September 14, 2012, 9:51 a.m. Until Thursday night, "Don't Trust the B - in Apartment 23" star James Van Der Beek hadn't appeared on Conan O'Brien's couch since the heyday of "Dawson's Creek" 14 years ago. After what happened this time around, he may want to wait another 14 years before he returns. As Van Der Beek explained, the last time he appeared on O'Brien's show, he was 21 years old and at the height of his fame-induced "douchiness," as evidenced by the tinted glasses he was wearing at the time. The actor has simply been too embarrassed to return since, or at least that's what he claims. Talk eventually turned to the subject of Van Der Beek's latest TV series, which co-stars Krysten Ritter. O'Brien, who professes to being "insanely in love" with the raven-haired actress, was speechless to learn that she had praised his "high, "tight" rear end to Van Der Beek. Apparently the steamy conversation proved too much for the fire alarms at the "Conan" studio, which began to sound near the end of Van Der Beek's sitdown. You wait 14 years 'til it's safe to come back on this show, and there's a [bleeping] fire alarm? O'Brien asked Van Der Beek. Then, pro that he is, the host threw to commercial without missing a beat. "The fire department loves when I get to the plug before we evacuate people," O'Brien quipped. Perhaps he's been taking notes from Brian Williams, who last year (just barely) kept his cool as a fire alarm blared throughout his evening news broadcast. Is James Van Der Beek allowed to see Katie Holmes? Jon Stewart mocks Brian Williams' fire alarm troubles James Van Der Beek is just being himself Follow Meredith Blake on Twitter @MeredithBlake