By: Cherilyn W. Gerard

Typed/Posted on: June 27, 2001
Revised: July 22, 2003

Author's Notes: Falling in love with someone in less than a week is not impossible, although admittedly, it does not happen often.  I suggest you watch the movie: How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (starring Matthew McConaughey & Kate Hudson).  Then, you might begin to understand.  Part of the reason successful stories are so successful is that they stretch the truth and reality and make you want a "piece of the action."  You've just gotta put your skepticism aside and believe that it is possible that an ordinary 'Jane' can write, can act, and can fall in love with a man who loves her as much as she loves him.  Why?  Why NOT! Some people ARE that lucky. Good stories, of any genre, help you to escape the real world and all its problems and suspend your beliefs for a few hours.  What would you do to live the life of your favorite character (literary or otherwise) for a day?

This story is my "baby."  I started to write this the summer before my Junior Year in high school  I was fifteen.  Now, I am seventeen and am ready to begin college this fall.  When I started to lose interest in WLiiA & TDCS, I rushed to end this fic.  The ending was very rushed and I should have taken more time to complete it.  But, thanks to Leah (popawheelie), I have revised the story by making it less corny and more believable.  I promise that those who have read this story in the original form and loved it will not be disappointed.

Despite what you may think, I used my first name for the lead female character because I wanted to put my feelings and personality into a character without having to spend time constructing an all new one.  Since I'm already familiar with myself and my temperaments, I didn't have to start from scratch. And, no, I am not romantically interested in Ryan Stiles.  Even if we were around the same age, he'd probably be a better friend than a boyfriend.  As far as I know, he's not my type.

Much of FFS takes place in California, which I have visited.  But since I have never attended a taping, I have no idea what they are really like.  Therefore, the descriptions I make in my writings are based either on television shows or movies I have seen, experiences, and hearsay, but usually my imagination takes preference.

In this story, Ryan Stiles is thirty-five years old. He has never been married and has no children. Sometime in the middle of the story, Ryan gets into character. Please know that when I say "Lewis" I mean Ryan in character. ;-) That goes for the rest of the cast when I use their character names. Happy Reading! <3, Cherrie

Scene: The Drew Carey Show Studio Parking Lot. The parking lot was only half full because the cast and crew were still arriving. It was an early autumn morning. This would be the first day after summer hiatus that they would be taping new episodes for the upcoming season.

Ryan Stiles drove up to the Drew Carey Show Studio parking lot in his brand new teal Chevy Tahoe. It was 9:30 A.M. He had been driving for at least twenty minutes from his home in Sherman Oaks, a suburb of Los Angeles, California. Although Ryan had picked up some coffee from the nearby Starbucks, he was still quite drowsy from yet another sleepless night. He had tossed and turned three nights in a row on his king-sized bed.

The strange thing was that Ryan could not figure out what was keeping him awake. He had family, friends, and a stable career…what else could he ask for?

Ryan put his script and coffee on top of the car. He grabbed his coffee with one hand and shut the door with the other. Beep Beep, Click. The car door was locked and the car alarm had been turned on successfully. Ryan loved his new car and did not want to risk losing it.

With his coffee and script in hand, Ryan treaded towards the studio, his third home. Of course, his second home would always be the Whose Line Is It Anyway? Studio. He loved his friends and he loved his career. He was fortunate to find a job, which he enjoyed, and one he was also excellent at.

Looking straight ahead, Ryan ran his free hand through his soft golden locks and continued to walk toward the studio’s doors. He had missed working and his friends during the long summer break, but he had other things to keep him occupied. A slightly plump man with a fifties style crew cut popped out of nowhere, scaring Ryan half to death.

Ryan jumped and nearly spilled his coffee. He then realized who it was. It was his old pal, Drew Carey. "Sorry to scare you, buddy!" Drew let out a chuckle. "It’s good to see you." They embraced.

"Yeah," Ryan agreed as he let go of his friend. "I haven’t seen you since the Seattle Improv Festival After-party!"

"That was a great night…We all got drunk and had major hangovers in the morning, remember?"

"Oh, don’t remind me." Ryan put his hand to his forehead and shook his head.

Drew laughed sheepishly. "Oh okay then. Anyway, I came over to tell you that my agent called last week. Some crazy fan of mine wanted to make an official web page for me. And, it’s up to me for the final answer." "Best of all," Drew gloated, "She lives, in Cleveland, close to my house!"

