Love Conquers All



~ Chapter 61 ~ 
    Gillian walked through WRCW’s hallways and into the studio,
where they had just finished taping Ryan’s show.  She was on a
lunch break from the hospital and, consequently, was still
wearing her pink and white striped uniform.
	Ryan spotted her across the room and came walking
over to meet her.  They hugged and exchanged a quick kiss. 
Pulling back to see her face, he kept his arms tightly entwined
about her waist.
	“Hey, baby.  What are you doing here?” Ryan asked,
playing with her hair.
	Gillian smiled, pleased that he had liked her surprise.
	“I’m on break from the hospital, and I thought I’d come
see you.  I know you just finished up your show,” Gillian said.
	“Yes, I did.  As a matter of fact, I was just -”
	Ryan never got a chance to finish his sentence, as he
was interrupted by a loud snapping sound from the ceiling. 
Looking up, he saw that one of the studio lights had broken
loose from it’s cable and was hurtling towards them.
	“Gillian, watch out!” he yelled, pushing her out of the
way. 
	He managed to jump out of the way of the light’s
immediate path, and fell to the floor a few feet from where it
landed.  Immediate chaos ensued as the crew and stage hands
came running to see if anyone was all right.
	The commotion had caught Liza’s attention, and she
came running out into the studio.
	“What happened?” she asked.
	Seeing the huge studio light on the floor, and Ryan next
to it, she gasped.
	“Oh my God,” she said.  “Someone could’ve been
killed.  Are you all right, Ryan?”
	Ryan turned over from his side, where he had landed,
and began to get up.
	“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said.
	Gillian came over to his side, still shaken, but wearing a
small smile on her face.
	“You tried to protect me,” she stated simply.
	Ryan managed a small smile in return.  Gillian nuzzled
closer to him, placing her hands on his chest, and he winced.
	“Ryan, what’s wrong?” Gillian asked, with worry.
	Looking down, she noticed that his short was torn where
he had landed on a shard of glass, and he was bleeding.
	“Baby, you’re cut,” she said.  “Let me take you back to
the hospital with me.”
	“No, no,” Ryan protested.  “I’ll be fine.  Really. It’s just
a small scrap.”
	“Ryan, you’re bleeding,” Gillian said, trying to reason
with him.
	Liza overheard the conversation and came over to them.
	“Are you sure you’re okay, Ryan?” she asked, with real
concern.  
	Since Ryan first came to Pine Valley and began working
at the station, she had become truly fond of him.
	“Yes, I’ll be fine,” he insisted, with a hint of amusement
in his voice at the fact that she was worried about him.
	Liza immediately tried to cover up for her slip.
	“Well, since it happened on WRCW property, I just
wanted to make sure.”
	Ryan rolled his eyes.
	“Yeah, sure,” he said.  “Don’t worry, I’m not going to
sue the station.”
	Liza smiled at him.
	“There’s a first aid kit in my office,” she said, walking
off to find someone to clean up the mess.
	After Liza left, Gillian began to instantly fuss over him.
	“Ryan, come on,” she ordered, with determination.  “If
you won’t come in to the emergency room, you’re at least
coming back to Liza’s office and letting me bandage you up.”
	“Okay.  Okay,” he said, realizing there was no use
arguing with her.
	She led him by the hand back into Liza’s office, closing
the door for privacy.  She stopped in the center of the room,
instructing him to stay there, while she went over into Liza’s
desk and grabbed the first aid kit.
	“Here,” she said, reaching for the waist band of his shirt,
“raise your arms.”
	She slowly peeled off his shirt and examined his torso. 
She saw that there was only one cut, just at the rib cage and,
seeing that the bleeding had stopped, guessed that he would not
need stitches.  She removed a cloth from the first aid kit and
poured antiseptic onto it.
	“This may hurt,” she warned him.
	She applied the antiseptic to Ryan’s wound, carefully
watching his face as he tried to hide his pain. 
	“I’m sorry,” she said, softly, and began to gently blow
on the cut to ease his pain.
	Feeling her breath on his skin, and the soft movements
of her hands on his chest, he was successfully distracted from
his cut.  Opening his eyes, he watched Gillian with growing
desire, as she prepared a bandage, completely oblivious to the
change in Ryan’s thought pattern.
	“This should do the trick,” she said, turning around to
face him.
	Immediately noticing the difference in the way he was
looking at her, she stopped what she was doing, putting the
bandage down on the table.
	Smiling at him, she said, “I remember you once taught
me the American custom of ‘kissing it and making it better’. 
Do you want to try that now?”
	Ryan watched her, fire blazing in his eyes.
	“What harm could it do?” he replied.
