until the Academy Awards to ensure it is public and official. Rory is able to work out a deal with Jack Stansbury who is infected with the HIV Virus and desperate for a cure. However, he demands that Rory sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding the transaction. After Rory provides Jack enough blood to inoculate him and his wife, the security mogul provides Rory and Kelly with four security guards to protect them twenty-four hours a day.
For this time leading up to the event, the young couple removes themselves from the public relations schedule, asking Michaela not to book anything until after the show. This is also the perfect time for a break as the news media enters into full frenzy mode after the video of the mutilated goose goes public. Rory and Kelly also decide that any death threats will be copied for the FBI, then immediately returned to sender. Although they enjoy each other’s company, this valuable time is mostly spent inside the home, and they soon feel that their lives have been confined to a fishbowl. Every day Kelly has a story about something they used to do all the time, and when she brings it up, Rory simply continues to make the most of enjoying their time at home.
After several weeks of reclusive time in the house, or what Kelly likes to call Martha Stewart’s alternative living, the evening of The Academy Awards has finally arrived. Rory is dressed in a sleek black tuxedo, fully equipped with all the traditional flair that the show demands, including black, designer dress shoes. His hair is slicked back and he has grown a neatly manicured, brown goatee around his mouth. He sits patiently at the kitchen table waiting for Kelly to finish making last-minute adjustments to her: dress, hair, and makeup.
Just as he is about to remind her that the show is starting in less than an hour, his cell phone rings, and he sees Jack Stansbury’s name on the caller ID.
“Hello, Jack, how are you doing?” Rory asks in a pleasant voice like a little boy anticipating his first day at school.
“Things are going great, Rory. Are you excited for the show?” Jack speaks in his normal raucous, military tone, always trying to be pleasant, but clearly wanting to get to the point.
“I’m excited, and I think Kelly’s excited.” Rory replies quickly, looking at his large, silver wristwatch.
“Good, good. Well, about that,” Jack says in a selfish, snappy tone, “my guys were hired to protect you under normal circumstances, and we’ve been proud to cover your home for this long, but I can’t cover a special event like this without some extra compensation.”
“Compensation!?” Rory snaps back, raising his voice. “I cured you and your wife of the HIV Virus; how the fuck do I owe you compensation?”
“I really don’t appreciate your tone, Rory,” Jack responds with a raised voice and a stronger rasp. “All you did was to have some of your blood delivered to my doctor, which we are not supposed to be discussing AT ALL!”
“This is bullshit!” Rory exclaims with a voice that broadcasts contempt. “I can’t believe you’re trying to extort more money out of us; you pompous ass! My blood is worth $500,000 on the open market, and you’ve been permanently cured of a terminal illness.”
“Again, Rory, don’t fucking bring that up. Part of our deal is that our deal never took place. As for the money, I’ll give you a discount, but I have a business to run, and the guys I provided you are military badasses. Two of them even have anti-insurgency training. They could protect you from a terrorist. So yeah, you supposedly saved my life, but I’ve been saving yours for three weeks now.”
“Jack, I’ve had it with people trying to get free money out of me: the people who deliver our food, our dry cleaners, and now your second rate security guards. Maybe I should just put out a press release stating that I cured you of the HIV Virus?”
“Okay, that’s it, you cocky little sonofabitch!” Jack exclaims in a flare of defiance. “I am pulling my guys out, and if you need help in the future, whether you have the money or not, you can shove that dead goose right up your ass!”
“You cowardly prick!” Rory fires back as he gets up from the table to pace back and forth in his kitchen. “We bailed you out of your little mistake that took place God knows where and now you’re-“ Rory stops speaking as the phone goes silent. “Hello...? Jack?”
Just a few seconds after their heated call ends, Rory hears the screeching of tires against asphalt. As he looks out the front window, he sees a familiar black SUV driving at full speed out of his neighborhood. When it disappears around the corner, he recognizes it as the SUV that Jack’s security guards have been using to stake out his home and escort the couple around the city.
