"Why is there a red carpet in the living room?" Mitchell asked, walking into the kitchen where Cam was busy making food.
"Mitchell, we are having a celebrity over. It's all part of the experience," Cam explained.
Mitchell leaned against the kitchen counter, eyeing the flurry of activity as Cam moved around the kitchen.
"Really, Cam? A red carpet?" Mitchell couldn't help but tease, his tone laced with amusement and a hint of exasperation.
Cam paused, ladle in hand, and turned to Mitchell.
"Mitchell, darling, we have a veritable celebrity gracing us with his presence tonight. It's about setting the scene, creating an atmosphere," Cam declared.
[Cam and Mitchell Commentary]
"Cam and I have been planning this dinner for Mary, Nathan, and Daniel for a while, ever since the Golden Globe incident. But someone kept rescheduling, and then a whole year went by,"
Mitchell said, giving Cam a side-eye.
"Hey, I wanted to wait for the perfect time," Cam protested.
"Or is it because you can't look Daniel in the face?" Mitchell accused.
"What? Daniel and I are cool... we're so cool... He said it himself, remember? Water under the bridge," Cam replied.
"Right, is that why you always get uncomfortable when his name is mentioned?" Mitchell deadpanned.
Cut to a party hosted by Pepper Saltzman.
"So, what's Daniel up to these days? I can't believe I've never met him. I was sure our paths would have crossed by now," Pepper said, leaning towards Mary.
Cam, catching wind of the conversation, discreetly slipped out of the room, much to Mitchell's annoyance.
Mary smiled. "Oh, he's making a movie now."
"Really? That boy is going places," Pepper remarked. "Hey, Cam," he began, turning to where he thought Cam was. "Where did he go?"
"I'm not avoiding anything," Cam denied.
"Right, but now that Mary is engaged, I was finally able to convince this one to invite Daniel along with Mary and Nathan for a congratulatory dinner."
"See, I am not avoiding anyone," Cam said.
"We'll see," Mitchell replies.
[End Commentary]
Mitchell stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Cam's waist. "Cam, Daniel knows it was an accident. You don't need to roll out the red carpet—literally—to make up for it."
"But I want to, Mitch. I want tonight to be special," Cam insisted.
"What's on the menu then?" Mitchell asked, curiosity piqued.
"I'm making a very experimental dish I saw in a magazine. It's an Italian and Mexican fusion dish with a bit of Korean thrown in as well," Cam said.
"Cam, do you remember what happened last time you did an experimental cuisine?" Mitchell asked, with a bit of concern in his voice.
"Trust me, Mitchell. It'll be a sensation. They're going to love it," Cam assured.
Mitchell didn't look very convinced.
.
.
.
There were a few guests at the house today Nathan's family was visiting, and it was my first time meeting them. Nothing could have truly prepared me for the weird bunch that was his family.
I was first introduced to Nathan's sister, Tiffany, a rather voluptuous woman who always seemed to have a glass of wine in her hands. My mom had hidden away all the good alcohol before their arrival. I found Tiffany very warm and welcoming, especially when she would pull me into hugs.
Dammit, Daniel, she's going to be your aunt soon...well, step-aunt...no, no, stop...
Next, I was introduced to Nathan's mother Nancy. To describe her in a single word? Well...she was crazy. Not in a violent way, but more conspiracy theorist crazy. After spending some time with her, I feel more paranoid about everything now.
Nathan's dad Ethan was the polar opposite of his wife and daughter—calm, collected, and with a sense of humor that none of his children inherited.
Ethan didn't hesitate to express his joy at having me around with a hearty laugh and a pat on my back he spoke.
"Never thought this day would come, to be honest," he said, his eyes twinkling.
"What?" I asked.
"Thought Nathan here would keep me waiting forever for any grandkids. But look at us now, I got myself a new grandson already! All grown up and a famous one too" His words carried a warmth that made me feel welcomed.
Nathan shook his head in amusement as he made burgers on the grill. His sister was in the pool with my mom, pretty sure she was drunk, and my mom was trying to get her out of the pool.
Nathan's mom leaned closer to me, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"I hear you're in Hollywood now, dear. You've got to watch your back," she started, her eyes scanning the room as if checking for eavesdroppers.
"Did you know," she continued, her tone becoming more animated, "that half of those movie executives are probably shape-shifters? And don't get me started on the secret societies running the show from behind the curtains."
Her theories ranged from the plausible to the outlandish. Somehow our conversation reached a point where she claimed the moon wasn't real.
I slowly ended the conversation only to end up in front of Nathan's sister, who talked about her modeling days when she was a teen. In her drunken state, she proceeded to strike several poses for me. Thankfully, she was taken away by mom.
I went to my room to pick out some clothes for tonight.
We were supposed to go to dinner with Cam and Mitchell soon. I was kinda looking forward to it. I hadn't seen those two since the whole Golden Globe incident, and my mom had mentioned that Cam still felt guilty about it. I wanted to talk to him about it and wanted to put it all behind us, like I did with Gloria and Jay.
.
.
.
Arriving at Cam and Mitchell's residence, we were greeted by the unexpected sight of a red carpet unfurled before the entrance. Mom couldn't help but chuckle at it.
"Looks like we're in for an entertaining evening," I remarked as we approached the door.
Mitchell opened the door, welcoming us with a warm smile. "Mary, Nathan, so glad you could join us," he greeted as they entered.
"And where's Daniel?" he peered past them, searching.
"Right here," I announced, stepping through the doorway.
"Ah, Daniel, good to see you again. It's been a while" Mitchell said with a genuine smile.
