Role of a Lifetime
By: Kenneth Kirk
(© 2021 by the author)

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kkirk@tickiestories.us

Chapter 2

I got the part!

My agent Joan called me that afternoon to tell me she had negotiated a good salary package and some extras and that I would receive the final script around May 1.  I was to block my calendar for all of June and July for filming at some location in Northern California.  I was expected to participate fully in appearances as requested from August through the following June.  The movie was scheduled to be released at Sundance in January 2021.  Needless to say, this was all very exciting to me.

“How much?” I asked nervously.

“250,” she said somberly.

“That can’t be!” I screamed.  “Just 250 dollars for two months plus all that other stuff?”

She laughed.  “No, silly.  250 thousand dollars.”

Jeez. This is the big time for me.  “Oh.”

“Plus, all your expenses and additional pay for your appearances at $500 a day.”

“Holy shit!” I mumbled.

“They wanted you badly,” June chuckled

Ten minutes later, I got a text from Brant.

BRANT: Chemistry worked  Congrats  Can’t wait to start

ME: OMG I’m thrilled

BRANT: Celebrate with Rachel and Brodie

ME: U bet

BRANT: I expect an invitation to dinner with them

ME: Our pleasure

BRANT: C ya soon

ME: YES!

******* 

Mom and Dad were thrilled at my news and we went out to Lawry’s that night to celebrate.  We had to keep it quiet until after Royal Sex Wars had completed its theatrical run so that meant not sharing the news with others.  Thank God I had them to talk with.  They agreed it was a decent salary package considering my box-office standing (just above the tarantula in Death Spider of Saginaw).  They also agreed it was a role that could be my breakout, especially with it being basically a 2-person play with a hot actor like Brant Kimber.

The next evening, I grabbed my dad and forced him to go with me to see Conquerors of Heaven, which turned out to be a pretty strong space-action flick.  At the theater, I got a preview of life as a movie star when Brodie Ford was recognized by some nerdy teenagers, who were blown away to see the Commander of the Moon Base at the Laemmle Music Hall 3 on Wilshire.  After autographing a couple of popcorn sacks and a Milk-Duds box, Dad and I found our seats.

Dad leaned into me and said, “Get used to it, kiddo.  This is what it’s like to go out in public.”

A veteran of TV space opera, he was quite impressed with the big-budget special effects, while I was much more focused on the characters, such as the heavenly-bodied, Angelic-looking Lt. Altus, who impressed me at least as much as all the special effects impressed Dad.

******* 

My contact with Brant was limited over the next few weeks during the Christmas holidays and the lead-up to the release of Royal Sex Wars on January 17, 2020.  I saw him quite a bit, though, in the latest edition of Variety, in Entertainment Weekly, on Jimmy Kimmel, and in several trailers I caught on the tube.  I even saw him on the side of a Metro bus going down Hollywood Boulevard once.

On the day Royal Sex Wars opened, I talked my best friend Andrew into going with me.  I promised we’d see a lot of Brant Kimber and that convinced him.  We went to the 4:30 showing at the AMC Multiplex in Van Nuys.  The movie was good.  It had “big budget” written all over it with gorgeous sets and costumes, lavish productions with hundreds of extras and big-name leads: handsome Gil Tremaine as King Xavier, beautiful Oscar winner Lily Rodrigues as Queen Carmella, sexy vixen Gloria Alonso as the slutty Princess Elena, lovely Swedish starlet Margarethe Anderssen as the Prince’s kept woman Inger Swanson, and, of course, my favorite, Brant Kimber as Prince Angelo (pictured).  I think the writers devised every possible way to get the sexy prince naked and lucky movie-goers certainly did see Sven’s sexy slender form with its rounded buttocks and promising frontal bulge multiple times.  What we did not see were the royal family jewels, which I secretly knew we would see in Laying Low.  Along with mine, of course.

Andrew and I got a pizza after the show.  I chuckled because he was just a-twitter at how hot the prince was.  I knew eventually he would find out about Laying Low and my part and be a little miffed that I didn’t tell him immediately.

“He looked so different in this movie from his part in Conquerors of Heaven,” Andrew gushed.

“It’s the miracles of make-up, hair, costume, and lighting, dear,” I explained.

