*Author's Note: There are many people that are involved with the guys in their real lives that are in this story. I don't know any of them personally so IF ANY information I write about them is false, PLEASE don't email me complaining. I only used their names and a few tidbits here and there to support Liz. She is the main character in this story but her job involves her to be with the people close to the guys. If it bothers you that I've used certain people in here, just make up your own names to go with the characters, okay?
"Look at this one, do you remember that night?"
Several pitches of laughter filled the small dance studio.
"Yeah, that was the night Jeremy asked you to dance with him at that club. He was too funny. That boy looks DAMN good but can't dance to save his life."
"Hey, give him a break. Believe me, not knowing how to dance is his ONLY drawback."
Again, the laughter overtook the occupants of the room.
Five very excited, yet extremely tired young women were taking a break from the dance rehearsals they had been doing since what felt like the crack of dawn. They were looking over a few pictures that were shot during New Years but their owner didn't get them developed until now. Fast approaching the middle of April, the girls had all waited patiently to see these pics. The memories of their time on the Hawaiian Islands clouded their minds that afternoon. Fun times were had all around and the girls couldn't contain their smiles or laughter. That was the last vacation they would be having for awhile.
Their manager had set up a tough schedule for them the past few weeks. Appearances, photo shoots, even mini-concerts were held to help promote this up and coming female vocal group. Sure, a lot of people already knew of them, thanks mainly from their male counterparts, but they wanted to grow out from underneath the shadows of their friends.
Rehearsals and recordings were scheduled from now up until the day they would be joining the fellas for five shows around Florida. They had all but finished their debut album but had to fine tune a few things before it would be complete. After their stint with the guys, they would return to sharpen their skills and hit another tour that would take them around the country. This time on a 15-city tour with one of today's most popular female singers. They were eagerly awaiting both.
With the males they would be sharing a stage with, the crowds would be harder to win over than when they were with the female act. Most girls that attended the first tour would be there to see ONLY the guys and having the knowledge that each of the girls could be linked to the members of the group, made the fans not so accepting of them. The second tour would be much easily on everyone.
The room was suddenly silenced when the door to the studio slammed shut. Five pairs of eyes turned to look over their shoulders at the person who had just barged into the room. Smiles were immediately spread across each of their faces as their manager, and friend, came into the room. But when the door opened again to reveal their dance instructor, the smiles that came so suddenly, left just as quick.
"Hello Ladies. Did you have a nice break?" Asked the tall, and rather thin brunette woman as she approached the group.
"Yes Betise." The five girls said in unison.
The girls' manager had to cover her mouth when a slight chuckle escaped her lips. She coughed once to get their attention. "Um, girls…I know you all are ready to go home but you really need to work on the routines just a couple of more times. I have a phone conference to get to right now but just wanted to let you know that at 4:00 you're free to go."
Quickly, five pairs of eyes darted to the closest clock and their hands clapped when they read the time: 2:45 p.m. A little more than an hour and they could all go home to a long warm bath and relax.
Their manager laughed again when she heard the choreographer tell the girls that they had to cram in about three more hours of practice into one. Sighs were heard all around. They slowly stood and got into place as their music filled the studio.
"I'll see you girls tomorrow." Their manager said as she turned to leave them to their rehearsal.
"Bye Lynn." The girls said in unison again.
She could only laugh. Maybe they should have been called 'N sync and not the guys.
She continued to chuckle under her breath as she rounded the corner and came into her office. She walked over to her cabinet and pulled out a couple of files she needed for her phone conversation that was to take place any moment. She made herself comfortable in the plush swivel chair and took out a pen and notepad to assist her.
As her fingers grazed the buttons on the phone pad, a number was dialed. She glanced over her notes while waiting for the person in question to answer.
"Hello." Came from the other end. A young woman's voice could be heard from the loud speaker Lynn had on.
"Yes, Autumn O'Neil please." She said speaking into the intercom.
"Speaking. How may I help you?"
This woman was very professional and Lynn smiled to herself. She had picked out the perfect assistant with this one. "Hi Autumn, its Lynn. I hope you don't mind me calling late? I was tied up with the girls' rehearsals for awhile. Are you still free to talk about the internship for the summer?" She adjusted herself in the chair and began to rummage through her files to come up with Autumn's resume.
"Yes Mrs. Harless…" Autumn began.
"Please, call me Lynn." She interrupted. Although she did run a business, she hated the formalities. To her, she felt old being called Mrs. Harless.
"I'm terribly sorry, Lynn. I really wanted to take this opportunity to say how grateful I am to have been given the chance to work with you and your group. My main goals with this internship were to get my feet in the door of the music business but unfortunately, I do have some bad news."