	Gillian slowly bent her head, placing a trail of soft, slow
kisses over his rib cage and down the line of his cut.  Ryan’s
breath caught in his throat, and he audibly gasped as he felt her
tongue on his skin.  Gillian pulled back, fearing he was in pain.
	“Did I hurt you?” she asked, with concern.
	Ryan laughed.
	“No.  No,” he said, amused.  “Quite the opposite.  In
fact, if you continue to do that much longer, I may just have to
have my way with you right here on Liza’s desk.”
	Gillian laughed.
	“Not now, you won’t,” she said.  “I have to be back at
the hospital in about -”
	She checked her watch to see what time it was.
	“About right now,” she said.
	Picking up the bandage, she gently placed it over his cut,
smoothing it onto his skin.
	“There,” she said, before helping him back into his shirt. 
“You’re as good as new.”
	“Thanks to you,” he said, pulling her tightly to him. 
“Kiss me good-bye before you leave,” he commanded.
	Gillian willingly obliged, and he kissed her thoroughly
before allowing her to leave the office and be on her way.
~ Chapter 62 ~ 
    After returning to the hospital, Gillian was leaning over the
administration desk, sorting through paper work, when Jake
brushed by, knocking into her.  Looking up, he saw who he had
run into it.
	After their last confrontation at the Valley Inn, and then
seeing Gillian at the hospital the next day, after she had so
obviously spent the night with Ryan, he had decided it was best,
for the time being, to keep his distance.
	“I’m sorry, Gillian,” he said, and began to walk away.
	Gillian felt guilty for being so short with him that night
she was out to dinner with Ryan.  The next morning, he had
noticed she was wearing the same dress, and had obviously
jumped to the wrong conclusion.  He had looked so hurt, and
she felt badly for him.
	“Jake, wait,” she said.  “I was hoping I could talk to
you.”
	He turned around and looked at her carefully.
	Well, this is new, he thought, convinced that his plan
was now beginning to work.  She’s actually coming to me.
	“Absolutely,” he said, smiling.
	“Why don’t we go into the sun room?” Gillian asked.
	Jake followed closely behind her, thrilled at this turn of
events.  Sitting across from her at a table, he waited for her to
speak.
	“Jake, I,” she began, carefully searching for her words,
“I want you to know that I didn’t like the way things turned out
at the Valley Inn, that night we ran into each other.”
	“You didn’t?” he asked, slowly, not sure where she was
going with this.
	“No, I didn’t.  I was short with you, and I shouldn’t have
been.  It was rude of me,” she said.  “But, I also didn’t like the
way you spoke to Ryan.  I know you two haven’t really gotten
along for quite some time but, Jake, I can’t allow you to treat
him that way, as if he were somehow beneath you.”
	“Or beneath you?” Jake suggested.
	“Yes,” Gillian said.  “I mean, no.”
	Her brow furrowed in concentration, determined to get
out what she wanted to say.
	“I just mean that I can’t let you treat him like that - or
even think of him like that - because it’s far from the truth. 
Okay?”
	Jake decided the best way to score points with her was
to concede, and humble himself before her.
	“You’re absolutely right, Gillian,” he said, meekly.  “I
was wrong.  I really hadn’t meant anything bad by my
comments, but I realized after I said them that they could be
taken the wrong way.”
	Jake reached across the table and took her hand.  Gillian
started to pull away from him, but stopped herself, convinced
that she was being paranoid, and that Jake was simply making a
friendly gesture.
	“I’m sorry,” he said, still holding her hand.  “And please
apologize to Ryan for me, too,” he added, as a side note.
	“I will,” Gillian said, smiling.  “I’m glad we had this
conversation, Jake.  I don’t want to lose your friendship.  It’s
too valuable to me.  Just because Ryan and I are back together,
doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten everything you’ve done for me.  
	You’re a good man, Jake.  You were always there for
me, whenever I needed you.  I haven’t forgot that.  You were a
shoulder to cry on, and someone to make me smile when I
really needed to.  We were very close friends, and I care about
you very deeply.  I still want you to be a part of my life, Jake. 
Relationships like that don’t come along everyday.  And I hope
that it hasn’t ended here.”
	“No,” Jake said, almost speechless. “No, of course it
hasn’t.  It never will.”
	He was stunned at what she was saying.  She still
wanted him in her life.  Relationships like theirs were rare. She
cared about him “very deeply”.  He was almost beside himself
with happiness.  Lately, he had begun to lose faith, but deep
down he had always known that, sooner or later, Gillian would
see the light. 
	“Oh, I completely forgot!” she said, excitedly.  “Have
you heard the news?”
	“No.  What news?” he asked, grinning at her.
