Marissa spent the next couple of days packing. She was exhausted from the mood swings she was having. One minute she was excited about having a go at acting and doing something different, next she was anxious that she would be hopeless at it. Then she would try to make herself feel better by thinking about seeing them all, then she was petrified that he wouldn't want to have anything to do with her.

On top of all this she had a few calls from Julie trying to get her to change her mind. They were all basically the same.

Julie telling Marissa that she was throwing away her career. That she should know how important it was to be able to provide for herself. That she shouldn't risk getting out of the public eye because while she was hot now, there were no guarantees that things would stay the same.

Marissa telling Julie that she never wanted to be in the public eye in the first place and the only reason she had stuck with it so long was because she could never make the same sort of money any other way, especially without a college education. Reassuring her that she had enough money saved that she could take a few years off and still be okay and that she had never wanted the life she had, so she just wanted to try something different.

When Sunday came Marissa couldn't wait to get on the plane but once it took off she started to get very apprehensive about what she would find once she got there and just where this would all take her.

It was Sunday and Jake Hammond was sitting in the bar at the hotel waiting for her to arrive. He'd checked with the studio and if her flight was on time, she should be arriving at the hotel anytime now. He'd contemplated going out and meeting her but he didn't want to seem too obvious.

After all he was the famous movie star, she should be chasing after him. He was very pleased that she had accepted the role. He'd had a thing for her for quite a while now and had even tried to talk to her at an awards night in London but she had ignored him and even given him a polite brush off. He figured that was just because she had been living overseas for so long that perhaps she didn't recognise him, so he had forgiven her. But now they would be on his turf and it was obvious who the star was here, so he was prepared to give her another chance.

Hell, if he was honest with himself she was gorgeous enough he would give her several chances as long as he got her in the end. He thought they would make a great looking couple. He was tall, dark and handsome and her with her willowy golden locks they would look great together and really that was all that mattered to him.

A limo pulled up at the front of the hotel and he noticed the photographers jump in to action so he figured it must be her. They would be looking for any opportunity to get a shot of her.

As she glided in to the hotel and walked up to reception he finished up his drink and walked over to her.

"Marissa Cooper" he said as he held out his hand. "I'm Jake Hammond nice to meet you. Welcome to LA."

She thought for a minute that he was the manager of the hotel and then she realised who it really was. "Well Thank you. It's nice to be back."

"Please give Ms Cooper anything she needs and put it on my bill" Jake instructed to the man behind the counter, knowing full well that the bills were being paid for by the studio anyhow, but figuring it would make him look good.

"Why thank you. That's really very nice, but not necessary." She said to Jake. "I'd rather pay for myself." She politely said to the man behind the counter.

"Don't worry the studio is picking up the bill for you both" he said as he passed Marissa the key to her room, smiling to himself that she had not let Jake Hammond take over. "We have a suite reserved for you Ms Cooper. If you'd just like to take the lifts to the 10th floor and it is room 1011. Someone will bring your luggage up shortly and I hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thank you, I'm sure I will."

She turned to make her way to the lifts when she was stopped by a hand on her arm.

"Why don't we have a drink in the bar while you wait for your luggage to be delivered?" Jake asked.

"Thanks. Maybe some other time but right now I've had a really long flight and I'm just looking forward to climbing into bed."

He thought he wouldn't mind climbing into bed with her, but sensed it may be a little early for that. "Okay. Well I'll see you at breakfast and I'll give you a ride to the studio."

"Okay. Um Bye" she turned and made her way to the lifts. There was something a bit off about him and she remembered Summer's words. She was going to have to watch her step with him. There was only one man she was interested in spending time with in LA and it wasn't Jake Hammond.

Monday came and the day passed quickly. It was all new and Marissa had been busy trying to take it all in. She had managed to have a quick bite to eat with Summer at lunch time and she had agreed to go to Seth and Summers on Wednesday night for dinner. Apparently Ryan came over every Wednesday night so Summer thought it would be a good opportunity for them to all catch up. Just the thought of seeing him had made it difficult for her to concentrate, since she'd come back from lunch and it was still 2 days away. She'd have to pull herself together before then. Hopefully she'd be too busy at work to think about it too much otherwise she'd be a wreck by then. About 4 o'clock she was in her dressing room busily trying to learn her lines when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in. "

A girl about her age entered with a clipboard in hand. "Hi. I'm Kate, the production assistant and I've just been told you're needed down at the admin building to complete some paperwork."

"Er. Okay but I don't actually know where to find it. I came with Jake this morning and I didn't really concentrate on how we got here."

"It's easy. You can borrow my golf cart. It's the red one parked outside. Just drive to the end of this lane take a right then the second left third right and it's straight ahead. I've got a few things to do here so, just come and find me when you get back." She said as she handed Marissa the keys to the cart.

