Jade’s phone buzzed. “Car’s here, peeps. Let’s roll. PS10, I think you have some drool coming out of your mouth.”
They all filed downstairs and into the limo.
“Who’s presenting Best Actress?” Emma asked, nestling back against Logan.
“Jocelyn Brown, baby,” Sam replied.
Jade grabbed at her chest. “Be still my gay heart.”
Emma poked around in her purse. “Anybody hungry? I have Jolly Ranchers.” She pulled one out and popped it in her mouth. After a second, her face pinched with distaste and she spit it back into its wrapper. As Emma put it back in the purse, she glanced over at Sam…and winced.
“What?” Sam asked.
“Nothing.” Emma snapped the purse shut. “Did you prepare a speech?”
“No, I didn’t want to jinx it. And there are some strong nominees. I mean, I can’t imagine I’ll win.”
“You were great too,” Logan said. “Think positive.”
“Yeah, be positive,” Jade said. “But don’t forget the camera is on you when they announce the winner. Watch your face. Don’t look disappointed. Look gracious.”
“I know.”
“Don’t roll your eyes.”
“I wouldn’t roll my eyes.”
“Don’t curse.”
“Shut the hell up.”
Alex fidgeted next to Sam.
Sam sensed her uneasiness and squeezed her hand. “You okay?”
Alex nodded.
“You’ll get used to it. Stick with me, baby.” Sam winked.
“What’s gonna happen when we get there?” Lenna asked.
“The red carpet is gonna be a zoo, so stay close to me and Calynn,” Jade said. “We’ll kinda hang back while Sam, E, and Logan go first. Follow my lead, and you’ll be fine. Okay, we’re here. Everyone ready? Smile, people!”
* * *
The driver opened the door.
Sam exited the limo first, and the fans went wild. Emma and Logan followed to robust cheers.
Alex’s heart leapt into her throat as she stepped onto the red carpet and gazed around in wonder. All the fans along the ropes clamored for Sam’s attention. Alex tried to give herself a pep talk, praying she wouldn’t stumble in the high heels. She walked next to Jade and Calynn, Sophia and Lenna bringing up the rear.
Sam and Emma were both pulled aside for interviews, so the going was slow. Sam’s grace in these situations amazed her. An image of Sam walking into the patio door popped into her head and she smiled to herself.
Jade leaned into her ear. “What’s so funny?”
“Sam was so dorky when we first met. When I see her like this, I’m always in awe.”
“Let’s face it, she’s a huge dork. That hasn’t changed.”
When the interviews and photo ops finally ended, the group entered the auditorium, and took their seats in the tenth row.
* * *
Sam settled into her seat and tried to relax by taking deep, calming breaths. No biggie, right? It was just the Oscars. Ha! She wanted to puke into her handbag.
She had Alex on one side and her mom, Angela, on the other. It would be a long, torturous wait for the Best Actress award, but having loved ones on either side would hopefully keep Sam from jumping out of her skin with anticipation. What would really keep her calm would be Alex’s arm around her, but PDA was off the table.
Toward the end of the evening, Jocelyn Brown appeared on stage. Alex grabbed one hand and her mom grabbed the other.
Sam shifted in her seat and jiggled her leg. All the hard work, all the years on stage and TV, all came down to this moment. All her hopes and dreams. Her stomach knotted. She bit her lip and squeezed Alex’s hand.
“And the winner for Best Actress is…”
They all held their collective breath.
“Samantha Cassidy for Addictions.”
Sam’s jaw dropped open. Her heart stopped beating. She sat frozen in her seat until Alex kissed her on the cheek and her mom shrieked. It took a moment to find the strength to stand, and when she did, she turned to a tearful Angela. She knew her mom was also remembering Sam’s performances as a young child, and her father.
Sam turned to Alex, and they embraced.
“Congratulations, baby. I love you so much,” Alex whispered in her ear before releasing her.