“Shit…” Rory utters to himself under his breath.
“What was that, babe?” Kelly asks, moving at double speed down the stairs despite her high heels.
Rory looks up at his girlfriend in a state of guilt and shock, unable to enjoy her amazing breasts bouncing with vigor as she descends the stairs in a remarkable blue, designer dress. She has a sheer black scarf pulled across her shoulders and is holding a blue clutch that matches the dress, and her hair is pulled up in a sleek wave that is classic and elegant.
“What did you do?” She asks, coming to a stop in the living room to look at him for a moment, before peeking out the front window. “Where are Sal and Tommy?”
“Jack and I had a disagreement.” Rory answers slowly, displaying indignant pride, but with eyes that show regret.
“I don’t care what you disagreed about!” Kelly declares with wide eyes. “Those men were here to keep us alive, Rory.”
“He wanted more money. The bastard doesn’t even appreciate that we saved his life and covered his ass.” Rory responds slowly, realizing his mistake as he hears it from his own mouth.
“I don’t care, just pay him the money,” Kelly demands, glaring at Rory with contempt and confusion.
“I can’t; he got pissed off and said that we’re on our own.” Rory admits helplessly as he stares at the floor, and then looks slowly up at her. “There will be security at the awards, and we have a limo driver.”
“This is unbelievable!” She says with frustration, glaring at him and folding her arms. “I want to hear you say it.”
“To say what?’ He asks in defeat, holding his arms out to his sides with the palms up.
“I want to hear you say that you fucked up.”
“I fucked up.” He agrees after a short pause.
“Okay,” she says with satisfaction, closing her eyes for a moment and taking in a deep breath, “lets do this.”
Rory tries to speak to Kelly in the back of the limousine, but she keeps her arms folded giving him half smiles every so often, showing her intention to ignore him in favor of staring out the window. Droplets of rain start to pelt the shiny black exterior of the limousine, and soon a torrent of rain begins to fill the streets; wild and unpredictable nature, forcing even the most dangerous people to take shelter.
As the limo stops in front of the red carpet, the driver runs around to open the door and Kelly steps out into the cold rain. However, her hair only takes a few droplets before an usher comes to her aid with an umbrella. Rory makes a fast exit from the rear of the large car then steps up to take the umbrella from the usher and holds it over Kelly’s head as they make their way toward the entrance. There are lines of reporters on either side of the red carpet; many of them unprepared for the rain. A few reporters recognize the couple and ask quest
ions about the mutilated goose, but Rory and Kelly simply put their hands to their ears, pretending they can’t hear over the storm.
When the couple enters the lavish Hollywood and Highland Center®, they are amazed at the large, magnificent golden statues, and the incredible displays of fashion, combined with bold facial expressions worn by celebrities. They are awestruck by the beauty and scale of the architecture as they step through the lobby, making their way to the main auditorium inside the massive venue.
When they approach the large wooden doors at the entrance to the auditorium, a young woman in her twenties steps forward wearing an expensive black and white usher uniform.
“May I have your names please?” she asks with a bright smile and gleaming blue eyes, turning slightly to the side as her blonde ponytail droops lazily behind her shoulders. She is holding a touch pad that contains a map of the seating arrangements.
“Rory Chambers,” Kelly states with a smile, still taking in all the amazing sights from this once in a lifetime event.
“Rory Chambers and guest.” The young woman reads from her tablet. “Please follow me,” she continues with a wider smile, escorting them to their seats on the far right side of the auditorium.
Soon the show begins, and the couple is immersed in nearly two hours of some of the best live entertainment they’ve ever witnessed. The experience is surreal as they sit amongst so many accomplished artists. For a moment, Rory feels like he is in a wax museum seeing all these people who have inspired him from childhood to adulthood. Kelly begins to cry when one of her favorite singers steps onstage and performs an emotional rendition