The Hollywood Animal, an actress & an empty plate.

EXT. PATIO - CAFE MED

With the sun about to set, the patio bustled with Hollywood hopefuls, powerful executives and the spotlight seekers. An actress, a director and a writer sat at a table sipping iced teas-

HOLLYWOOD ANIMAL
I knocked Johnnny Knoxville's teeth out once at The Standard.

JACK

(laughing hysterically)

Really? Tell me that one--

And the anecdote continued from the lips of one of the industry's most powerful writer/producers. I sat in the patio of the sheik LA hotspot and listened to the Hollywood animal as he spun countless yarns of the business. Sitting to his left was another product of an age old icon, Samantha Lockwood, brilliant actress and daughter of the acclaimed Gary Lockwood.

As the animal and I dug into our plates of pasta, Sam sat with nothing in front of her until our server brought Sam an empty plate and set it down. She smiled and thanked the waitress.

WAITRESS

So you don't feel left out.

Quick with my wit, I threw a piece of bread on the empty plate-

JACK

That's all you get.

Sam nibbled away and shared her Knoxville story from her days on Lords of Dogtown. Nothing bad for the record, but just a moment in time from a very odd world that I'm immersed in.

It was in that surreal moment, with the most sincere grin and twinkle in the Hollywood animal's eye followed by the smile of the actress that I realized this is my life. Not a life wanted. But a life had and that is happening right now. Who would've thunk?

Conversation flowed like the mighty Nile and at the end of the evening, a very profound and life changing event transpired-

To be continued...