Sorry for the delay in this chapter. Summer, weddings, graduations and surgery sort of took up my time. Thank you all for hanging in there.
The first semester in school is a lot of fun once I realized Ezzie can help me with my grades, and I don't have to kill myself studying for my general education courses.
I have scheduled to fly out to the West Coast over Thanksgiving break to Up All Night with Alan. Alan Fudd is the super popular late night host that invited me out to meet a friend of his. I still have no idea who the friend is. I am bummed that Liz can't come. Her Mom wants to spend time with her. Anna wants to spend time at home and with Larry, and Amy wants to do Thanksgiving with the guys in the dorm. They are having a group dinner and she is looking forward to it.
So Friday morning, after Thanksgiving with the family. I fly out First Class, (Thank You Alan). I land and there is a young lady holding a card with Ben & Karen's Kids logo on it. I wave to her and she introduces herself. Her name is Sue and she is an intern on the show. Alan asked her to make sure I get to the hotel, and then to the studio. She walks me out to a waiting limo, after I grab my garment bag and duffle bag.
We make small talk on the way to the hotel. She tells me the car will be back in about 2.5 hours to pick me up for the show. She offers to take my garment bag with her to the studio. She will have the staff hang and steam it before the show. It will be waiting for me in my dressing room at the studio. Wow! I kind of like this VIP treatment.
I get to my room and it's Beautiful! I spend the next little while as promised calling Uncle & Auntie, Anna and Liz to let them all know I landed safely. I flop back on the bed and sigh. I can't believe this. I am going to be on the Alan Fudd show, and meet a big friend of his. I am going to be on national tv. Before I know it Sue is texting me. The car will be downstairs in an hour. Don't do my hair or makeup. They will do my makeup and hair when I arrive.
I take a quick shower and get dressed in a cute shirt and shorts. I head downstairs and the car is waiting. He drops me right at the stage door and Sue meets me there. She takes me to a dressing room with my name printed over the charity logo. In the room are my two outfits on a rack looking freshly pressed. Sue points to some flip-flops by the rack. Why don't you put those on, and I will take you to makeup.
Umm, ok. I kick off my sneakers and slip them on. She takes me to makeup. She tells me after makeup, someone will take me to my dressing room and she will come get me when it's time.
As I walk into the makeup room, one girl asks. "Are you wearing the floral sundress or the pink one?"
I am surprised. "You saw my dresses?"
She smiles at me. "It would have been tough to steam them with my eyes closed." She giggles.
"Oh God. I am sorry!" I gasp.
She just laughs. "It's ok. You are nervous and not used to any of this. I think the floral one would be perfect. It will really pop on tv."
"Um ok." I say.
"Perfect!" She hands me a short robe and points to a privacy screen. "Go take off you shirt and bra so your bra straps don't leave marks on your shoulders. UHD TV shows Everything."
For the next hour or so I sometimes have two women working on me. Hair, makeup, finger & toenails. They finally finish and step back. "Oh my. I look like a movie star!" I say getting emotional.
"Oh no you don't. No getting weepy. Deep breaths." She takes my hands and pulls me to my feet. "So one last question, and I don't mean to get personal. Do you want to wear the strapless bra in your bag or go without one on stage?" She asks.
"What? Really?" I ask.
She holds up her hands to stop me. "You can go without one. You aren't too big, you would look nice and full on tv. But the stage can be hot under the lights and cold with the AC blowing to cool them. Do you have large nipples? Would you be embarrassed if they popped? Would you want some pasties?"
"I um... don't know." I say.
She puts 2 large skin colored round bandaids in my hand. "Just in case. You do whatever you like."
I decide to go braless. I was going to pass on the pasties, but then I thought of Grandpa, Papa & Uncle watching. I put on the pasties. There is a tv in my room that is showing the live feed. The intro starts, Alan comes out and starts his monologue. "Tonight I have a young woman that I am Absolutely Amazed by. No she isn't a new movie or tv star. She isn't a new singer. She is an Amazing Human Being. Watch this." He says and it cuts to a piece on me and the charity. It's a bunch of stuff I hadn't seen before. It's all stuff that was never used. Me laughing and joking at the ball games. Me hugging Auntie out on the field. He is making me sound like a saint. It ends with a still shot of the large photo and logo in the front hall of the dorm.
Sue is knocking on my door. "It's time Mary." I open the door and I am nervous as hell as I am standing at the curtain with Sue.
I hear Alan talking, and then he is calling to me. "Everyone, let's hear it for the founder of Ben & Karen's Kids, MARY!" He yells out. Sue gives me a gentle push out and I have no choice now to walk across the stage to Alan Fudd. He comes to me and gives me a polite hug, and laughs as he sees me gawking at the audience and the stage. He takes me by the hand and pulls me to center stage. "Let me introduce you. Audience this is Mary. Mary, this is the Audience." He says with a big smile.
The audience screams out. "Hi Mary!"
I can't help but laugh. "Hi Audience!" I yell back.
"Come on, let's take a seat." Alan says as he turns me and walks me back to a large sofa, and his armchair. He goes on to tell everyone how he learned of me from his friend, that saw Sylvie's first report, and then by running into Sylvie at the Olympics. Like Sylvie, he just relaxes you and gets you to open up. We talk for a few minutes. "So I have to ask. I saw your latest interview with Sylvie. What exactly is Goldstar and what's going on with Christmas for Kids?" Alan asks.
I sigh, and explain. "Goldstar was my Dad's company, that is now mine. He loved the Christmas for Kids charity. He was a big supporter of it. I found out the receivership that has been running Goldstar for me after my parents passed away stopped sponsoring the charity. I hate to say it, but I kind of lost it on the manager that made that call."
Alan laughs. "You are too sweet. I can't imagine you getting upset at someone."
I laugh. "Yeah I really did. On the plus side though, Goldstar is back as a sponsor of Christmas for Kids." I look at Alan and point at a camera. "The one with the light on?" I ask.
He laughs. "Yes, the one with the light."
I turn to the lit camera. "Christmas for Kids is a wonderful charity. It helps families in need. It makes sure every little kid gets something under the tree on Christmas. Christmas is about giving and children, and I want to promise Christmas for Kids. Whether it's me personally or Goldstar, I will always be there for you to carry on my Father's legacy." I say getting a bit emotional at the end.
"And that is why I Love this young lady!" Says Alan. "We will be right back." and he breaks to go to a commercial.
Alan hands me a tissue. I dab at my eyes. He watches me for a moment and then smiles. "You are an amazing young lady, and you are a natural when you talk from the heart. You keep this up and you will raise a lot of money for whatever cause you choose." He says.
I sip some water and say. "Thank you." And I hear someone counting down. 5..4..3..2 and he points at Alan.
We come back and Alan tells everyone he has a friend and she is dying to meet me. "So it's a she? I have been going nuts trying to figure out who it is?" I say and the audience makes some noise.
Then from behind me I hear a woman say. "It's just me."
