Page 60 of Cosplay & Consequences

Danny shooed him away. “Go home, Robby. I don’t want Celeste coming after me because you had a late night.”

Robby peered at me over his thick glasses, a smirk on his face. “Are you okay with me leaving you alone with this malcontent?”

“I think I can handle him,” I replied, with a not-so-serious nod.

“I’m sure you can!” He cackled and headed for the door. “You still have your keys, right, Danny? Just lock up when you are done.”

Danny smiled after Robby. He reached for a hook by the door, pulling off a dirty work shirt with the name “Billy” embroidered on it. He pulled the shirt on like he was putting on a comfortable sweater. It was a snug fit over his biceps and the shirt buttoned up tight over his chest.

“Is Billy going to be mad that you're wearing his shirt?” I asked.

“I doubt it,” he said, giving the embroidered name an affectionate pat with his hand. “It was my father’s.”

Everything clicked into place for me. I recognized the shirt from the photo in Danny’s dressing room worn by the bearded man. The shirt had seen better days, but Danny treated it like the finest garment he owned.

“I guess your name on the building is no coincidence. So, in addition to being an actor, you’re also a mechanic?” I teased.

“I know my way around a car,” he replied amiably. He walked around the garage, gathering tools and two boxes containing parts. “My dad had me changing oil and spark plugs by the time I was eight.”

“And how did your dad feel about his little mechanic becoming an actor?”

Danny chuckled as he began to work on my car, pulling bolts off the engine. “If you’re expecting a ‘no son of mine’ story, you’re going to be disappointed. I couldn’t ask for someone more supportive of my career. When I told him I wanted to act, he found a way to pay for lessons and summer camps. He got me into community theater when I was young. He never pressured me, just exposed me to acting. Whenever I did a show, he bought tickets for every single performance without fail.”

“He sounds like an amazing guy,” I noted, listening to him talk and drinking it in.

“He wasn’t perfect, but he was a great father,” he said as he pulled another part from my engine. “Our mother died giving birth to Paige. He did everything to make sure we had what we needed. Paige had always been a troublemaker, but when she got pregnant and told Dad she wanted to keep Faye, he did what he always did. He talked to her. Made sure it was what she wanted. The next day he went out and came back with a crib. When Faye was born, he couldn’t get enough of her.”

He smiled at the memory. “That’s how he was. When I got into Juilliard, every customer who walked into this shop got an earful of it.”

He smiled, and his voice changed to something deep and gruff. “See that kid over there plugging the tire? He got into Juuuuulie-yard. Gonna be big. That’s my boy, and he’s going to leave a mark on this world.”

I laughed as he got a little wistful. Danny went silent as he worked on my car. It was hard to believe that just a few days ago I had dismissed him as a simple ambitious actor and “meh” when he was so much more than that. “I think he’d be proud of your performance tonight.”

He stopped working for a moment, staring at the engine. “Yeah. He was my biggest fan.”

He took off a bolt from the engine, tossing it into a tray. “He died when I was in my sophomore year of school. Heart attack. Paige was by herself, and Faye was a year old. After that, school didn’t seem as important as being here for my sister or the people who worked here. I figured I’d go back to school when everything settled down, but one day Paige was exhausted and zonked out. Faye was teething and screaming in the middle of the night. I picked her up and rubbed a little analgesic gel on her gums, and she stopped crying. She then snuggled up to me and fell asleep on my chest.”

He smiled at the memory. “After that, I wasn’t going anywhere. That kid has had me wrapped around her finger ever since. A month later, I scored my gig with Minutes thanks to Stella. Between that and the garage, we made enough money to get by.”

I imagined him holding his infant niece, thinking back to the photos of them in the dressing room. I also listened to how he talked, not hearing a trace of regret. He gave up almost everything and dedicated his life to his family. I said nothing, and sat there admiring him. The butterflies and feelings bubbled up in me and this time I let it happen. I swallowed hard but the emotions hit my head and for a moment, I was light-headed.

He cocked an eyebrow at me. “You’re awfully quiet. What are you thinking?”

I smirked at him. “Nothing. I think my ovaries exploded.”

He jolted upwards laughing, banging his head against the hood of my car.

“Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t think you’d have that reaction,” I said moving to the car to check him over.

“It’s fine,” he laughed, rubbing the back of his head. “Paige has hit me harder than this.”

“In the head?” I asked.

“Usually the shoulder. I have a permanent bruise there,” he joked.

“Is that what that was? I thought it was a birthmark.” I leaned on the car, looking down at the engine, not having a clue what he was doing or how anything worked. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how is an actor on a tv show for ten years, who also owns a garage, ‘just getting by’?”

He shrugged. “Well, why don’t you search what the average soap opera star makes in a year?” he suggested. “Because I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you.”