January 1991-August 1991
Spending his twenty third birthday behind bars was not how he pictured the night going. He had borrowed Tony's Lincoln to go out on the town for his birthday. Christopher and Kristi had been with him, as had his sister Cookie who was now hooking up with Christopher. There has been alcohol. A lot of alcohol. There were drugs in the car which ended with that familiar slap of handcuffs. The drugs were not his, he knew that but he knew he was drunk. He knew he should not have been driving when he swerved into the tree, he was banged up. Bandages on his face. It was dark and he was in hell. He tried to sleep but all he could hear were other prisoners crying in their beds.
"Hey, Tribbiani," a cop yelled as he opened up the cage he was in. Joey looked up as he was motioned out of the jail. He walked out and saw Tony waiting for him, grinning at him like he was about to devour him. Tony said nothing as he placed his arm around Joey and led him out towards another one of Tony's cars. Joey sat silently in the passenger's seat as Tony began driving off. Joey tried to pay attention to where they were going. It was dark and his head hurt, he wasn't sure the time although he wasn't sure it mattered. It soon became apparent that he wasn't being taken home.
"Are you going to kill me?" Joey asked.
"Don't be a shit. You're working for me now."
"I'm not working for you."
"That's not an option. I've saved your ass three times."
"The drugs weren't mine."
"I know."
Tony soon turned onto an empty lot. Once he got out of the car, Joey followed. Tony soon threw a hard hat at him and and instructed him to to work on some sort of table.
"You know, I'm shooting a music video. I'm still acting," Joey said as if trying to prove something.
"Not right now you're not. Hammer," Tony said before walking away. Joey's head felt like someone had taken a hammer to it. He wanted to throw up. It was freezing and it made him miss the California winters. He was still wearing his clothing from the previous night and as the snow began fluttering down on him, his skin seemed to be turning a light shade of blue. He spent the entire day drilling and hammering in the snow. Tony barely spoke to him which was fine. Joey didn't have much to say anyway.
He worked from the time the sun rose up to the time the sun fell back down and finally he could go home around 6pm. After getting cash from Tony, he was back on the train headed towards his home. He made a quick stop to get two large pizzas for himself and walked back into the large apartment to see Kendall and Kristi sitting at a table sipping wine and talking. As he walked in, Kristi ran to him and hugged him before stepping back.
"You smell horrible," Kristi said.
"I know."
"Where have you been?" Kristi asked.
"Jail and working all day for Tony," Joey said.
"You brought us pizza?" Kendall asked.
"No," Joey said, sounding confused.
"Wait….so you got two pizzas….for yourself," Kristi said.
"Yep," Joey said.
"You gonna share?" Kristi asked.
"Nope," Joey said, walking towards the table and sitting down, "I've barely slept or eaten in twenty four hours. This is all mine, get your own damn pizza."
"I'll order some. It's the least I can do," Kendall said.
"Thanks….by the way, Joey. We have to move," Kristi said.
"What?" Joey asked.
They had been living in Kendall's apartment for four months. It had been fun, they had done the holidays together. There had been wild parties and it had been enjoyable. He had planned on living there.
"I've moving back to Los Angeles. Look, I'm barely here because I'm always traveling and this apartment is so expensive and you guys live here rent free and….and it's just…my parents have been hearing rumors about all the parties and I'm not even here for them. I was in Paris during New Years and apparently you had a crazy night," Kendall said as she reached for the phone and opened a junk drawer filled with menus.
"Joey had sex in your bathtub with your friend, Selena," Kristi said.
"Snitch," Joey said.
"I don't want this place to become a party center and I'm gonna sell it-"
"We could live here," Joey said.
"You have ninety grand a month to spend?" Kristi asked.
"Are you fucking with me?" Joey asked.
"No, it's ninety grand a month and I'm paying it all and….I'm here for probably one to two months out of the year and after New York Fashion Week, I was basically gone for four months and all you did was have parties and I'm so happy to have you guys here but I paid and also there were drugs here-" Kendall tried.
