Kiss My Assimilation

Chapter 1 - Annie

Annie Goldman was on her way to meet the group her uncle managed. He had hired her after she had graduated with honors from Oxford. Her uncle had helped her pay for her schooling when he sensed how smart Annie was. She'd been a top ten student since kindergarten, but university was something else. To be top ten at Oxford demanded dedication. Big time.

Now that School was over, her uncle told her he would put her to good use. She had expected something else than babysitting a boy band. But hey, that was show business and there was nothing Annie could do about it. Besides, she owed it to her uncle. It was that simple.

When she got to the artist's entrance, she showed her pass to the guard posted there. He looked it over and called her in with security. She was new and he had to check. The guard was a tall African American in his forties. Looked like a retired policeman. Annie couldn't really tell. She was used to London's version of the police and she was sure that the policemen were quite different here. Their habits, body language, even their eyes were different. Maybe because London's Bobbies didn't carry firearms.

She liked America well enough. Sometimes she didn't understand people and sometimes they didn't understand her. It was quite unnerving when she knew that they all spoke the same language. The people here were friendly enough. The food was great, they were so many good restaurants to choose from.

She just hoped that one day, her uncle would put her education to better use.

The guard received a confirmation trough the radio clipped on his shoulder. He gave her pass back and motioned her to come in as he opened the big iron covered door. As soon as she was in, the door shut heavily back in its frame. She jumped, surprised at the abruptness of the movement. She clipped her pass on her blouse and proceeded to the band's lodge.

She knew the group well enough. Discovered during a singing reality show. They had tried individually, but didn't make the cut. One of the show's organizers thought to put them together and form a boy band. Bannon had come with the name 'Second Chance' it seemed. They did well and finished in third place. One of their songs was released on the Internet, and they signed a record deal soon after. The rest is history as the say.

Now if she just could find this bloody lodge. She didn't understand half of the directions the guard had given her. She had been too shy to make him repeat. She wandered around, trying to ask the people she met on the way. They were either too busy with their phones or passed by too fast as they were running to their next task. She was an island in a stream of running people. The show had finished ten minutes ago and it was still busy backstage.

When she reached a hallway leading to the inside of the stadium, she saw a young man talking on his phone, totally engrossed in his conversation. He was sitting right next to the entrance of the stage on a crate. A young girl nearby asked him to sign an autograph, and Annie clearly heard him say: "Go away," to her. The girl looked heartbroken and started to turn to leave when he said. "I'm sorry, please come back. I was busy on the phone and sometimes I'm rude when I'm distracted." He terminated his phone call and pocketed the device.

Annie's uncle hadn't given her a phone to use here. It was okay, she didn't miss it. She knew nobody in this country. That guy must be John Bannon. She recognized him from pictures she'd seen on the internet. She'd never gone to one of their shows. She almost did last year, her uncle had given her tickets; but she had to cram for exams and couldn't make it. Now that she was working for them, she was too busy to go see them here.

The irony.

He was good looking, but then again, they all were. He seemed distracted with some kind of problem. That phone call had looked intense. It's only when the call ended that he seemed to be aware of what he had said to that poor fan.

Annie approached him to introduce herself, he noticed her and immediately had an annoyed look cloud his handsome features.

Annie raised her hands defensively. "Not here for the autograph." She assured him.

"What then? You sound English." The annoyed look grew worse.

"I'm sent by my uncle to replace Mrs. Johnson. I'm to be your facilitator." Annie said.

John smiled. "You're prettier than Mrs. Johnson, but you look awfully young to be our babysitter."

"I'm most certainly not your babysitter, and I'll be twenty-two next week." Annie said annoyed.

"I'm sure. You're the Oxford graduate aren't you?" John said in a patronizing way.

Annie bristled. "My uncle told you about me. That's good, then I won't need a long introduction since you already know who I am. I know who you are, obviously." She thought she sounded daft.

"The introductions are officially made! Good. Now, if you could settle this little problem we have at the hotel. There seems to be a little mix-up with the accommodations, you see, we need to use the exercise room; but we need it to ourselves. Otherwise, there could be complications. Could you settle that? Please?"

"Complications?" Annie asked stupidly.

"Fans." John said simply. "You have no idea, the lengths our fans will go to."

"What about that girl I just saw?"

"Oh her? She had V.I.P. tickets. That includes backstage passes. Only..."

"Only four such tickets are given to fans per show, I know."

"Done your homework? Good for you. Now shoo, be gone and fix that exercise room problem." John said with a smirk.

Annie didn't care too much for the smug look on his face. She couldn't say she disliked the guy, but she certainly didn't like him very much.

"Right away sir." A job is a job. Even in show-business. Especially in show-business.