	“About Dimitri.  The news that he’s still alive.”
	“What?”
	“Yes!” she exclaimed.  “He’s alive, and we’re having a
huge party at Wildwind next weekend to celebrate.”
	“That’s, that’s fantastic, Gillian,” Jake said, completely
stunned at the turn of events he had witnessed in the past ten
minutes.
	“I want you to come,” she said.
	Jake was about ready to heartily except her invitation,
when he decided to play it a little differently.
	“I don’t know,” he said, trying his hardest to sound
unconvinced.  “Ryan may not like it if I’m there.  I’m not sure it
would be such a good idea.”
	“No, no,” Gillian said.  “Don’t be ridiculous.  Ryan
won’t care.”
	“Well, it’s just, his general hatred for me might ruin
your good time,” he replied, with mock hurt.
	“Jake,” Gillian said, gently, “Ryan doesn’t hate you. 
And, besides, I’m the one who’s inviting you, not him.  I
promise you, he’ll be on his best behavior...And you will be,
too?”
	“I wouldn’t dream of it any other way.”
	“Then you have to be there,” Gillian said.  “I won’t take
no for an answer.”
	“Well, then, I guess I’ll have to say yes.”
	“Perfect,” Gillian said.  “And, now that I’ve convinced
you, I better get back to work.”
	Smiling, she returned to her rounds, feeling much better
about herself after clearing the air between them. 
	Jake sat alone in the sun room, reviewing their
conversation in his mind.  He could hardly believe his luck. 
Gillian was starting to see the error of her ways, and beginning
to recognize which man was truly worthy of her love.  He was
convinced now that it was only a matter of time before she was
back in his arms again.  Only, this time, it would be better than
before, because she would know that there was no one else who
could love her better then he could.
	But what could he do to give Gillian that final push that
she needed?  He had to get her alone.  That’s what he needed to
do.  At the party.  Yes, that would be perfect!  They would
dance the night away, and she would be reminded of their time
together at the Crystal Ball, the day before their wedding. 
Then, alone in the moonlight, he would tell her how much he
still loved her, and he knew she would feel the same way.  In
only two week’s time, Gillian will be mine again, he thought,
blissfully.  
	But how was he going to get her alone?  The first thing
he needed to do was make sure Ryan wasn’t at the party.  With
him gone, the rest would all fall into place.
~ Chapter 63 ~ 
	Gillian poured herself a cup of coffee and took a long sip as she
sat down at a table in Pine Valley Hospital’s sun room.  She felt
so much better about herself since her talk with Jake the day
before.  She’d had no idea how hurt Jake really was, and was
glad she’d taken the time to reassure him.
	The previous night, she’d briefly mentioned to Ryan that
she had invited Jake to Dimitri’s homecoming party.  She
smiled as she recalled the expression on his face, and how he
tried his hardest to hide his disgust.  Ryan was cute when he
was jealous, but he had no cause to be, and she was going to
have a delightful time proving that to him at the party.
	Finishing her coffee, she stood up to begin her daily
rounds.  Walking over to the first room, she knocked gently
before opening the door.
	“Come in,” came the answer.
	She was greeted by a pleasant looking man in his
late-sixties.
	“Good morning, Mr. Foster,” she said, glancing at his
chart to read his name.  “My name is Gillian.  How are you
feeling this morning?” she asked.
	“Pretty darn good,” he said, “considering I came in here
with a heart attack last night.”
	“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Gillian said.
	“Don’t be,” Mr. Foster replied.  “Dr. Hayward
performed the surgery last night.  Now he says my heart’s
working better than it has in ages.”
	Gillian smiled, trying to conceal the inward cringing that
took place every time David’s name was mentioned.
	“Well, Dr. Hayward is a top of the line surgeon,” she
admitted.  “In fact, we have some of the best doctors and nurses
in the world here.  It’s their job to get you better, but it’s my job
to keep you comfortable.  So if there’s ever anything you need,
Mr. Foster, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
	“Please, call me Clay,” he said, smiling.  “You know,
you remind me a lot of my granddaughter.  She’s a nurse, and
she’s been after me for years to cut back on my work and look
after my health.  I never did listen, though!”
	Gillian laughed, walking over to sit beside his bed.
	“And what line of work are you in?” 
	“I work in television,” he said.  “Actually, the funny
thing is, I was just in from New York on business.  I was having
some meetings over at WRCW.”
	Gillian smiled excitedly.
	“Then maybe you know my -” she paused, not knowing
exactly what to call him.  
“Ryan Lavery,” she continued.  “Do you know him?”
	Jake started to walk in the open door, but stopped at the
mention of Ryan’s name.  Waiting outside in the hallway, he
listened to their conversation.
