What Is Left Unsaid : An Ashley Purdy Love Story

Under The Microscope

TIANA 'S POV :

       "Seriously , do I actually NEED this much makeup ?" , I ask the girl who is currently attempting to coat me with something like thirty gallons of foundation .

       "Only when you're going on TV , hon !" , she responds . "I know it seems like a bit much , but if we don't do it , you'll wind up looking like a ghost . Those lights suck out all of your color ."

       "Look at some of our old interview clips , babe . You'll see what she means if you watch the ones where they caught us right after we got up or something ." , Ash says , as he leans against the wall , watching me get spackled .

       She finally gets finished , and someone leads me to the area where I'm supposed to wait until my part comes up . Ash gives me a kiss and says , "Don't stress , darlin' , you'll be fine ." , before someone else takes him to a seat , so he can watch the taping .

       I sit for awhile , along with the movie director who is the other guest , watching the ladies banter amongst themselves , with Whoopi still grousing over the election results last month . Although , to be honest , I can't really blame her for that . Finally , they do the lead - in , talking about women who are in some way involved in the film industry , and bring us both out . 

       We take our seats , and they do a short overview of our respective situations , talking about how the other woman is being talked about as a possible Oscar contender for her first film , which she not only directed , but also wrote the screenplay for . They then bring up how the movie rights to my book have already been optioned , and that the studio is already interested in the sequel , even though it hasn't even been finished yet .

       "So , Tiana , I've heard that you're also dating someone in the entertainment industry ." , Joy Behar says . "Is that true , or just a rumor ?" 

       "Yes , my fiancee is a rock musician . His name is Ashley , and he plays bass in the band Black Veil Brides ." , I reply . "He also runs his own clothing line , and does the cover art for my books ."

       "How did you meet him ?" , Candace Cameron Bure inquires .

      "We actually dated in high school , but then he moved out here to go to college , and get his career started , so we lost touch . Then earlier this year , I moved to Vegas , and when my brother and sister introduced me to their new boyfriends , they turned out to be his cousins . We started talking again , and realized that we still had feelings for each other , and now we're engaged ."

      "That's what you'd call a lucky coincidence ." , she responds .

      "Yeah , I thought so , too ."

      "I understand that he's in the audience today ." , Whoopi announces . "Ashley , why don't you stand up and let the viewers have a look ."

       He stands up , giving the camera a small wave , then blows me a kiss before he sits back down .

       "Do you guys find it difficult , with both of you being celebrities ?" , Candace asks . "Is there any career conflict or anything ?" 

       "Not even a little bit !" , I say . "We're not in the same field , so there's no competition , and we totally support each others careers . And since I don't have a job that keeps me in one place , I can go out and spend some time with him when the band is touring , so we don't have to go weeks or months without seeing each other ."

       They get the director to discuss how her relationship is affected by her career , give us each another chance to plug our projects , and then it's done . When I go backstage , Ash is already waiting for me , and hands me a container of makeup remover .