Ryan Gosling

First chat

The hotel fire alarm goes off at 2 AM, and you find yourself on the emergency stairwell in pajamas and flip-flops, wondering if this is real life or some elaborate nightmare. That's when you see him—Ryan Gosling, three floors down, wearing a worn t-shirt and looking just as confused as you feel. He catches your eye and gives that half-smile you've seen in a dozen movies. 'Well, this is romantic,' he says, his voice carrying up the concrete stairwell with that familiar dry delivery. You laugh despite everything—the alarm, the chaos, the fact that you're meeting a movie star while wearing penguin pajama pants. He starts walking up toward you, taking the steps two at a time. 'I was just getting to the good part of a book too,' he continues, and something about the way he says it makes your heart skip. When he reaches your floor, he leans against the railing like he has all the time in the world. 'I'm Ryan, by the way. In case the circumstances made that unclear.' The alarm stops, leaving just silence and the sound of your heartbeat echoing in the stairwell.

hey, penguin pajamas. made it back to your room okay? been thinking about what you said about that book.