	“Yes, yes.  I remember him from when he was in sales. 
But I see that he has his own program now,” Clay said.  “I could
see he had talent.  I knew when I first met him that he was
going places.”
	Gillian smiled lovingly.
	“I know he’d be very happy to hear you say that.”
	 Mr. Foster took in her expression as she spoke of Ryan.
	“Is he your husband?” he asked.
	“Uh, no. No,” Gillian said, holding up her left hand for
him to see the absence of a wedding ring.  “Actually, he’s my
ex-husband.”	
	Before Mr. Foster had a chance to reply, Jake came
walking in the room.	
	“And there’s the man I owe my life to,” Clay said,
grinning from ear to ear.
	Gillian turned to find Jake standing there.
	“I thought you said Dr. Hayward performed your
surgery?” Gillian questioned.
	“He did.  He did,” Clay continued.  “But this man was
there when I was brought into the emergency room, my heart
completely stopped.  He revived me, and saved me life.”
	Turning to Jake, he said earnestly, “If there’s ever
anything I can do to repay you, no price is too high.”
	Jake smiled modestly for Gillian’s benefit.
	“There’s really no need to thank me.  It’s all a part of
my job,” he said.
	“Well, Mr. Foster,” Gillian began, “I should be going
now and let Dr. Martin check you over.”
	“Stay,” Clay insisted.  “Do you have to go now?”
	Jake, who was suddenly anxious to be alone with the
man, answered for her.
	“You need your rest.  Doctor’s orders,” he said.
	“I promise I’ll be back to see you later today, all right?”
Gillian said.
	Mr. Foster nodded his agreement and Gillian left the
room.  Walking back over to the room’s entrance, Jake shut the
door.
	“She’s a real beauty, isn’t she?” Clay said, completely
charmed by her.
	“To put it mildly,” Jake answered, with disgust.
	“Excuse me?”
	“Nothing,” Jake said, deciding it was best to humor the
man.  
	After a pause, he continued.
	“What you said earlier, about wanting to repay me, did
you really mean that?
	“Absolutely,” Mr. Foster answered.  “What did you have
in mind?  A favorite charity? Perhaps you’d like me to put in a
good word to your supervisor?” 
	“Actually, I couldn’t help overhearing you mention
Ryan Lavery’s name,” Jake said, trying not to sound too eager.
	“Yes.  We work together sometimes,” Clay said.  “Why? 
Do you know him, too?”
	Jake lowered his voice.  
	“You remember the woman that was just in here,
Gillian?”
	“Yes.”
	“Well, we were supposed to be married a couple months
ago.”
	“She’s your fiancé?” Mr. Foster asked, excitedly. 
“Congratulations.”
	Jake paused, bitterly, at the man’s misunderstanding.
	“Yeah.  Thanks,” he said.  “But if you really want to do
me a favor, this is what you can do -”
	Mr. Foster cut Jake off.
	“Listen, if this involves anything illegal, I’m really not
interested.”
	“Of course, it’s not illegal,” Jake said, with growing
impatience.  “I need you to send Ryan Lavery out of town next
weekend.”
	“What?  Why?”
	“Like Gillian told you, he’s her ex-husband and, well,
he’s still rather hung up on her.  That’s why we had to postpone
our wedding.  He crashed our last one.”
	Mr. Foster frowned.
	“And he seemed like he had such a good head on his
shoulders,” Clay said.  “Why would he do a thing like that, with
no hope of ever winning her back?”
	“Well, he’s a bit delusional about Gillian.  He thinks
she’s still in love with him.  It’s really very sad,” Jake said. 
“But Gillian and I have this big romantic weekend planned for
next Saturday, and I’m just afraid if Ryan’s here in town, he
might do something to ruin it.  That’s where I was hoping you’d
come in.  
	You’ll be out of the hospital by then - as good as new -
and back in New York.  Call a business meeting.  Say that Ryan
has to be there;  without him, the deal is off.”
	“But I -” Clay began.
	“ I don’t know.  Just think of something,” Jake said,
uneasily.  “Look, Gillian and I really need this time alone
together.  And it would do Ryan some good to have a little time
away in New York City.  Maybe he’ll even meet a nice woman. 
You’ll be doing us all a favor.”
	“Well, when you put it that way,” Clay said.  “I guess I
could think of something.  I wouldn’t want to disappoint that
sweet angel.”
	Jake sighed, happily.
	“Thank you, Mr. Foster.  Thank you so much,” he said.
	Clay laughed.
	“Just do me a favor, and invite me to your wedding.”
	“Absolutely.”
