Simon Brown’s feet rested comfortably atop his desk, his coffee cup empty next to them. He was trying to read the morning paper but was distracted by his empty mug.
Glancing at the door every few seconds, Brown briefly considered slipping his feet off the desk and back into the loafers sitting at his side. He was tempted to fetch himself a fresh coffee. But he was comfortable, and he enjoyed the fact that he had an excuse to be angry.
It was eight fifteen Monday morning, and Liv was running late.
As she hustled past the security guard and swept past Gloria in reception, she knew she was in for it. Simon Brown did not tolerate lateness, and his morning coffee was not a game. Liv knew she had effectively “ruined his life” by showing up fifteen minutes late.
After throwing her bag and umbrella in a heap at her tollbooth, Liv adjusted her skirt and cautiously approached his door.
“Good morning, Brown. Did you have a nice weekend?”
“I’m not sure if you’re stupid or arrogant,” Simon Brown mumbled, “but I believe we agreed that eight would be an appropriate starting time?” He didn’t lift his head from his morning paper, but Liv could feel his beady little eyes narrowing.
“Now. You,” he continued. “I will take a coffee, as usual, and ask if you might be so kind as to prepare the conference room for our Monday morning meeting. Will you need help, or do you think you’ll be able to manage?” Brown tilted his face up and flashed a tan smile in Liv’s direction. She suspected there wasn’t a lot of love behind those pearly not-so-whites.
“Not a problem, Brown. Consider it done.”
“I’ll consider it done when I have a coffee in my hand. Please don’t play games with me.” As Liv made her way to the door, Brown continued. “Now, I assume you sent a meeting reminder memo out to all interns on Friday?” Hello. Memo?! “All interns will be in the conference room at ten?”
This was the first Liv had heard of either the Monday morning meeting or a memo. “Yes, sir—uh, Brown. We’ll all be there! I’ll be back with your coffee in a sec.”
“Go, Girl!”
As Liv zipped through her tollbooth toward the coffee machine, she racked her brain for any memory of this meeting.
She couldn’t come up with even a glimmer of what he was talking about. But last Friday had been a little scattered, considering the evening’s “date” with Josh Cameron. As she pressed the brew button on the coffeepot, Liv formulated a plan. With Gloria’s help, she should be able to catch most of the interns on their way in. A little help from her friends should guarantee word would get out to the rest. No worries.
“As I’ve already made clear, each of you is living a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I trust you have no complaints?” Brown scanned the meeting room, and looked pleased to see no heads shaking.
Amazingly, word about the meeting had spread in twenty minutes flat. Liv had filled Gloria in on the situation, and Gloria had immediately kicked into action. Apparently, the “forgotten memo” trick was a regular in Simon Brown’s book of intern gags. Gloria had a plan to counteract this and several other Brown crises. Liv was grateful to have Gloria’s help—she imagined the receptionist could get pretty feisty, and she wouldn’t want to be on her bad side.
After pausing to ensure all twenty-five interns were focused on him, Brown continued his pep talk. “You may not believe it, but this summer will soon be even more remarkable for one or several of you.” Brown’s mouth curved into an uncomfortable smile. “This year, each of you will have the opportunity to participate in Music Mix’s VJ for a Day contest. With the cooperation of our very own Andrew Stone, we have arranged an audition date later this summer. This will be your opportunity to show us if you have what it takes to be on-air talent, or if you can effectively work behind the scenes on one of the production teams.
“Perhaps…,” he continued, “if you really blow us away, there may be a job offer for one of you at the end.” Brown puckered his lips and smugly sat down.
Andrew Stone, who had been slouched seductively in the corner, stood up and cleared his throat. “Right. Are you ready?” He paused. Liv was temped to pump her arm in the air and shout out, “Yea-uh!” but figured it wasn’t a good bet.
“The auditions will be held in August, and the winning team’s segment will go on the air that same day. We’ll include it as part of the Hits Parade lineup.” Andrew Stone was beaming. “I’m sure you’ve all watched my stuff, so you know the deal. Your role, as VJ, will be to hold the audience’s attention throughout the video countdown, and keep them coming back for more. Obviously, I’ve mastered it—feel free to look at some of my earlier work for examples of great novice VJing. You can do a skit, a game—hey, you can strip if you like—just come up with the best gimmick, and prove that you’ve got what it takes to be on the Music Mix VJ team. Someone in this room will be a Music Mix VJ for a Day. Excited?”
Liv glanced around the room. This was crazy. One of these people could possibly be a Music Mix VJ? Now this—this—was exactly what she had been hoping this internship would be. She wanted to do real TV work—not just Simon Brown’s grunt work.
