Page 103 of Declan
“I love you, Agent Pecs.”
My heart fluttered. “I love you too, Agent Michaels.”
I ended the call and placed my phone on the table. After giving myself one final check in the mirror, I left the dressing room and walked down the short hallway. The audience cheered from nearby, and I heard the amplified voice of Damien Snow, the host.
I was led to the wing of the stage and told to wait for my cue.
“Our next guest is an Oscar winning actor who’s played an athlete, a spy, a Spartan—” he was interrupted by women screaming, “and he’s the star ofLove and Coffee Beans, which he’s going to tell us about today. Welcome, Declan Price!”
Screams filled the room as I walked out.
The audience was in stadium-type seating, with the rows raising the farther back they went. People clapped and hollered. Some squealed at the top of their lungs. Bright flashes filled my vision, and I was sure not to look at the overhead lights.
Music played as I walked toward Damien. He stood from his chair and shook my hand.
Out of the talk shows I’d been on, he was one of my favorite hosts. He wasn’t overly flirty and exaggerated like Perry, the last host I’d talked to, and he seemed more down to earth. His charm wasn’t forced, and he had a genuine smile, like he loved what he did and didn’t just do it for the big paycheck.
Damien motioned to the plushy chair to his left, and I took a seat.
“It’s great to have you here, Declan.”
“Thanks for having me,” I said. When I looked out at the audience and smiled, the girls went wild. “Beautiful faces in here today.”
The screams grew louder before quieting down as they were signaled to stop. A few scattered screams still sounded, though. Rebel audience. My kind of people.
Damien started small, asking about the movie. The same handful of questions I was asked in every interview, and I gave the same scripted answers.
“The world premiere is soon, right?” Damien asked before taking a drink of coffee. He was sure to place it back on the table with the show’s logo displaying on the side of the cup.
“Yes. In two weeks.” I took a drink of mine, too, but there wasn’t really coffee in it. Just water.
“So. About the recent news.” Damien clapped his hands together, and a silence fell over the room. It was what everyone was waiting for. I’d been given the topics that’d be discussed in the interview beforehand, so I wasn’t blindsided. Didn’t make it any less nerve-wracking. “A new relationship? What can you tell us about that?”
He was careful about his wording.
I cleared my throat and smiled—a nervous one, I bet. “Well, I’m sure everyone’s seen the photos by this point.” There was a wave of chuckles when I arched a brow in dramatic fashion. Then, I grew serious and looked at Damien. “Um, well, it is what it is. I’ve kept that part of my life hidden for many years, and I was tired of hiding. Coming out is hard. Terrifying, if I’m being honest.”
“You’ve received a lot of support from fellow actors and fans,” Damien said. “Did you expect that?”
“I don’t know what I expected, but I’m glad to have their support.” I smiled at the camera before moving a gaze throughout the audience. “I’ve never been this happy.”
“What challenges do you think you’ll face now as anoutactor?”
“Hard to say what the future will bring,” I answered, trying to keep my tone light. The weight of my words sounded nonetheless. “I only hope that one day we’ll come to a point in society where a person’s sexuality doesn’t define them or what they can do. I’ve known I was gay since I was a teenager, and yet, I was still able to portray straight characters in movies. Talent is talent, regardless of who I have in my bed.”
Cheers and claps erupted in the audience. And when I looked toward the top few rows of people, I saw a group of women and a few young guys wearing rainbow shirts and cheering. No matter how many haters I had, they were outweighed by the people who actually counted.
“Well said.” Damien smiled. “I, for one, am thrilled that you’re happy, and I wish you nothing but success going forward.”
After the interview, I exited the stage so the next guest could be brought out.
I felt lighter. Relieved, even. I was still the same person I used to be, but a happier version of myself. The barriers I’d once hid behind were knocked down. The emptiness was gone. And the man I saw in the mirror didn’t disgust me anymore.
“How did it go?” Kyler asked when I called him.
“Okay, I think.” I gathered my things from the dressing room and then stopped to gather myself, too. “I blabbed a little, but I feel it went well.”
“When does your plane land?”