Emma and Zach kissed her, and Jade bear-hugged her on her way out of the aisle.
As Sam approached the steps to the stage, she lifted her gown. Now was not the time to face plant on the top step of the Dolby Theatre. She headed toward the podium and graciously accepted the Oscar. Staring at the statue, she put a hand to her throat. This was her dream come true. She blinked back tears.
“I really didn’t expect this, so I didn’t prepare anything. And I know you hear that all the time, but it’s totally true.”
“Booyah! Drop that fucking mic, Sam,” Jade yelled from the audience.
“Aaand, that’s my crazy manager, Jade Ramos. Hope you guys bleeped that out. Ah, let’s see.” Sam took a moment to soak it all in—the cameras, the rapt audience, the icons of film and television all gazing at her. “I’d like to thank the producers at Columbia for allowing me to play this role. All my co-stars, who were terrific. I’d like to thank the crew, the awesome writers. My director, Tom Shepherd. I always love working with you. My agent, Zach Barrett. My manager, Jade Ramos. And my mom, who puts up with me every day.” Sam took a breath to steady herself. “And I’d like to dedicate this to my dad. He’s not with us anymore. He passed away when I was fourteen, and he was my biggest fan. He made me a homemade Oscar when I was five.” Sam looked skyward. “Daddy, I won the real one now.”
* * *
Alex wiped a tear from her cheek.
“And lastly, I’d like to thank the love of my life—”
Jade grabbed Alex’s hand and squeezed. “Holy mother fucking shit, she’s doing it.”
“—who’s been by my side for over two years now—”
“Holy mother fucking shit, she’s coming out.”
“—Alex Novato.”
“And, she’s out.”
Sam’s gaze locked on Alex. “I love you so much. I loved you the first time I laid eyes on you.”
Alex mouthed back, “I love you too.”
“Hot damn,” Jade said with admiration.
“And while I have your attention…”
“Oh, lord Jesus, what now?” Jade asked.
“I just want to ask. Alex, will you marry me?”
Jade shook her head in disbelief. “Oh my God. Oh my fucking God.”
A hush went through the auditorium, then slowly the clapping started from the back, and like a wave it took over the entire room. Cheering and shouting soon followed.
A dumbstruck Alex sat unmoving, mouth hanging open.
Jade nudged her shoulder. “Answer!”
Alex nodded. She mouthed, “Yes.”
Sam laughed. “Well, she said yes, so I guess you’re all invited to the wedding.”
The audience went wild and rose to their feet.
“Thank you so much!” Sam pumped the Oscar in the air.
“Holy fuck, don’t drop it,” Jade shouted in Alex’s ear. They were both laughing and wiping at the moisture on their cheeks.
Sam was ushered off stage, and the show cut to a commercial break.
* * *
“Thank you, Sam,” Jocelyn said when they got backstage.
“For what?”
“Now they’ll have something to talk about other than me dropping and breaking this little statue last year.”
“Oh, you’re welcome. I mean, coming out of the closet in front of millions of people definitely trumps a broken Oscar, don’t you think?”
“Coming out? You didn’t just come out. You shot the fuck out of there.”
“I did, didn’t I?”
“Like a goddamn cannon. Congratulations. You have balls, Cassidy. Your girl’s gorgeous, by the way.”
“Thanks.”
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Alex and Jade soon joined her backstage. She hugged Jade and turned to Alex.
“Did I give you a heart attack?”
“Hell no.” Alex pulled her in for the most award-winning kiss in the history of the Oscars.
When they broke apart, Sam was alight with excitement. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe I won.”
“I can’t believe you proposed. On stage. At the Oscars!”
“Well, I’ve been waiting for the right moment, and when I was standing at that podium tonight, I knew it was perfect. I love you so much, and I wanted everyone to know it. Everyone in the world.”
“Well, I would say mission accomplished. Looks like we have a wedding to plan. How many people did you just invite?”
