Status: Finished!
Work Experience
Three
Rhian Jones was so upset, more upset than she’d been in quite a while.
It was one thing to be mistaken, but to be completely humiliated, degraded and abused in front of the people she managed, Taylor, and some random work experience girl; that was a whole new low.
Now she just felt shit about the whole thing.
She had pretty much ran out the venue, holding back any tears or emotion, she was not going to let this get the better of her. She wouldn’t let Taylor Lawrence, or that stupid Tour manager, or even Matt Sanders enjoy the satisfaction of making her cry. Not this time.
She was going to be strong.
Rhian had sat on a small wall in the car park, and just take a few deep breaths to relax.
She’d toured so many times before, this was no different, it was just the first venue was always stressful. Everything had to run smoothly, the whole thing had to be perfect, because the first reviews mattered.
All the effort the boys put into writing, playing, recording and producing the new album, would be shown off in the tour; she just wanted it too show how much work they put in and how much they love what the do and of course their fans. Rhian wanted the fans to enjoy tonight as well.
Though to make all those wishes come true, she had to put a lot of time and effort in, as did the boys, their tour manager Kenny, their technicians, stage manager, all their crew and of course their families, girlfriends and friends that supported them! A tour just took its toll on everyone.
“Ducky?” Rhian smiled hearing a familiar English accent. “You alright?” Sarah questioned appearing by the side of Rhian.
“It’s been a long day,” Was the only answer Rhian gave.
“I know ducky I know, Matt said you’d found out about this Niki girl?”
“You knew?” Rhian looked up, Sarah bit her lip and sighed.
“He told me like an hour ago, when he needed someone to go search for her, she’d gone missing!” Sarah explained, wondering exactly how Rhian would take this. “He was worried she’d got herself into trouble,”
“Was he going to tell me?”
“Tonight,” Sarah replied, knowing Matt would have not only because of their deal, but because Matt wouldn’t have kept it up that long. “Ducky you sure you’re alright?”
“It’s first night of tour, I’m just a bit stressed, haven’t eaten yet, or had a break to get a drink! I just needed five minutes out!” Sarah gazed over at her friend and sighed.
“Rhian being manager doesn’t mean you run yourself into the ground! Kenny is there to help you, remember!” Sarah told her, keeping a very serious face. “Now go get a drink and something to eat! Then come chill on the bus with us all, like we use to yeah?”
“Yeah,” Rhian nodded. “But I really don’t have time-”
“You go get food now Rhian!” Sarah barked at her. “Don’t make me drag you to the vending machines!”
“I’m going,” Rhian huffed rolling her eyes. “God I thought I was meant to be the mother,”
“You are, but someone needs to be yours sometimes!” Rhian just laughed and shock her head, standing up slowly and looking back at Sarah.
“thanks for this,”
“Anytime ducky, want me to go check on the guys?”
“Please,” Rhian nodded. “Make sure that Niki girl is alright, and that Taylor isn’t causing problems,”
“Hasn’t she left already?” Sarah asked. “I thought she was just doing an interview,”
“No such luck, she’s reviewing the show tonight as well,” Rhian groaned as her and Sarah started walking back into the venue.
“Chin up! She might not be that bad,”
“Yeah and pigs might fly,” Rhian muttered bitterly walking over the vending machines. “I’ll see you in a bit,”
“Sure thing ducky!” Sarah replied, her thoughts returning to the idea of flying pigs.
Rhian gazed through the plastic of the vending machine, trying to force herself to at least pick something she may try and eat. She got herself a bottle of Pepsi, in hope it would give her some energy, and then still had to make a decision about something to eat.
“ B5, that’s always good,” She heard his voice say from behind her. Rhian didn’t answer just nodded, now wasn’t a good time to hear whatever Matt had to say. “Rhian you alright?”
“Matt please not now,” She felt his hand press against her back, and then his body move to the side of hers.
“I am so sorry for what happened,”
“Matt really I don’t think this is a good time, I’m angry as it is!” Rhian snapped turning to face him, and that’s when her whole tough act dropped. Her eyes flickered to his own soft green eyes and she was instantly calmer. “Sorry,” Matt chuckled and shock his head, looking down at her.
