Acting Principles

Amy's eyes opened wide. "Are you trying to buy me?"

"You know I'm not Amy. And I know you know who I am."

Her eyes fell. "I'd know you in clown makeup." she sighed. "Are you doing research for an upcoming role?" She stamped her heel. "I ruined you. I know I did."

"I'm here to get you out of this." I searched her face. "If that's what you want."

"I don't know what else I can do now. Who'll want me for anything?"

I touched her hand. "Tell me who's making you do this."

Amy shook her head "No. They'll hurt you."

I tilted my head. "They'll try."

"These people out here are not acting, Gavin! They could kill you!" she hissed.

A strange calm came over me, and I was no longer afraid. I was already risking my reputation and professional career being out here. Why would I be afraid of losing my life trying to help the only person in seven years who had given a damn about I really needed? "Tell me who they are. I'm not leaving until you do."

"They call themselves 'The Valentino Brothers'. They loan money to their girls and make them earn it back on the streets."

"How many of them is there?"

"Two. One of them is watching us now." Amy's eyes flicked over to her right, and I saw a dark Cadillac that wasn't moving.

"Would he protect you if one of your customers were slapping you around?"

"Yes, but-"

I changed my demeanor and dialect in half a second. "What the fuck is your problem bitch? Get in the fucking car!"

Amy caught on immediately, and started backing away. "Please don't hurt me, daddy!"

I grabbed my cane and got out of the car. "Where the fuck are you going?"

A tall, muscular man stepped out of the SUV. "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah there's a problem." I pointed at Amy with my cane. "That's my bitch."

"No chance of that. I've been working her for over a year. If she's yours, why did it take you so long to find her?"

"I'm from Vegas." I made a move to strike Amy, but The Valentino Brother stopped me. "You dumb bitch! You thought I wouldn't find you?"

"I'm sorry! I've been bad! Don't hurt me!"

"Oh, I'm gonna hurt you, baby girl!" I made another move for her, but again I was restrained.

"Calm down, you'll ruin the merchandise!" I actually wanted to hurt The Valentino. He was more concerned about Amy's street value than Amy. It was in that moment I realized he was no different than any other director, producer, or agent in Hollywood. They were all pimps. "Let's talk business."

I straightened my shirt. "She can take it. You know that." I asked, as a test to see if he was abusing her. The Valentino nodded in agreement, and it took all my will-power to keep myself from hitting him right then and there. I had to control myself until he was in the right position. "Fine. Let's talk business. I want twenty-five percent of everything she's earned working for you."

"Are you joking? She took out a loan!"

I nodded my head. So Amy's letter had been true about her situation. "Do I have on a clown suit, motherfucker!" I exploded. "You pimped out my ho. I'm entitled to some of that money. And I want what's mine."

Valentino became angry. "If you want to buy her back, that's fine, but I don't owe anything to a pimp who can't control her-"

I cracked my hard, lacquered pimp cane over his head, knocking him to the ground. I tossed Amy a taser I had acquired for the occasion. "Your turn." Amy cruelly shoved the taser into his stomach, shocking him to her heart's delight. She stopped once he stopped screaming.

"Bastard!" she said, kicking him in the stomach for good measure.

"Let's get out of here before his brother shows up." She got in my car, and I sped home.

"What now?" she asked, as we sat in the car.

"Now you're free to go wherever you want."

"No I'm not. Once someone finds out what I did-"

"Don't think like that. You can't live in fear for the rest of your life."

"Why not? Don't you?"

I looked away. She was right. Our secrets had the potential to destroy us both. "You're right. I'm exactly like you."

Amy shook her head. "You're everything I can't be. You stand for something. You'd never do what I had to."

I laughed harshly. "I stand for the illusion of the perfect woman. She doesn't exist. I'm miserable. I'm making a living doing what I love to do, and I'm miserable. So what good is standing for something?"

Amy took my hand. "You helped me. You saved me, Gavin. Why do you think I had to pay you back?"

"Was that all you were doing? Giving me the ultimate fan service?"

Her smile erupted on her face, like a blooming flower. "No." she went to kiss me, but she stopped, ashamed. I kissed her, and I knew she had stayed just hungry for me as I had for her. "God, I missed you. But I was afraid. I still am."

"Don't be. Come inside." I kissed her hand, rubbing it against my cheek. I didn't care what she had used her hands for that night. I just knew they were her hands, and I wanted to touch them.

"You can't be with me. I'll ruin everything. Your career, your family, your fans. That will all go away."

I sighed. She was right. As much as I wanted to be hopeful about coming out, I knew things wouldn't end well. At best, my career would simply fizzle out into obscurity. A lot of people were affected by my work. Meeting Amy proved that. I just couldn't quit acting, cold turkey. But I couldn't give Amy up either. "Come in. You don't have anywhere else to go, do you?"

"I don't have anything except what I made tonight." she spontaneously started to cry. I held her as she sobbed. "I'm so ashamed!"

"You don't have to be ashamed with me. Won't you come in?"

"You really don't care-?" She choked, not able to finish.

"I don't care about anything you've been forced to do. I care about you, Amy." I wiped the long trails of mascara dyed tears from her cheeks. "Why else would I go looking for you?"

"Because I'm a...I'm a..."

I hugged her tight. "No. God no. Your smile is enough."

"You don't mean that."