I scanned the well-decorated interior. "Mom mentioned you guys don't hold back with parties."
Just then, Cam's voice echoed from the back of the house. "Did I just hear our guests arrive?"
"Yes, Cam, they're here," Mitchell called out.
Cam soon made his entrance, noticeably more bigger than the last time I saw him. He looked like how he was in the show now.
"Hey, Cam, looks like you're busy," Mom observed, noting his apron-clad figure.
"Yes i'm cooking up something special, you are going to love it," Cam assured..
Mitchell gestured towards me, "Cam, look who's here."
Cam's eyes met mine, a hint of hesitance in his glance, likely recalling our last encounter.
"Oh, Daniel, of course. How's everything with you?"
"Everything's great, thanks. And what's this special dish you're working on?" I asked in the most friendly tone possible that seemed to remove some awkwardness between us somewhat.
Cam brightened up, seemingly comforted by the shift in conversation.
"It's quite the culinary experiment—a fusion dish that combines flavors from Mexican, Italian, and Korean dishes."
Our collective eyebrows rose in surprise at the ambitious description.
As Cam vanished back into the kitchen, Mitchell, Mom, Nathan, and I found ourselves comfortably settled in the living room, engaging in light conversation. The topic soon turned to the new film I was involved with.
"It's a horror film, actually," I shared, catching Mitchell's attention.
"Oh, horror isn't really my thing, but my sister Claire loves that stuff," Mitchell commented, a light chuckle escaping him.
I nodded, slightly distracted. "Yeah, I've heard," I said, before realizing my slip-up.
"Wait, how do you know that?" Mitchell asked.
"Know what?" I replied.
"You said you knew…" he trailed off.
"Oh, I mean, Haley mentioned something similar."
"You know Haley?" Mitchell's curiosity was piqued.
I explained the situation with the history class and how I'd become friends with Haley.
"Is this the same girl you went shopping with?" Mom interjected, her gaze sharp.
I nodded.
"Oh, you are going out," Mitchell said, emphasizing the "going out" part.
"Oh, no, it's not like that," I clarified, stumbling over my words a bit. "We... um... It was just a bet."
"I lost a bet. I was just fulfilling my end of the bargain," I added.
"So, Mitchell, what did you do again?" I asked, playing the part of the curious guest and to change the subject.
"I'm a lawyer," Mitchell responded
"Oh, that's cool. Have any cool case stories?" I probed.
"I mainly focus on environmental law," he admitted a bit sheepishly.
"Have you ever considered focusing on entertainment law? We'll have an opening soon," I said half-jokingly to keep the conversation going.
Mom mused aloud, "Oh, Alexandra is moving to Europe soon, isn't she?"
"Being a lawyer to the stars does sound fun" he said. Before he could continue. Cam interrupted us, informing us that dinner was going to be ready soon.
We moved to the table. Cam was still busy in the kitchen with what he promised to be a "revolutionary" new recipe.
"Wow, that must be some dish if he's in there that long," Nathan remarked.
Mitchell, glancing towards the kitchen to make sure Cam was still out of earshot, said, "I think Cam is hiding."
"Oh, I thought we were over this," Mom said in an exasperated voice.
"What?" I asked.
"Well, he feels responsible for the whole award incident."
"And I have told him many times it was an accident and to forget about the whole incident…" Mom trailed off.
"Maybe I can talk to him," I suggested.
"That is a great idea. Thank you, Daniel," Mitchell said.
As Cam brought out his great experimental fusion dish, Mitchell had a look of mild apprehension on his face. Mom and Nathan looked at it and tried to figure out what it was.
The dish, Cam assured, "was unlike anything you've ever tasted".
"Go on, give it a try!" Cam urged, with a hint of nervousness.
Mom was the first to tentatively reach for her fork, her expression a careful mask of neutrality. Nathan followed suit, albeit with visible hesitation that did little to hide his skepticism. Mitchell, on the other hand, seemed to be mentally preparing himself for the worst.
I don't know why everyone else looked at the dish with concern; it looked good to me. I dug in with genuine curiosity, and it was surprisingly good. Everyone looked at me enthusiastically munching through the dish.
"Wow, Cam, this is actually really good!" I exclaimed.
Cam beamed, visibly relieved. "You really think so? I wasn't sure if I had gone too far with the—"
Nathan, trying to match my enthusiasm, took a more substantial bite, only to quickly reach for his glass of water, his face struggling to maintain a polite smile. "It's certainly... unique," he managed to say.
Mom, not wanting to hurt Cam's feelings, added, "Yes, it's very... innovative. Such an interesting combination of flavors!"
Mitchell, meanwhile, was less successful at hiding his reaction, coughing slightly as he attempted to swallow. "It's... great, Cam."
Cam seemed to only focus on my feedback and looked happier than before.
After dinner, as everyone was settling into a more relaxed conversation, Cam seemed to be more comfortable now. I caught Cam's eye and gestured for him to join me in a quieter corner of the room.
"Cam, I wanted to talk to you about the award incident," I started, noticing the immediate tenseness in his posture.
"Daniel, I can't tell you how sorry I am…" Cam started to say, his voice laced with genuine regret.
"Cam, seriously, it's all in the past. I'm not someone who holds grudges. Accidents happen, and what's important is how we move forward from them."
Cam looked at me, searching my face for any sign of insincerity, then let out a long breath, his shoulders visibly relaxing. "I needed to hear that. Thank you, Daniel."
"It's alright. So, Mom told me that you are singing at the wedding?" I asked as we rejoined the others.