My eyes widen at the abrupt request. Out of all the fifteen other people sitting on the V.I.P balcony, why would the band want to see me? To be honest, nothing about me screams "important New Yorker." I wear thrifted jackets over tank tops with ripped jeans the majority of the time. That and the large camera that hangs around my neck. If you saw me in a bar, your first thought would be "She looks like she works at a Starbucks and has a side passion that is looked over", which would be somewhat accurate.
The tall man begins to walk in the opposite direction of the exit and my legs instinctively follow. Why? My body knows me better than my mind, therefore all my decisions are impulsive. Hence the reason why I moved to New York City with an associate degree and a couple of thousand saved up from my parent's tattoo shop.
After a few sharp turns and several doors labeled "Tech ONLY", we reach the dressing room door. Music and loud voices can be heard from outside the door, I already know that the room is going to be packed. The security guard jiggles his keys in his hands, unlocks the door in front of us, and pushes it open.
The first thing I notice is the overwhelming smell of liquor and weed that engulfs me as I walk in. This is exactly what I imagine a frat house to smell like. A few people that I notice from the balcony are sitting on couches to the right of me and the rest are making small talk in groups to my left. Everyone in between crowds the areas that are meant to be used for walking.
Izalea walks out of the bathroom and immediately notices me at the door. "Lia! I thought you wouldn't show until I saw you in the stands."
"A free concert? There's no way I'm passing that up." I chuckle.
"I don't blame you." She admits and grabs my hand. "Look, there are some people that I'd like you to meet."
I nod and she pulls me through the crowd into the area where the couches are lined up. Off the bat, I recognize Archer and Skylar sitting on the couch further into the room. Both are dressed in the same outfits they were wearing earlier and handling red solo cups. Jameson is nowhere in sight, but according to his newly found reputation, I'm not surprised.
Izalea pulls me onto the couch that the boys sit on. "Guys, this is the girl I met at Ed's last night. Remember, the tattoo artist?"
Skylar sets his cup down on the table. "Right. Nice to meet you... I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."
"It's Rosalia Jones, but I go by Lia," I say, forcing a small grin.
"Well, what brings you here on a Thursday, Lia. Don't you have a job?" Archer forcefully asks from beside Skylar.
"Come on man, don't be an asshole." The taller boy shakes his head at his friend's comment. "I'm sorry, he's a rude drunk."
"Trust me, I'm an angry drunk so I know how it is... But I just moved to New York from Arizona, and I have been applying to jobs for the past few days now." I admit.
Archer points to the large snake that trails down my arm. "Did you do that yourself?" He asks.
"I did most of it, but my dad did the areas I couldn't reach so it wouldn't look like shit," I respond, rubbing my arm.
"You did that yourself? With that talent, a tattoo shop will pick you up in a heartbeat, trust me." Izalea responds which makes me smile because compliments don't come easy.
"Well, I love doing tattoos, but my real passion is filming and producing. I was going to get my bachelors in Arizona, but I thought moving here was a smarter idea." I answer.
"Well... New York is a pretty large place full of opportunity so I'm sure you can find-" Skylar is cut off by a violent nudge from the boy beside him. The taller boy shares a look with the blonde and they both look toward Izalea. She furrows her eyebrows until she nods toward the brunette.
"I'm sorry, but do you have your work with you by any chance?" He asks, picking up the drink that he sat on the glass table and taking a sip.
"Um, well, I don't have my camera on me, but I have my portfolio saved on my phone." I pull my phone out of my back pocket and I open my Instagram account. I hesitate to turn my phone around because I have always been told that my style of editing and recording is "selective." What I'm guessing they mean is that not many people want a movie of their daughter's prom when it looks like it would be in a music video about drugs and sex. But to each their own.
I reach over Izalea's lap and hand my phone to Skylar. He presses play on one of the videos and turns it sideways so the rest of the group can see it as well. Even though the music playing in the room is so loud, the video can be appreciated solely by the cinematics.
Archer sets down the drink that he has been handling for the entirety of this conversation. Skylar's eyebrows raise as the video continues and when it stops, he blows out a puff of air. Izalea, on the other hand, looks toward me with wide eyes. "Talent is an understatement."
Archer pulls Skylar closer to his body and mouths something intelligible into his ear. The brunette nods. "Let me go grab someone." He announces and walks off.
I look towards Izalea in confusion that she picks up on. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Just... be aware of the person you're about to meet. He can be a little intense at times. She warns me.
Even though I know she was trying to calm me down, it didn't exactly work. When you are told that someone you're about to meet can be an absolute dick at times and might be judging your one and only passion, it can be a little intimidating. Could it be a manager, or could it be the one person I wanted to avoid tonight?
"Lia, this is Jameson. I wanted to show him your work." Skylar says. Jameson nods at me and sits down opposite the couch, on the glass table. I open my phone again and hand it over. He begins to watch the video which gives me a chance to get a better look at him. He's noticeably taller than the others, most likely sitting at 6'5, and just like the boys, he hasn't changed. The outfit is just as pleasing as it was on stage, and I'm not embarrassed to admit it. He knows his worth and he's too self-assured not to express it. Tattoo sleeves cover both of his arms and his neck, which I assume continues down his chest. But even though his aura is attractive, apparently his personality isn't the same.
"You said you were looking for a job, hm?" Jameson asks me, handing me my phone.
"I did," I reply, unsure of how bitter my tone is.
"Well, let me cut this short, I am sure you've heard of my recent... incidents, right?" He questions with his head slightly tilted. Now that I can see his face clearly, scars on his eyebrow and his right cheek make themselves apparent.
"Right..."
"Because of my new "reputation," our manager needs us to film a documentary of the rest of the tour." He admits.
"I'm sorry, what does this have to do with me exactly?" I shake my head, unsure of what he is asking.
"What he is trying to say is that our videographer quit on us today because he doesn't want to work for a band that has a bad name... It "doesn't look good on resumes."' Izalea finishes. The rest of the band nods, confirming her statement.
"So, what I'm gathering is that you guys want me to be your videographer on tour?" I look between the members, and they all silently agree. "Here's the problem- "
"You'll be paid every week and your expenses will be paid for along with any equipment you need." Jameson clarifies. "Look, your work is impressive, and we need impressive."
I sit back, shocked, in silence. I've known Izalea for a little over twenty-four hours now and the rest of the band for less than an hour and now they want me to go on tour with them? I know it's not a scam because of the whole "one of the biggest soft rock bands in the world" thing, but it's so abrupt. I just got to New York in search of a new career and who knows if this will be a stable job? If I get fired because of one of Jameson's mood swings, I'll be back at the tattoo shop. But if I don't take the job, I might end up in the same spot.
I place my face in my palms and look up. "Do I have time to think about it?" I ask, looking at Jameson. Archer mutters a swear under his breath, stands up, and walks away.
"We are leaving for Florida after the show tomorrow. If you want the job, just meet us at the bus around midnight." Skylar responds.
"Alright. Thank you for the opportunity regardless." I stand up and grab my bag from beside me. "I'll think on it."
The group sits with identical expressions. As I walk towards the door, I realize that both mine and their future are in my hands. I don't know whether to be scared shitless or concerned, but either way, I know I won't have to worry about those job interviews tomorrow.