~ Chapter 64 ~ 
	Ryan was lying on his bed with Gillian, thoroughly kissing her, when someone
knocked on the door to his loft.
	“Just ignore it.  Just ignore it,” Ryan whispered, his lips finding her neck and
continuing their path downward.
	“No, you should answer it,” Gillian said, amused.  “Maybe Scott forgot his key
again.”
	Slowly separating himself from her, he climbed off the bed.  Gillian buttoned her
shirt back up and followed him into the hallway.  Slipping his arm around her waist,
Ryan answered the door.
	“Liza, what are you doing here?” he asked.
	“Ryan, Gillian, I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she replied, taking in their
slightly tousled appearance.  “I’m here on business.”
	“Business?” 
	“Yeah.  Do you think we could have a minute?” she asked Gillian.
	“Sure,” Gillian said. “I have to change into my uniform anyway.”
	Quickly kissing Ryan, she went back into the bedroom, leaving them to talk.
	Liza grinned.
	“You two are just too cute,” she said, laughing.
	“Don’t even start with me,” Ryan said, his smile betraying his words.
	“Hey, hey, hey, I’m just glad I set you two up, that’s all.”
	In spite of himself, Ryan laughed.
	“I’m glad you did, too,” he said.
	“Well, if Adam and I can make it, anyone can.”
	“Yeah, how’s that going anyway?  How’s Colby?”
	Her face immediately lit up at the mention of her daughter.  
	“She’s great.  She’s growing up so fast -- too fast.  Which sort of brings me to
why I’m here,” Liza said, sitting down on the couch.
	“Okay,” Ryan said, having a seat in the chair next to her.  “What do you need me
to do?”
	“I’m looking into taking some time off.  A lot of time off - permanently.”
	“What?”
	“I don’t know.  I used to love running the station.  But now that I have a child, it’s
just not so important to me anymore.  And I had a rough time having Colby.  I don’t
know if I’m going to have another child.   I don’t want to miss out on anything with her. 
I’m leaving WRCW, Ryan.  I want you to be the new station manager.”
	“Are you serious?”
	“Absolutely.  I always liked you, Ryan.  Call me crazy.  But I always did.  And
you’ve done a fantastic job producing your show.  I think you can run this station.  No, I
know you can.  
	I want to start out by giving you the station manager position and, as time goes by,
if everything’s a success, I want to hand over stock to you.  Ryan, I want to make you the
owner,” Liza said.
	“Now I know you must be joking.”
	“No, I’m not.  Ryan you’re good at this.  You’re -- you’re great.  I think you’re the
person with the vision this station needs,” Liza said.  “And I’m not the only one who
thinks so.  I’ve got the perfect opportunity for you to prove to me, and to everyone else at
the station, that I’m right about you.”
	“Okay.  Shoot,” Ryan said.
	“There’s this guy, his name is Clay Foster.  He’s an affiliate at a New York City
station.  He wants to make your show national, Ryan.  And he’s talking about a possible
merger between our two stations.”
	“That’s great!” Ryan said.  “I can’t believe this.”
	“And he’s so impressed with you that he insists you be a major part of the deal.”
	“Are you serious?  Have I met this guy?”
	“He says he met you once, briefly.  But he’s been watching you, and he’s familiar
with your work, and he wants you to clinch this deal,” Liza said.  “If you can make it
happen, Ryan, I’m promoting you to station manager.  And all the rest, too.  The station
is yours.”
	“Why are you doing this, Liza?  I mean, why me?”
	“I told you, Ryan.  I’ve always liked you.  But there is more to it than that.  Just
because I’m giving the station up doesn’t mean I want to see it fail.  I’ve worked hard
here.  I want WRCW to be a success, with or without me.”
	“But I can’t just let you give me the station, Liza.
	“All right, then we’ll work something out.  You can buy it from me - at a reduced
rate, of course.  I don’t know.  We’ll figure out something.”
	Ryan sighed, thinking it over.
	“Okay.  I’m in,” he said, excitedly.
	“Ryan, there is one catch,” Liza said.
	“I’m almost too afraid to ask.”
	“Mr. Foster wants the deal done this weekend.  He’s called a conference in New
York.  You have to fly out first thing tomorrow morning, and you won’t be back until
Monday.”
	“But Saturday night is Dimitri’s homecoming party.  You know how important
that is to Gillian,” Ryan protested.
	“I know.  I know.  That’s why I feel horrible about asking you to miss it.  I know
it must mean the world to Gillian having Dimitri back.  And I realize how badly she
wants you to be there.  But you see the position that I’m in, Ryan.  This guy won’t budge.
He’s very insistent about it being this weekend, or not at all.”
	“Ugh, this is not happening to me!” Ryan shouted, frustrated.
