Chapter 53

Simple glasses and a tux were my disguise when I was sitting there with Katy as my escort. I would have liked to have had my whole family there, but that would have been too much. Then, as Melissa would be due within two weeks, she proclaimed that as she was as big as a whale she would certainly NOT be close to cameras of any kind. As Melissa would not come, then neither would Lindsay. So it would have been me, Katy and Evelyn. Only Evelyn had caught a bad flu. She was already better but there was no way that she could come. So, I was sitting there in my tux, with Katy, who had started to look more and more like her mother, Marie, who would also be there ... as a nominee.

Even if I hadn't actively followed her career, I knew where she'd been, and what she'd been doing. When I saw Katy looking around and stopping when she had found her, I knew that she also knew. Marie was still Marie but her last name had changed years ago to something shorter ... and more 'elegant'. As far as I knew, she had managed to cover her past. There had been no news about some hidden daughter, or anything else. There had been some speculations about other actors, as always; but as far as I knew she had been connected for some time to her agent, who was some years her senior. I didn't know any details, and hadn't bothered to find out. Not then, not now. It had hurt enough back then.

I squeezed Katy's hand, and rose my eyebrows a bit. She turned close to me and whispered.

"I'm fine, Dad, but I hope you have your speech ready."

I winced, involuntarily. That had caused a small argument at home since I truly had no speech prepared. There was absolutely no way that our movie would be winning something - or maybe something related to the manuscript, since it had been damned good. But even if I thought that the visual effects were good, this was also political, and our budget had just been too small. So, I continued to sit there quite relaxed. Would there be some next time in the future? I would make sure that there would be other names than mine to get the glory.

I was so fixed to my own line of thinking, that I almost missed the announcement. Katy surely didn't.

"Daddy, you won!"

Shit. I SHOULD have prepared a speech.

I swear that my mind was totally empty when I got to the stage to get the statue. But later on, my ladies assured me that my speech had been good, somewhat funny, and short enough. Also, I managed to thank all the right people, starting from Katy sitting there, and then my family and partners. But Katy was the star. As the camera turned to her, she showed the picture of Evelyn who should also have been there, but was sitting at home recovering from the flu. All the people laughed when I commented that my daughter had more faith in me than I'd had, myself! I'd had no idea that she had carried a picture of her sister with her.

Then it was over. My few minutes of the fame. Let it stay that way, please. Katy hugged me, and kissed my cheek when I returned to my seat. I could feel at least one other pair of eyes drilling us. I truly felt it. But I didn't look back. When it was her turn, Marie didn't win.

When the ceremony was over, Katy and I were finding our way out when some of the company executives stopped us and insisted that we really should come to a banquet that is arranged after the ceremony. As one of the major winners I really needed to be there. I agreed to come if I could get permission from home. I was pussy whipped, I know. The response from both Lindsay and Melissa was quick.

"Of course you two will go. Serves her mother right!"

It seemed that I had fewer secrets that I had thought.

It turned out that Katy was in her element at that kind of party. She was her own young witty self, with all the big stars and their escorts. She really made her father proud. I did my share of smalltalk with all the more or less important people who wanted talk to me. I had no illusions about this business - both I and they knew, that the new technology I had been developing would be good for maybe two more years but then something new and better would be needed, and if I was not able to provide it ... adios!

Suddenly, I noticed that there was a keen older gentleman talking to Katy. Something in her essence changed which caused me to notice. I moved closer but kept my distance. Suddenly the man paled, looked around, and left in a hurry. I went to Katy who looked angry.

"Angel, what was that?"

"Nothing much, he just came to tell me that I could certainly have a future in modeling and movies, and that he could really help and teach me. Then I told him that he reminded me of someone I saw years ago in a basement of a house in the Midwest, just before a police raid. I said that I was not sure, but if I could see if his dick was still the same small and crooked one, I could be sure."

I looked at her and then after the man but there was no sight of him. I turned back to Katy.

"I'm sorry, Angel."

"Oh, it's ok, Daddy, both Lindsay and Melissa warned me and Eve there would probably be all kind of weirdos here, and they made us practice."

Then she again had that wicked grin of hers.

"In a way that was fun. I think he was one of those who liked to watch. I was not afraid of him. Besides, I do remember what you have taught us."

Now I winced a bit. All the girls in our household were nowadays quite capable of self-defense. Not good enough to beat me, but good enough to take down an average Joe, if needed.

The party went on. I was quite sure that I didn't make any friends for life, there, but it was at least something that I could then tell to my grandchildren: 'That was the day your grandpa talked with almost all the big film stars.' They'll look embarrassed and secretly ask their mothers: 'Mom - what's a movie?'

When I mentioned my thoughts to one of them, he was soon almost rolling on the floor laughing. No, some of those guys are not strangers to irony, and many of them have seen the other side of success, too.

I was thinking about going to Katy who was standing a bit further away, and getting back to our hotel, when a man whom I vaguely recognized approached me. Behind him was Marie, but she stayed a bit further away. He was a bit drunk, but not too much. He looked around like checking that there was nobody else nearby.