"Oh really?" Ryan lifted an eyebrow in thought. "What’s her name?"

"Her name is…uh…Gail. That’s it." Drew smiled.

"Hmmm…sounds familiar. I might have met her once or twice. But, I have so many adoring fans that it’s hard to keep track." Ryan joked. Drew playfully shoved his friend, making sure to keep an eye on the half-full coffee container in Ryan’s hand.

"Come on Drew, let’s get inside." Ryan finally said after five minutes of playful bickering.

"Yeah. Another day of torment…" Drew exclaimed as he and Ryan walked into the studio lobby. "When will it end, when will it end?" He extended both his arms up in the air and let out a hearty belly laugh, "What am I saying? I love my job!" Ryan couldn’t help but start laughing too. After all, laughter is contagious.

They approached the Briefing Room. This was the room where the writers met with the actors and actresses to go over the script and put any finishing touches on it before the table readings started.

Softly, Ryan mumbled, "God, I wish I could be back in Washington right now. I could fish awhile, relax by the lake, catch up with relatives…" He smiled at the thought. He did love his job, but enjoyed being with his family more than coming to work. Ryan opened the heavy wooden door and plopped down in his usual seat next to Diedrich Bader (Ozwald Lee Harvey) and another close friend, Christa Miller (Kate O’Brien).

"Hey big guy, how was your summer? Ready to get back into character, Lewis?" Christa giggled. She pushed a lock of milk chocolate colored hair behind her left ear.

"Ah, I wish I was Kate. Summer was alright.  Dumped Nicole, but other than that I'm just tired." Ryan said sleepily. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

Christa looked at him sympathetically.  "I'm so sorry Ryan.  You two seemed so in love."

"Well I was at least.  I guess I'm better off alone anyway. Two years down the drain."

A voice from across the round black table interrupted their conversation, "Hey, Lewis, you okay?  You don't look like your usual disturbing self.  You look surprisingly worse. I'm starting to get a little worried." It was Kathy Kinney (Mimi Carey).  Ryan had not even noticed her arrival.

"Shove it, Mimi. I’m fine." Ryan muttered and shot her a look.

"Now there's the Lewis I know and despise!" Kathy said in character.

**10:02 A.M.; Briefing Room. --Drew stood behind a podium at the front of the room and began to speak.**

"Ahem." Drew cleared his throat, "May I have your attention please?" Drew shouted amidst the conversations between the other cast and crewmembers. "Welcome to yet another season of The Drew Carey Show!" Everyone in the room clapped and cheered.

"Alright," He went on, "Today, we’re going to do the usuals. Table readings, a practice run, and then a mid-afternoon shoot. Sounds good? If not, too bad. Also, today, as most of you may already know, the writers and I have cooked up a special surprise for Mr. Kiniski." Everyone smiled at Ryan. "This surprise is going to be completely improvised."

This caught Ryan’s attention. "Completely improvised?"

"Yes, Ryan, completely improvised. Don’t worry, we’ll break right after that part is taped and you’ll receive the rest of your script. As for the rest of you, don’t show or tell him about the surprise in store for him, alright? He’ll know soon enough." Drew paused to wink at Ryan. "Let’s get to work."

Ryan, almost too weak to get out of his chair, stood up and trudged over to the coffee machine. The studio’s coffee was neither as tasty nor as strong as Starbucks’ but it would have to do. After all, coffee is coffee.  Seconds later, Ryan was back in his chair sipping hot coffee and reading his parts of the script aloud at the right times with the rest of his fellow cast members. Completely Improvised?  No problem.

**4:09 P.M.; The Taping – In character, Ryan, Christa, and Drew sat around their favorite Warsaw table. Ryan sat closest to the Jukebox.**

"But," Lewis protested, "At least your pee doesn’t glow in the dark like mine, Drew." Ryan was so great at acting, often times he even shocked himself.

Drew grinned. "Cool."

"It was one of our experiments at Drug Co.," Lewis returned Drew's smile.

"Thanks for sharing, Lewis!" Kate said in disgust. "I’ll go find Ozwald, maybe he has something more intelligent to talk about." She winced. "Did I just say that?" The audience laughed as she shook her head, stood up and walked out the door.

"Lewis, buddy, what’s been troubling you lately? Tell Doctor Drew." Drew patted Lewis’ shoulder.

