JOA: Damon's Chronicles Ch. 05

This story series is a spin off of the successful and wildly popular "Journal of an Agent" by Carnage Jackson. At the end of Carnage’s story, the main character, Dean Simonds, faces a major dilemma, where he has to choose between staying in Hollywood with Alyssa Milano, or heading back east with Natalie Portman. Please note that this might not necessarily have been the ending Carnage had in mind, but is my own interpretation.

If you are under 18, please refrain from reading this. To the rest of you, note that this story is completely fictional, and all similarities to real life people and occurrences are strictly coincidental. All feedback is welcome at the link below.

JOA: DAMON’S CHRONICLES 5: Rose McGowan

The next few weeks passed by in a blur. Honestly, I scarcely remember doing anything other than sitting in the hospital room next to Ashley as she lay on her bed, wallowing in guilt, and hoping she woke up soon. Once her condition was stable enough, I had her transferred to a much more lucrative hospital, St. Catherine’s. Sarah Michelle Gellar, a client of mine, had received treatment there several months ago after being attacked by some psycho in Malibu, and I was sure the services rendered there were top-notch.

I was surprised as to how popular Ashley was among the clients. She must have left such a good impression on them whenever they dropped by the firm, as so many big-name actors and actresses dropped by as soon as they heard of her predicament. Mandy Moore was in tears as when she saw Ashley in her comatose state, and I had to be firm almost to the point of rudeness before she would leave.

Ashley’s rather spacious hospital room appeared so cramped, due to the myriad of balloons, flowers and other gifts that her sympathizers and well-wishers had dropped, making it difficult for me, as I was practically living there, and had to bring all my work in. While all my friends were partying away on New Years’ Eve, I was right there, next to Ashley, praying for her swift recuperation. The idea of partying away with P. Diddy while my assistant was unconscious in a hospital room made no sense to me. It was my fault that she was in such a position, and I was going to stay with her until she recovered.

Two weeks into the New Year, Ashley received surprising visits by two different people within hours of each other. First, Dean dropped by, sans Natalie, from the East Coast to check on Ashley. He had of course been one of the first people I informed when Ashley got into the accident. After all, he was the one who hired her in the first place. Still, I had no idea he was going to take the time to come down, and I had been shocked to see him walk into the room that afternoon.

The East Coast must have been good to him, as he looked far more relaxed and better than I had ever seen him. Of course, it probably was impossible to be unhappy when you lived with Natalie Portman. The thought of Natalie suddenly filled me with guilt as Dean approached, all smiles, a bunch of flowers in his hands. If only he knew that I had betrayed his friendship and trust by sleeping with his girl, and even worse, I was so fixated on her, and could not stop comparing any girl I met to her.

"Yo Damon, what’s cracking, bro.” Dean said loudly as we embraced

"Dude, I told you many time to chill with the black talk. It sounds pathetic on you", I joked

"It’s good to see you", he said, as we released each other

"What a surprise", I exclaimed, "I assume you came down to see Ashley"

"Yeah it’s really unfortunate", he replied sadly, glancing at her as she lay on the bed, "I hope she’ll be fine"

"The doctors say she’ll be right as rain in to time", I assured him, sounding a lot more convinced than I felt, "she did not suffer any long-term damage"

I briefly toyed with the idea of telling Dean the whole story, and how I felt responsible for the entire accident, but for some reason, I just couldn’t. I had kept it to myself all along, and I knew that if anyone would understand, it would be him, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I decided to change the topic.

"So how’s Natalie doing? Is she here too?” Great, I thought to myself, of all possible subjects to bring up, I had to mention the woman we both possibly loved.

"No she had some important papers to write", he replied as I tried to mask my disappointment, "She would have loved to be here", he continued, "but maybe next time". I wondered if Natalie deliberately made an excuse in order to avoid me. But I figured she didn’t care so much about me as to want to avoid me. She was happy with Dean, and he was equally happy, as I could see.

