fandomweekly | [#148] The Price Of Fame (FAKE)

Theme Prompt: #148 – Publicity
Title: The Price Of Fame
Fandom: FAKE
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1000
Summary: Randy Lane has a TV interview and Dee, as his temporary bodyguard, is about to get a first-hand look at what it means to be famous.

“So what’s with this interview?” Dee asked as he pulled away from the hotel, Ryo in his full Randy Lane regalia installed in the Charger’s passenger seat, a situation Dee almost had to pinch himself to believe.

“Publicity. It’s all part of being famous.” Ryo smiled wryly. “It was a lot to get used to at the start, but it’s not so bad. I just duck any questions that’re too personal.”

“Publicity for what though? I mean, this is the end of the tour, right? You’ve got two sold out shows here in the Big Apple; I’d say it’s a little late to be publicisin’ them.”

“It’s not for the shows, it’s for the new CD, although considering I’ve been on tour for the past five months, travelling all over the world and doing TV and radio interviews practically everywhere we’ve been, it’s hard to believe anyone who might be interested doesn’t already know. It’s the nature of the business though. Someone with any degree of fame comes to town and all the chat show and radio hosts want in on the act. It’s publicity for them too, draws in more viewers, whatever. People watch because someone they like’s gonna be on the show, maybe they’ll tune in again the following week as well.”

“Doesn’t it get old, answerin’ the same questions over and over?” Dee glanced sidelong at his passenger.

“Sometimes, yes, especially if the interviewer’s an ass. There are a lot of those, asking about personal stuff they know I don’t talk about. The worst is always when they try to insist I’m in a relationship with one female celebrity or another, and no matter how many times I deny it, they won’t believe me. First it was Jenna Austin, the actress, just because we made a movie together. There were photos of us kissing in all the gossip magazines, and they’re genuine pictures; we did kiss. We were rehearsing for a scene in the movie where our characters kissed.”

“You made a movie? This I gotta see.”

“It was fun; I learned a lot about acting, Jen and I got along well, but it wasn’t a huge hit. I played a country singer, so I was basically playing myself, and she was a rodeo rider.”

“I still wanna see it, haveta see if I can get it on DVD,” Dee teased.

Ryo blushed but didn’t try to dissuade him. “Anyway, more recently it was pop singer Melanie Michaels. We recorded a song together, but we’ve never actually met. She reached out to me to write a song for her, I already had one I thought might work as a duet, she loved the idea. I recorded in Nashville, she recorded in L.A., and then the two versions were cut together; it’s on my new CD. So now apparently we’re lovers, but we’ve only ever spoken on the phone or over Skype. It’s crazy.”

“Sounds like it.”

“Doesn’t matter how many times I explain, people believe what they want to believe. I was on the Roger Hansen show in Denver… Have you heard of him?”

“Yeah, mister ‘Don't say I'm irritable. It really—it really irritates me.’ That the one?” Dee did a scarily good impression of Hansen.

“That’s him. He really is as irritable as people say. Anyway, he just kept going on about my so-called relationship with Melanie, and I was so tempted to just say, ‘Hey, I’m gay, so she’s really not my type. I didn’t though. Wasn’t ready to come out.”

“You gonna say anything about us on tonight’s interview?” Dee wasn’t sure whether he wanted Ryo to or not; they’d only found each other again by chance a few hours ago, when Dee had been assigned as the singer’s bodyguard for the duration of his visit to New York.

“No, not yet; I don’t think either of us is ready for that. You need to see the craziness of the press for yourself before you decide whether you can deal with the constant intrusion into your life.”

“I’m in all the way, whatever,” Dee said firmly. “Even if it means havin’ the paparazzi followin’ me everywhere.”

“You may change your mind after a few of these public appearances. I won’t hold it against you if you do.”

“You mean there’s more than this interview and the two shows?” They were almost at the TV studios by now.

“The interview with Terri Brooks tonight, then I’m on some breakfast show in the morning, a signing session tomorrow afternoon, a radio show the following morning, then the first concert in the evening. We’ll have to get the sound system and lighting set up at the venue in the afternoon though, run sound checks and stuff, so I’ll be there for that, then back to the hotel for two or three hours to rest and grab a bite to eat before the show.”

“Damn, that’s a busy schedule. When d’ya find time to breathe?”

“It’s not as bad as it sounds. Once the last show is over, I’ll get a few months off.”

“Gonna spend your downtime in New York?”

“If you want me to.”

“I want.” Dee pulled into the studio’s parking lot. “Whelp, we’re here. Time for you to be Randy Lane, CMA Entertainer of the Year, and me to be your NYPD bodyguard. Looks like the press are out in force so stay put until I open the door for ya, ‘kay?” Dee winked. “Gotta do this right so the mayor’s wife can’t complain and have her husband set my boss on my case.”

“Can’t have that,” Ryo agreed, trying to keep a straight face.

“I’m gonna be watchin’ from the wings or wherever, like a good bodyguard.” Dee slipped out of the driver’s seat, got Ryo’s guitar out of the trunk, then opened the passenger door. As they moved towards the entrance, cameras started to flash and reporters swarmed around, waving microphones and asking questions.

Randy Lane smiled and played his part.

The End

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Love this AU.

Thank you! I've already been working on expanding this story, adding more detail. It's one of my favourite AUs.

That's awesome. Wish you good luck with it.
AU's are a lot of fun.

I don't tend to write a lot of them, but I have a Torchwood one on my journal and two for FAKE, this one and one where they're Stuntmen.

I have at least one AU for most of my fandoms but the AU has to work and be something more unique than overused AU's.

For some fandoms it is easy to come up with an AU and others not.

Ohh Stuntmen AU sounds pretty cool. Nothing I can recall ever seeing in one of my fandoms.

It's fun to come up with something a bit different. The Stuntman AU came about by accident. There was a prompt I didn't know what to do with, then I got the stuntman idea and wrote it. There are several parts now.

It's here if you're interested...

https://badly-knitted.dreamwidth.org/1627077.html

All the parts are linked. I still have two or three I haven't posted yet.

Those are usually the best ideas, the one that come out the blue and you just give them a try.

I've bookmarked the link and will read it after work tomorrow morning.

No rush, I hope you enjoy the stories and they give you something to relax with after work.

I love this AU and can't wait for the next story set in it.

Thank you for making my early morning ❤️

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[#148] The Price Of Fame (FAKE)

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