Valorous(78)

“This shit makes me nuts after what happened in London. Especially now that we’ve given them the story of the year by getting married.”

“Tonight will be nuts, and after that, they’ll get used to us, and we’ll be just another old married couple.”

“Right,” I say with a laugh. “Somehow I don’t think that’ll happen for a while. This is going to be insane, so just hold on to me, smile and wave if you want to, but don’t let go of me. Okay?”

“I won’t let go. Ever.”

“Promise?”

She lays her head on my shoulder. “I believe I already made that promise in Vegas.”

She soothes and calms me with her sweetness. Knowing that I get to go home with her—tonight and every night—eases my anxiety.

The door opens, and it’s show time. I get out first, generating a roar from the crowd that has gathered to watch the red carpet festivities. As I extend my hand to Natalie to help her out, the decibel level increases exponentially. The crowd literally goes wild over my gorgeous wife.

She glances at me nervously, but then seems to recover, smiling widely as she takes hold of my arm and holds on—tight.

People scream our names, and flashes nearly blind us. The red carpet unfolds before us, and we move forward with the security guys keeping a slight distance so as not to hide us from the crowd. I don’t want that. It’s a fine line between being safe and being standoffish. I’ve always been hands-on with my fans, and I never forget that they’re the ones who made me a star.

But a knife slashing across your ribs in a rope line tends to change your outlook on crowds and fans and celebrity. I keep a bit of distance now that wasn’t there before, and while it saddens me to have to do that, I won’t risk my safety, and I certainly won’t expose Natalie to any danger.

Taking her cues from me, she waves and smiles like an old pro. People are calling out her name and telling her they love her. I’m amazed and humbled by the show of support for my wife. We pause for a huge group of photographers who leave me half-blind from the blast of flashes.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a disturbance that draws my attention. One of the reporters for the show Hollywood Starz, a woman who has interviewed me many times in the past, is crying—on the air—as one celebrity after another walks by her without so much as a glance in her direction.

The boycott is on. I lean closer to Natalie. “Check it out—to the right. They’re the ones that broke your story. Everyone’s blowing them off.”

She takes a subtle look. “Wow. Is she crying on the air?”

“Looks that way.” I keep my arm around her. “Congratulations, sweetheart. You’ve got all of Hollywood on Team Natalie.”

A Hollywood Starz producer tries to get our attention as we go past their setup on the red carpet. Like the rest of my peers, I keep walking when I’d normally stop for a quick chat with them. Instead, I head for their competitors across the way and introduce my wife to the reporters.

“What do you have to say about the boycott of the Hollywood Starz red carpet show?”

“I think the acting community is sending a strong message that we won’t tolerate the exploitation of our loved ones in the name of ratings or clicks. What was done to Natalie shouldn’t happen to anyone.”

“What do you have to say, Natalie?”

She glances at me, and I nod, hoping to encourage her to speak her mind. “I’ve been extremely moved by all the love and support I’ve received from Flynn, his friends and family, as well as the larger Hollywood community. It’s been overwhelming, to say the least.”

“Flynn, you have to know the whole world is talking about you and your lovely wife today. You once said very publicly that you’d never marry again. What was it about Natalie that made you change your mind?”

I look at her gazing up at me with those expressive eyes that had me from the first second I met her. “Everything. Every. Single. Thing.”

She smiles at me, and I’m simply dazzled. There’s no other word for the way I feel when she looks at me as if I hung the moon just for her.

“It’s safe to say that every woman in America just swooned.”

We laugh, say our good-byes and move on to the next interviewer. The questions are similar, and the good wishes are genuine, as is the support for Natalie. I love the way my community has come together to back us both.

On the way into the auditorium, we’re stopped every few feet by people who want to say hello and meet Natalie. I introduce her to some of the biggest names in the business. She is gracious and adorable as she tries to hold on to her composure and not turn into a giddy fangirl.