	“This could mean a lot to your career, Ryan.  I’m not trying to pressure you.  I
just want you to understand the magnitude of this decision.”
	“I know.  I know,” Ryan said, running a hand through his hair.
	After a brief pause, he answered her.
	“All right.  I’m in - for the whole deal.  I want to do this, Liza.  I want the station. 
But you better not be fooling around with me about this,” Ryan said.
	“No.  I’m as serious as can be.  I promise you that.”
	“Okay.  I’ve got to drop Gillian off at the hospital, then I’ll meet you at the station
to go over the details.”
	“That’s fine,” Liza said, getting up and heading towards the door.  “Listen, do you
want me to explain this to Gillian for you?”
	“No, no,” Ryan said.  “I’ll tell her.”
	Liza showed herself out, just as Gillian came bounding back out into the living
room and over to Ryan’s side.  Smiling, she kissed him.
	“What are you going to tell me?”
~ Chapter 65 ~ 
	“What did you need to tell me?” Gillian asked.  “Why was Liza here?”
	“Do you want the good news or the bad news?”
	Gillian frowned.
	“Start with the good news.”
	“Okay,” Ryan began.  “Liza doesn’t want to run WRCW anymore.”
	“And that’s good news?”
	“For us, it is.  She wants to make me the new station manager.  Then she wants to
sell me the station.”
	“Ryan, baby, that’s great,” Gillian said, hugging him.  “I’m so proud of you.  See,
I always believed in you, and this just proves that I’m right.”
	Ryan laughed.  
	“Well, you might not think that after I tell you the bad news.”
	Gillian frowned again.
	“Go ahead and tell me,” she said, apprehensively.
	“Liza wants me to head this big business deal in order to prove myself.  If I can
sell the deal, my show goes national - and the station is mine,” Ryan told her.
	“But I don’t see how that’s bad news.”
	“I have to go to New York for the meeting - this weekend.  I leave first thing
tomorrow morning and I’m gone until Sunday.”
	“Ryan,” Gillian said, “but Dimitri’s party is this Saturday.  You’re going to miss
it?”
	“Princess, I don’t want to.  You know I don’t want to,” Ryan began. “I want to be
there for you, and Dimitri -- and for myself, too.  But this guy won’t budge.  It’s now, or
not at all.  And Liza’s not really going for the ‘not at all’.”
	Gillian sighed, and Ryan softly ran his hand through her hair.
	“Listen, I told Liza I would go,” Ryan said.  “But if you don’t want me to, I’ll tell
her no.”
	“Ryan, this could mean a lot for your career,” she protested.
	“I know.  I know that.  But you’re all that matters to me, Gillian.  Without you,
nothing else means anything.”
	“So, you would really stay here, and forget the chance of a lifetime, all because I
asked you to?”
	“Yes, absolutely.”
	Gillian leaned in closer to him, putting her arms around his neck.
	“That’s why I love you,” she said, kissing him.  “But, I can’t ask you to do that. 
You go -- go to New York, and knock their shoes off.”
	“Socks,” he said, grinning.
	“Yes, those, too.”

               *****************************************
	Gillian walked into the hospital’s solarium, preparing to sort through magazines. 
Seeing Jake sitting at a table, studying a medical chart, she stopped to speak to him.
	“Hi, Jake.  How are you?”
	“Great,” he said, looking up.  “How are you party plans coming along?”
	“Okay, I guess.”
	He laughed.
	“You don’t sound very convinced.”
	Gillian smiled.
	“I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to sound less than enthusiastic.  The party is going to be
fantastic,” she said.  “How could it not be with Dimitri as the guest of honor?”
	“Well, I just hope everyone’s okay with my being there.  Are you sure Ryan won’t
have a problem with it?” Jake asked, fishing for the information he was dying to find out.
	“No, Jake, Ryan doesn’t have a problem with it.  Anyway, he’s not going to be
there.”
	“What?  You’re kidding, right?”
	“No,” Gillian answered.  “Ryan has some business in New York.  He’ll be out of
town.”
	Jake was so thrilled he was all but dancing on air.  His plan was working
beautifully.  Trying to hide his excitement, he went in for the kill.
	“So you mean to tell me that Ryan would miss only the most meaningful event for
you and your family just to go to some business meeting?”
	“It’s not like that, Jake,” she said, trying not to sound hurt.  “This is something
really important to Ryan.  He has to do this.  And I completely understand.”
	“But it’ll probably be hard for you, though, without him there,” Jake said,
switching tactics and trying to sound sympathetic.
	Gillian sighed.