"Okay thanks. " Marissa replied. As she made her way outside the building she kept going over the directions in her mind, found the red cart and started off. She got to the end of the lane took the first left then the second right but then she ran into a fence that surrounded the lot. She reversed and went back but all the sound stages looked the same. She tried another way but was just starting to think she would have to try to retrace her steps and go back to the start when she saw someone coming out of a door up ahead so she thought she would just go and ask for directions.

She was driving into the sun and it was late afternoon so she was squinting as she neared the person. Her heart started to beat faster because he looked like someone she knew but that was impossible. It must be her imagination just playing tricks on her.

Ryan had been called to the lot to try to help with some ideas for a set that was causing problems and he had just finished up. He was sure with the modifications he had recommended that they wouldn't have any more problems with it. He thought about the fact that she would actually be here on the other side of the lot and he could have always dropped by but he wasn't ready to see her yet.

He had spoken to Seth and Summer yesterday and it was agreed that Summer would invite Marissa to dinner at their place on Wednesday. Ryan had dinner at Seth and Summers every Wednesday night, unless he was out of town and they figured that at least this way they would all be there for one another to run interference if they felt it was necessary. But Ryan was still thinking about her as he headed to his golf buggy to go back to the admin building where his car was parked.

He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he raised his arm to rub it wondering what had caused it when a buggy stopped beside him.

"Excuse me."

He turned around and his heart stopped.

"Ryan………….." she gasped "What..I mean..I..um… I'm lost."

He stood dumbfounded. This wasn't right. He'd just decided that he wasn't ready to see her yet, but obviously fate had decided otherwise.

"Um… Yeah you are…" he was having trouble breathing let alone talking.

"Um… do you know … admin… building?" Marissa mumbled. She couldn't believe that he was here in front of her. Her brain had stopped functioning. She wasn't supposed to see him until Wednesday night. She had figured she would have been able to prepare herself by then and if she wasn't ready she could have always backed out of it. But he was here … now….. in front of her.

"Um yeah …follow me" he said as he started up his buggy and drove away.

Marissa followed him. As she drove she was trying to think what she should say to him while he was thinking exactly the same thing. She hadn't been ready to see him yet. He was absolutely gorgeous. I mean she had always been attracted to him but how was it possible that he was even better looking.

They soon pulled up outside the admin building and Ryan pulled his buggy into the parking lot and hopped out. He noticed his legs weren't working properly and were a bit wobbly as he made his way over to where she had parked.

"Uh…They have maps inside…….. so you don't get lost again."

"Thanks,……. I'll make sure I get one…… Um what are you doing here?" she asked still unable to believe that he was here in front of her.

"I sometimes come and give them some advice if they are having problems." He replied thinking he liked direct questions. He knew the answers to those and it meant he didn't have to think of something to say.

"So …um…are you here often?" she didn't know if she would be able to concentrate if he was likely to come anywhere near her set.

"Depends." He didn't want to make this easy for her but she looked so good. His eyes were drinking her in. He thought she was even more gorgeous than when he had last seen her all those years ago and he had thought she was beautiful then. He held the door open for her to enter the building and followed behind. He kept his distance. It was as though she had a magnetic force that was pulling him in but he somehow felt that if he got too near to her then he would automatically combust.

"Who did you need to see?" Ryan asked.

"Um I don't really know. Kate just told me I had some paperwork to fill out." She looked at the receptionist who couldn't take her eyes off Ryan. Marissa stood in front of the desk but she may as well have been invisible. The girl was almost hyperventilating.

"Can I help you Mr Atwood?" she asked.

"Yes Sarah. This is Marissa Cooper and she has just started today and has some forms to fill out."

"That will be with Lisa if you just go down this hall way it's the last door on the right." Sarah indicated a hall to the right whilst never taking her eyes off Ryan. Marissa thought to herself, how could you blame her, if she had her chance she would stare at him too?

"Thanks." Marissa replied and turned to say goodbye to Ryan, as Jake Hammond walked out of the office she was heading to.

"Marissa. Just the person I needed to see. Are you about ready to go back to the hotel? I have made reservations for us for dinner for 8 so we better not hang around here too much longer or you won't have time to get beautiful for me." Jake smiled … or was it more a lecherous grin?

Ryan froze at the thought of her hanging out with this sleaze.

"I just have to fill out some forms and then we can go but I'm afraid I won't be having dinner with you this evening, I'm just too tied. It's been a big day. I'm just going to get a snack sent up from room service and then I have to call my mother and you know how mothers like to talk. So maybe some other time" she commented thinking he really didn't take the hint very easily. She turned to Ryan. "Thanks again. I hope to see you soon." She smiled as she looked at him shyly.

He wasn't exactly being chatty and she wished that she'd had more time to prepare for meeting up with him but it was all so sudden she just didn't know what to say.

"No problem. I'll guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah. Later." She replied and walked off to find Lisa.