Everyone was grinning ear to ear, and chattering nervously with the people next to them.
Simon Brown quickly wrapped up the meeting and sent all the interns back to their departments. As Liv headed off to her tollbooth, Anna caught up with her.
“Liv, we are going to rock at this. Team?”
“Of course!” Liv grinned. “What are we going to do? I’m up for anything except getting naked—that’s going a little far, even for me.” Anna laughed as Liv quietly mocked Andrew Stone’s stripping suggestion.
“Liv, I think this might be my chance,” Anna said seriously as they moved away from the conference room.
“You think if we won the audition, you could get a job offer?” Liv inquired. She wasn’t so sure—Brown didn’t seem like the type of guy to make things so simple.
“I know he said it was only a possibility, but I just have a feeling. We have to win this competition. You’re in, right?” Anna looked so desperate.
“Absolutely.” Liv gave her roommate a quick, reassuring hug—she knew how much Anna wanted this. “We will get you a job.”
As Liv and Anna wandered back through the halls, they could hear Rebecca’s distinctive voice behind them. Liv stopped and glanced over her shoulder. Rebecca was walking with Colin and discussing the competition. From the sound of it, Rebecca was pretty sure she would win. And she seemed to think it would boost her chances if she told everyone how much she wanted it.
“We must work together on this, don’t you think?” Rebecca purred to Colin. “Of course, I have to focus on the Josh Cameron concert first—Joshie is so sweet, so I just want to make sure everything’s perfect—but after the concert we’ll focus every ounce of our energy on this. What do you say, Colin?” Rebecca giggled, casting Liv a sidelong glance as she linked arms with Colin and slid past Liv and Anna down the hall.
Colin murmured something quietly in response, and Liv felt a little like throwing up. Though Liv had begun to get used to the idea of them dating—Rebecca and Colin had spent all day Sunday together, and Rebecca had made sure Liv and Anna were informed about all the details—Liv felt queasy seeing them together. She couldn’t shake the feeling that had swept over her when her eyes had met Colin’s on Saturday—but obviously, she was the only one who had felt something. So she was doing everything she could to forget it.
“Jemma always meets and greets one fan at appearances. It’s the way she keeps it real.” Jemma Khan’s personal assistant, Sam, was standing at the door of the Hits Parade studio. Liv was inside the studio, arranging ropes and chairs for that afternoon’s show.
Sam had been trailing Liv most of the day, announcing things at random. Liv knew Sam wanted her to do something with each of these announcements, but she was never quite sure what. She had found that if she waited a second, Sam would usually expand. This time was no exception.
“Soooo,” Sam said slowly, “can you find a fan for Jemma to spend a few minutes with? You know, to keep it real with…” Liv smirked. Sam had delivered that line with complete sincerity. She had clearly been well trained.
“No problem, Sam.” Liv pulled the velvet rope taut in front of the audience seats. She had to make sure it was clear that the rope was a barrier—yesterday she had come into the studio just before taping to find a girl sitting in the center of the Hits Parade stage. Liv had to literally drag the girl back into the fan section, where she spent the rest of the show sulking and shouting out obscenities. Eventually the girl was removed from the set, but not before grabbing a nice, thick chunk of Liv’s hair. The audience control portion of Liv’s job was truly a delight.
“Liv, you’re the best,” Sam gushed, relieved she didn’t have to mingle with the “regular people” to find her boss a token fan. “Please make sure you don’t find a Crazy. Or it’s my butt on the line—you know how it is.”
“Yes, Sam,” Liv sighed. “I know how it is.”
And she did.
Liv had spent much of the past week getting to know the Hits Parade fans. She studied them, trying to figure out how not to act in a celeb-dense situation. The Hits Parade audience was a captivating combination of several types of fans—Criers, Desperate Wannabes, Psycho Stalkers—many of whom fell into the “Crazy” category. But she knew who Sam was looking for—a Regular Fan.
Regular Fans were the non-Crazy folk. Regular Fans usually consisted of tourists, preteens, and groups of girlfriends. They were psyched to be on set, and respected the rules of the game.
The Criers could almost be considered Regular Fans, but not quite. They were the people who got teary-eyed and panicky when they could sense that a star was near. The Criers didn’t need to see the star—it was enough to know the star was close. The thrill of being in or near the Music Mix building could even send them over the edge. Most days Liv found a Crier in meltdown mode just outside the studio. They were unable to go any farther, suddenly overcome by the possibility of a brush with fame.