"Doctor Drew? Not in this lifetime! Seriously, you want to know?"  Drew nodded.

After taking a gulp from his glass of Buzz Beer, he said, "Lately, I’ve been feeling down lately. I've sensed that there is something missing in my life.  I always feel lonely." Lewis’ eyes saddened. "I know I have you guys, but I think I need something more." How did the writers parallel this line to my life so well?  Ryan almost wondered this aloud.

"I might have just the thing to cheer you up!"  Drew exclaimed happily.

"Drew…" Lewis warned. It was improv time for Ryan, his script ended here. "I don't like that look on your face.  The last time that look crossed your face was when we were at my house, when we were eleven or so, and you let my neighbor’s vicious pitbull run loose. He literally trashed my house, man."

"Just close your eyes.  It'll be great. I promise."

"Alright, alright, you win..." Ryan wondered what could be in store for Lewis. Maybe it will cheer us both up. He covered his deep green eyes with his large hands.

Drew quietly motioned for a lady to come into the Warsaw. The audience clapped and whistled. They all thought, Who is this mysterious new woman? She was three years younger than Ryan, 5’7’’, Japanese, and looked like she was in good physical condition.  She had exotic, intoxicating eyes, and nearly flawless fair skin.  The flared dark denim jeans she was wearing complemented her soft pink spaghetti strap tank top and snow white sneakers. She seemed slightly shy and was hesitant to approach Lewis.

After standing in the doorway for a few moments, she came over and gave Drew a big hug. "I wonder if he remembers me," She whispered to Drew. Drew shrugged and gave her an encouraging smile.

"Lewis, you can open your eyes now. It's okay." The woman tried to remain calm.  She was nervous about what Lewis' reaction to her would be because of the length of time they had spent apart.

"Finally!" Lewis gasped, removing his hands and opening his eyes. He was surprised to hear a woman’s voice other than Kate’s. It was a woman he had never had the pleasure of laying his eyes on. His face quickly shifted to a look of sheer puzzlement. Concentrate, Ryan. Ryan needed to stay in character. So, she's my surprise, eh?  She's quite beautiful, but who is she really?  He wondered why the writers had sketched her in and not told him.  Lewis looked to his friend for answers and stood up to introduce himself to the mysterious woman.

"Lewis, don't you remember Jennifer Nakamoto, from high school?" Drew asked. Lewis shook his head. More information, Drew!

Drew continued, "How can you not remember her?  You two were high school sweethearts.  You dated for three years straight. Everyone at school (including Kate, Ozwald and I) wondered what had attracted her to you and what kept you two together.  No offense." Lewis rolled his eyes. "You never told me how come you broke up.  I think you two ended it shortly after graduation.  I can see that you need some time to catch up, so I’ll leave you alone." Drew took one last sip of beer and left the room.

The former couple found their seats at the wooden table.  Jennifer decided to break the uncomfortable silence.  "Lewis, I'm can't believe you don't remember me.  We dated for such a long time."

"No, no, I do remember.  It's all coming back now. But, I'm not exactly sure why we broke it off."  Turning to her, he commented, "And, I didn't expect to see you ever again.  Especially in Cleveland."

"You look great, Lewis.  You always did.  You've never lost your boyish looks." Jennifer said, trying to change the subject.

"Why did we break up, Jen-Jen?" Lewis queried. "Oh yeah, I got dumped."

"Well, I remember it differently.  We were growing apart and I guess we were going in different directions in terms of careers and everything else.  I wanted to move to Cali to go to college and then spend sometime with my parents who moved to Hawaii. You wanted to stay here in Cleveland. Long distance relationships never work out, you know."

"Okay then, why waltz back into my life?  It's been almost twenty years!"

"I moved back here to take a job at Roaryse & Hersch's law firm.  I'll get paid a hefty salary, but I really wanted to come back to Cleveland because it feels like home to me, and because...I still have feelings for you.  There's been something missing in my life, Lewis.  I'm just trying to find it."  All Ryan could do was just stare at his new co-star's face. The audience applauded and the director yelled "Cut!"  It had been the perfect time to end the scene.

"Wow, that was pretty good improv out there, Ms. Matthews!  I knew you'd be able to handle it.  It wasn't so bad was it?"  The director patted her on the back.

"Thanks sir," She smiled shyly. "It was my first time."