"It's like the moon cutting through my darkness. When I was at Tiny's your smile stopped my heart." I couldn't say anything else, slightly embarrassed. I had never been very good at expressing myself, and I was pretty sure what I had said sounded cheesy.

"Is it really like that?"

"Yes." Tears started to well up in my eyes, but I fought them down. "Am I going to have to beg you to stay?"

Amy pulled back to smile bravely. It wasn't the same as her signature smile, but it was good enough for me. "You don't have to beg me to do anything." She got out of the car, and I let us into my condo.

"Can I get you anything to eat?" I offered.

"I'm not really hungry. Can I just sit down in your living room?"

"Sure. Go ahead." I was disappointed she didn't want to talk with me about her plans for the future, but I understood she had a lot of decisions to make that I couldn't decide for her. I did some minor kitchen and bathroom cleaning, and by the time I was done, Amy was asleep on my couch. I touched her lightly on her shoulder. "Hey."

Amy rubbed her eyes, smearing some mascara on her cheek. "Sorry. I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"It's okay. There are some soap and washcloths in the bathroom if you want to shower, and I've got some pajamas if you want to borrow them."

"Thank you." I brought her the pajamas.

"You can sleep in of the spare bedrooms you want." I wasn't going to pressure into sleeping with me so soon, not after all she had been through. "I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight." I went to my room and got dressed for bed. I soon thought better of it and knocked on the bathroom door. "Amy, if you decide to leave, please don't go without saying goodbye."

There was long silence before she answered. "I promise I won't."

"Goodnight, again." I climbed into bed, listening to the shower running, then heard Amy pad into the spare bedroom next to mine and settle down. I felt guilty. I should have been happy Amy was safe and off the streets, but I couldn't help wanting her with me. By the time I started dozing, it was four o'clock in the morning.

I awoke to feel a pair of soft, peach-sweet lips on mine. "Mm." I moaned.

"I kissed you asleep once. I think it's only fair that I kiss you awake." I felt Amy peel back my comforter and mold her naked body to mine. I helped her slide off my pajama bottoms, kissing her softly. Amy hands glided expertly over the buttons of my top, undoing them before I could blink. Once we were skin to skin, I couldn't hold back anymore. She was too hot. My lips found her neck, and I kissed it hungrily. Our bodies started moving together, rocking at first, then smashing into each other. Her electric wetness against my own urged me on. I didn't think I would ever stop.

The dark blue light of the coming day started to illuminate my room, and I saw Amy the way she was before. Her long hair, dark and beautiful, her soft/hard skin, and her eyes. There was only one thing missing. "Smile for me Amy." I told her. I needed to see it.

Amy smiled, and I wondered if I had ever seen anything so beautiful. She kissed me, sucking on my lower lip. We went on like that until the sun came up, bathing us in glorious golden light. We turned and lay side by side, looking at each other. "If I had to go one more day without being with you, I couldn't stand it." she said before sucking on my forefinger.

"Me too." I grinned, touching her cheek.

"But you'd lose everything."

I sighed. "I probably would."

Amy got up. "I'll get us some coffee."

"Nice try." I said, remembering how she drugged me before. "We'll get it together."

"I wouldn't try to drug you again."

"You'd do anything to protect me, even if that included drugging me, right?"

She nodded. "Right. But I'm not leaving now."

We got our coffee, and sat down at my kitchen table. I barely touched mine. I just kept looking at Amy and thinking about the way her body had moved over mine. Amy tried not to look at me, but there was no holding back her smile. She was remembering too. "There has to be some way we can stay together. I don't want to lose you again."

"Even if I got a job away from the entertainment business, someone would find out. And once you become a household name, it will be even harder."

"What would happen if Halle Berry came out of the closet?"

"She's not gay."

"Hypothetically speaking."

For the first time since I'd known her, Amy was quiet. "I don't know. It would turn the whole world upside down."

"The whole world?" I smiled at that. "Yes. That sounds about right. Do you think everyone would abandon her?"

"No. But not everyone would like it."

"Hmm." I drank some of my coffee, still thinking.

"If you need me to go away until you're famous enough, I can do that." Amy offered.

I took her hand. "No. We can make this work. We just have to think. Now what job can you get that will keep you close to me, but won't have people asking too many questions?"

Amy smiled slightly. "They'll know as soon as we look at each other."

"Come on Amy. We're actors! I know you're good. You fooled me."

She leaned over the small table towards me. "I think I had you a little distracted." She gave me a small kiss.

"Well, if I'm going to be the magician and pull the wool over everyone's eyes, I'm going to need an assistant." My eyes opened wide . "That's it! Amy, you could be my personal assistant. The pay wouldn't be very good at first-"

"I don't care about the money! I'd get to help you! Be there for you when you needed me to be. Oh, Gavvy..." She covered her mouth. "Sorry! I don't know if you like nicknames."

I took her hand. "Gavvy and Amy. It has a nice ring to it." I kissed her hand.

"We'll have to be careful. We won't be able show any affection in public. I won't even be able to hold your hand. Ma'am." She added with a smirk.

"So I'm a ma'am now? I didn't know you were a southern girl."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me. But you'll find out about that later." she started kissing my hand.

"Why later?" I asked coyly.

She sucked on my forefinger, pausing to grin at me. "I'll show you."

And she did.