60s: "Johnny, we've got only 5 minutes left!"
Inside a long, narrow and busy corridor with multiple doors at the sides, two feet in original sneakers hurry. Looking up, we find out that those feet belong to Yassmine Johnson, a woman aged 60. She’s dressed in a black tracksuit. Her brown hair with some white is tied in a simple ponytail. She’s got some wrinkles around her eyes and mouth and yet she’s still beautiful.
Holding some papers in her hands, Yassmine stops in front of a room, written on it “John Cooper”. She slaps the door aggressively in a non-stop motion, screaming: “Johnny! Open the door!”
The door barely opens. Two brown eyes appear behind it.
“Johnny, we’ve got only 5 minutes left!” Yassmine informs.
“It seems I can’t find my pants.” Johnny, behind the door, announces.
Yassmine stares at him for seconds. Then, she explodes: “What?!!”
She comes back jogging until she finds herself in a wider space full of people.
“Has anybody seen John Cooper’s pants?” She screams.
Everybody stops in a sudden and turns to her, staring.
Yassmine keeps panting: “Anyone?”
A young man suddenly hurries to her with black pants in a plastic wrap, panting too: “Here’s it, ma’am.”
“Where the hell have you been?” Yassmine yells. “And I’m not ma’am. I’ve been divorced for ten bloody years.”
Yassmine snatches the pants and comes back to Johnny’s room: “I’m too old for this sh*t. I’m too old for this sh*t”
She knocks again on the door. Johnny opens fast and Yassmine enters faster.
She puts the pants on the chair in front of the mirror, and the papers on the console, while Johnny is watching her.
John Cooper is an old man in his sixties too. He’s long black-haired, black-eyed. Old but yet attractive. Clearly an artist according to his multiple bracelets and necklaces. A free soul… and pants-free; he’s wearing the black suit and just his underwear.
“Where did you find it?” Johnny wonders.
“That boy… Wilson, forgot it in the washing machine.” Yassmine answers while taking the pants out of the wrap. “I can’t believe I just screamed where your pants are in public.”
She takes a makeup brush and applies some on Johnny’s face: “I told you to bring an extra suit. What if that boy didn’t bring the pants?”
Yassmine spots some white hair on Johnny’s head: “What the hell, Johnny? I told you to dye them!”
She fixes his tuxedo jacket while Johnny answers: “But can’t I just keep them? I don’t mind having a white hair.”
“Well, me neither. But you’re an A-list star and the younger you look, the more job opportunities you get. It’s not me who makes the rules.”
She licks her hand and fixes Johnny’s hair: “And don’t forget; you’re the ugliest man I’ve ever seen.”
She takes her papers and opens the door with a large smile, while Johnny glares at her. And they both leave the room.
***
A little blue Audi dashes between cars in the freeway. The driver is Lucy Cooper, a pretty blonde woman in her thirties, fourth months pregnant. On the passenger seat sits Timothy Calhoun, called “Timo”, a shy man in his late thirties.
Timo tries to calm down Lucy’s crying baby in the backseats.
“You really had to take Margaret with you?” Timo complains while he tries to give baby Margaret the baby bottle.
“I had to; George is so busy today.” Lucy answers while driving crazily.
Baby Margaret finally stops crying. Timo adjusts his seat and clothes: “You really should sometimes say no. Obeying your husband all the time won’t make him respect you.”
“I’m not committing the same mistake of aunt Sanaa, Timo. Don’t worry. It’s okay if I help him and… you know… take some of responsibility off of his back.”
Timo stares at Lucy: “Your father won’t be happy when he sees you this way.”
“What way, Timothy?” Lucy wonders. “I’m fine! I swear.”
Timo just beats it.
“And you really have to go? It’s not the first time your father gets interviewed you know.” Timo comments.
“So?”
“You’re four months pregnant for Christ’s sake!” Timo shouts.
Lucy smiles to Timo: “Listen, man. This is not just a simple interview. My father will talk about all his life… with Danny Herbert! I think I probably should be there to support him.”
“My mother is with him.” Timo announces.
Lucy just keeps quiet.
“I’m just afraid for your health and the baby’s health.” Timo adds.
“Aww…” Lucy catches Timo’s cheek. “I’m okay, I swear.” Few seconds later: “I just hope your mother doesn’t lose her mind around my father.”
They both chuckle.
Johnny hurries through the crowded backstage toward the auditorium, followed by Yassmine.
“Do I look good?” Johnny wonders, stressed.
“Ugly as always but your clothes are fine.” Yassmine answers indifferently, checking her papers.
“You won’t dye my hair?”
“You’re 60. I can’t keep dying your hair; it’ll literary kill it.”
“But you just said –”
A makeup artist stops Johnny to apply some makeup on his face, while Yassmine continues complaining:
“And why the hell am I here? I’m your talent agent, Johnny. Not your manager. You already got your manager. Where the hell is Kevin?!” Johnny turns to Yassmine with a managed smile: “Yassmine, calm down. Please. It’s an interview, not an audition.”
“But an interview can change your destiny.” Yassmine comments while she receives a phone call: “What, Timo? – you’re coming? – with Lucy? Wha-”
Johnny turns to Yassmine when hearing Lucy’s name.
“Why would Lucy leave her house? She’s pregnant for Christ’s sake!”
“You’re Muslim.” Johnny comments.
“Shut up.” Yassmine comes back to the phone. “Give me Lucy – hey darling, what are you doing? –”
Johnny still focuses on the call.
“Sweetheart, it’s not your father’s last interview – I swear it’s not that worthy your coming dear – Listen, if Timothy did anything to you, just tell me and I’ll break his neck. Got it? – Good, bye bye my love, muwah!”
Yassmine hangs up and tilts her head to Johnny. “Lucy and Timo are coming.”
“Lucy is pregnant… God.” Johnny mutters.
“I swear to God if Timo did something to her –” Yassmine promises.
Johnny shouts: “Okay, leave the boy alone!”
Yassmine gazes him for a while: “Why do I feel sometimes that he’s your son, not mine? He’s stupid; he can commit any mistake. Your daughter won’t be safe until she leaves the car.”
Johnny glares at Yassmine while suddenly an employee comes to Cooper: “You got one minute left.”
Johnny and Yassmine hear the crowd cheering and shouting Johnny’s name.
Johnny overlooks, smiling, and finds a crowd that counts thousands of people most of them are college students.
Lights are suddenly turned off. Then, Danny Herbert steps on the stage with lights centered on him.
He’s in his seventies but he looks much younger. He’s healthy, dressed in stylish clothes that somehow outshine him.
Yassmine stands behind Johnny, impressed by the greatness of the auditorium while Danny starts his speech loudly, full of confidence: “Good afternoon ladies and gents. Guys… I’m so excited to spend this evening with you. Not with you actually –”
As the public laughs, Yassmine just: “I already hate him.”
Johnny looks at Yassmine, asking her to zip it.
Danny continues: ” – Well, we have a very special guest today. Our guest is an A-list actor known for his diverse roles for 40 wonderful years. Probably the biggest actor of all time –”
A fan from the public screams Johnny’s name.
Danny then concludes: “Well, clearly he needs no introduction. Without further ado, please welcome John Cooper!”
As the public claps, Johnny suddenly finds himself in the middle of the stage, after being kicked aggressively by Yassmine.
While Johnny finally wakes up from his stupor and shakes Danny’s hand, the public cheers Johnny’s name.
The latter waves to them and sits on a sofa next to Danny, while Yassmine just stands in the backstage, listening.
