Mikey took his seat, conscious all the while of the look Gina was giving him. She was almost slavering at the chance to get at him.
She looked exactly like you’d expect a popular morning TV host to look: ice-blonde hair in a severe bob; just enough makeup to cover over any obvious flaws without being too conspicuous; gray pants suit; eyes like a hawk’s.
Just be calm.
“Hi, Gina,” he said, “it’s so great to see you.”
“It’s good to see you, too,” she said, flashing her trademark smile. “I’ve been waiting ages to get you on my couch.”
The words would have been innocuous to an outsider, but to Mikey the sentiment was clear: she was reprimanding him for not being on her show sooner. Not for the first time, he was grateful she hadn’t been such a powerful force in the industry when he’d been with the Heartthrobs. He could just imagine the kinds of questions she would’ve asked back then.
I’m sure they’re not going to be a picnic now, either,he thought.
To his surprise, however, at first the interview seemed to go well. Those hawk-like eyes stayed fixed on him for the first few softball questions. She asked him about his new album dropping on Spotify next year, how the book tour was going, the usual stuff. As they went on, however, Mikey couldn’t shake the sense she was building up to something. He started to brace himself, and then it was there.
“So,” she said. “I’m going to have to ask some of the tough questions.”
Mikey laughed, though it sounded forced, even in his own ears.
“I knew you were going to,” he said. “So I came prepared.”
Gina leveled a look at him, and he tried not to swallow too obviously.
“We’ll see about that,” she said.
She waited for just a minute, and then she started back in.
“The first thing I want to ask you is, why did it take you so long to come out as pansexual? It’s obviously one of the things everyone who’s read your book has been talking about, and it’s the question everyone’s asking.”
He hated the way Gina always made it seem like she was just “asking questions,” when the truth was she was just being an asshole. Gina LaBun knew exactly what she was doing, knew exactly how she was pushing some buttons, and yet she did it anyway. In fact, she actually seemed to enjoy putting people off their game.
Mikey, however, wasn’t going to be so easily baited. Besides, this was one of the questions he’d actually been prepared to answer.
“Well,” he said. “The truth is the process of coming out is better for some people than others, and everyone has their own path to follow. For a long time I didn’t want to admit the truth about who I was even, to myself. Now, I feel comfortable with who I am, and I feel just as comfortable sharing my truth with the rest of the world. Let me tell you, Gina. It’s like a weight off my shoulders, and I feel better than I ever have. I think it’s important we give grace and support to everyone, regardless of where they are on their coming out journey.
“And I’m not proud of some of the stuff I did while I was in the closet. It’s no secret, both because I talk about it in the bookand because I was in the tabloids all the time. I drank too much, I partied hard, and I broke too many hearts. It’s hard to be a functional person or to have a healthy relationship–with either yourself or others–when you’re not being honest about who you really are. So yeah, it took me a while to come out, but I think I’m a better person for doing it.”
Gina looked a bit taken aback by the aplomb with which he’d answered the question.
Takethat, he thought.
He was pretty proud of the way he’d headed off what he was sure would be some uncomfortable questions about his wilder days as a member of the Heartthrobs.
Gina, however, had a few cards up her sleeve.
“Is there one heartbreak that you feel the worst about?” she asked.
Luke Carter,he thought but didn’t say.
Fortunately, he had a wiser answer prepared for this question, too.
“Yes,” he said. “I really regret breaking Mindy Mace’s heart. I wish I could’ve been honest with her back then about who I was. I’m just glad we’ve been able to stay friends. I’m telling you, Gina, the closet is a dangerous and destructive place, and I’m so glad I’m out of it.”
“We love to hear that,” she said, though she clearly meant the opposite. “But some people are wondering about some of your actions, or lack thereof, when other musicians were outed and faced public scrutiny.”
She took a deep breath before going in for the kill.
“I’m referring, of course, to Luke Carter. I’m sure we all remember what happened a year ago, when he got outed and then went into hiding. I must admit I’m rather surprised to hear you talking about supporting folks who are on their journey, when you were pretty silent about his whole situation. I mean,the two of you go way back, if I recall, and yet when you were asked–several times, I might add–about your thoughts, you didn’t say much of anything. Doesn’t seem too supportive to me.”
