Devotion (boyxboy)

Chapter 19 (Epilogue)

Five Years Later:

I am pacing nervously back and forth.  Keaton is staring at me like I am a complete lunatic.  He is trying to figure out how to calm me down some.  My palms are sweating and I feel nauseous.  I stopped dead in the center of this vomit inducing green room and stare right into the eyes of my true love.

He gets up and begins to chuckle, "Baby, please calm down.  You have been preparing for this day for many years now."  I feel him wrap his arms around my waist and press his forehead to mine and plant the lightest of kisses to my lips.  It is moments like this that remind me just how lucky I am.  Not very many people will ever experience love in any form let alone a true love like mine.

Getting through these past five years were only possible with Keaton by my side every step of the way.  We finally graduated from uni and I published many more novels that made my success grow so much more as to now lable me the richest, best-selling author of all time.  

My relationship with Keaton also grew.  We've had our good times and bad but we never went to bed angry.  We always resolved our issues no matter what.  Keaton will be taking over his family's business empire in a few short months and he is ready.  He chose to delay this momentous event in his life to support me in mine and the reason why we are here right now.

Six months ago, my publisher was approached by one of the biggest movie studio names in Hollywood.  God, America, who knew I was even more popular there.  Once my publisher brought me the offer to turn Devotion into a major motion picture, I had to finally admit that it was time.  Time to finally reveal myself to my fans.

We have spent the last six months working out the contracts and what not to get me the best deal ever with the most creative control as a writer.  The studio pretty much wants me to just do my thing, as they say.  I remember the first time they met with me some of those executives nearly had coronaries when they realized just how young I was.  

Think about it!  I achieved the level of success that I am currently enjoying before I reached the age of twenty two and had my first published novel at fourteen.  They said my story alone is the stuff of legends.  Some of their catch phrases are humorous.

So back to my panic attack.  You see we are in America.  Keaton and my parents came over with me for moral support.  My parents are currently in the front row of the audience and my love is in this green room trying to keep me from passing out.  I am about to have my first world wide televised interview as B. Dale.  

I look at my bestfriend, my lover, my husband.  Yes Keaton and I were married when we turned twenty one.  It was the greatest day of my life!  Every single one of my dreams, hopes and wishes have been fulfilled and I thought my life was complete but now, motion pictures.  It is a scary thought.  I am about to embark on a journey into a part of the industry that is still not highly publizied.  Homosexuality.

As in all things I will go forward and do my best and see where this new endeavor takes me if I can just make it out of this room bloody without fainting from stress.  "Balin, please stop being so dramatic.  The world is waiting to meet you.  The world Balin!  Not very many people can say that.  Do you have any idea how proud I am of you.  How prideful I feel at knowing that you are mine completely.", he says to me.

"I do not think I can do this Keaton.  If I step out onto that stage our lives will change forever.  Are you trully ready for that to happen?  For all that entails being with a celebrity of my magnitude because I have to tell you my love that I am not sure if I am ready for it.", I reply.

"Balin you really do not understand the level of my love for you do you.  You are my soulmate and as such I will follow you to the pits of hell if it meant never to be parted from you.  I am devoted to you in every way possible and I pray that you know I will always be there with you, by your side even in the afterlife.", he breaths out as he is placing comforting kisses all over my face.

I wrap myself around my husband and squeeze him with every emotion going through me and then I take a deep breath, steady myself, and start to walk out of the room.  As we leave the room, staff surround me to make sure that I am primped, prepped and ready to go.  Keaton will be right there in the wings where I can see him if I need my rock to keep me afloat.  It was the only thing that I requested and they were very accommodating.

So as we walk towards the stage I hear the host of the show speaking, My next guest is one of the most famous authors in the world and yet today, for the first time ever, we will be meeting this author in person.  This author has received numerous awards such as the PEN/Faulkner Award For Fiction, National Academy of Best-Selling Authors, Barnes and Noble "Writers for Writers" Award, New England Book Award for Fiction, Los Angeles Times Book Award to just name a few.  However, just this month, B. Dale has been named the recipient of this years Nobel Prize in Literature an achievement that only a hand full of people can boast.  Having written numerous novels over the past nine years, every single book has been a number one best seller.  With all of these accolades, B. Dale's greatest achievement is Devotion.  This novel still holds the record  in sales alone.  Now it will be made into a motion picture.  So, ladies and gentlemen, it has been a long time coming.  It is my great honor to introduce to you for the first time ever, B. Dale!

I look into Keaton's eyes one last time and give him a peck as he caresses my cheek and walk out to the enormously boisterous sounds coming from this auditorium.  This is not the home base for the host's show.  Apparently when word got out that I was going to be here, fans and news media and all manner of people decended upon the show.

As I walk across the stage the crowd goes completely wild and the noise level of cheering goes on for at least ten minutes.  I look out amoung the vast faces of my adoring fans and I think to myself, Oh my God they really do love my work.  Finally the host is able to calm everyone down and then after shaking my hand with exuberance, we both sit down.

I look out at the hundreds of people just gathered here and I wave and say, "Hello one all.  My name is Balin Arendale otherwise known as B. Dale."  And the crowd loses it yet again.  I look over at Keaton and see the sublime look on his face.  I know he can feel my gratitude and I realize that if it were not for him, my devotion to my muse, none of this would have ever been possible!

Then I looked into the audience filled with my devoted fans and begin my newest journey.