“I’m sorry. I’m supposed to be here. I just don’t know where to go.”
“Name?” She spoke in a clipped, harried tone.
I hoped I wasn’t still flushed from my encounter with Jayce. I pushed all thoughts of my rock star crush out of my mind. I was here to do a job.
“I’m Ailey. I’m probably on your list as Aimee Lee.”
She nodded, not consulting her clipboard as she motioned for me to follow, leading me away from the stage and through a side door. We walked without speaking, taking me through corridors that I assumed led backstage. I began to worry. Was the stage off limits during rehearsal?
The woman was on the short side, even with her black heeled pumps, dark hair pinned up in a messy bun, as if she hadn’t had the time to do more with it that morning. Her grey pantsuit looked a bit rumpled, but still professional. I’d tried to dress the same—professional but chic—in a black pencil skirt and white silk blouse. I wondered if I should have dressed up a bit more, maybe paired my shirt with a blazer.
“I’m sorry if I wasn’t supposed to see the band practicing. I’m looking for Deena Malik.”
“That’s me.”
I cringed, shoulders hunching over my ears. I’d already made a mistake at my new job in front of the band’s manager, who was also my boss. I’d screwed up on my first day. Anxiety pushed away the excitement Jayce’s gaze stirred up inside me.
She turned and gave me a smile. I relaxed, relieved I wasn’t in trouble.
“So you’re my social media intern.”
I straightened and held out my hand, determined to make a better impression. “Thank you so much for this opportunity, Ms. Malik. I look forward to working with you.”
“Just Deena is fine,” she said, returning the shake. “I’ll admit, I was surprised when I saw your application. An internship seems a bit below someone with your online following.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised she’d checked me out. It made sense. Deena would want to know whether I could do what I said I could. “Lots of online followers doesn’t always translate to employable skills.”
“It does in this industry. As a new music label, we need someone like you. Traditional PR isn’t enough these days. We need to be social. It’s your job to be our online hype girl. Give people a taste of our inner workings, help our musicians interact with fans, tease at our upcoming events and releases. That sort of thing.”
Deena led me to a private office, maneuvering through the dozens of people milling about, most with headsets, all with staff badges around their necks. I glanced around, trying to be discreet, but I didn’t recognize any other rock stars or musicians.
When we were alone, she shut the door and handed me a stack of papers.
“Standard non-disclosure agreement. You agree not to blab about things you’re not supposed to, et cetera, et cetera.”
“What things am I not supposed to talk about?”
Deena tapped the papers and handed me a pen. “Sign and you’ll find out.”
I quickly signed, not bothering to read it. I didn’t care if I was selling my soul. It would be well worth it. She filed them away in a folder.
“Sit down.”
I sat.
“Feral Silence is holding a secret country-wide tour this summer.”
I shot up straight in my chair, trying to calm my fangirl heart. “What about their next album?” I asked.
“That’s a misdirection. They’re already finished. They’ll be doing secret shows in a variety of cities. We’ll release clues online the days leading up. It will be up to fans to puzzle out where and when the concert will be.”
“That’s awesome!” I blurted out. “This is all to drum up attention for their new album, right?”
“Exactly. There will also be a film crew following them around. We’ll be shooting the concerts and some backstage footage. At the end of the summer, we’ll compile it together into a great behind-the-scenes video for our fans. We’ll release it online for free.”
“I’m sure they’ll love that.” I knew I would. “That’s some awesome promo.”
“This summer, your job duties will be as follows.” Deena held up a single finger. “One: post our secret clues and tease our fans with the answer. We need to make sure people actually figure them out in time for the shows. No one wants an empty venue. Two: Post teaser pictures to get our fans excited. Pics of our boys practicing, getting ready for rehearsal, hell, even sleeping in the back of the tour bus. Give fans a real behind-the-scenes look. Get creative with it.”
