16
It had been hard enough working with Jayce when things were awkward between us, but now I had to see Neil every day, too. What a ridiculous soap opera situation I had found myself in.
I thought everything would come to a head when Neil announced he needed to work with Jayce one-on-one without the other band members.
“We need to take solo shots of you on stage. It’s hard to get the right angles during a real concert. Just pretend you’re performing.”
“Do I have to pretend? Can’t I just play?”
“Yeah, sure, if that makes it easier for you.”
I held my breath, but that seemed to be the end of the conversation. There was no posturing or glaring or growling. It was a relief.
Various members of the film crew told Jayce to pose this way and that, turning his body toward and away from the camera depending on what type of shot they were going for. Neil wasn’t directing the action, but he did have a large hand in blocking out what scenes he wanted to see. Every so often he would call out a request to Jayce, who would nod and do his best to give them the look they wanted.
The afternoon went smoothly considering the tension that had been simmering between the two of them. As long as they were both working, it seemed like they got along quite well on a professional level. They were both dedicated to their jobs. I wondered, if things were different, would Jayce and Neil have become at least friendly acquaintances, if not actual friends?
“Ailey, can I talk to you for a moment? Alone?”
Deena appeared at my side, ever-present headset over her ears and clipboard in her hands. Deena rarely needed to speak to me alone. I was mostly left to my own devices. I began to feel nervous. Had I done something wrong? I thought back, but couldn’t think of anything I’d posted recently that would have caused trouble.
“Is something wrong?”
“Let’s go speak somewhere privately.”
I followed behind her, feeling more worried with every step. Maybe it wasn’t about my job. Maybe it was about my personal life. Had she found out about me and Jayce? Did she disapprove? Even worse, did she think I was also screwing around with Neil on the side? Everyone had seen that kiss. I felt sick to my stomach—was I going to lose this internship? Was this the end of my career in the music industry?
Deena led me to a private office backstage and sat me down. She perched her hip on the corner of a desk.
“What are your plans for the future?”
I was taken aback, not expecting that kind of question. “Uh. Well. After this internship is over, I’m going back to college to finish my last year. Of course, I’m going to continue being active online, reviewing music.”
Deena nodded, encouraging me to continue.
“After I finish my business degree, I want to try getting into the music industry for real. I’d love to do music promotion. The same kind of thing I’m doing now, I guess.”
“What if you don’t have to wait until you’re done with college?”
“What do you mean?”
“Ailey, your work here has been outstanding. You have an excellent understanding of online fandom, and you seem to know exactly the kind of content to post to make fans swoon. Online chatter has been through the roof and all of our concerts have been completely packed. To be honest, when I first thought about hiring an intern, I just needed someone who knew how to work the camera on their phone and post pictures online. You’ve exceeded all my expectations.”
“Th-thank you!” I stuttered. “I’ve just been trying to do the best I can.” Having Deena’s approval meant everything to me. I’d never had such praise heaped upon me before. Sure, a lot of people followed me online, but that never really meant anything to me. Half a million people followed some cat that got famous online for looking grouchy.
“I’ve been thinking that if this is the kind of work you can do while working out of a tour bus with only a phone and tablet, I can’t imagine what you’d be able to do with proper support.” She gave me a considering look. “How would you like to stay on with us after the tour is over and work at Dark Sound Studios?”
I let loose a strangled sound and gaped, mouth wide open.
“Is that a yes?” Deena smiled.
I was still speechless for a few more moments but tried to gather myself.
“I wouldloveto! Oh my god, that would be a dream come true.”
“Glad to hear it. I wanted to get your thoughts before moving forward.”
“Thank you, Deena!” Then I paused, thinking. “I don’t know if I want to just drop out. Getting an education is important to me.”
