'd been since he hung out with his friends or went out on a date with a girl, it seemed to only make him want to quit even more. He knew that'd there be time for that, but in between working with president, sleeping and eating, there didn't seem much time for anything else.
He worked for the secret service for eight long years, doing both terms of the presidency and finally deciding that he needed to pursue a less strenuous career. Ryan went back home, knowing that at age thirty three, he'd need to find someone he'd want to spend the rest of his life with soon. What he didn't realize was how many people would call him to work for them, movie stars, and musicians, anyone in need of a good bodyguard called him and he seemed to find none that met his needs. But on one special day, he got a call about a famous actress, in dire need of a bodyguard and was willing to pay anything for his services. Ryan didn't know why but he felt that maybe this was the call that he'd been waiting for.
He left for California a few days later and found where the movie star lived, not knowing who she was or what she looked like. Having the job he'd had didn't give him much time to hang out and read a tabloid or see a movie. He went into the house, seeing major things that needed to change to protect the movie star.
After being questioned at the gate from his car, he was told to get out to be searched for any weapons. After parking his car, he went to the front door, finding himself tugging at his polo shirt in the hot LA heat. Although it was hot in Philadelphia in the summer, California seemed to be much worse. The maid welcomed him into the home and she brought him into the foyer of the house. He stood up, looking around the foyer, wondering why his services were needed so badly.
He looked around at the beautiful paintings on the walls, seeing a certain style to the paintings. They were obviously all by the same artist but Ryan seemed to notice something specific about the paintings, he studied one of the pictures. It was of a woman in a floor length deep red dress dancing on a beach with a man in a black tuxedo and next to them were what looked like their maid and butler, holding umbrellas above them in the rain. He suddenly remembered this certain painting and felt it tug at his heart strings; his mother had owned the exact same painting. His father had bought it for her, knowing that she loved this artist's work but didn't have any of it. He remembered seeing the picture in their basement, his mother had taken it done because it was too hard to look at and for some reason, he knew why.
Ryan was interrupted when a handsome man came into the room where he stood, a friendly smile on his face. "Hey, you must be Mr. Atwood" the man asked with an outstretched hand, Ryan nodded his head; "nice to meet you" Ryan said and shook the man's hand. He was a shorter man, obviously older, maybe in his early forties. He had jet black hair and tan skin, but was thin and young looking for his age. "I'm her manager, my name is Owen…and I'm so glad that you could come out here to help us" he said.
"I'm glad to help" Ryan stated and turned when he heard someone coming from down the hallway. A man around his age came into the room obviously to caught up in his blackberry to see Ryan, "hey Owen, will she be here the 15th of next month because Kemmel's people are calling and asking if she'll come on the show" he said, oblivious to the other person in the room. He looked up from his blackberry and turned to Ryan in surprise, "hey…are you…?" he trailed off turning to Owen, "the bodyguard, and yes she's free" Owen finished for him and the man turned back to him with smile.
"Oh hey man, I'm Eric…her publicist" he said with a handshake that Ryan accepted with a smile. "Hey, I'm Ryan…nice to meet you" he said and Eric smiled, "you too." Eric was probably about an inch shorter than Owen, with a fair complexion and brown hair, the freckles on his face giving away his Irish roots. "Okay good…Kemmel has been trying to book her for months now" Eric said before putting something into the blackberry. He listened to Eric mumble incoherently under his breath about upcoming events and turned his head immediately when he heard a sweet voice break through the room.
"Owen, did my parents call at all today?" she asked, her voice laced with hope. Owen looked up slowly, "no I'm sorry kiddo…still no word from them" Owen said. Ryan stood, patiently waited for his employer to come through the door and Owen noticed. "Sweetie, come over here and meet the bodyguard" Owen said and the girl who walked through the doors was no girl. She was a beautiful young woman; in her mid twenties, she had long blonde hair and gorgeous honey colored skin. She was tall and thin, maybe four or five inches shorter than he was. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue and he felt all his power leave his body as he stared at the breathtaking girl in front of him, dressed in a simple blue sun dress and flip flops.
Marissa turned to him and smiled brightly, placing out a hand, "hi, I'm Marissa Cooper" she said with a dazzling smile that made Ryan swoon. Ryan shook her hand softly, "I'm Ryan Atwood…it's great to meet you" he said. "Same here" she replied and wrapped her arm around Owens shoulders. "This guy has not stopped raving about you for days, telling me how great of a body guard you are and how it's a miracle we were able to hire you" she said with a giggle and Ryan felt a half smile come onto his face.
Marissa watched him with interest, definitely thanking God for the luck she had for getting such a handsome body guard. He was taller than her, which in Hollywood, didn't happen much because she was so tall. He had short blonde hair, tan skin, and bright blue eyes, he had strong features but his eyes seemed to be soft and caring, something that she wanted to investigate. His muscular built was obvious in his white polo shirt and jeans and for some reason, she was liking the possibility of him working for her more and more by the second.
Ryan smiled modestly, "I'm not that great…" he said and Marissa laughed once again, something that made Ryan even more happy. "You were in the secret service…you guarded the president…what did you do before that?" she asked, clearly interested. Ryan stuffed his hands in his pockets, "I was in the army for four years right after I graduated from college" Ryan answered and Owen turned to Marissa with a smile and she seemed to be more and more excited by his answer.
"My dad was in the army…a long time ago" Marissa said with smile and Ryan nodded. Marissa turned to Owen, "anything else?" she said and Owen shook his head, he pulled the check out of his pocket and handed it to Ryan, who almost fell over for the amount in the check. "So Mr. Atwood, are you in or out?" Owen asked and Ryan turned to look at Marissa, smiling softly at her, and said, "I'm in."