“You have nothing to apologise for!” He laughed pulling her into a tight hug. “Fuck I really messed up, I made your job a billion fucking times harder because I lied to you! You should be kicking my ass not apologising!” He muttered, feeling her finally relax against his rock hard chest, and hug him back. “Wow must be bad,” He muttered making her pull back ever so slightly too look up at him.
“What?”
“You’ve never hugged me back like this before, unless drunk!” He chuckled not letting her go for a few minutes.
“I’m sorry I should,” She tried to wriggle away but he wouldn’t let her.
“It’s nice,” He added with a smile. “You know if you ever wanna just chat, or maybe hang, on a friend level, cause you are by the way, a friend, we can!” Matt explained, in a slightly long winded and awkward way, finally letting Rhian go.
“Thanks Matt,” She replied a smile emerging on her face. “Now this girl, is she trouble?”
“She could be,” Matt sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll try keep her out of the way and out of trouble, this won’t end up like Taylor,” He noticed a flicker of emotion across Rhian’s eyes, but what emotion?
“It better not Matt, I’ll talk to her later about things she can do. I’ll get Kenny to get her a pass, she can just watch tonight, okay?”
“Thanks Rhian,” She just nodded, it wasn’t as if she had that much choice right now. If she could do it her way she’d send her home in an instant, but from the look on Matt’s face when she’d first said that, that was the last thing he wanted. So Niki might as well get a second chance, but that was it, no more now.
“I need to go talk to Kenny, you guys might as well wait in the theatre or backstage, your sound check is in 10,” Rhian added gazing down at her watch. “Don’t let me down,”
“I won’t, no will Niki,” Matt replied confidently as Rhian turned to walk the other way. “I’ll watch out for her tonight,” That stopped Rhian in her tracks though.
“She’s not coming out with us tonight Matt,”
“What? why?”
“She’s not 21,”
“But they party is in the bus,”
“No alcohol Matt, I mean it, no alcohol for her, she’s underage!” Matt just groaned, knowing it was the right thing to do. However have you ever seen an 18 year old happily accept they weren’t allowed to drink at a party?
Matt knew Niki wasn’t going to take this one well.
It was one thing to be mistaken, but to be completely humiliated, degraded and abused in front of the people she managed, Taylor, and some random work experience girl; that was a whole new low.
Now she just felt shit about the whole thing.
She had pretty much ran out the venue, holding back any tears or emotion, she was not going to let this get the better of her. She wouldn’t let Taylor Lawrence, or that stupid Tour manager, or even Matt Sanders enjoy the satisfaction of making her cry. Not this time.
She was going to be strong.
Rhian had sat on a small wall in the car park, and just take a few deep breaths to relax.
She’d toured so many times before, this was no different, it was just the first venue was always stressful. Everything had to run smoothly, the whole thing had to be perfect, because the first reviews mattered.
All the effort the boys put into writing, playing, recording and producing the new album, would be shown off in the tour; she just wanted it too show how much work they put in and how much they love what the do and of course their fans. Rhian wanted the fans to enjoy tonight as well.
Though to make all those wishes come true, she had to put a lot of time and effort in, as did the boys, their tour manager Kenny, their technicians, stage manager, all their crew and of course their families, girlfriends and friends that supported them! A tour just took its toll on everyone.
“Ducky?” Rhian smiled hearing a familiar English accent. “You alright?” Sarah questioned appearing by the side of Rhian.
“It’s been a long day,” Was the only answer Rhian gave.
“I know ducky I know, Matt said you’d found out about this Niki girl?”
“You knew?” Rhian looked up, Sarah bit her lip and sighed.
“He told me like an hour ago, when he needed someone to go search for her, she’d gone missing!” Sarah explained, wondering exactly how Rhian would take this. “He was worried she’d got herself into trouble,”
“Was he going to tell me?”
“Tonight,” Sarah replied, knowing Matt would have not only because of their deal, but because Matt wouldn’t have kept it up that long. “Ducky you sure you’re alright?”
“It’s first night of tour, I’m just a bit stressed, haven’t eaten yet, or had a break to get a drink! I just needed five minutes out!” Sarah gazed over at her friend and sighed.
