Page 26 of After Midnight

After my final set one night, Jolie approached me and asked if I could meet with her the following afternoon.

Damn, this was it. Time for me to face the reality that I was the crappy comic I’d known I was all along.

“I’m finally getting the boot,” I later informed Ashton. “It’s like those reality TV shows. I’ve been voted off the island, or some shit.”

“It’s unlikely you’re being let go,” Kaitlyn said, having overheard us. “They haven’t been very private when they’ve let the others go. When it happens, they pull you aside after your set and say sayonara then and there.”

“Ouch. Really?”

She nodded. “It’s more likely they wanna switch you to another slot. Kid, you used to kill the nine o’clock show, don’t be upset about it. Adapting to change is the key to survival in this business, remember that.”

I shrugged, not at all confident I wasn’t on the chopping block.

The next day, I arrived at Jolie’s office, waiting for the proverbial ax to fall.

Jolie was on the phone, so I stood awkwardly in the open doorway. She smiled at me, gesturing toward the phone as a way to explain she’d be with me in a moment, and waved toward the chair opposite her.

I took a seat, furtively looking around. My palms were beginning to sweat and my throat ran dry.

When she hung up, she turned her full attention on me, never losing her smile.That’s a good sign, I tried to reassure myself.

“Dillon, thanks for coming. I know it’s hard to come in during the day after a night onstage, but I have a proposition for you.”

“A proposition?” I croaked, my dirty mind flashing to visions of her chasing me around the old battered desk. I had to force away mental images of the woman, not much younger than my dads, dressed as a whip-wielding dominatrix. I literally shuddered as I burst out, “I’m gay!”

She stared at me in surprise for a beat, then belted out a laugh. “Notthatkind of proposition, and you’d be so lucky,” she said, still chuckling. “Mr. Foreman saw you perform the other day and said you have a lot of potential. He’d like you to attend some of our improv classes to see if we can enhance your natural performance abilities.”

I stared at her open-mouthed, a whole raft of emotions rushing through my mind. Relief, shock, excitement, disbelief. I wasn’t sure if I was more relieved that I’d been wrong abouther proposition or that she’d just offered me an incredible career opportunity.

John Foreman was a force in the entertainment industry. He’d become a powerhouse agent for comedic talent in particular, helping elevate his clients to the heights ofSaturday Night Liveand beyond. At first, I thought Jolie must be pulling my leg.

“Honestly, who paid you to say that to me? Was it Ashton?” I asked, sounding more accusatory than the jovial tone I’d intended.

She looked amused, as if she’d heard those same disbelieving questions before. “No, this is real. Mr. Foreman, as you may know, owns Third County and flew in to see for himself how we were doing here in Denver. He was beyond impressed with you and said he laughed harder at your big hair rock star exit than he’s laughed in a long time.”

Even if I didn’t struggle with imposter syndrome, like a typical performer, nothing stroked my ego like someone finding my antics funny. “Cool,” I said, trying to play it as such and earning another chuckle from Jolie.

“So, is that a yes to taking our improv classes?”

“Oh yeah, definitely. But do I have to go to Chicago or Toronto or something?”

“Nope, it’s all online. However, Mr. Foreman wants you to come here to the club to do your classes. He wants you to be getting real-life practice as you perform, and we’ll be recording your performances so he can keep tabs on your progress.”

“That sounds amazing. Is anyone else from the club going to be in class with me?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“No, most of the new performers have already been through our classes. However, we were able to talk Ashton Pipkin and Kaitlyn Cross into co-teaching a stand-up class.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised.

Jolie cocked an eyebrow. “I’m guessing you don’t know about their illustrious history or careers.”

I shook my head in bewilderment. “Um, no. I mean, I’ve watched their sets so I know how hilarious they are, but I thought they were just seasoned comics who never caught their big break.”

Jolie chuckled and leaned back in her chair. “Sometimes I forget I’ve been in this business for so long. Working with new generations of comics is a good reminder of that,” she said, looking amused. “Ashton and Kaitlyn have performed on late-night TV, daytime talk shows, and numerous televised comedy festivals over the years. Their resumes are quite impressive.”

I shook my head, feeling embarrassed. “I had no idea.”

“Understandable, but go look your coworkers up. You’d be smart to learn everything you can from them. They are both pros.”

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