"So congratulations", Dean said, patting me on the back, "I see the firm is running smoothly, or at least I hope so"

"Thanks" I replied, "Things are going well. Profits are up 10% from last year, and I guess our clients are doing well"

"By the way, Colin Farrell and Britney at that premiere. Was that your idea?” I nodded coyly

"Genius", he proclaimed, "Genius"

"I learned from the best", I replied

"Even I couldn’t have managed that coup", he replied with a wink. "By the way, congratulations on the newest Hollywood Power rankings"

"What are you talking about?” I asked him

"Variety just published the list of Hollywood’s most powerful people. I guess I am even more up-to-date than you are"

"You know I don’t really care about such things", I replied

"How many times do I have to drum it into your big bald head?” he scolded jokingly, "Any press is good press"

"I guess so", I replied, "so I guess I shouldn’t have turned down the front cover of Black Enterprise magazine"

"You turned it down? Why?" he asked

"Rule number two", I recited, "I am supposed to stay in the background, and not try and make myself into a bigger star than my clients"

"Good boy", Dean praised

"So, now that we are done with your lecture", I joked, "What was Shooting Star’s position on the Power thing?"

"You were number two", he replied, "right behind those guys at Antamount Studios"

"Oh great", I said, "that’s the best piece of news I’ve heard in a while"

"Problems in your personal life?” Dean chided, "Anything you want to share?"

"Nothing major", I replied, "Why don’t we go out for lunch and catch up, I want to hear all that has been going on with you"

"I’m sorry dude", replied Dean, "but I have to leave now, I’m only in town for a few hours. My plane leaves very soon"

"Well then", I said, "why don’t I see you off to the airport?"

"I appreciate it", he replied, "but I know you’re kind of busy and all"

"Alright then, I’ll see you next time you’re in town", I replied

I spent the next few hours sorting out some papers that I had someone from work bring in. I kept lamenting to myself that all I ever seemed to do was paperwork, as one would think that being a Hollywood agent would be all glamorous. I briefly went out for a quick lunch at the McDonalds down the street, and as I walked back into the room, loudly munching on a quarter-pounder, I was surprised to see Beyoncé Knowles standing in the room.

Now, I’d had the biggest crush on Beyoncé for ages, ever since I met her under embarrassing circumstances over a year ago. I never was courageous enough to make a move though, besides, she always seemed to be dating different people in the industry, and if the rumors were true, she seemed to have a predilection for rappers. Currently, she had been dating Jay-Z, and the relationship seemed serious, much to my jealousy. In any case, I was surprised to see her standing next to Ashley’s bed, looking as dazzling as ever. She was dressed simply, in a white tank top and black pants, yet I couldn’t stop obsessing over how beautiful she looked.

She simply grinned as she saw me walk in, her white teeth forming a smile, which made me desire her even more.

"What a surprise", I said, as she walked closer. I quickly threw my burger into a nearby trashcan and hoped my onion breath wouldn’t turn her off.

"Hi Damon, nice to see you", she said, as we embraced, our cheeks making contact as she pressed her supple breasts into me.

"I guess you came by to see Ashley", I said, "I didn’t know you two knew each other"

"Well, I don’t really know her", she replied, "but I heard that she got into a serious accident, so I thought I’d drop by and see how she was doing"

"That’s really nice of you, although I was actually flattered for a second that it was me you came to see" I joked.

We both laughed, and made small talk for a few more minutes, chatting about her career, the agency, and some industry gossip, before she had to go. I silently cursed to myself, as I really was not eager to let her go. I felt a bit guilty that I was feeling this way when a young girl was lying unconscious in the room because of me, but I brushed aside those feelings. I walked her to the elevator, and as she was about to go in, I suddenly found myself holding her back

"Beyoncé, I know you’re probably seeing someone right now", I said, knowing that she was definitely seeing someone, but deciding to take my chances anyway, "but I was just wondering if, you know, maybe me and you could do something sometime"

"Damon, are you asking me out?" she asked, smiling coyly

"Well, not exactly asking you out", I retreated, "just wanted to see if you wanted to grab a meal, you know, as in agent to client"

"Sure, why not", she said, "why don’t you give me a call sometime and we can fix something"

"Alright then", I said, feeling a little deflated that I had chickened out of asking her out directly, "I’ll see you later"

I began to walk away towards Ashley’s room, when she called me back

"Damon", said, "Are you going to be at the party next week?"

"What party is that?” I asked

"Well, Shawn and I are having a party next week, and I made sure you were sent an invitation. Didn’t you get it?", she inquired

“Shawn?”, I asked, even though I already was able to guess who that was

“Yeah, you know, Jay-Z. I hope you’re coming cos I am really looking forward to seeing you there”, she smiled.

