Right after Ryan Conklin had found out that he was being recalled back to active duty by the Army, he decided that he would wait to find what he felt was the right time to tell each of his roommates on The Real World Brooklyn about what had happened. Scott Herman was the first to know, and the other two guys, Chet Cannon and JD Ordonez, were told by Ryan later individually. For the four girls. Baya Voce, Katelynn Cusanelli, Sarah Rice, and Devyn Simone, Ryan decided to tell them all at once that evening. The girls were playing cards at the card table, as they did most nights. On this night, they were discussing having plaster casts made of their breasts to support the breast cancer awareness organization "Keep A Breast". The atmosphere was light as Katelynn told Baya, "Listen, you have the nicest t|ts in the house which means that you are subject to open groping." Baya, laughingly disagreed, screaming, "Nooo!" Sarah commented that she felt that her cast did not do her breasts "justice".
It was at this moment that Ryan felt he was ready to share his bad news. He asked Devyn to pause from dealing the next hand and said he wanted to let them know about the figurative "ass wagon" that had struck him that morning. The girls didn't know what he meant by that, but it got their attention.
Ryan explained that he had been called by his family that morning and told that in the mail he had received his involuntary invitation to return to active duty and the mission in Iraq. So that was the reason he had been down in the dumps all day.
The girls were all terribly saddened to learn of it. However, Baya wasn't willing to accept it as fact that he would be going back to Iraq. She told Ryan as she gave him a loving hug, "You won't go back, don't worry, I promise. You can't. You can't. You can't."
Ryan was in a more realistic state of mind: "I'd love to be able to know that that's true, but..."
Nevertheless, he tried to make everyone feel a little better about it, by saying he had no problem going back. It would be okay because he still had enough fortitude for another fight.
The mood was understandably doleful in the room after Ryan's announcement. Devyn tried to lighten it by asking Ryan whether he had seen her shoe. He was confused by the non-sequitur, but Devyn explained that since he was in a vulnerable spot she was going to take advantage of it to see if he would be open to help solve the mystery of the disappeance of what was most important to her, her beloved shoe.
Ryan tried to be accommodating, but he wasn't sure what shoe she was talking about. Devyn asked Katelynn to describe it, which she did, calling it a "come f*ck me pump." Ryan was visibly disturbed by the concept and asserted forcefully that he didn't not know what such an object would be. He loudly assured Devyn that he had no idea where her pump action footwear were.
Drained by the day's events and the discussion of Devyn's mantrap shoes, Ryan arose from the stool he was sitting on so he could go get some rest. The girls, however, insisted that first he must engage with them in a group hug. Ryan passively submitted to the four-way embrace as they encircled him and cut off his escape.
Given that Ryan provides few opportunities to check him out, one or more of the girls took advantage of the situation to assay Ryan's treasure trove with a little investigative groping. Ryan was used to the interest that everyone has in him and just laughed it off. A little levity for him in what had been a truly unhappy, red-letter day.