“The more the merrier, right? I have to go to the press room. I’ll see you in a few.”
“Okay, I’ll let you go. I love you so much.” Alex kissed her again.
“I love you too.”
* * *
Shortly after two a.m., the limo turned into the parking lot at Monette’s. The Oscar sat on the seat next to Sam. Mr. Emmy finally had his friend.
When the limo stopped, the gang filed out. Velvet ropes led to the door of the club. Word had spread that Sam and Alex would be at the bar sometime after midnight. Fans who had been in line for hours screamed, hoping to attract the attention of Hollywood’s new royalty.
Sam and Alex walked hand in hand through the chaos, high-fiving people and posing for selfies. Emma and Logan followed behind.
Jade had arrived before everyone else, and when they entered the club, she handed them baseball hats embroidered with #CassiNova. Laughing, they put the hats on. The place was packed with regulars, family, friends, and Oscar winners. All wearing hats.
Sam pulled Jade in for a big hug. “The hats are perfect. Where did you get CassiNova from?”
Jade pointed to Emma. “Well, believe it or not, from E. She blurted it out a couple of years ago.”
“Yeah bitches! It was me!” Emma took a selfie and texted it to Logan, who stood by her side.
Jade placed an arm around Emma’s shoulders. “I think she levitated when she said it.”
Sam giggled. “Too funny. The hats are brilliant, by the way.”
“I’m trending you bitches up.” Jade high-fived them both.
“I’m going to the bar. Do you want anything?” Alex asked.
“Not right now, baby, thank you.”
Alex gave Sam a peck on the cheek and headed to the bar.
Sam murmured into Jade’s ear, “Wow. There’s a lot of people here.”
“Yep, I invited everyone. Jocelyn Brown is here.”
“Where?”
Jade pointed toward the bar.
Sam put a hand to her heart. Across the room, Jocelyn and Alex were chatting. “Holy shit, she’s talking to my girl. And she just made Jocelyn laugh.” Sam beamed with pride.
Soon Lenna joined her sister. Sam’s eyes widened. “Oh no, no, no, don’t put her in a headlock, not in front of Jocelyn.”
She breathed a sigh of relief when Lenna simply put an arm around her baby sis.
Eventually, Alex found Sam and led her to the dance floor. “Hey, guess what?” she asked.
“What?”
“We don’t have to hide anymore.”
They shared a very public kiss.
Soon the whole gang joined them.
The music slowed down, and the DJ announced, “This next song is dedicated to our own CassiNova.”
When the first notes played, Alex and Emma whooped and grabbed their respective partners. Jade crossed her arms and cursed.
And they all slow danced to the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody.”
Alex pulled Sam close. “This is our first public slow dance, you know.”
“I’m aware.”
“You know this is gonna be the song we slow dance to at our wedding, right?”
“I know. Guess how much I love you?”
“To the moon and back?”
Sam caressed Alex’s cheek. “You got that right.”
“Have I told you how stunning you look tonight?”
“Many times.”
“Have I told you I can’t wait to motorboat the shit out of you later?”
Sam giggled and pulled her closer. “Have I told you you’re the best thing in my life? And now I can tell whoever I want?”
“Well, you kinda just told forty million people. So there’s that.” Alex lifted Sam and twirled her around. When Sam’s feet were back on terra firma, Alex whispered, “I love you, Sam Cassidy.”
Sam snuggled close, softly singing the rest of the song in Alex’s ear. It was a perfect moment. The whole night had been perfect.
* * *
Sam and Alex awoke in their hotel room the next morning, naked and wrapped around each other.
Sam groaned. “I have a mega hangover.”
Alex yawned. “You only had four beers. I lost count and cannot feel my tongue right now.”
The Oscar on the table mesmerized them both.
“Can you believe it? It’s really there,” Sam said with reverence.
“Amazing.”
