Chapter Twenty-Six
“I think this is a bad idea,” Michelle said as she sipped her wine. “There is plenty to watch on TV. We do not need to watch the stupid Actors Awards.”
Bethany smiled. “We don’t, but I do. Okay?” When Michelle looked unconvinced, Bethany added, “Look, it’s been a month. It still hurts, a lot actually, but I’m better. And that is because of you, my friend.”
Michelle frown softened. “Don’t flatter me, I still say—”
“I was a fan before I met him; I’m still a fan now. Please, just let me watch it okay?”
Michelle sighed. “Fine.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Actors Awards!”
“Shh,” Bethany warned. The camera passed by many famous people eating and drinking. But when the camera panned over to Aidan Shannon, Bethany started in surprise. He looked terrible.
“Oh my God, is that him?” Michelle asked.
Bethany could only nod. As the night progressed, the camera would occasionally show glimpses of Aidan, and every time the camera focused on him, he was drinking wine. He looked oddly disheveled. He was clean-shaven but somehow managed to look like he needed to shave. His hair, which could be artfully messy, looked downright dirty. His green eyes looked bleak and pale. When the announcer said that the best actor in a film went to Aidan Shannon, Bethany was deeply worried that Aidan was about to make an ass of himself in front of millions of people.
Aidan sauntered up to the stage and accepted the award, nodding at the camera and audience. “Thanks for this. Really. It’s grand. I’d like to, ah, thank my ma for giving me such great fodder to play a drunk.” He gave a short bark of laughter and then turned serious. “She was a brilliant drunk, you see, and it was in me to play this role.” His eyes lost their focus for a moment, and Bethany was afraid he was going to pass out. Then he smiled, although to Bethany, it appeared fake. “It’s hard being a celebrity, isn’t it? Lots of sacrifices, lots of love lost. Well, thanks again for this. Cheers.”
“Great God almighty,” Michelle murmured.
For a moment, Bethany thought the real Aidan smiling at her, but then the fog returned to his eyes. He was good and properly drunk. He accepted an award for playing a drunk while he was intoxicated. The papers would have a field day with that. Especially after the whole fake addiction scandal.
“Aidan,” she whispered. She couldn’t even get excited about the vague reference to “love lost.” To her way of thinking, Aidan was in a bad way. She picked up the phone and called Serena.
****
“Oh! Oh, you big man! Oh my God. Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh my Gawd!”
Aidan awoke to the banging of the headboard from the room next door. Where the hell was he?
“Oh!” she moaned.
Aidan winced. That woman was a major screamer—worse than Bethany on any night.
“Oh my God!” she shrieked.
Where the hell was he and why did his face feel like it had taken a beating?
The activity next door seemed to be reaching a crisis. The headboard was hammering so loudly on the wall that Aidan was sure a crack would form on the wall any minute. But why was he in this cheap hotel that smelled vaguely of stale cigarettes?
“Oh God, oh God! Oh Gawd!” screamed the woman lustily. Then, silence.
Aidan had to hand it to her; she was having a great time. The door opened, and Evan Marcel walked in with Serena.
“What the hell is going on, kids?” Aidan asked sarcastically as the couple from next door began their mating dance again.
“Ooohhhhhhhh,” moaned the woman.
Evan looked at the wall with amusement. “I watched them go into that room. She looks like a typical maiden aunt and he looks like a car salesman.”
“Use that tongue, you bad, bad boy!” yelled the lusty maiden aunt.
The threesome looked pained.
“Well, I don’t know about you two, but I did not need that picture in my head,” Serena said, a slightly sick look on her face.
“I’m with you,” Evan agreed and kissed her.
“Well? Shall we get out of here?” Aidan asked a bit impatiently.
Evan looked at Aidan. “Oh. Sorry. But they are distracting.”
For the first time, the male voice was introduced to their little porno. “Oh yeah, Momma! Suck on that big ol’ juicy lollipop!”
“We need to leave now,” Aidan said, attempting to get out of the bed. He was dizzy. “My eyelashes hurt,” he moaned.
“I just bet they do,” Serena said primly.
“Help me up, Evan, let’s get out of here.” Evan walked right up and wrapped Aidan under his arm. They were close to the exit but before they could leave they heard the man next door yell.
“You can suck the brass off a doorknob, woman!”
Aidan lost his balance, he was laughing so hard. “The brass off a doorknob, huh?” Then he frowned. “Evan, what the hell am I doing here?”
Evan carefully walked Aidan to a waiting limousine. “You needed to rest after the fight.”
Aidan looked at the younger man blankly. “What fight?”
“Oh, boy,” Serena said.
“You don’t remember picking a fight with some redneck?” Evan asked.
“First of all, there are rednecks in Los Angeles?” Aidan was surprised to find that out.
“Aidan,” Serena moaned. “You were getting the holy snot beat out of you. If it hadn’t been for Evan…”
Vague memories of some young upstart walking up to him in a bar came floating back. The kid had taunted him, and Aidan was in a very bad place. It made him a very mean drunk. “Tell me I got a couple of good punches in.”
“Fortunately, you were too drunk,” Serena said smartly.
“What do you mean, fortunately?”
“Please. He would have sued if you hurt him. They all sue. It’s the great American pastime. More popular than baseball.”
Evan frowned at Aidan. “Why did you bring that up? You know how she loves this subject.”
“If a woman is going to sue a fast food chain for burning her thigh, the world truly has gone to hell,” Serena continued briskly.
Aidan and Evan groaned together.
“I mean, its coffee, for God sake! Coffee is hot! What was she expecting? You place a cup of super-hot coffee between your thighs and, well, you get what you deserve. That’s what I say, anyway.”
Aidan and Evan both murmured in agreement. They had heard all of this before.
“Okay, the lecture is done. Now could someone tell me why I was in a cheap motel next to Mr. and Mrs. Moaner?” Aidan asked impatiently.
“You were so drunk, Aidan. We needed you to sleep it off, someplace anonymous,” Serena said, a sad look in her eyes.
That was a smart move on her part. If they had attempted to take him back to his hotel, the media would have had a field day. Aidan smiled at Serena, who always took care of him. He kissed her lightly, ignoring Evan’s “Hey!” as he hugged her close. “Thanks for taking care of me, luv.”