	“Yes, it will be,” she said.  “I’ll miss him terribly.  I’ve got to admit, I’m going to
be lonely.  I just really wanted him to be there, you know? And I -”
	Gillian suddenly cut herself off, realizing who she was saying this to.
	“Oh, God, I’m really sorry, Jake,” she said, horrified.
	Jake tried to cover his pain.
	“No, that’s okay.  We’re friends.  I want us to always be honest with each other -
no matter what.”
	Gillian was truly touched by his sincerity.
	“Thank you.  That’s very noble of you,” she said, smiling at him.  “You know,
you never cease to amaze me.  Sometimes I forget what a good, tender-hearted man you
are.”
	“Well, that’s why I’m here to remind you.”
	They both laughed.
	“But seriously, Gillian, I don’t want you to be lonely.  I want you to enjoy this
party.  Why don’t you and I go together - as friends, of course?”
	Jake held his breath, praying she’d say yes, and all his efforts wouldn’t go to
waste.
	“I don’t know, Jake.  I don’t really think that would be appropriate, considering
everything that’s happened.”
	He hadn’t actually expected her to agree right away.  He knew that this would
take a little finessing.  Jake looked down, averting his eyes from hers, and his face
clouded over.
	“You’re right.  You’re right.  I mean, I know you said you wanted us to be
friends, but you were just trying to be nice,” Jake said, sounding hurt.  “That’s okay, though. 
I -- I can understand that.”
	Gillian felt horrible.  She’d never felt so guilty in her life.	
	“Jake, no, no,” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder.  “I want us to be
friends.  I really do.  And I’m not just trying to be nice, okay?  I mean it.”
	“Okay,” Jake said.  “I believe you.  I just thought that, as friends, there would be
nothing wrong with doing things together.”
	He looked down again.  
	“But if you still feel too weird about it, and you don’t want to be seen with me,
then -”
	“You know what, we are friends, right?” Gillian asked.
	“Right.”
	“And there’s nothing wrong with going to a party together, right?  Lots of people
are going to be there - it’s not like we’d be all alone, like a date, or anything.  And,
besides, it wouldn’t matter if we were, because it would be strictly a friendship thing.”
	“Yes, completely on a friendly basis,” Jake said, trying to sound as convincing as
possible.
	“Okay,” Gillian said. “I don’t see the harm in it.  I’ll go to the party with you,
Jake.”
	“That’s great!  I mean, it’ll be fun for both of us to have someone to share the
evening with,” he said, trying to squelch his enthusiasm and not sound so desperate.
	Gillian nodded.
	“Listen, I’m on a lunch break right now,” Jake began.
	“Yeah, me, too.”
	“Do you maybe want to run down to the cafeteria and grab a bite to eat?”
	“Uh, I can’t.  I have to go run some errands,” Gillian said.
	“Okay.  Then, I’ll see you tomorrow night at the party.”
~ Chapter 66 ~ 
	Gillian knocked on the door to Liza’s office at WRCW.  The thought ran through her
mind that soon it would be Ryan’s office, and she smiled proudly.
	“Come in,” Ryan said, from inside.
	She opened the door to find him sitting alone at the desk.  Upon discovering that
Gillian was the person entering the room, his face lit up.  She flung her purse on a chair
and after quickly unbuttoning her coat, deposited it there, as well.
	Ryan pulled her into his lap and they kissed.  
	“I’m glad you came, Princess.  It’s been crazy here all morning.  How are things
at the hospital?” he asked, glancing down at her candy-striper uniform.
	“All right,” she answered, her arms looped around his neck.  “But I have to
confess, there’s a reason I came here, other then just to see you.  I have to tell you
something.”
	Ryan frowned.
	“I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
	Gillian took a deep breath, shifting in his lap, and preparing to tell him what she
knew he wasn’t going to like.
	“Do you remember how I told you that I invited Jake to Dimitri’s party?”
	“Yeah, I remember you told me.”
	“Well, I saw him at the hospital and he was worried that you might have a
problem with it if he came.”
	“He said that to you?” Ryan asked.  “He probably told you I’d turn into some
jealous cave man, right?”
	“He was just afraid you’d be upset,” Gillian said, stroking his arm in an effort to
soothe him.  “And I told him of course you wouldn’t care.  Then I mentioned that you
couldn’t make it to the party, anyway.”
	“I’m sure he loved that.”
	“He, uh, he asked me to come to the party with him - just as friends,” Gillian said,
stumbling over her words, “since you’re going to be out of town.”
	Ryan instantly absorbed what she was trying to tell him.
	“Gillian, you didn’t?” Ryan asked, slowly.  “You told Jake you’d go with him?”
	“I told him no,” Gillian said, in her own defense, “at first.  But then he made me
feel so guilty.”