I actually had received an invitation to the party, but I had not taken it seriously. Rapper’s parties were a dime a dozen, and were always the same old crown wearing expensive clothes and getting drunk on Cristal. I had not really reckoned on Beyoncé being there, so I was going to pass as usual, but even though she was going to be Jay-Z’s date, she seemed eager to see me there, and who was I to refuse? Beyoncé was going to be there, that was all that mattered, and I decided to make an exception and be there as well.

"Yeah, I’ll definitely stop by", I said

"Cool, see you there, honey", she said, as she pressed the floor number, and waved as the doors of the elevator shut.

I was in good spirits as I walked back to Ashley’s room. I really don’t know why I was – my secretary was still in a coma, Dean was still with Natalie, and Beyoncé was still with Jay, but for some reason, I still felt that things hadn’t been better in a long time.

Sometimes, being around stars 24 hours a day can be extremely tiring, and because my job consists primarily of socializing with actors and actresses and basically kissing their asses, it is imperative for me to have friends outside of the Hollywood crop in order to maintain my sanity. As such, the people I consider my friends, or at least my close circle of friends, are normal people such as you and me. So I might hang around P. Diddy and Ashton Kutcher all day long, or go out for drinks with Colin Farrell and Leonardo DiCaprio, but the highlight of my week is the weekly poker night I have with my four best friends. I go through a lot of shit all week, but it is the fact that come rain, come shine, I’m going to be with my boys on Friday night for a night of fun that keeps me going sometimes. I don’t think Andre, Danny, CJ or Mekhi realize how much these poker nights mean to me. To them it’s just a night of cards, chicken, and beer, but it’s more than that to me. Spending a very normal night with four normal dudes is what keeps me grounded and makes me remember who I am and where I came from. I might make a lot of money and attend fancy parties and cavort with Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, but deep down, I’m just like any other dude.

Andre is the funniest motherfucker I’ve ever met in my life. He was my roommate during freshman year of USC, and we have remained close friends ever since. He’s half-Mexican, and currently works at a bank as a manager or some executive position. He is a very hearty and cheerful dude, and is the livewire of the bunch. He is also the only one who is married, and he loves his wife more than anyone I have seen. I was surprised that he tied the knot so early. He and Maria had been dating since high school, and even though she was at UC Irvine, which was over an hour away, they managed to maintain their relationship through all four years, and immediately after graduation, they got married. They recently found out that Maria couldn’t have kids, and it was a tough time for their marriage, but they got through it. I could tell it was tough on Andre, mostly because I’ve known him for about ten years. His demeanor never changed though, and he continued to be cheerful all the time.

Daniel is our resident nerd. He’s very soft-spoken and mild-mannered, although he manages to let loose when he’s amongst us. He’s also the youngest, he’s only 25 and still in medical school. He lives across the hall from Andre and Maria’s apartment, and that’s how we met. He’s a really good guy, and always the butt of all our jokes. He’s Asian and really short, no more than 5’5, but he probably has more brains than the rest of us put together.

Well, maybe not. CJ is another extremely intelligent dude. He’s a computer whiz, and with the exception of Friday poker night, is probably in front of the computer all week long. He works part time at some computer company, where I worked briefly as a sales rep before joining Shooting Star. He’s also a part time writer, a very skilled one as well, and his first book is about to be published. He’s also probably the world’s foremost pornographer, and has the most extensive collection of tapes, magazines and pictures I have seen. I could trust him with my life, cos he is probably the most loyal person I know. He’s the only one I’ve told about my Natalie incident, and he was of course jealous of me; he has the biggest crush on her.

Well, Mekhi’s the last dude, and you all know him. I kinda lied when I said all the members of my close circle of friends are non-Hollywood types. Mekhi Phifer’s an actor, and he currently plays Dr Gregory Pratt on the long running NBC series ER. He’s best known for playing Eminem’s best friend Future in the hit movie “8 Mile”, and has a host of movie credits, which I won’t bother to mention. We befriended each other while I was still Dean’s assistant, and he’s a really good guy, and a talented actor too. I see him ascending to Denzel-like stardom in the coming years, but for now, he’s a modest, unassuming dude and extremely nice guy.

