“That’s cutting it close.” There were a thousand things that could go wrong. Even a mic that didn’t work took time to replace. She glanced over Tilly’s shoulder at the screen. “What do the colors mean?”
Tilly glanced up for the first time. “Yellow is for those that we think the crew needs to keep a close eye on. They may have said something suspicious or been rough-and-tumble—not taking things seriously.”
“Like what?” Sheila leaned closer to the screen, crowding Tilly in her distress.
“Like asking if they can use fireworks or something like that.”
“Heaven help us.” Maybe inviting the whole town of St. George and every crazy within a hundred-mile radius to audition wasn’t a good idea.
“Amen.” Tilly scrolled down the list. “The red is a danger zone.” She pointed at one line. “This guy had crazy eyes. I’m talking crazy—like he could have been high. The red tags him so security knows when he’s up in the rotation. Since the first fifty are already in line, they can pick them out by number and keep an eye on them.”
“Wow. That’s impressive. I didn’t think about any of this.” Sheila stepped back.
Tilly lifted her palm. “It seemed like a good idea.”
“It is.” She patted Tilly’s forearm. “I’m so glad you’re here. You’re exactly who we needed to oversee this.”
Tilly smiled. “Thanks.”
One of the ladies sitting at the registration desk called Tilly over with a question. Sheila checked her phone. “Crap.” She had less than three minutes to make it up to the booth. Touching the walkie-talkie button, she sent out a message to all the department heads. “Final check, begin with Grounds.”
“Grounds is a go.”
She breathed a silent thank-you to heaven for that one. The rental company had quite the time with the grounds crew underfoot as they worked to set up the stage the day before. Sheila had dipped into their extra funds to buy lunch for the guys and smooth ruffled feathers.
“Jumbo screen is a go.”
“EMTs are a go.”
Sheila prayed they wouldn’t need the emergency staff on the field. If someone decided to get stupid, they would have medical attention within seconds.
The rest of the crews checked in. By the time she pushed the door open to the booth, they were ready to start, and she gave a nod to the director. Below them, seen through a thick glass window, David walked onto the stage, one hand held above his head. He wore a hat today to protect his bald head from the sun. Music pumped through the speakers.
Leaning forward, Sheila could see the people in the stands settle down, their eyes on the stage. “Welcome, Redrocks fans!” David’s deep voice boomed through the stadium.
Mike, the mixer, turned a knob, and David’s next comment was heard in Vegas.
Sheila sucked in her stomach, content with the stunning view below. People said behind home plate was the best seat in the house, but this one was pretty hard to beat. The grass was green, the stage was ready, and the line of contestants went from home plate along the first base line and then cut back up the stands. But the best sight of all was the bodies in the seats. All the way up to the nosebleed sections, people waited and watched.
Harper Wolfe walked into the booth, her blond hair hanging in loose waves. She wore a pair of fitted slacks and a loose, flowing blouse. Even in her casual attire she looked like money. “I thought I’d find you up here.” She smiled at Sheila as she came to stand by her at the window. “You did good, Sheila. You did real good.”
The praise was like sunshine and she was a plant, and she grew three inches. “Thanks. I’m happy with the turnout.”
They watched the contest get underway. The first contestant danced around and waved his arms. He wore a simple ski mask over his face. One of the rules was that the identity of the mascot would be a secret. Therefore, no one was allowed to show their face. Some of the more ambitious contestants had dressed in full costume. The line was spotted with superheroes, a Scooby, and even beloved public television characters. Their exuberance added to the carnival-like atmosphere with the popcorn and cotton candy vendors hawking their wares as they walked up and down the steps. Behind her, the crew chatted as they changed the camera feed to provide a seamless viewing experience on the big screen. Julia’s face appeared as she talked to people in the crowd and got their reactions to the auditions. Behind her trailed one of the interns, carrying extra batteries, chargers, wires, and her makeup, which she reapplied throughout the morning.
“We’ve got a red coming up,” said Mike.
“A red?” asked Harper.
Sheila jumped in to explain about the color system Tilly had put into place.
Below them, the contestant dropped something on the stage. There was a flash of light and then a blast of smoke. Harper grabbed her arm and held tight.
Sheila leaned back as if the dissipating cloud were in her face. “It’s nothing. Magicians use those onstage,” she tried to reassure Harper.
Harper nodded. “I know.” She let go of Sheila’s arm. “I’m always worried when the stands are full. I think I’ve spent too much time listening to Greg’s horror stories about security.” She gave a self-depreciating smile.
Sheila looked closer at her boss. Harper had gone pale. “It’ll be okay. Thanks to Tilly, security is ready.” She pointed to the left of the stage, where Neal took the contestant by the arm to escort him to a waiting golf cart that would take him out of the ball field. Use of flashes, fire, or smoke was not permitted in the preliminary round. The final round was a whole different story. By then, they would be down to just seven contestants.
