Make Me Over_ Getting Real - Leslie Kelly [74]
“This is pretty good stuff,” she murmured to Digg, who stood right beside her, watching, a quiet, soothing presence as always.
“Nicely done,” he replied. “Congratulations.”
Burt had left the stage and reached them in time to hear Digg’s comment. “Thanks.” He clapped his hands together, rubbing them in glee, adding, “This is perfect, absolutely perfect.” Then he shrugged. “Okay, not perfect. An engagement would have been perfect. But this is pretty damn good.”
Jacey smiled and continued to tape, sending up a silent little Christmas prayer that somewhere, Drew and Tori were celebrating an engagement tonight.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I can’t begin to tell you how much this means to me,” Robin said into the microphone. The crowd’s applause died off in anticipation of her remarks. “Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve dreamed of wearing a beautiful gown and glittering jewels and being among all you elegant people, feeling like I truly belonged somewhere, at last.”
“Schmaltzy,” Burt whispered, “but good.”
Jacey ignored him, holding the shot steady.
“Tonight is especially sweet, for another reason,” Robin said, giving the crowd another huge smile. “Because not only can I celebrate it on my own behalf, but I can share it, with all those others out there like me, who were unfortunate enough to be born in the wrong bodies.”
Jacey stiffened, not quite sure she understood what Robin was getting at. It wasn’t like there had been any plastic surgeries on Hey, Make Me Over, it wasn’t that kind of makeover where women got the perfect bodies with liposuction or tummy tucks.
Then she gasped, as did much of the crowd, when Robin reached up to the top of her head and pulled her own hair.
Off. Right off.
“Oh, shit,” Digg whispered, sounding stunned.
Jacey could only nod in agreement, but there was no frigging way she was taking the camera off Robin. No way.
Because she was starting to understand.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much, but please, do allow me to accept your accolades under my real name. It’s Rob. Rob Calvin. And I consider tonight a triumph for transvestites like me everywhere in this great nation of ours.” Fresh tears rose in her…his eyes. “This is for you, my sisters! Celebrate your individuality. Express yourself. Be the lady deep within you and the world will be at your feet!”
The entire room fell into a long moment of absolute silence. You could have heard an eyelash fall as the crowd—the audience—absorbed the grand finale.
The lady of them all was a dude.
Then everyone spoke at once. Gasping, chattering, shooting questions at Robin. Rolling with the punches as only good old New York could.
Jacey couldn’t help it. She started to laugh. And laugh. Until the tears rolled out of her eyes, blurring her vision, making it impossible to see through the camera lens. “Oh, my God,” she said as she almost snorted.
“Lady’s a guy,” Digg said with a casual nod. “Neat twist.”
Finally Jacey worked up the nerve to look at her father, who was staring, goggle-eyed, at the scene unfolding on the stage. His face was red, his mouth open but no sound was coming out. Then finally he managed to whisper, “Ruined. I’m ruined.”
“Don’t be overdramatic. It’s a great twist.”
“Which no one will ever see,” he replied, still keeping his voice low as the shock kept him frozen in place. “The network will never air this. The entire production was an exercise in futility.” He began to shake his head, mumbling, “No lady fair, no romance, no happily ever after, no millionaire. It’s a flop. A total flop.”
Jacey was about to offer comfort to her father, although she did see his point. His prediction might very well come true, the way the lame-ass networks reacted to every slightly controversial thing that came along these days. But then Digg touched