She left the warmth of the bed, shrugged into a robe, and headed to the bathroom. When she came back out, someone knocked.
“I’ll get it.” Sam peered through the peephole and opened the door to a pajama-clad Jade, who had a stack of newspapers in her arms.
She made a beeline to the bedroom. “Check this out, bitches. Oh. You naked in that bed, PS10?”
“As the day I was born.”
“Good. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.” Jade slipped under the covers.
Alex rolled on top of Jade.
“Whoa, you are naked.”
“I said I was.”
“Like, really naked. Sam, she’s naked.”
Sam settled on top of the covers in her bathrobe, leaning back against the headboard with a newspaper in hand. “Well, that’s been your dream, right? Getting Alex naked in bed? Have at it.”
Jade lay rigid beneath Alex, eyes rapidly blinking. “I think I was kidding. She’s really naked.”
Alex continued to lay on top of her, staring down in amusement. “Something wrong?”
“No, no. Nothing’s wrong. You’re just pretty naked.”
“Wanna three-way?”
“Oh fuck.” Jade was clearly out of her league. “You’re kidding, right? Sam, she’s kidding, right?”
“Nope, don’t think so.”
Alex continued to wait for an answer.
“Maybe next time?” Jade whimpered in a small voice.
Alex rolled off. “Chicken.”
Sam laughed as she paged through the newspapers. “This is great. Look at this first one. ‘Hashtag CassiNova Trending Up, Sam Cassidy Proposes to Her Girlfriend in Acceptance Speech.’ That’s funny. And here, ‘CassiNova, Hollywood’s New Power Couple.’ With a lovely picture of us kissing by the way. And this one ‘Hashtag CassiNova Forever, She Says Yes!’”
“Oh my God, we’re a hashtag. We’ve made it!” Alex leaned over Jade to kiss Sam.
Another knock sounded.
Sam padded into the living room and opened the door.
Emma shuffled in and cautiously navigated through the clothes littering the floor. “Somebody had a good time last night,” she mumbled on her way to the bedroom.
“What the hell are on your feet?” Jade asked.
“What? These are my slippers.” Emma wiggled the rabbit ears on her big, fluffy, white slippers.
“Jesus Christ, what’d you do? Stomp on Bugs Bunny?”
“Shut up. They’re cute.” Emma climbed into bed and slid under the covers next to Jade.
“So when’s the wedding?” Jade asked.
Alex shrugged. “Honey, when are we getting married?”
“I guess next year. And now that I’m officially out of the closet and probably out of a job, we may have to do a GoFundMe campaign to pay for it,” s
he said in jest.
“You still have the series,” Emma said.
“Yeah. But movie roles may be scarce.”
Jade put a finger in the air. “Hold on, Sami, I forgot to tell you.”
“What?”
“At the Vanity Fair party last night, I ran into Donna Williams from Universal.”
Sam perked up. Donna was a bigwig at the studio. “And?”
“Well, you know the Janis Joplin biopic that’s been floating around for years?”
“The one that never seems to get made?”
“Yes, that one. They want you for it.”
“Even after charging out of the closet?”
“Yep.”
“You’re shitting me, right?”
“No, I am not. They want you. It’s gonna be a prime gig.”
“Are you telling me outing myself did not destroy my career?”
“That is what I’m telling you. Congratulations, Sam, your career is not dead.”
Sam and Alex exchanged a tender glance.
“I love you.” Sam crawled across Emma and Jade to get to Alex. She scooched down next to her.
“Group fucking hug,” Emma hollered. “Is it still a dollar? ’Cause I don’t have any money.”
“You don’t have any bucks in those bunny shoes of yours?” Jade asked.
“Nope.”
They all snuggled into each other.
“CassiNova forever!” Jade shouted.
Emma put a prideful fist in the air. “I thought of that shit.”
Jade gave Emma a squeeze. “Yes, you did, Jan Brady. Yes, you did. Drop that mic, girl.”
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