The Desperate Wannabes, on the other hand, terrified Liv. Desperate Wannabes dressed and acted like stars, and embodied a presence that shouted, I’m Somebody! They went to abnormal lengths to get into the studio, because they felt they deserved to be there. And they wouldn’t take no for an answer. Every moment in the audience was an opportunity to be “discovered,” and Liv would not be the one to take that away from them. Liv had seen one Desperate Wannabe actually brush off a C-list reality TV star because the reality star was “beneath” her. The star’s ego was severely damaged, and Liv had to do some major pampering to prevent a diva moment.
The real Crazies were the classic nut job fans—the Psycho Stalkers. On Tuesday one Psycho Stalker had found his way into a performer’s dressing room and rested nonchalantly on the couch. When the star had returned from rehearsal, the Psycho Stalker was sitting there, sipping a Perrier, and chatting with the star’s dog. He greeted the star with a chirpy “g’day,” then continued his conversation with the dog. Needless to say, security had him removed from the area.
In addition to audience control, Liv had spent her week attending to various errands for Personal Assistants to the Stars, like Sam. Most of the errands, she guessed, were tasks being shirked by said Personal Assistants so they could grab a cigarette, a coffee, and a break. Liv’s job description had listed “celebrity attendance” and “booking confirmations” as her responsibilities; she was pretty sure that didn’t mean “dog walker” or “stain remover.” However, she was quickly realizing that Hits Parade coordinator made her the go-to girl whenever a dog “piddled” on the Green Room carpet or a cup of organic chai spilled on a cashmere tank.
The only thing getting Liv through the workweek was the fact that Josh Cameron was scheduled to perform on Hits Parade on Friday, and he had been around the studio all week rehearsing. She hadn’t seen or talked to him since their maybe-date the weekend before, but she had spotted him from afar, chatting with Andrew Stone or rehearsing in the Hits Parade studio. She was dying to know if Josh Cameron had been genuine when he told her he wanted to see her again.
As she passed the studio one day, casually peeking to see if Josh Cameron was around, Liv spotted Colin and Andrew Stone in a conversation. She paused, waving to Colin through the window. He looked up, ignored her, and turned in the other direction. Andrew Stone glanced over his shoulder to see who was at the window, and—without the slightest hesitation or acknowledgment—returned to his conversation with Colin. Feeling like a total nuisance, Liv hustled down the hall and back to her tollbooth.
Liv wanted to believe she was imagining it, but almost every time she had seen Colin in the office that week, he had quickly turned and gone in the other direction. She wasn’t sure what she had done to offend him, but she got the impression that he was avoiding her. Between Colin and Josh Cameron, Liv was starting to wonder if she was invisible.
One afternoon she ran into Colin at Tully’s, the coffee shop around the corner from the office, and lingered long enough so they could take the short walk back to Music Mix together. He stayed mostly silent as they made their way up the escalator, and as soon as they passed Gloria’s desk he quickly hustled off, casting glances over his shoulder and generally acting weird. Rebecca must be getting to him, Liv thought, smiling.
When Friday, the day of Josh Cameron’s Hits Parade session, finally dawned, Liv’s nerves were out of control. She was frustrated that she hadn’t talked to him all week, but she knew he was busy promoting his single. There were a million good explanations. So, positive attitude in hand, Liv dressed herself in her Friday best and glided off to work, hopeful that today would be the day.
She arrived at her tollbooth a few minutes before eight and found a note from Simon Brown that read:
2 Sheepskin throws
14 Red Bulls (NOT 13)
Stuffed pig
After rereading the note a few times, Liv finally gave up and walked to the lobby to find Gloria. Gloria was sitting at her desk, twisting one long dreadlock around her finger while she sang along to “Split.”
“Hey, girl. What’d he do this time?”
Liv passed the note across Gloria’s desk. “I need you to help me translate. Any idea what this means?”
Gloria glanced at the note, and then passed it back. “Josh Cameron is on Hits Parade today?”
“Yeah,” Liv responded. “Why?”
“That’s his usual request. Brown must want you to get the Green Room ready. You can get the sheepskin throws from Andrew Stone and buy the Red Bull at the market on the corner.” Gloria paused, then reached under her desk. “And here”—she triumphantly held up a worn purple pig—“is your stuffed pig.” She smiled. “Good?”
Liv just nodded. “Thanks. Again.” This was too weird. Why did Gloria have a stuffed purple pig under her desk? And more important, how scary was it that Josh Cameron wanted a stuffed pig waiting for him in the Green Room when he arrived?