"Your first time? I don’t think the audience would have guessed it. Ryan watch out, you’ve got some serious competition!" The director joked.

Turning to Ryan, he mentioned casually, "You were great too man, keep it up.  You're a pro!" and then announced, "Everyone, the writers want to go over the next part of the script with all of you. Lets meet back at the Briefing Room in ten minutes." Then he went over to converse with Drew.

The young woman started to walk towards her dressing room when she heard someone call her name. "Ms. Matthews."  It was Ryan. She turned around to face him.

"The director was right, that was some great acting you did out there." Ryan said genuinely.

"Thanks.  And You were great as always." She replied, her already rosy cheeks turned a brighter shade of pink.

"Hi, I’m Ryan Stiles." Ryan stuck out his right hand, and the woman shook it.

"I know. And, I’m Cherilyn Matthews. Please call me Cher. I guess we’ll be working together the rest of the week." She was quite nervous because she was talking to one of her favorite actors.

Ryan could hardly speak as well, his tongue had suddenly twisted into thousands of knots. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Ry. Oh, I’m sorry, is it okay if I call you that sometimes?" Cher asked.

"Yeah, of course."

"Ryan, what’s the matter? Something’s wrong. I can see it in your eyes." She lightly touched his arm. Cher was going to reach for his shoulder but he was just too tall. Ryan remained quiet. "Aww, come on. You can tell me, we practically know each other. Well, at least you practically know me, I’ve been writing to you for years!  Too much information, Cher! Nevermind, I don't have time anyway right now, I have to freshen up. You can tell me later." She started to walk away.

"You’re Cherilyn Matthews?" Ryan finally said.  It had taken a while to put two and two together.

"Yeah, that’s me." Didn't I just say that? Cher did not turn around. She kept walking forward, hoping that Ryan would follow her.

Taking the bait, Ryan caught up to her. "I didn't think we'd ever meet like this.  I figured we'd meet after a show or something.  I also didn’t think you’d be so…"

"That I’d be so…what?"

"Cute." He stammered and blushed slightly.

Cher pointed and halted at the guest dressing room's door. "Well, this is my stop."  She was allowed to use the ample sized dressing room for the week.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure," Cher replied.  Ryan held open the door for her and they both walked inside.

"You know Ryan, I never dreamed I'd get to talk to you ever.  I live so far away.  I was just supposed to be an extra!  But I guess fate smiled upon me.  After the woman who was supposed to play Jen fell ill, Drew asked me if I could try acting and take her place. His crew couldn't find an actress that fit the part on such short notice."

"So, uh…I'd like to hear more of your story.  Got plans for tonight?"

"Not really, I think I’m just going to go back to the hotel and relax. We’ve got a hard day of filming ahead of us, tomorrow."

"How about dinner?" Ryan asked out of the blue, hoping for a positive response. He wanted to know more about her.

"Excuse me?"

"Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?"

"Sure." Cherilyn could not believe it. Ryan Stiles was asking her out?!

"How about 8:30? Sounds good?" Cher nodded, wrote the necessary information on a napkin and handed it to Ryan – who nodded and wrote his number on another napkin.

He stuck the napkin in his pocket, and as he walked out the door he said, "It was really nice to meet you, Cher."

Just breathe, Cher. Breathe deeply. She thought. Four minutes later, it was time to head to the Briefing Room, and she was still buzzing. Dinner? Dinner with Ryan Stiles?  Unbelievable!

Meanwhile, as Ryan walked down the hall to his dressing room, he realized why he wasn’t able to sleep soundly the past few nights. A familiar yet distant woman walked into his and Lewis' lives.  And, not unlike Lewis, Ryan might have finally found his girl.

** The End **

(OR IS IT?)

*Copyright 2001-2003, Cherilyn W. Gerard. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted without written permission from the author. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.*

Disclaimer: I do not know Ryan Stiles, Drew Carey or any other cast member personally. I have never met any of them. This story is purely fictional. The Drew Carey Show and the characters contained belong to Warner Brothers & AOL Time Warner/ Mohawk Productions. Cher/Jennifer Nakamoto is a character that I have created. I have used the characters/settings (i.e.: The Warsaw) from the Drew Carey Show (without permission) to write my first fan fiction. If you have any problems or would like to use her in one of your stories, please email me first @ tweety@hi.net. Mahalo. Thank You.