15. Danny #2
It was the last day of the con, and a good number of attendees were leaving instead of hanging out for the remaining panels.
After the trailer, Jess had another panel to participate in, giving me free time before my session with Jorge.
I texted Sebastian to see if we could grab lunch again before he flew out tonight for a guest role on Crime and Justice.
On my way to the cafe, I got stopped four times by fans who wanted selfies with me.
It was a jarring experience. After the first two years on Minutes, the celebrity shine on me waned.
I could go wherever I pleased with only someone recognizing me once or twice a month.
Now I couldn’t walk down the street without people turning to look at me.
When I walked into the restaurant, the hostess who didn’t give me a second thought earlier in the week, seated me ahead of others who had been waiting twenty minutes.
As I waited for Sebastian, I had four different wait staff check on me within a span of five minutes.
I even got an appetizer I didn’t order or want as Sebastian arrived for lunch.
Most actors would love this treatment. I dreaded it. I wondered if this meant I would have to start wearing sunglasses and ball caps again at the grocery store or when I dropped Faye off at school. It’s not that I mind the fans, it was the baggage that went with it.
Then there was the show itself. I was no longer an ensemble actor with a role on a low ranked TV show due for cancellation. This was a series with a lot of eyes on it and rabid fans. This was on a scale I hadn’t mentally prepared myself for.
My mind had drifted during lunch with Sebastian, and he noticed.
“I know that look.”
I snapped out of my mental fog and smiled apologetically at Sebastian. “What look is that?”
He gave me a sympathetic smile. “That’s the expression of a man who is wondering what he’s gotten himself into. The question I have: is it the job or the girl?”
The thought of Jess lightened my mood. I laughed and leaned back in my chair. “The girl is great. The job is… a lot more than I thought it would be.”
Sebastian drummed his fingertips on the table before leaning back in his chair. He took off his glasses and began to clean them. “Daniel, I’m going to give you some advice and some truth. I want you to listen carefully, and not just because you idolize me.”
I let out a long laugh. “I’ll do my best.”
“First, the truth. Your talent was wasted on that soap opera. I know, it was steady work, and it allowed you to be with your family. Take it from an old actor who never found that one role to propel him to the heights he desired–”
“Sebastian, that’s not–”
He cut me off with a gesture. “Hush, boy. I’m being honest with you, and it may never happen again. All I’m saying is you found your role. Your shot. Don’t let that voice in your head cast shadows in your mind. You perform from the heart. It’s a rare talent, and it comes to you naturally.”
I exhaled. The pressure that was bearing down on me since the trailer aired began to relent. “Thank you, Sebastian.”
“Oh, I’m not done. Now for the advice. You have the role, but it won’t bring you happiness.
Jobs never do. It gives you challenges, highs, and lows which can be very rewarding.
However, what matters isn’t the job. I was lucky enough to find the one critic whose opinion I ever cared to hear, and I put her first. A few years later, she gave me a daughter.
And now I have a ten-year-old granddaughter.
I’ve been lucky to have these three critics in my life.
Every day I listen to them and put them first.”
He took a long sip of his coffee and gave me a smile. “I have a story. My granddaughter is now discovering all my work throughout the years on various shows. Every day I get a text from her with a clip or a photo of me. She discovers little parts of me, and I get rave reviews.”
We laughed. “Critics, huh?” I said with a nod. “And what if I don’t get rave reviews?”
“Then, listen carefully. Because those are words you need to hear and use to grow. I never had my big role like you, but I have had riches beyond mere dollars and tawdry possessions. I believe you have found three of your critics. Hold them close.”
“I will, but you're wrong Sebastian.” I leaned forward on the table. “I have four critics.”
Sebastian smiled and reached over to pat my arm. “My granddaughter texted me this morning. She sent a link to your trailer and asked if I knew you.”
“What did you say?”
“Well, the truth. That you’re a no-talent hack who once fell into an orchestra pit during a performance… and that I couldn’t be prouder of you.”
We laughed. He patted my arm again and stood up. “You’ll take care of the bill, as usual?”
“Of course,” I said with a grin. “Thank you, Sebastian.”
I struggled to breathe, unable to catch my breath.
I was flat on my back, drenched in sweat and unable to move.
I’d stayed in five-star hotels, but right now, at this very moment, the thick rubber mat of the gym was the most comfortable thing in the world to me.
