Page 52 of The Summer of Christmas

“I haven’t been given such a heartfelt part in years.”

“Thanks.”

“Although I think we both know that I’m not really the star. It’s Amari. She can be a real bitch sometimes.”

Ivy was taken aback by Griffin’s revelation. She’d had no idea that he felt that way. “That’s not true. Well, she is a bitch. But she’s not the star. You are. Why else would you have so many screaming fans following you everywhere?”

“True. The only person who seems to follow Amari around is Nick,” Griffin said. He noticed Ivy had turned sad. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s been over for a long time.”

“Yeah, it has,” he commented. Very gently he told her, “Maybe it’s time to move on. With someone else. I know Drew’s got a real hard-on for you.”

The front door opened, and Carol walked in carrying a heavy backpack. She laughed when she saw Ivy and Griffin with the two wine bottles. “Looks like happy hour started early today,” Carol said as she sat down next to them in the living room.

“It’s always a party when I’m around.”

She poured herself a glass and looked at Griffin carefully. “Really? Is that what people tell you?”

“I was just joking,” he said defensively.

“Most jokes have an element of truth to them.”

“I guess so,” Griffin muttered.

“So, does that make you happy to be the life of the party? Or is it stressful to always have to be on?”

“And here we go… Time for Carol to psychoanalyze.” Ivy shook her head as she got up to go to the bathroom. She left Griffin and Carol alone.

“Honestly, it’s stressful,” he revealed.

“Tell me about it,” Carol continued.

“Sometimes I just want to be like everyone else. Invisible. With no expectations. I want to walk to the grocery store in my sweatpants with a dirty T-shirt hanging out. And I want to buy a box of Twinkies without anyone judging me.”

“Uh-huh. Here, why don’t you put up your feet and get comfortable,” she suggested.

Griffin slipped off his flip-flops and put his feet up on the couch. He was reclining and seemed more relaxed.

“I’d like to have kids one day. But not if it means they have to live a life like mine, with no privacy. Sometimes I wonder if it’s all worth it. I lost my parents because of it.”

“Your parents are dead?” Carol asked.

“No. But they turned into assholes when I became a star. They might as well be dead.”

“I’m sorry.”

“And I wish I could go back to college. Do something important,” Griffin confessed.

Carol was surprised. Griffin was not at all who she’d thought he was. She tried to reassure him. “What you don’t realize is that you are doing something important. You’re making people happy when they watch your movies. Cheering them up when they get depressed.”

He nodded. “I never thought about it that way.”

Carol slipped into the kitchen and brought out a plate of Christmas cookies. “Have a cookie. There’s no judging here.”

Griffin smiled. “Thanks, Carol. And thanks for the cookie too.”

Ivy returned to the living room and said goodbye to Griffin and Carol.

“Where are you going?” Carol asked.

“The Belhurst.”

“Someone’s getting laid,” Griffin said as he smiled at Ivy.

Ivy smiled. She certainly hoped so.