“Yeah, I know,” he nodded, “but he’s so fucking sexy in this movie.  Damn!  That scene where he was naked and asleep on that fancy chaise lounge with his one knee high up beside his body so you knew his asshole was open and vulnerable.  I would have given a million dollars to just walk up and sink my stiff prong right into his warm hole!”

“So,” I laughed, “you think he’s sexy, huh?”

“Oh, fuck, Sky.  Every member of the human race thinks that’s sexy, whether they’re hets or homos or something else.”

I knew it would be amazing fun to tell him about getting naked with the sexy Brant in the filming of our movie.  He’ll explode from jealousy; I was sure of it.

When I got home, I texted Brant.

ME: Great job, Angelo!

BRANT: You saw?

ME: Yes  Van Nuys loved it

BRANT: 😊

ME: I loved it, too.

BRANT: I’m glad

ME: Went with my friend Andy.  He is in LUV with the Prince.

BRANT: 😊 

ME: You were stunning

BRANT: Good make-up

ME: Uhm – no.  Remember, I’ve seen the real thing.

BRANT: R U flirting ??

ME: Maybe

BRANT: Maybe I’m glad

ME: Damn I’m blushing

BRANT: 😊 😊 😊

BRANT: U R so cute

ME: Aww

BRANT: If your friend loves Angelo, wait til he sees Marty and Aaron

ME: He’s gonna be so jealous of me

BRANT: What if he got to meet Marty?

ME: That would be awesome.  U’d do that?

BRANT: Hell, Sky, I might do anything 4 U

BRANT: Or 2 U

ME: Fuck Now who’s flirting

BRANT: Me.  Shamelessly

ME: 😊

BRANT: When am I coming to dinner

ME: I’ll check When R U in town?

BRANT: Til a week from Thursday

ME: I’ll check with the rents

BRANT: Good.  Nighty-night

ME: Sleep like a big star!

BRANT: UR sweet

After a discussion with Mom and Dad at breakfast the next day, they suggested Sunday for dinner with Brant.

“Tomorrow?”

“If he’s available,” Mom said.

“We’re looking forward to meeting him,” Dad added.

I texted Brant immediately.

ME: Dinner tomorrow?

About five minutes passed before I got a text alert.

BRANT: Wonderful. Time?

“Dinner tomorrow,” I said to Mom.  “What time?”

“Oh, how about around 8:30?  Tell him to arrive at 8 for cocktails.”

ME: 8 OK?

BRANT: U bet Text address

I sent the text and finished my coffee before going upstairs to do some studying.  (I am a college student after all.)

******* 

Sunday evening, I was a nervous nellie as I imagined seeing my prince again, this time in an intimate social situation.  When the doorbell rang at 7:58, I raced to the foyer to beat Katrina (the maid) to the door.  When I opened it, I nearly collapsed from the excitement of seeing my beautiful co-star (pictured) on the porch. 

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” I said without thinking.  I was mortified when I realized I had said it out loud.

He burst into laughter becoming even more beautiful as he opened his arms and walked into me.  He kissed me on the lips with no hesitation.  My head was spinning when he pulled back.

“We’re going to have such good fun on this picture, dude!”

I heard footsteps on the marble behind me.  “Come in, Brant.  Mom and Dad are dying to meet you.”

“And I them,” he said as we moved into the foyer. 

Mom and Dad were standing a dozen feet away, each wearing their patented dazzling red-carpet smiles. 

I introduced him.  “Mom, Dad, this is Brant Kimber.”

“Of course,” Mom said and held out her hand. 

Graciously, Brant took her hand and kissed it.

She was impressed, but didn’t show it.  “I loved you in Conquerors of Heaven, but haven’t screened Royal Sex Wars yet, although I have it on good authority you’re wonderful in it.”

Brant was impressed by that.  “Thank you, Miss Hughes.  That’s kind of you to say.”

Suavely, Dad removed Mom’s hand from Brant’s and clasped Brant’s hand in his.  They shook, pulling Brant’s attention from Mom to Dad.  “I also liked Conquerors of Heaven,” he said.  “Great sci-fi, marvelous special effects, and you were impressive.”

