Page 58 of Be Our Ghost
At seven thirty, he and Charlie were able to relax as the guests sat down to enjoy the plated dinner. The smell of roast chicken and vegetables made his stomach growl, but he ignored it. Once the gala ended, he was hoping to find an all-night diner where they could indulge in burgers and fries.
* * *
Halfway through dinner,the lights dimmed, and a video played on the screen. Knox could barely see it from his vantage point, but the audio came through clearly. The video contained a compilation of clips drawn from the show’s best-loved scenes. He listened intently, smiling as he recognized dialogue he’d written. Included in the clips were the jaw-dropping final scene from the end of the second season, when the Fae King’s devious plan was revealed, as well as the tender moment when Princess Elodie and Finn confessed their love for each other.
“I can’t believe you wrote so much of this,” Charlie whispered. “I’m so impressed.”
His heart swelled with pride. How many people could make a claim like that? To have created a show that was part of the pop culture lexicon, that would be remembered long after it ended. Even if he didn’t run into any of his old friends, coming here tonight had been the right move. It was a chance to bask in his accomplishments, to celebrate everything he’d achieved before Evan had stripped it away from him.
Once dinner ended, people flocked back to the beverage stations. A rush of drink orders kept him hopping until his line dwindled to just two people—the very writers he’d hoped to see. Zack Wilder—a tall, lanky guy with messy black hair—was dressed as the Grim Reaper, complete with a metal scythe. Beside him was Norah Chen, a petite woman with short dark hair and glasses, wearing a red polka-dot dress and Minnie Mouse ears.
“I can’t believe they haven’t kicked us out yet,” Zack said to Norah. “When I ran into Evan, he gave me the biggest side-eye ever but didn’t say a damn thing.”
“Enjoy it while you can,” Norah said. She smiled at Knox. “I’ll have a gimlet.”
Zack nudged her. “You’re not going to try a Princess Elodie cocktail?”
She shuddered. “I hate anything with Midori liqueur. Too sweet.”
“All these themed drinks are seriously over-the-top.” Zack leaned his scythe against the bar and offered Knox an apologetic smile. “No offense.”
“None taken. I’m just the bartender.” Setting down his shaker, Knox took a deep breath. He’d never get a better chance than this one. He removed his mask and set it on the bar top beside him. “Though you might have known me in a different incarnation.”
Zack gaped at him. “Fuck me. Is that you, Mac?”
“In the flesh. Though I go by my real name now. Knox McIntyre, at your service. And this is Charlie Fraser, my partner in crime. Charlie, meet Zack and Norah, my two favorite writers fromThe Hidden Forest.”
Charlie waved at them. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”
“Same here.” Norah shot Knox an evil grin. “Are you planning to take down the gala? If so, then I want in. The show did yousodirty.”
“Didn’t it, though?” Charlie added. “But we aren’t here to make trouble.”
Knox nodded. “I actually signed up to serve drinks on the off chance of running into a few old friends. Like the two of you.”
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you’re standing in front of us,” Zack said. “You fucking vanished. Do you know how hard I tried to find you?”
Knox felt a twinge of regret. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have cut everyone off. But…”
“We get it,” Norah said. “I mean, your world went to shit. Especially after Evan did those vile interviews. If it’s any consolation, the writers’ room went downhill from there. Evan brought in a bunch of new guys, and those cocky assholes changed the whole tone of the show.”
“I’ll never forgive them for killing off Finn,” Charlie said.
“Right?” Zack replied. “We got so much backlash.”
“I was devastated when I found out what they did to that character,” Knox added. “Poor Finn didn’t deserve such an agonizing death.”
“Everyone knew Evan did it because Finn reminded him too much of you,” Norah said. “When I pushed back, he had me fired at the end of the season.”
“Same with me.” Zack set down the laminated card listing the wine selections. “I’ll take a glass of the Pinot Noir.”
“Coming right up.” Knox handed Norah her gimlet. “You both left the show? How did you score an invite to the gala?”
Zack laughed. “I’m here as Tyson’s plus-one. We got married last year.”
“That’s great. Congrats.” Knox had always liked working with Tyson, who’d headed up the design department. “What about you, Norah?”
“I’m good friends with Waverly Zhou, who works in costuming, so she invited me to join her. But I’m sure Evan isn’t happy to see either of us. After you left the show and he spread those rumors about you going into rehab, we called him on his bullshit. Which left us with big targets on our backs.”
