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ONE
Flynn
“And the winner of the outstanding supporting actor in a drama award goes to.” Gloria King fiddled with the envelope.
I took a deep breath and sighed. This wasn’t me, people like me didn’t get put up for awards. We got dragged off by the cops for being in a fistfight again. Multiple fistfights over the years, and as far as I was concerned every one of them had been justified. I had gotten my face in tabloids more for that than for the shows I had starred in.
Maybe the world was changing, and a guy like me could win. The other candidates for the award were great, and I really admired their work. Just looking around this place when we walked in, I thought ‘what the fuck am I doing here?’ My father always went to fancy medical conventions when we were growing up, but I just stayed home with Mom. Having a wife in a wheelchair didn’t suit his fancy image. Mom used to say she didn’t care but I reckon she did. We would stay home and watch scary movies.
The theatre was huge with its striking maroon and blue seating and could seat seven thousand I was told. I could never imagine what it would be like to perform on that stage. I mostly did film and TV. It took a lot more from me to reproduce the same performance every day for a whole season. Every time I acted, I took something from my life and put it in the character. I lost a bit of myself. My tank would run dry if I had to do it day after day so I let my theatre work slide. It was why I was surprised to be in this group. I was an imposter. The other guys were so much better than me.
Someone patted me on my shoulder. Declan was sitting next to me. He was the lead on the show ‘Dark Storm’ I was in. He was also one of the nicest people I knew in Hollywood. This town could eat people up and spit them out for breakfast. Declan seemed to have weathered it.
“You got this, mate.”
I loved his Aussie enthusiasm but was more shit scared about what I would say if I did win. Gloria opened the golden envelope.
“Flynn Foley.”
Fuck, I’d won. Everyone was patting me on the back and shaking my hand. I stood and walked toward the stage and the podium. I should have prepared a speech, but in what universe did I think I would win? This one, obviously. I was pretty sure only one person at home in Ireland would be watching. The award was handed over to me, and the applause was deafening. What was scarier was the silence that would come when they expected me to speak.
“Thank you for this award. First thing I’ve ever won apart from the egg and spoon race at primary school. We all Blu Tacked our egg to the spoon so that wasn’t really a win. Don’t tell anyone.” Everyone laughed. “I am proud to be here with so many other people in this group. Wonderful actors who all deserved to win as well.” Mom always said be humble. “I want to thank director Jacob Wright for giving me a chance with this role. Being a vampire from another world and trying to fit in while not eating everyone was difficult. A bit like being an Irishman in Hollywood.” People laughed again. I thanked everyone I could think of, but there was one other. “I lastly want to thank my mother for believing in me. This one is for you, Mom.”
I was escorted offstage, but all I wanted to do was get back to my friends and celebrate. That was not going to happen. The cameras were waiting in the wings, so I could hold up my award, and then more people came and asked me questions. I had my agent, David, and publicist, Jenny there with me.
I could answer questions till the cows came home about the show. If one of them asked about Mom then I would tell them to go fuck themselves. That would be the one thing that would be reported from the night. I would go along with the flow as my agent, David, waved at me from across the room then came over.
“My phone is running hot. So far, we have an offer of a movie in Iceland where you are playing an Irishman who sailed there in the 1800s. We also have you as a lawyer in New York who brought down a government official. A very famous kids’ show wants you to do a special as well.”
“I’ll think about the other two, but the kids’ show is a certain.”
People were calling my name for more pictures. This was what I wanted, right? If that was the case, why did I want to be just having a beer with my drinking mate, Jack? Declan’s brother. Others would love to be where I was tonight so I should appreciate what had happened. I still thought someone was going to say it was a mistake and want the award back.
At least now we were having fun at an after-party. The convention center was one of the swankiest in LA, and I had the ticket with my win. The whole event was alfresco and looked like a magical wonderland. The food and drinks flowed as a string quartet played. Later things would heat up on the dancefloor. I did all the right things, spoke to the right people, and now I wanted fun.
I was dancing. Okay, so I was shit at dancing without a choreographer and ten hours of practice, but I thought my freelance movements were cool. No one else did. Everyone else thought my limbs had been dismembered and struggled to work together. I was having fun so they could go screw themselves. I wanted to wallow in the moment of my win, but it still felt unreal. Someone was going to ask for the Emmy back. I paid the money for it so they had no chance. I needed a break from my exercise and sat down.
Okay, time to look around before I got too drunk. Thank goodness my agent and publicist moved on to the rest of their clients. Lots of other Hollywood identities were here though most would not have a clue who I was. Declan and Callie were coming over, and I could see from their faces they were going to bail. If Jack went with them, I would be giving him hell. Said he was a wildfire. More like a wilting weed if he went home.
“Callie and I are heading home. I know you are probably two sheets to the wind and won’t remember, but you won, man. You deserve it. You’re bloody good, even if you’re an asshole and don’t believe it.” He gave me a hug. “If you had a kind bone in your body you would let some of it rub off on me. Put in a good word for me for next year.”
“Like you need luck. Lead on the show, and we all want to know what your secret dick trick is that you have this woman.”
“I still have no fucking idea why she chose me, but I’m hanging on tight. And with that goodnight. The twins will be calling.”
The concept of having kids was beyond me. Happy one minute, angry the next. At least I knew not to do that to anyone. Not that anyone was saying come and be my baby daddy. I was too fucked up for kids anyway. I always made sure I took precautions so there weren’t any little Flynns roaming about out there. I hugged Callie. I liked Declan, he got me. We didn’t need to say anymore to each other.
“Bugger off and leave me with your degenerate brother and I will try not to disappoint.”
Jack put his arm around my shoulder.
“Here as requested.”
I loved Jack and knew exactly what we needed to do to make this bunch come alive. I needed to do a zip line across Hollywood and convince him to do the same. After two more drinks and more crazy dancing, I needed to hit the restroom. As I went to head back to the restaurant, I saw a couple talking. I might be three sheets to the wind now, but I could see from the way the woman held her arms tight around her body she was not happy. It was as if she was curling in on herself, something was wrong.
Before I could ask if she was okay, the man put his hands around her throat as if to throttle her. She pushed him away, and he slapped her across the face so hard she was thrown into the wall behind her. I didn't like seeing anyone get hurt, let alone a woman. It was not in me to just stand by. Fuck it. Here I go again.
I pulled the guy off her. I grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.