“Well, sir, I really appreciate that, especially coming from the one and only Commander of Lunar Base 1, which is one of my favorite shows.”

“That’s nice to know,” Dad said as he released Brant’s hand.  “How about a cocktail before dinner, Brant?”

“That would be lovely, Mr. Ford.”

Dad led the way into the living room, where he waved at the seating.  We had a choice of two long couches, a love seat, and three arm chairs.  Brant pulled me over to one of the long couches, just like a boyfriend might.  My heart raced.

“What would you like, Brant?” Dad asked as we sat down.

“Can you do a bourbon and seven, Sir?”

“Of course.  And please, call us Rachel and Brodie.”

“Sure,” Brant said.  “It’s an honor.”

Over drinks we had a nice chat about everybody’s main projects, including my small role coming up next month on the TV series Working Capitol, which is set in the District of Columbia, but has interior work here in LA.  I play a senator’s son who comes home from college with a drug problem just as a bill for federal legalization of marijuana is up for a vote.  I have 4 scenes that total about 6 minutes on screen, I think.

Katrina called us in for dinner, which was very fancy with a strawberry salad, French onion soup, grilled Alaska Chinook salmon, wild rice, grilled veggies, and homemade sourdough rolls.  Several wines added to the festivities.  Over dinner, the conversation ranged from the idiot in the White House (thankfully we all share our political inclinations) to the Me Too! movement and Black Lives Matter.

Brant shared a lot about his background.  He grew up in McMinnville, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, started working on movies filmed in the Northwest and eventually moved to LA a couple of years ago for a recurring role on the high school drama Jock City High.  I remembered him fondly from that show.  His father is an ophthalmologist and his mother is a school nurse.  He’s the oldest of four, having a brother 2 years younger, a sister 4 years younger, and a brother 8 years younger.  Oh, and he’s half Spanish and half French.

After dinner we moved back into the living room for dessert and coffee.  

When Brant and I were once again settled on the long couch with Mom and Dad on the love seat, Mom asked for some more information about our upcoming movie.  I knew so little about it that I was all ears as Brant explained a bit about the hiding-out-before-testifying-against-the-mob plot and that for about 80% of the movie it would just be the two of us in a remote mountain cabin as we deal with our fears, our hopes, and our relationship.

“I understand there’s quite a bit of nudity,” Dad commented.

Brant nodded.  “There is, Brodie.  It’s two gay guys who’ve been together about a year and are isolated in a cabin with nothing much to do and no one around.  Naturally, they don’t wear a lot of clothes and they’re not shy about their bodies with each other.”

“Of course,” Dad said.  “There seems to be a greater degree of nudity in movies these days.  I feel rather bad for you younger actors.”

“That’s true, dear,” Mom agreed.  “Early in our careers, we had some pressure to do nude work, but it was quite possible to have a good career without it.  So, I was always able to keep it under control.  I had to do some sex scenes, but my contract always made sure I was not exposed.”

“Did you face a lot of pressure, Brodie?” Brant asked.

“Indeed, I did.”

“How did you handle it?”

“On a case-by-case basis.  I don’t necessarily object to nudity when it supports the plot and makes sense in the situation.  I’ve had a number of sex scenes where my backside is exposed and a couple of shower scenes in locker rooms or such.  I’ve been shirtless almost as much as I’ve worn a shirt, I guess.”

“Really?”

Dad chuckled.  “Oh, yes, I played an Olympic diver for 2 years on the TV show The Olympians.   That was my job when Sky was born.  I think I only had a shirt on 3 or 4 times the whole 2 years.  And I played an underwear model (pictured) in a series that lasted about 8 episodes.”

That was news to me.  “When was that, Dad?”

“Oh, I think it was a couple of years before you were born, son.  It was right after we got married, wasn’t it, Rachel?”

“Yes.  It was just a flesh fest like Baywatch or Pacific Blue that were out about the same time.  Lousy scripts, silly plots, but lots of fresh beautiful young people in skimpy clothes and sexy situations.”

Dad laughed.  “That sums it up.  I didn’t get the job because I had box-office pull or because I could act, although I could.  I got the job because I had a good chest and my butt looked good in BVDs, I guess.”

