“After being in the business for a year, I was at a party, and that was when I was introduced to Jack Hanson, my manager,” he tells me.
“Jack asked if I’d ever considered acting. I told him I hadn’t, but I was willing to give it a try. I signed with him and enrolled in some acting lessons. He started getting me auditions for small roles, like ads and that kind of thing. Then, he called me up one day and said he had a role in a movie he thought I’d be perfect for. He sent me the details. Of course I liked the looks of it. I mean, it was a movie. If I got the part, I knew it’d be a huge step in my career. I just didn’t realize how huge. So, a week later, off I went to audition for the part of Talion in All the Pretty Ones.”
“But you played Zander in the movie.”
Zander was the lead role. Talion was Zander’s rival in the movie. All the Pretty Ones was a dystopian film based on the novel of the same name. That movie was when the whole world fell in love with Vaughn West.
“Yeah, but when I went in to audition for the part of Talion, Jeff saw me—Jeff Burke, the director,” he explains. “Took one look at me and said I was exactly what he was looking for, for Zander. He asked me to read for the part. I did, and he offered me the role on the spot. And, as they say, the rest is history.”
“Wow,” I say.
“Yeah,” he says, but he doesn’t sound as enthused as he should.
“You don’t sound happy about it.”
“I am.” He takes a swig of his beer. “But, sometimes, I just wish…”
“What?”
He looks at me again.
“I wish I had my anonymity back. I wish I could just walk around, unknown.”
“You can here, in Keno.”
“I know. But I wish I could just go anywhere without being recognized. Without someone stopping me to ask if I was Vaughn West, if they could take a photo with me, if they could have my autograph. I wish I could go to the fucking grocery store without the press following me there. Without my whereabouts being tweeted and shared among people, and then a crowd turns up, and I have to have a security escort out of there. To meet a pretty girl, take her out on a date, have a relationship without every detail ending up on the nightly fucking news. I just…I don’t know.” He sighs. “I love my job. I love acting. I’m fucking good at it. But, sometimes, I wonder what my life would have been like if I hadn’t made that call.”
“Sometimes, I wonder what my life would have been like if my dad hadn’t murdered my mom.”
Jesus, I can’t believe I just said that.
“Fuck, Charly. Jesus.” He scrubs a hand over his face. “Here I am, whining like a little bitch about my privileged life…and you lost your mom. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I guess…I think everyone’s problems are individual to them. No one else’s problems are bigger or more important than the next person’s, you know. I think we all deal with things differently. We all have different levels of coping abilities.”
“And you have the dealing ability of a lioness. And, still, I’m a whiny dick who’s not worthy of you. I’m sorry, Pins.”
“Like I said, don’t be. That’s not why I said it.”
Why did I?
“Then, why did you?” His words echo my own thoughts.
I look down at my hands. “I don’t know. I guess, it kind of just popped out because I feel safe with you. I know I can talk to you. Tell you anything. I trust you, Vaughn.”
I finally look back up at him, and the warmth in his eyes coats my skin like a blanket.
“I trust you, too, Pins.”
He kisses my forehead, and then I lay my head back down on his chest and take a sip of my beer.
And I realize something in this moment.
I get to see the real Vaughn West. One not many other people get to see.
I can’t tell you how incredibly privileged that makes me feel because he’s so very special. He’s so much more than what people see on-screen.
He’s smart and witty and beautiful, inside and out, and he’s incredibly talented. I’ve never known a man who loved his family more.
He has such a big heart. A heart that I want to keep all for myself.
I don’t ever want to let him go.
I’m just not sure how I can keep him forever.
Vaughn
It’s a warm evening, so Charly and I decide to walk over to my parents’ house, as it’s only a ten-minute walk.
She’s wearing this sexy strappy, knee-length pink dress that I can’t wait to take off her later. Surprisingly, she doesn’t have heels on her feet; instead, she has on a pair of flip-flops.
She looks beautiful.
I catch hold of her hand as we walk.
She smiles up at me and wraps her other hand over my arm, bringing herself closer to me.
It’s good to be able to walk outside and hold her hand. Okay, so it’s on my parents’ land, not in the middle of town, but still, it feels good.
“This is nice,” she murmurs.
“Yeah, it is.”
And it really is. Not just the hand-holding. Being here with her. I’m usually here on my own. I don’t bring anyone here. I thought it would be weird, her being here, but it isn’t. Having her in my home feels as natural as breathing.
We reach my parents’ house and head on inside. As usual, the noise is at an epic level.
“Uncle Vaughn!”
A swarm of kids run at me, hugging my legs and stomach.
“Hey,” I say to my nieces and nephews. “Kids, this is Charly.”
They all let me go, and four sets of eyes all stare at Charly.
“Charly, this is George.” I pat his head. “He belongs to Meg and Vic. These three are Parker, Thomas, and Nora. They’re Sasha and Greg’s.”
“My mama and daddy are getting married,” Nora tells her.
Nora’s three and beyond cute. I adore her.
I know you’re not supposed to have favorites, but she’s my favorite.
“I know,” Charly says, crouching down to Nora’s level. “It’s so exciting. I bet you’re a bridesmaid, right?”
“Uh-huh,” Nora replies. “My brothers are page boys. I’m three, you know.”
“She doesn’t care how old you are,” Thomas says to her. “Are you Uncle Vaughn’s girlfriend?” he asks Charly.
Charly looks up at me and then back at Thomas. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“Mama said you were his girlfriend,” Nora says. “She was telling Aunt Meg how pretty you are and that she thinks that Uncle Vaughn is going to marry you.”
“And that’s enough of this conversation.” I scoop Nora up in my arms, carrying her through to the living room, blowing a raspberry on her stomach.
“Stop, Uncle Vaughn!” she squeals, grabbing my hair.
Then, I feel arms grab me from behind, and it’s Parker. I drop to my knees, placing Nora on the floor, and take hold of Parker, bringing him over my shoulder. I go down to the floor with him. The next thing I know, I’m under attack from four kids, who are all on me. Three are tickling me while Nora is blowing raspberries on my stomach.
“Uncle Vaughn, why is your tummy so hard? Daddy’s tummy isn’t this hard when I blow raspberries on it. It’s all squishy.”