"They weren't mine," Joey said.
"I know but your friend Christopher was here a lot….right? I just kept hearing these stories about ragers going on here. The vase in my bedroom was forty grand and a housewarming gift from my sisters and apparently your Halloween party got so out of control that it shattered. I hear the stories and I'm really sorry," Kendall said. "I can't have you guys live here anymore. I keep getting these complaints, one after the other."
The headache returned as he opened his pizza while Kendall ordered pizza for herself and Kristi. 1990 ended badly and 1991 was getting off to an even worse start. He now needed a place to stay. He knew staying in Kendall's apartment was only temporary but it still irritated him that he was being kicked out. 1991 was sucking and every part of 1991 was sucking. He was twenty three, arrested three times and now was was homeless.
That night, after polishing off two boxes of pizza and showering, he crawled into bed wondering exactly what it was he could be doing next. Wondering where his life was going wrong. Soon he felt someone crawl in with him, he smiled as he looked over at Kristi who was making herself comfortable in his bed.
"I never thought I'd say this, but not in the mood," Joey said.
"Not having sex. Just wanted to check in. You knew she would probably kick us out, eventually, right? I mean, Halloween? We practically destroyed her place and then the Christmas parties and….New Years….do you blame her? It's been a fun four months. "
"I guess. I'm gonna be in some music videos...I don't know, I can't work for Tony. I can't-"
"I know."
The next day, the music video took all day to shoot. He seemed to have landed three of them in short succession which meant two weeks away from Tony. They all had him play the same type. In one he was a player, trying to get back with the lead singer, the second he was getting a tattoo and the final one, he was a motorcycle guy. He seemed to have a type. It was on that final one where he got word of an audition that would take him back across the country to Los Angeles to audition for a role in a sitcom that was already on the air. He would play the dumb, musclehead boyfriend of the slutty lead character. He needed the part, he needed to leave and he had no place to stay anyway. He auditioned in New York and was a little stunned when he got it. It would mean a month in Los Angeles. He had to break it to Tony.
"I want you working here. You owe me. You wrapped my car around a tree," Tony said when he finally got the nerve to break the news.
"You have other cars. I'm sorry and I am forever grateful-"
"You should be in prison. You would be if it wasn't for me."
"I know. Please, it's a month. I have no place to stay anyway and I have a couple friends that I made in Los Angeles who are letting me crash on their couch."
"Okay….fine," Tony said. "You know, if you were any other person I'd break your neck."
"I know."
Tony let out an annoyed sigh as Joey left that day, determined. He would not come back. He would make changes. Big changes. He landed back in Los Angeles right around Valentine's Day. He took a cab to Jamie's apartment. Jamie's show had been cancelled and when he arrived at her place, he saw a note attached to her door letting him know she'd be right back.
"Damn," he muttered, looking at the note feeling annoyed.
"Are you Joey?"
Joey jumped and turned to see a very attractive blonde standing there in her doorway. He noticed behind her was a brunette.
"Yeah."
"I'm Taylor. Jamie said you'd be stopping by, she had a last minute audition so come on in. You want lemonade."
"Yeah," Joey grinned as he walked in.
"I'm Olivia," the brunette said.
"Hi."
"So, you must have traveled a long way," Olivia said.
"New York," Joey said.
"So far," Olivia said.
He grinned as soon the lemonade quickly turned into something else. He wasn't even sure if Taylor had even made lemonade but before he was aware of anything, he was soon lying in bed with both Taylor and Olivia curled up next him. This was going to be a fun month. He crashed on Jamie's couch and when he wasn't working on the set of Married, he was having "lemonade" with Taylor and Olivia and sometimes Jamie. January of 1991 may have sucked but February was a game changer and it felt like March might end up doing just the same.
"So, I have news," Cassie Appleton grinned at him over lunch in the studio commissary. He was nearing the end of his run on Cassie's show playing her boyfriend. Cassie's character was supposed to be a bit slutty but Cassie was the opposite although the fact that she was currently sitting across from him wearing a tube top that barely covered her and skirt so small that it looked like it would be short for a five year old did little to squash that rumor.