 “So, Brant,” Dad said after giving Mom a chaste peck on the lip gloss.  “Sky tells us the filming will be in a cabin in Northern California.”

“Yes.  It’s somewhere on Clair Eagle Lake in the Trinity Wilderness west of Redding, near Mt. Shasta.”

“Is that a couple of hours from San Francisco?” Rachel asked.

“A little further, I think.  Maybe 4 hours.  My agent told me it’s a 250-mile drive from the City.”

“It must be gorgeous up there,” she said.

“I haven’t seen it myself, but the location director says it’s stunning.  It looks very isolated, but half a mile away is a cluster of 3 summer homes the producers have rented for the entire time.  And we’ll get a couple of long weekends if filming goes smoothly.”

“It’s going to be my best job yet,” I said.

“Of course!” Brant chuckled.  “You’ll be making out with me all summer!”

I blushed.

Dad laughed.  “Now that we’ve met you, Brant, I can see why that prospect is very appealing to my son.”

“Da-ad!”

Everyone laughed at my expense.  Needless to say, Brant loved Rachel and Brodie and the feeling was mutual.

“So, Brant, are you comfortable with playing a gay role?” Dad asked.

Brant glanced at me before answering.

“Don’t put him on the spot, Dad,” I protested.

“I’m not, Sky.  I’m just asking the question every reporter will ask once the news about the movie breaks.”

“It’s fine, Sky,” Brant said.  “Brodie’s right.  I need to be able to answer that question easily, so it’s good for me to try it out now, while it’s a safe space.”

Brant sipped his coffee.  “I’m very excited about it actually.  I think it’ll allow me to grow as an actor and maybe as a person because I have to think about how gay people get treated in our society.  I need to figure out what makes my character tick, why he loves Sky’s character, how they depend on each other, what he dreams about for their future.  These thoughts are all a bit beyond my norm, so it’s bound to be good for me.  It’ll help me build my acting chops.”

“Good point,” Rachel said.

“Playing a gay role is different now than it was 20 years ago,” Brodie said.  “Most young actors and actresses seem to have a gay role or two on their resumes.  It does mark them as a serious actor, I think.”

“Yes, no one seems to care anymore.”  Brant smiled at me.  “I really pushed the director and producers to hire Sky for the role as my lover because I want his support as I develop my character and how to play him.”

“Hmm, then it wasn’t just for my amazing looks and incredible talent?” I grinned.

Brant laughed and slapped my leg playfully.  “I hate to disappoint you, dude, but I had several reasons for wanting you.”

“We’re all ears,” I said.

“As I said, I want you to help me sort of learn whatever I need to know to make the character of Marty real as a gay guy.  And, well,” he turned to face Brodie and Rachel, “I do think Sky is a gorgeous guy.  I can imagine, if I was gay, that I would fall for him easily.  So, it seems realistic that my character is head over heals in love with his character.”

“Makes good sense,” Brodie nodded.

Turning toward me again, he said, “You don’t know this, Sky, but I devoured the internet to read everything I could find about you.  I found you on YouTube and watched the scenes of you and Caleb Wright playing a gay couple on Denver Homicide and was very impressed by your performance.  You were real and never stereotypical.  And I saw your appearance in the music video for Les Gilmore’s Country Hoedown Blues.  And I saw you in a swimsuit in the Jeep commercial.  I just liked the way you looked and found you a strong, but still not-well-known actor.”

“Impressive research,” Brodie said.

“I felt I needed a strong co-star in this film.  Someone I can be comfortable being intimate with, so all our intimacy seems natural and like it comes from my love for him and my attraction to him.  Sky is so nice and so clean and, well, sexy that I knew I could get down with him.”  He giggled a little nervously.

“You have a good head on your shoulders, Brant,” Brodie said.  “I think this will be a good picture and that you’ll both turn in excellent performances.  You’re going to do well in Hollywood.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Brant said humbly.

“How did you come into the project?” Brodie asked.

“I’ve worked with the director David Dawson before, so he asked my advice a lot.”

“In Hollywood, it’s definitely who knows you that counts,” Rachel said.

“We’ll certainly look forward to seeing the finished product,” Brodie said.

To be continued...

Posted: 08/06/2020