188 - Road Trip
*Mitch, have you ever seen Broadway? You’ll love it. I got us great tickets, plus, I can get us in the back. - James*
The plan was to make four stops along the way to Monroe. Sid had made the hotel reservations and suggested places to see in each of the four cities. After discussing the options, both the ones provided and the ones requested, Sid then booked reservations for tours where needed.
Atlanta, Georgia, ended up being a two day stay with one full day dedicated to the Georgia Aquarium. Darkness surprised Camille and the kids by adding the Swan House onto the second day after the Coca-Cola Museum. They ended the day at the Civil Rights Museum and Camille blamed a lot of her tears on her hormones.
No one believed this, and she was okay with that. However, it was accepted that she cried more because of her hormones. The second helping of peach cobbler was also blamed on her pregnancy. Nicki also ordered a second helping and offered up a simple explanation of “Solidarity,” with a fist bump to her adoptive mother.
They made a pit stop in Savannah on the way to Charleston, South Carolina, so that Camille could see where *Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was set. After visiting Bonaventure Cemetery, Darkness arranged for a picnic in Forsythe Park. Afterwards, Camille read the same book from the passenger seat while Vin drove her Jeep. Nicki was driving Darkness’ Jeep with Mitch and Tink asleep in the backseat. Vin refused to swap out as he was now invested in the book, they took turns reading to each other from her e-reader.
When they were checking out of the historic hotel, Darkness suddenly understood why Sid told them that they could only stay there for the one night. The two room suite cost more for one night than what they paid in rent for a month in the big house. He called his mother-in-law and tried to pay her back for it.
“Amos, you never got a honeymoon, granted you have three kids with you, but go enjoy the couple’s spa and anything that happens afterwards.”
What happened afterwards was that his pregnant wife curled up and went to sleep. She slept a little longer lately, but no one objected. After all, she was making a little human, even insomniacs were allowed to sleep more during the process.
Before leaving the next day, they did the carriage ride tour. The drive up to Washington, D.C., was the longest leg of their journey. When they finally arrived at the short-term rental, the sun was headed for the horizon. The pool in the backyard was quickly put to use as Darkness placed a grocery delivery order.
Over the next three days, they visited museums, the national zoo and Capitol Hill. At night they grilled and hung out around the pool. On the night that it rained, they took advantage of the streaming services that came with the rental and had a movie night.
Sid paid the extra fee to have the cleaning service come in after they left rather than them having to clean before leaving. The drive to New York City took just under four hours and they arrived just in time to take the ferry out to Staten Island where Camille’s cousin, James, lived. They pulled up to the address that Trigg had sent and were greeted by a man who looked like a younger and cleaner cut version of his uncle.
James hugged his younger cousin and Nicki before he shook hands with Darkness and Vin. Smiling at Mitch, he opened his arms wide, “Always love to meet another thespian.”
Mitch would later describe it as if his soul recognized a kindred spirit. James showed off his home studio where he did a weekly podcast on the theater that he worked at and Broadway in general. The walls of the small office were covered with autographed head shots and pictures with famous actors and other celebrities.
“Is that Harry Potter?”
James laughed as he sat down at his computer, “Yeah, Daniel has been on the show a few times. Nice guy. My wife has the biggest crush on him.”
The blackout curtains on the window closed with a quick push of a button. Lights overhead shifted as they moved on the tracks to where James wanted them. The RECORDING light above the office door began to flash when he looked up at everyone else in the room.
“Mitch, have a seat, everyone else, you’ve got thirty seconds to get out.”
Peyton, James’ 17-year-old daughter, promised to pull the interview up on the big screen TV in the living room. Leaving the room, the door was pulled closed and a red sign with white letters declaring that he was RECORDING flashed on this side of the door. True to her word, she pulled up her father’s podcast that he was recording before asking Vin and Nicki if they wanted to go to the store with her. Darkness and Camille both motioned for them to go as they settled on the couch.
James explained to Mitch that although it was playing on the TV in the living room, the camera was recording but it was not streaming live. Once they had finished the interview, it would be edited and anything that Mitch did not like could be taken out. At first, Mitch thought that he was just playing around but James assured him that it would be in the next podcast.
“This is James Nathaniel Johanson with J N J’s Great White Way podcast coming to you from my Staten Island Studio brought to you by technology and the grace of God. Today’s sponsors are insert here, name drop and need a new sponsor. We’re going to start today’s podcast with a Fresh Faces interview with my cousin’s youngest son, Mitch.”
“Earlier this year, Mitch played the part of the Baker in one of our favorite plays, *Into the Woods* down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He and his parents are spending a few nights with us here on the Rock as they move up North to Massachusetts. This is going to be a two-part interview and we’re going to call this the Before and After.”
“Mitch has not been to a play on Broadway yet. We are going to rectify this travesty later today when we go to see *Hamilton*. If you are listening, just know that this is the first that he is hearing about this and his jaw is on the ground. Can’t wait to see his reaction when I tell him we are having a late dinner with the cast afterwards.”
“No way!” Mitch exclaimed.
James laughed as he nodded at the excited teen. He then launched into his typical ten questions that he asked young actors for his Fresh Faces segment. After his standard questions, he asked a few extra questions that were tailored for Mitch himself.
When James was done with his questions, he answered Mitch’s questions and showed him how he put the podcast together. The camera continued to film, with Darkness and Camille watching from the couch.
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