Spoiled by the Silver Fox

Sullivan had never thrown back a beer at a party or celebrated someone's birthday - not until he was thirty-eight, that is. It was uncharted territory for him.

To the likes of Maximus and Dashiell, Sullivan was an elder in the scene. Even though Maximus wasn't much younger, Sullivan had been in the limelight far earlier, achieving fame while they were still greenhorns. By the time they were making a name for themselves, Sullivan had already snagged an Oscar or two and was a household name even internationally, a pinnacle they could only dream of.

The idea that someone of Sullivan's stature would join their little shindig was thrilling beyond words.

It was Stephanie, that spitfire, who could pull strings like no one else. She, along with Sullivan and Emily, suited up in disguises, bundling up in layers until they were sure they wouldn't be recognized, before heading out to the prearranged spot.

When they arrived, they found not just Maximus and Dashiell, but also a crew of seasoned actors who had worked with the legendary Mr. Finnegan. The leading ladies-Finnegan's Screen Sirens-who had thrived in his films were there too, having carved out impressive careers for themselves in the industry.

The trio, dressed up as if they were a family unit, fully geared up, stepped into the private room, and the crowd was gobsmacked.

Who could this be?

Since Maximus was the host, all eyes turned to him. He failed to recognize Stephanie, but he did spot Emily, still a head shorter than most.

Grinning ear to ear, Maximus approached and greeted, "Look who's here, Emily!"

Then his eyes shifted to the towering figure beside her, uncertain whether it was Sullivan or Silver Fox.

Sullivan, without a hint of amusement, stripped off his baseball cap, sunglasses, and mask, tossing them aside. The hassle of it all was more than he had bargained for in just stepping out.

Stephanie followed suit, removing her and Emily's get-ups, and greeted everyone with a cheerful, "Hey, Maximus, Dashiell, Mr. Finnegan hasn't arrived yet, has he?"

"Not yet, but Gracie's gone to fetch him. He doesn't even know what we've got in store for him!"

Stephanie, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, asked, "Maximus, did you get those indoor fireworks?"

With a conspiratorial wink, Maximus replied, "What do you think?"

Laughter erupted as Stephanie joked,

l give Mr. Finnegan a

21.1

scare for all those times he barked

at us on set."

Dashiell, trying to be the voice of reason

we might be celebrating his birthday in the hospital."

hightmed in, "Don't push it, of

"Mr. Finnegan's got a heart of steel!"

"Still, let's not overdo it. We don't want him to get genuinely mad."

"Ah, it'll be fine. Anyway, let me introduce you all, this is Sullivan!"

At that, the actresses in the room turned in unison to glance at the figure behind Stephanie.

Sullivan, with an air of indifference, nodded to the crowd before finding a quiet corner to settle into.

Stephanie whispered to Emily, "Keep him company, will you? It'd be rude to invite him and then just ignore him."

Emily nodded, "I wouldn't know what to do here anyway, I'll hang with Sullivan."

Sullivan was taken aback when Emily took a seat beside him.

"What are you doing here?"

He didn't treat her like a child, not one bit. One look into those eyes and you could tell she was sharp as a tack.

swnov

Smiling, Emily said, "Stephanie thought you might be bored and sent me to keep you company."