"You'll go out with me for real?"
"No and I have a boyfriend."
"Oh, yeah….what's his name? Nine."
"Nuno."
"You're just saying words."
"And even if I didn't have a boyfriend….I still wouldn't go out with you for real."
"I'm hurt. Why?"
"I don't date players. Only my character dates players. Me? I'd rather kicked in the head."
"That's pleasant. Is Nine-"
"Nuno-"
"I don't care. Isn't he a musician? Isn't that like part of their job description? When I did the three music videos-"
"I will never date you but….and this is my news….Kelsey," Cassie said referring to her character's name,"might continue dating Vince."
Vince was the character he was playing. Joey cocked his head to the side and stared at her. He wasn't sure what she was getting at.
"What?"
"They're thinking of doing a spin off for Vince. I heard a rumor."
"Seriously?"
"So Kelsey and Vince might still date."
A spin off? He liked the character. He was kind of a meathead and was fun to play. He could actually now star in his own show? That could work. Maybe this could possibly be the break he wanted. It would have to mean he would officially have to live in Los Angeles but that was fine if it meant that he could be the star of his own show.
It happened so quickly. Cassie was correct in what she was hearing. Joey's character was getting a chance for his own show. It would be called, "Up on Top" and would star himself and another actor named Charlie Salami which he thought was awesome and of course made him think of sandwiches. Charlie would be playing Joey's dad and seemed nice enough. The fact that he was getting another chance to be on television just meant everything. He could win an Emmy maybe? He would most certainly be a star. He got to work fast and he was thrilled that Jamie let him remain on her couch. She didn't even tell him he needed to pay rent. It was perfect but just as it began, it ended. They did seven episodes that aired in April and by the middle of May, he was once again out of a job. Sure he had to admit the script was bad, it was awful. But he had told everyone about the show, he had even had a party to watch it but before he knew it, it was back to New York. Jamie would only let him stay if he began paying rent and he felt defeated. He hated that that this was his second television show to be cancelled and he thought it would be a sure thing. Cassie's show was hit and so why wouldn't it produce more hits? It made no sense. He returned back to New York, unemployed and once again with nowhere to live.
"I thought for sure this would be it," He complained over Chinese food sitting on the floor of Kristi's studio apartment in Brooklyn. It was above a beauty supply place and according to her was only $700 a month but it was way too small for more than one person to live.
"Well, the show sucked," Kristi said.
"It did not suck."
"It kinda did. Well, it's not over. You can find a place here. This is an awesome building."
"I was on a television show."
"Well, you're not now."
"This sucks," Joey said.
"I have another option."
"What?"
"Well, this dancer at the club I work at does adult movies-"
"Porn?"
"Adult movies."
"She does porn. I don't want to do porn. You know, why aren't you acting? Didn't you want to be an actress? I started this career path because you forced me into it and now you're a stripper wanting me to do porn."
"I'm a dancer."
"On a pole."
"Don't get angry at me Joey. It's really hard out there."
"I know. I have no place to stay and I-"
"What about the money you made from those television shows and-and-don't you have it somewhere? The music videos, the commercials? What happened to your money?"
"It was spent on stuff."
"What stuff?"
"The only money I had was from the television shows and you know….I don't know...it's-I had to buy a plane ticket and….hey, back to you...are you auditioning? What have you auditioned for-"
"Well, stuff. Hey, this isn't about me."
He wanted to talk about Kristi. He was sick of talking about himself.
"No, you gave up," Joey said.
"I didn't give up."
"Yeah, you did. I'm not giving up. I may have no home or money but I'm not giving up and I'm not doing porn and I'm not gonna work for Tony," Joey said.
"I know and I did not give up."
"When was the last time you auditioned for something?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It does."
"I don't….Joey, you don't get it."
"What don't I get?" Joey asked.
"It's hard….harder. You're hot and you're a type….hot and dumb."
"Gee, thanks."
"Everyone knows it takes a smart person to play dumb well."