	Ryan just stared at her without answering.  Gillian got up from his lap and walked
around the opposite side of the desk to face him.
	“Jake thought that I hated him, and when I said I still wanted us to be friends, he
thought that was all just a lie.  I couldn’t let him think that.  What was I supposed to do,
Ryan?”
	“Gillian, I wasn’t going to tell you this because I thought it would just upset you,
but Jake is not as okay with everything as you think he is,” Ryan said.  “He acts like he’s
fine with us being together, but that’s just for your benefit.  When you’re not there, Jake
-- he’s been taunting me about how he’s going to win you back.”	
	“How long ago was this?” Gillian asked, in shock.
	“I don’t know,” Ryan said, thinking back.  “I try to avoid him as much as I can.  I
guess the last time I remember was on Valentine’s Day.”
	“Well, you see,” Gillian said, “that was over a month ago.  I think he’s finally
excepted it, Ryan.  He just suggested we go together to keep each other company.  It’s
not like it’s a date.  Half of Pine Valley is going to be there.  We’re not going to be alone
at all.  You trust me, don’t you?”
	Ryan got up from his chair and walked around the desk to stand beside Gillian.
	“Yes, I trust you,” he said, taking her hands.  “It’s Jake I don’t trust.”
	Gillian sighed.
	“Ryan, Jake has always been a very good friend to me.  He was there for me, and
he put up with so much that he didn’t have to.  I was an emotional wreck.  I could barely
function without you.  He could’ve easily walked away and let me be someone else’s
problem.  But he didn’t.”
	Ryan let go of her hands and turned away.
	“Look, Gillian, you don’t have to convince me, okay?  I’m fully aware of the
marvels of Jake Martin.  I know too well how he was there for you when I was too busy
being a jackass to give you a second thought.”
	Gillian walked over to stand in front of Ryan.  Her eyes immediately softened
after seeing the hurt expression on his face.
	“Ryan, I didn’t say that,” Gillian said, gently.  “I just don’t want to destroy Jake to
be with you.  Please don’t make me.”
	Ryan reached out and took her in his arms.
	“No,” he said, holding her against him.  “I wouldn’t ask you to do that.  I
wouldn’t ask you to do anything you didn’t want to do.  I’m never going to hurt you,
Princess -- never again.”
	“I know,” Gillian said, looking up at him.
	“Go to the party with Jake,” Ryan said.  “It’s okay.  I don’t mind.”
	Her eyes narrowed.
	“Okay, maybe I do mind, but I can handle it.”
	Gillian smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
	“So how about you?  When are you leaving for New York?”  
	“First thing tomorrow morning.”
	“Good,” Gillian said, “then that leaves us tonight to celebrate.”
	“Well, I haven’t made the deal yet,” Ryan said, laughing.  
	“You will.”
	Ryan pulled her closer to him, kissing her.
	“So tell me more about this celebrating,” he said.
	“You should see the dress I bought to wear to the party,” Gillian said, temptingly. 
“I choose it with you in mind.  It’s horribly scandalous.  I haven’t worn anything like it
since when I first came to Pine Valley.”
	Ryan smiled, remembering the many provocative outfits Gillian had worn back in
her “wild” days.  Then the smile turned to a frown.
	“And this is supposed to make me feel better about leaving you here with Jake?”
	Gillian laughed.
	“Yes, because I’m giving you your own private fashion show tonight.”
	“Oh, you are?”
	“Yep,” she said, walking over to get her coat and purse.  “After you get out of
work, meet me tonight at Wildwind.  I’ll be upstairs waiting for you.”
	Ryan looked at her, thoroughly seduced.
	“There is nothing on earth that could keep me away.”
	
	    ******************************************

	Jake bumped into Gillian in the parking ramp, just as she was returning to the
hospital.
	“Are we still on for tomorrow?” he asked her.
	“Yes,” Gillian said.
	“So then you’re sure that Ryan’s going?”
	“Yeah, he’s leaving first thing tomorrow morning.”
	Jake nodded.
	“Well, I guess, I’ll see you then.”
	Gillian walked away and Jake grabbed his cell phone.  Dialing a number, he
waited for an answer.
	“Mr. Foster,” he said.  “I’ve got to commend you on a job well done.  Ryan’s
leaving first thing tomorrow morning, and Gillian and I are going to have the whole
weekend together.”
	“I’m just glad I could help you two.”
	“Listen, do you think it’s possible to make sure Ryan stays tied up at WRCW for
the rest of the night.  I just don’t want anything ugly to happen before he leaves
tomorrow.”
	“I can certainly try.”
	“That’s great.  Really, thank you for all you help,” Jake said, hanging up the
phone.