As my breathing slowed, I realized that Paige was hovering over me with a skeptical expression on her face.
“Hey, Jorge!” Paige called out. “Are you sure he’s not going to die?”
From another part of the gym, no doubt setting up a piece of exercise equipment to finish me, Jorge shouted back. “He’s fine!”
“I would like to debate that,” I groaned.
“Okay, he’s talking now.” Paige dropped a clean towel on my head.
“Your empathy is overwhelming,” I muttered as I wiped the sweat from my eyes and face.
Paige settled down next to me, her thumbs tapping away on her phone. “Hey, do you think I was too harsh with Faye?”
“What do you mean?” I grunted. “I think a life sentence isn’t that extreme.”
That earned me a solid punch in the shoulder. I was no stranger to this conversation with Paige. Whenever something big happened in Faye’s life, I became the sounding board for my sister.
“Seriously, dude. She’s never done this before,” Paige said, back to tapping at her phone without missing a beat. “New territory. I’m lost here.”
I let out a small groan, feeling every muscle in my body protest as I sat up. “Well, you could do what you always do. Ground her, feel guilty after one to two days, and then let her off the hook.”
Paige put down her phone. That’s when I knew this conversation turned serious. “Yeah. That’s what Dad did with us. And you saw how well that worked with me.”
I took a moment to respond, mostly because my abdomen spasmed from all the burpees I just finished. “Faye isn’t you. She’s a good kid,” I replied. She punched me in the shoulder again. I winced and let out a grunt. “Hey! You know what I mean.”
Paige sulked. “So, you’re saying this is a one-time thing?”
“I think how you respond now could make it a one-time thing,” I replied.
“But you also have to remember that Faye is way smarter than we were at her age. If you’re really scared about her going down the wrong path, you need to talk to her about it.
Tell her some of your horror stories as a teenager.
Unlike us, she learns from other people’s mistakes. ”
“Yeah, but I don’t like playing the teenage single mother card,” Paige said, getting quiet. “You know I worry about putting any guilt on her like that.”
“Faye has never felt bad about being your kid and you know it. We both have other examples than that,” I reminded her. “Remember when you stole Dad’s car?”
A small grin crossed her face. “He was so pissed at me when he had to bail me out.”
“Tell her that story,” I advised her. “But maybe not with a fond smile.”
“Yeah. Okay.” She sat there for another moment or two, her eyes directed on the ground. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when it’s just me and her in Toronto.”
I didn’t have a response to that. Truth be told, I had been trying very hard not to think about the two of them moving away from California.
As the awkward pause continued, I forced myself to remember that this wasn’t about me or what I wanted.
“You don’t need me as a safety net, Paige.
I may have been your backup with her, but you’re the one in the trenches every day.
Look at how well she’s turned out. She’s smart, strong, and doesn’t take crap from anyone.
If you ever do need me, I’m always going to be there for the two of you. ”
Paige eyed me warily. “You mean that?”
“The moment you call me and say, ‘I need your help,’ there’s going to be a Danny Finnegan shaped hole in the door as I rush to get to you and Faye,” I assured her. “That’s never going to change.”
“What about you and Jess?”
I blinked. “What do you mean?”
She gave a little shrug, and I could tell she still felt insecure. “You two seem pretty solid for only knowing each other for a couple of days. With me and Faye gone, you two are probably going to hit it off. What if this turns out to be a big thing for you two? You’re not going to have time to-”
I punched her in the shoulder, and she turned to glare at me. “That’s not how this relationship works,” she snapped at me. “I’m the one who does the punching.”
“You’re an idiot if you think that anyone is going to get between the three of us,” I reminded her.
“We’re a package deal. Everyone knows that.
You didn’t see her last night, but Jess is the one who kept me from falling apart when we were searching for Faye.
If things do turn out well between us, I guarantee you that when you ask for help, there’s going to be a Jess shaped hole right next to mine. ”
A smirk crossed her face. “Yeah, she does have that run-straight-into-the-wall kind of personality,” Paige joked. I could tell her worries were subsiding.
“You okay, now?” I asked.
She picked up her phone, and I knew the conversation was over. “Yeah. I’m good,” she said before shouting out, “Hey! Jorge! Danny’s been keeping a stash of Snickers bars under his bed!”