Page 59 of Country Road Romance

There was, of course, quite a lot of hustle and bustle as everyone was still getting ready for his big screening. He was whisked into a backroom–there would be enough time to give interviews after the screening, assuming that Sheri still wantedthat to happen after his speech–where he was given another once-over to make sure that he was ready for the cameras.

“You’ve got your speech and everything?” Sheri asked as she walked in. She was dressed in a pantsuit, as usual, and her heels made their usual menacing click on the tiled floor. “Did you make any changes?”

Charlie almost told her the truth. It didn’t seem fair to go through with this without at least giving her some kind of warning of what was to come. However, just when he started to confess, his tongue just seemed to stick to the roof of his mouth. Instead, he just said, “Yes, I’ve got the speech and no, I didn’t make any changes.”

For a second he thought that she might press him on it, but instead she just nodded her head.

“Good. Once you’re done with your speech we’ll start the movie, and then after that you can take a few questions, give a couple of interviews, and then we’ll get to the airport and go home.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t know about you, but I’ll be glad when this whole thing is over.”

“Yes,” he said simply.

“You sure are quiet,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

He wanted to tell her that of course everything wasn’t okay, but he knew Sheri well enough to realize she wouldn't be particularly sympathetic to matters of the heart. That just didn’t compute with her when they were in the middle of business.

“I’m fine,” he said tersely.

She shrugged as if that was good enough and then went off to attend to some last minute details.

Time seemed to pass both very quickly and very slowly, and as it did Charlie looked around, seeing if perhaps Rebecca was going to try to touch base with him before he went on. He badly wanted to know whether she’d made any kind of peace with Jared or whether the two of them were still fighting. However,when it came time for him to deliver his speech she hadn’t shown up, so he had to step up in front of those gathered to hear him.

As soon as he stepped out on stage the enormity of what he was about to do came crashing down on him. If he went through with this, nothing was going to be the same, and he had to be okay with that.

You can do this,he reminded himself.Besides, you only have one copy of the speech with you, and it’s the one thatyouwrote.The one that Sheri had written for him–with its platitudes and stale compromise–had been left in the trash can when he left the room.

Taking a deep breath, he walked to the podium, conscious of all of the claps and approving smiles beaming up at him. Somehow, the fact that everyone there seemed to be in his corner made him feel better about all of this, giving him the strength to go through with it.

Finally the crowd quieted down enough so that he could start.

“When I first came back to West Virginia for this festival,” he began, “I thought that this was going to be one of those lovely speeches that people coming back to their home states from Hollywood always give, thanking everyone for helping to make them who they are, and you’ll get some of that tonight. What you’llalsoget, though, is some tough talk, because the truth is that those who are in charge of governing various places in the Mountain State haven’t done as good of a job as they should have when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable.”

He rattled off a series of statistics that he’d quickly researched while revamping this speech. Some of them had been truly gut-wrenching, but he needed those people out there in the audience–particularly the straight ones who believed they were allies–to see just how bad the situation was. In fact, he’d beensurprised by some of what he’d read, and he liked to think that he was on top of LGBTQ+ issues in his home state.

When he was finished delivering those stats, he could see there were a few people in the audience who looked uncomfortable, as if they hadn’t been expecting him to be this real in front of them. That was good, though. He wanted them to realize that they were all complicit in what was going on, in one way or another.

“Now, I don’t want to pin this blame on anyone in particular, but the truth is that there are some people right here in this town who are willing to either turn a blind eye to homophobia or to practice it themselves. I know for a fact that there is at least one member of City Council who likes to say homophobic things and thinks that he can get away with it. The ugly reality is that hehasgotten away with it, because people are often too willing to cause a fuss. They’re more afraid of making things awkward than they are of the very real damage that’s being caused by letting homophobia go unchallenged.”

He could tell at once who Councilman Rhodes was in the audience, because there was only one man there whose face had turned about ten different shades of red as Charlie had continued speaking.

Well, that’s good, Charlie thought,because he needs to realize and come to grips with the fact that his time of terrorizing the people of Huntington is coming to a close.

More importantly, though, Charlie was struck by the hopeful smiles on the faces of so many of the young people out there in the audience. The thought that he was doing something good for them was enough to give him the strength to continue.

“The film you’re about to watch today is one that’s very near and dear to my heart. It’s one of those movies that reminds you that queer people of all sorts have always been around, even if their stories have either been papered over or pushed intothe margins. This is a story about a love that is forbidden not just because it transgresses social classes but also because it’s between two queer men. It’s a crucial story, and I’m very proud to have been a part of it.”

He was conscious of Sheribehind him, and he could just imagine the look on her face as he set his entire career on fire right in front of her.

I don’t care anymore,he thought.The only thing that matters is being honest to and with myself. I have to speak my truth, and these people are going to listen to it, no matter how uncomfortable it might make some of them.

“It’s also a story about power, particularly the power of being true to yourself, of not letting the social expectations of others dictate your every behavior. That’s a lesson that hits home with me the older I get. I hope that everyone sitting in this theater, and everyone out there in the world tonight who might see this speech on YouTube or TikTok or somewhere else, realizes how much power there is in speaking up and speaking your truth. I’m happy to have been able to do so tonight. Going forward, I’m going to continue speaking out and doing everything I can to make life better for all of the queer folks who still call Appalachia home. They’re as much a part of this region as their straight counterparts, and it’s time that they’re seen that way.

“Thank you all so much for this chance to speak to you all tonight. I hope you enjoy the film, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the festival.”

And then he was done. The speech was over. There was a moment of pregnant, heavy silence throughout the auditorium, and then a few scattered people started clapping. As Charlie watched, they got to their feet, followed by several others. His stomach clenched as he thought of the rest of the crowd leaving the room. He needn’t have worried, though. While a few did storm out–most notably Councilman Rhodes–far more stayedthere, and as they did the clapping grew louder and more enthusiastic, until practically everyone in the auditorium was on their feet giving him a standing ovation.

Looks like I made the right call, after all,he thought, heart swelling with joy and euphoria.

Then he turned around, and the look on Sheri’s face told him that he had definitely crossed a boundary and that she was very,verypissed about it.

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