Lights, Cameras, Outsiders!

Chapter 66

LCO 66

Ralph came up behind me all of a sudden.

"Last take! Then we'll call it a day and start at the Curtis House after dinner!" Francis yelled. Susie got in her place with Tommy and Emilio by the door.

"What are you doing?" I asked Ralph.

"I wanna see this take," he said.

"But there's been lots of other takes."

"Trust me. I wanna see this one."

"Hey, darlin'," Patrick walked up and wrapped his arm around me.

"What are you doin' here at this time? You should be coming later!" I said, giving him the biggest hug I could manage around a gigantic guy like him.

"I know but I wanted to see the Do It For Johnny scene," Patrick said. Rob put his chin on my shoulder.

"Hey. Whatcha doin?" He smiled.

"I don't know. Why is everyone over here?" I said when Cruise joined the small crowd.

"Quiet on the set! Quiet on the set! QUIET!" Francis yelled.

"Action!"

"What's happened to your gown?" Susie asked.

"I threw it away."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to throw it away." Wait that wasn't in the script. I started to flip through the pages of the script. Matt sat straight up.

"Essie Hinton," he said, his Adam's apple slid down his throat and went back up again. I widened my eyes.

"Will you marry me?" My eyes got even wider and the set was silent.

"Is this real?"

"Yeah, it's real. Come here," he said, swooping his legs over the side of the bed and taking my waist as I stood in front of him.

"I love you, Essie. I love you so much, and I just want to spend every minute I have left living with you. You know, holding my hand and kissing my forehead when I'm sick or wrapping my wounds when I'm hurt or just giving me a simple kiss when I'm upset. You mean the absolute world to me, and if I couldn't spend the rest of my life with you, then there's no point of having one. So, Essie, will you marry me?"

I nodded and my throat started to close up and tears sat on the edge of my eyelids.

"Yes!" The whole crew erupted in a sea of clapping and whistling. We both beamed and he let go of my waist.

"Hey, uh, Ralph, bring me my jeans, will ya? It's kinda awkward doing this with no pants," Matt said and everyone laughed. Ralph tossed him his jeans and Matt stood up to tug his jeans on.

"Okay, now I can kiss my bride to be," he said, bending over, grabbing the sides of my face and giving me a gigantic kiss while everyone still clapped and chuckled.

"Mom, the ring," Matt said. Susie dug around in her jacket pocket and pulled out a royal blue box. Matt took it and opened it to reveal a small, but shining diamond ring glowing in the box.

"Here," Matt took it and slid it onto my ring finger. I got my tiptoes and kissed him again and began to cry.

"It's beautiful," I said. I looked to Susie and she was crying. I hugged her and Emilio came rushing in and picked me in a hug.

"Congratulations!" He yelled and put me down. I smiled and kissed his cheek. Tommy, Ralph, And Rob all came and wrapped me in a hug, all telling me congrats. Patrick picked me up and kissed my cheek and gave me a southern congratulations. And then there was Christine. She came screaming at me and gave me the tightest hug she could manage without crushing me.

"It happened! It happened! Oh my gosh, congratulations! I can't believe this," she screamed and hugged me again.

"You're going to help, right?" I said with a smile.

"Yes! We have so much to talk

About."

"Good," I said. She moved to hug Matt, and Francis came up to me.

"Sorry we confused the hell outta you. Matt wanted it to be a surprise," he said.

"Thanks, Francis," I said. He gave me a hug and shook hands with Matt.

"WHAT?! ESSIE'S ENGAGED?!" It was Jack and Dee Dee in the hallway and they came rushing in to give us both gigantic hugs and kisses.

"I'm doing your hair for the wedding," Dee Dee said. Oh God. I didn't even have time to begin thinking about that. Finally everyone cleared out and it was just Matt and Me.

"Thank you so much..." I kissed him again.

"Thank you for saying yes," he said with a smile.

"Look, I know you said two years from now was ideal but I really couldn't wait any longer," he said.

"You know, I don't think I could've either," I said. He kissed me again and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Mrs. Dillon," he said, "Essie Dillon...Mrs. Essie Dillon..."