“Rhian being manager doesn’t mean you run yourself into the ground! Kenny is there to help you, remember!” Sarah told her, keeping a very serious face. “Now go get a drink and something to eat! Then come chill on the bus with us all, like we use to yeah?”
“Yeah,” Rhian nodded. “But I really don’t have time-”
“You go get food now Rhian!” Sarah barked at her. “Don’t make me drag you to the vending machines!”
“I’m going,” Rhian huffed rolling her eyes. “God I thought I was meant to be the mother,”
“You are, but someone needs to be yours sometimes!” Rhian just laughed and shock her head, standing up slowly and looking back at Sarah.
“thanks for this,”
“Anytime ducky, want me to go check on the guys?”
“Please,” Rhian nodded. “Make sure that Niki girl is alright, and that Taylor isn’t causing problems,”
“Hasn’t she left already?” Sarah asked. “I thought she was just doing an interview,”
“No such luck, she’s reviewing the show tonight as well,” Rhian groaned as her and Sarah started walking back into the venue.
“Chin up! She might not be that bad,”
“Yeah and pigs might fly,” Rhian muttered bitterly walking over the vending machines. “I’ll see you in a bit,”
“Sure thing ducky!” Sarah replied, her thoughts returning to the idea of flying pigs.
Rhian gazed through the plastic of the vending machine, trying to force herself to at least pick something she may try and eat. She got herself a bottle of Pepsi, in hope it would give her some energy, and then still had to make a decision about something to eat.
“ B5, that’s always good,” She heard his voice say from behind her. Rhian didn’t answer just nodded, now wasn’t a good time to hear whatever Matt had to say. “Rhian you alright?”
“Matt please not now,” She felt his hand press against her back, and then his body move to the side of hers.
“I am so sorry for what happened,”
“Matt really I don’t think this is a good time, I’m angry as it is!” Rhian snapped turning to face him, and that’s when her whole tough act dropped. Her eyes flickered to his own soft green eyes and she was instantly calmer. “Sorry,” Matt chuckled and shock his head, looking down at her.
“You have nothing to apologise for!” He laughed pulling her into a tight hug. “Fuck I really messed up, I made your job a billion fucking times harder because I lied to you! You should be kicking my ass not apologising!” He muttered, feeling her finally relax against his rock hard chest, and hug him back. “Wow must be bad,” He muttered making her pull back ever so slightly too look up at him.
“What?”
“You’ve never hugged me back like this before, unless drunk!” He chuckled not letting her go for a few minutes.
“I’m sorry I should,” She tried to wriggle away but he wouldn’t let her.
“It’s nice,” He added with a smile. “You know if you ever wanna just chat, or maybe hang, on a friend level, cause you are by the way, a friend, we can!” Matt explained, in a slightly long winded and awkward way, finally letting Rhian go.
“Thanks Matt,” She replied a smile emerging on her face. “Now this girl, is she trouble?”
“She could be,” Matt sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll try keep her out of the way and out of trouble, this won’t end up like Taylor,” He noticed a flicker of emotion across Rhian’s eyes, but what emotion?
“It better not Matt, I’ll talk to her later about things she can do. I’ll get Kenny to get her a pass, she can just watch tonight, okay?”
“Thanks Rhian,” She just nodded, it wasn’t as if she had that much choice right now. If she could do it her way she’d send her home in an instant, but from the look on Matt’s face when she’d first said that, that was the last thing he wanted. So Niki might as well get a second chance, but that was it, no more now.
“I need to go talk to Kenny, you guys might as well wait in the theatre or backstage, your sound check is in 10,” Rhian added gazing down at her watch. “Don’t let me down,”
“I won’t, no will Niki,” Matt replied confidently as Rhian turned to walk the other way. “I’ll watch out for her tonight,” That stopped Rhian in her tracks though.
“She’s not coming out with us tonight Matt,”
“What? why?”
“She’s not 21,”
“But they party is in the bus,”
“No alcohol Matt, I mean it, no alcohol for her, she’s underage!” Matt just groaned, knowing it was the right thing to do. However have you ever seen an 18 year old happily accept they weren’t allowed to drink at a party?
Matt knew Niki wasn’t going to take this one well.
♠ ♠ ♠
xxx