Liv spent the rest of the morning preparing the Green Room and getting the studio ready for that afternoon’s audience. Her stomach did a little backflip each time the door to the Green Room opened or someone entered the Hits Parade studio—she was constantly on pins and needles waiting for Josh Cameron to arrive.
Finally, around one, Josh Cameron breezed into the studio. A small entourage of PR people, personal assistants, and a crew from the Star accompanied him. He glanced in Liv’s direction, and then instructed one of his assistants to clear the room so he could rehearse in private. Liv and several other interns were shooed out of the way as Josh Cameron began singing his scales.
Around two, just before Hits Parade went on air, Liv was summoned to the Green Room. This is it, she thought. She was bummed that Josh Cameron hadn’t said hello earlier, but she figured things had been hectic. Whatever, she thought. Now is better than never.
When she knocked at the door a few minutes later, Skinny Guy (her buddy from Meat) greeted her. He was wearing a suit again.
She could see Josh Cameron in the background, strumming his guitar on the couch. He briefly looked up, gazing through Liv with a blank expression. She smiled in his direction, but Skinny Guy moved slightly to block her view.
“Yes,” Skinny Guy began. “He will need Gummi Bears and a toothbrush. That will be all.”
Liv stared for a moment. Is this for real? The look on Skinny Guy’s face suggested that yes, this was for real—and that she had better hop to it. Liv nodded, casting a quick glance over Skinny Guy’s shoulder, then turned to leave. She headed out onto Oxford Street in search of Gummi Bears.
Forty-five minutes later, Liv sat at her tollbooth, weary and disappointed. She had delivered the requested items to the Green Room and received nothing more than a short thanks from Skinny Guy. No “hello, nice to see you, have a good one,” nothing. She was near tears and incredibly embarrassed.
She didn’t know what she had expected. Did she want Josh Cameron to embrace her and sing to her, announcing their love to the Hits Parade audience? Um, no. Creepy. But she had expected a glimmer of recognition from him. At the very least, he could have said hello. She was humiliated that she had apparently read too much into their date. She should have realized how stupid she was being—really, did she think that she and an international superstar would start dating? Seriously, why would he waste his time with a nobody from Michigan?
Liv was pulled from her depression by Simon Brown’s loud bark. “You. Here.” She dutifully made her way to his open door.
“Yes, Brown?” She could barely muster up the energy to be polite.
“I need my sweater.” Details? No? Okay… “Go, Girl!”
Liv trudged off in search of Brown’s sweater. She hadn’t the faintest idea where he could have left it, but he rarely dragged his lazy butt farther than the Hits Parade studio or the Green Room, so she figured she might as well start there. As Liv passed the studio, she could hear the rumblings of the crowd. Checking her watch, Liv noticed that there were still a few more minutes left in the show—she would have to come back. Postshow crowd was the last thing she could deal with today.
She turned right and moved toward the Green Room. As she approached the door, she could hear a few faint guitar chords coming from inside. Knocking softly, Liv pushed the door open.
Josh Cameron was alone, sitting on the couch and strumming his guitar, looking more fabulous than ever. One dark curl brushed his cheek. He looked up and smiled. “Olivia.”
Liv braced herself. So he did remember her. What was with him? “Hi. Um, great show.” Great show? He ignored you all day, made you feel like a complete idiot, and sent you off on errands to fetch little treats. And all you can say is “great show”?
“Olivia, I need to apologize. I haven’t been myself today. I’m afraid I’ve given you the wrong impression.” He laid his guitar on the couch and stood up to approach her. He leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. As he did, Liv could smell the cologne that had haunted her all week. Mmmm. Yummy. “Have you had a good week?”
“Me? Oh, um, yeah. Sure. It’s been… well, it’s been okay. A little strange, maybe, but you know…” Liv trailed off. There she went again. Blah, blah, blah. “So…”
“Olivia, I feel terribly about how I’ve treated you today. I’m afraid you must hate me.”
This guy is good, Liv thought, smiling. “Not at all. Don’t worry about it. I know you’re busy and distracted.”
“That’s not an excuse. But you understand, don’t you?” Josh Cameron smiled, exposing his dimples. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you all week. I hope you know that.”
Liv swallowed. Hard. She did not know that. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you too. I had a great time on Friday. Thanks again for inviting me. And don’t worry about today. Really. I understand.” Shhhh, Liv, she begged herself. Stop now.
“Listen, let me make it up to you. Are you free tonight?” Liv nodded. She was now. “Would you join me for dinner?” Liv nodded again.
Just then she spotted Simon Brown’s sweater sitting atop the chair in the corner. Thank you, Simon Brown, she thought, grinning. One of your meaningless errands has finally been worth it.