"If you come with me to an audition, there are twenty guys there that look like me."
"It's harder for women. It's….when you were Los Angeles, the first time. When you worked at Disney….I never told you this," Kristi said, taking a deep breath and placing her carton of chow mein on the ground. "I had several auditions and the casting directors….there was one...have you ever heard of the casting couch."
"Like the couches in casting offices? Yeah."
"No, Joe….sometimes...I've been offered sex in favor of a job. One of those casting directors….he...he promised and he...locked the door of his office and-" Kristi said.
Joey put down his food and looked at her as her eyes were filled with tears. She could barely talk as she began to cry.
"He touched me, Joe. He wouldn't let me leave the room and he got on top of me and he wouldn't top. He did….that...he...and he still didn't give me the part and...I tried to forget and I went on a few more auditions and all I got was rejected because this guy is powerful. He said something, I don't know. But he..."
Joey got up, feeling like he needed to wring someone's neck. He wanted to punch someone, a person.
"Who is he?" Joey asked.
"No, no, Joey….no," Kristi said.
"Tell me his name," Joey said.
"Don't make any calls. Don't touch him, don't….come on."
"Tell me who it is….there are ways I can find out."
"Warren Fink. Please, please promise you're not gonna do anything. It doesn't matter," Kristi said, crying as she grabbed his arm.
"It does matter."
"No, please promise me," Kristi said.
"Fine, I promise," Joey said as he hugged her but he could not keep that promise. He could not let someone hurt Kristi like that. This girl meant everything to him. This was his best friend. He had let Shane down and had not tried to save him. He needed to save Kristi.
He made a visit to Tony who immediately put the plan into action. Joey refused to be the one to drive though, and Tony reluctantly okayed Joey not going in on this hit. He wouldn't tell Kristi. She'd find out. It took a couple weeks but soon the hit happened and the news broke that a casting director was missing and soon his body was discovered in in a wooded area. Joey was still staying with Kristi as they watched the news around a tiny television. Kristi kept staring at him.
"Get out of my apartment," she said.
"What? He's-"
"Oh come on, I'm not an idiot."
"Kristi, I couldn't….you mean a lot to me and that-"
"I don't….I'm not meant to be an actress. Please, just….let me root you on. It'll be more fun for me and you need to find another place to stay."
"Well, now you can go back and audition."
"No. Joey….I don't-I like what I'm doing-"
"I have connections, I can get you something," Joey said.
"What connections? You've had two failed television shows."
"I just want you to be by my side and we can…"
"Let me do this, please?" Kristi asked. "You promised you wouldn't do anything. You told Tony, right? He took care of it."
"Yeah."
"What life do you want Joe? 'Cause if you wanna be an actor, maybe stop orchestrating hits."
"You can stop taking off your top/"
"Leave," Kristi said.
"Where would I go?" Joey asked.
"Anywhere but here."
Joey scrambled to get up and made his way out the door and soon was outside in the streets of Brooklyn. He was lost, no clue where he was going. He didn't want to go home. He walked towards the Social Club which was down the street and walked in. It was a seedy bar, dark and smelled of old shoe. It was already starting to warm up as summer was around the corner. 1991 was sucking. He had such high hopes for 1991, especially after what had happened with the show. He had been the star of his own show. It was a big deal. It ended before it started. Nothing was getting better, he had never really felt alone before but he really did in that moment. He ordered himself a whiskey and drank it. He drank another one. He wanted to not feel anything at that moment. He kept drinking when a girl wearing a glittery top sat next to him.
"Hey, how you doin'?" He asked.
She smiled as she took her drink. He didn't know this girl's name. He didn't know where she was from or what her story was but it didn't matter. He reached over and touched her hand.
"You know, you're sweet. Don't go yet."
"I really should-"
"No, not yet baby. I'm alone. Come on," Joey said, slurring a little.