Well, since Ashley got hospitalized, I’ve needed my friends more than ever, and poker nights have become more fun than ever. So, on Friday night, I was about to get into my car and drive to CJ’s place when my phone rang. I was tempted not to answer it, I couldn’t recognize the number on the caller-ID, and I did not want to be late for poker. I decided to answer nonetheless, and couldn’t have been more pleased at who was on the other end

“Hey dude, get your fucking self over to this hotel right now and say hello to your oldest fried”, came the deep, playful voice at the other end as I answered

“Kenny boy, it can’t be, where the fuck are you”, I screamed back, already in hysterics.

“I’m at Rose McGowan’s apartment, come and freaking get me out of here” he yelled jokingly

“Wait a minute, Rose McGowan, as in the actress, what the hell are you doing at her place”, I inquired, a little puzzled

“Just come over and I’ll explain…ouch, ouch, no baby stop that…sorry about that buddy, just come and get me”, he said

“Yeah, I know where it is, I’ll be right there in an instant”, I said, hanging up and going in the opposite direction I had initially intended, all thoughts of poker far from my head.

Ken is my best friend in the world. He’s from New York, and we’ve been friends since I was little. He was a white, Jewish kid and of course grew up nowhere near my hood in Brooklyn, but we met when I interned at the mayor’s office in junior year of high school and became bosom buddies ever since. He ended up at NYU, and I moved to the West Coast to attend close, but we remained close, and have been ever since. I stay with him most of the time while I’m in New York. He’s currently an editor of a magazine. I’ve been feeling guilty because I haven’t been in touch with him as much as I should have ever since I became a big time agent, but I’m sure he understands.

Anyways I was puzzled that he was in LA and I did not know, and even more so that he said he was at Rose McGowan’s house. I did not even know he knew her. Rose is a client of my firm, although I’ve only met her a few times. I know people have this misconception about her being this wild, demonic chick because she used to date Marilyn Manson and all, but I know enough about her to know that she’s a pretty normal person. Last I heard of her was that she was in some trouble for assaulting some politician’s kid at some concert, although I did not know too many of the details. I also know she was among the hundreds of actresses Dean fucked at some time or the other.

Well, I got to Rose’s place and was glad to see Ken answer the door. He did not seem to be in any mortal danger, though he looked worn out, though still full of life

“What’s up dude?” I greeted him as I walked into Rose’s living room “You owe me about 50,000 explanations”

“OK where do I start” he said, “I’ve been in LA for about a week now”

“A week”, I screamed, “why the heck didn’t you contact me earlier?”

“I wanted to, but I wasn’t able to, I wasn’t able to do anything, being with Rose is a full time job”

“Wait a minute, rewind the tape”, I said, “how do you know Rose and what are you doing at her place”

“Hello Damon”, I heard a voice coo from the doorway. I looked and there was Rose, looking as sexy as hell.

“Whoa” was all I could say, “Hello Rose”

She was dressed in a transparent red house robe, and her shimmering red hair was all over her face. Sex seemed to be written all over her face, and if not for the fact that I had so many questions, all I would have been able to think about would be how much I wanted to jump her right there and then.

“Wait a minute, I’m kinda lost here. Could someone explain to me what’s going on?”

“I met Rose in New York on New Years’ Eve at a party my magazine was hosting. She was dating some writer at the magazine apparently”, Ken explained, “Anyways, we fell for each other at first sight and basically have been fucking like dogs ever since”

“Wait a minute Ken, you and Rose are together?” I asked, surprised

“Yeah Damon, why the hell didn’t you introduce us sooner, I didn’t even know you knew each other, this is the only dude I’ve met that is man enough for me” Rose replied

“Anyway Damon”, Ken said, “we’ve been here in LA for a week and I’ve not been able to do anything cos Rose has had me busy all week. I’m actually heading back to New York tomorrow, and I realized I hadn’t gotten in contact with you all week, so rather than stay here and let her fuck me to death as usual, I decided to spread my wings a little and call you so we could do something together, maybe hit the town”

“I see”, I said, still a little nonplussed at all the information I had just received, “I’m actually late for poker with some of my buddies, I’m sure they won’t mind if you join us”