"No," the girl said as Joey grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him. She was trying to move away but he couldn't be alone, he didn't want to be alone so he kept trying when suddenly he felt someone pull him back. He looked back and noticed a bigger guy had pulled him away and Joey felt angry. All he wanted was to be with someone, he wanted to have someone get him and without thinking rammed into the big guy who shoved Joey to the ground. Joey could feel the blows as he tried to fight back but when he felt a sharp pain in his side, he knew the worst had happened. He'd been stabbed. He fell to the ground as the fighting continued. He could feel blood pouring out of him as the commotion was around him. Soon all he heard was noise in the dark. Loud, pounding noises.
He woke up in a hospital, every single part of him hurt. He let out a groan as he noticed he wasn't alone. His mom and dad were there, all of his sisters, everyone crowded into his room. When his eyes opened, his mom immediately rushed to his side, holding him, kissing him. It hurt but he didn't want to stop.
"Good news, they're not pressing charges," Tony said as he walked into the hospital room.
"What?" Joey asked, groaning.
"Assault, battery-" Tony said.
"Can we press charges? The knife almost pierced an artery," Gloria said.
"What?" Joey asked.
"I wouldn't. Hey, you're up. I fought another one of your battles, asshole," Tony said.
"Thank you," Joey said.
"Why are you such an ass?" Cookie asked.
"I'm not ass," Joey said.
"Not now, Cookie," Gloria said.
"Did it hurt when they stabbed you?" Dina asked. He noticed Dina, Meadow, Michael and AJ were there and that kind of pissed him off again. They were kids, they didn't need to be there.
"It didn't feel good," Joey said.
"You know, Tony, I was thinking…..next time, don't save him," Joseph Senior said.
Joey looked at his dad. His mind was still so clouded but his father looked pissed off. He was still trying so hard to comprehend what had happened that night. He had been stabbed. He had been in a fight. He wasn't sure what he looked like but he was pretty sure it was bad.
"No, no, honey-"
"No, Gloria. He could have been arrested again and this would have been what? Arrest number four? You wanna fuck up your life, fine. Don't take the rest of us with you," Joseph Senior said.
"Dad." Joey said, still sounding groggy.
"Maybe we shouldn't discuss this now," Gina said.
"When can we? He's twenty three year years old and he has criminal record," Joseph Senior said.
"No, he doesn't. I made sure that was taken care of," Tony said.
"Thanks Tony," Joseph Senior said, "maybe you shouldn't have done that."
"Honey, you've got to get it together," Gloria said, running her fingers through his hair.
He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say but he knew he felt awful and when he finally got a chance to look at himself, he knew he looked awful. His eyes were blackened and purple and his lips were cut and swollen. His ribs hurt, and every single part of him ached. As the days went by, he relaxed in the hospital bed and thought more about his life. Kristi finally visited him a few days into his hospital stay.
"Kris," Joey said as she walked in.
"You're an ass," Kristi said.
"I know."
"So, I got a call. I guess you gave her my number. I don't know why but Cassie Appleton from Married called me and I was very excited and after I told her what a fan I was, she wanted you to call her. Immediately. Apparently, your spin off show isn't dead yet. She wants to give you the number of the producers so you can talk to them. The show has been reworked and is now called Vince and Bob."
"I get another shot?"
"Yeah. Fucking unbelievable. How do you manage to get one shot after the other?"
"Lucky? But Kristi, I'm sorry."
"I know."
"Come with me."
"Where?"
"To L.A.. If I'm going to back and I do….I want to see what's happening, come with me. We can get a cheap two bedroom apartment and then you can audition. If my name is in the title, I could probably get you on it. Just don't give up yet. I'm not."
Kristi shook her head and leaned in to kiss him. It still hurt a little but it felt strangely nice. He wanted Kristi with him at least to help him. He felt she could probably use just as much of a break from New York as he did so as soon as he got out of the hospital, he and Kristi flew to Los Angeles. They found a cheap apartment near a studio that did adult films in the valley and went to work on Vince and Bob. Kristi did manage to a role on the show. She played a character named, Misti. It would be a new start for both of them. Maybe this time, his stay in Los Angeles would last a bit longer.