Lynn didn't like the sound of that at all. She had gone through many applicants just to come up with most of them wanting a shot at the internship she was offering for the summer because of her connections with 'N sync. She had found Autumn, a junior at the University of Maryland as the best choice. Her goals and attitude were what sold her but now Lynn wasn't sure. Something had changed.
"Um, would you like to tell me what it is? Maybe we can work something out."
She could hear Autumn take a deep breath before finally giving her an explanation. "Well, to put it bluntly, I was offered another job opportunity working at Sony in New York. I feel that what I would be doing for them is more along the lines of a career and I didn't want to miss out on something like this. I hope you understand?"
Lynn took a deep breath of her own before answering. "Autumn, I can't say that I'm pleased by this. I had already made all the arrangements for your move to Florida. I am grateful for your honestly though and hope that your time with Sony will be worthwhile. You really impressed me with your interview so I know what Sony is getting. I just wish I could compete with them."
"You really know how to flatter someone, Lynn. And yes, I am extremely sorry for any inconvenience I have caused by telling you this news at the last minute. But I may have a solution to finding my replacement."
Lynn's curiosity was up now. She wondered what this bright intelligent young woman would have up her sleeve. "Please, go right ahead." Lynn said as she got a little more comfortable in her chair, put her files away and grabbed her pen and note pad while waiting for Autumn's answer.
"Well, I know you had things ready for my move and so you wouldn't have to cancel them, I may have found someone who could take my place. There is this girl I had class with last semester who just blew us all away. She really knew her stuff. She's working right now on a BA in Accounting and has what it takes to do the job you wanted this summer, blind folded. She's that good. I told her about the internship you offered me and her eyes lit up. She's not into the music part of the business but rather the financing and managing part of it. I know her ultimate goals include working for a Big-6 Accounting firm one day. She's a junior, about 5'9", blonde-highlighted hair, has a great…"
"Autumn, I don't need her stats just yet." Lynn interrupted.
"Oh, sorry about that. I just feel awful about leaving you out in the cold like this and wanted to find someone that could take my place – kind of like a peace offering of sorts." She chuckled over the phone, hoping to lighten the already tense feelings she had about quitting the job before she even started.
Lynn smiled brightly when she heard this young woman stammer. "Dear, I thank you for your kind gesture. I hope you know I do hold no ill feelings about this. Maybe someday, my little business will be able to contend with the likes of the big ones but until then, I'll have to be content with knowing I lost out on a potentially great employee. Besides, I really didn't like your perky attitude. I already have five outgoing girls to live with everyday, another would have driven me insane."
She heard Autumn laughing over the phone at her comment. "But yes, I would like your friend's resume and number. If you could fax it to me as soon as possible, I'll take a look at it and get back to her later in the week."
"Thank you so much for your understanding, Lynn. I really appreciate it. I'll call Liz up right now and have her get her resume out to you before you leave today."
"That would be great. Autumn, you have yourself a wonderful time in New York and don't forget about us down here in Florida, okay?"
"Yeah, I won't. Thanks again, Lynn."
"You're welcome, dear." With that, Lynn hung up the phone and leaned back in her seat. She stretched her arms over her head and let out a sigh. It was true that she lost a potentially great employee but maybe would gain someone better. She would just have to wait and see.
(Late that week)
"Lizzy, phone." A shout was detected from the bathroom. A young woman emerged to find her roommate typing on her laptop. She smiled at the site. She's always about work, work, work.
The young woman turned her head and about choked on her own air when she saw her friend holding the phone. "You were in the bathroom with the phone?" The woman asked.
The smaller, petite woman smiled as the residual sounds of a toilet flushing could be heard from behind her. "Yeah and I think the calls important. Something about an internship." She could merely grin at her roommate when she received the look of death.
"My Lord, I have an idiot for a roommate. Please tell me they didn't hear the flush?" She hoped but knew the answer already.
"Hey, I couldn't help it. Trevor was on the phone earlier and I just took it into the bathroom to talk to him."
"You talk to your boyfriend while taking a piss? You are definitely weird." She said looking around their dorm room and knew that statement was beyond true.
The young woman in question was the one and only Molly Baker. She was a sophomore majoring in Biology – specifically Marine Biology. Her great love was the most misunderstood creatures that could be found in the ocean. She adored sharks to no avail. The walls of their room had maps showing the swimming territories of the Tiger Shark, posters of Great Whites, and even one with the illusive Megamouth Shark. The young woman sitting at her desk could only shake her head. Molly was just too much.
She snapped out of her daze when Molly stepped forward and threw the phone at her. "Phone? Remember?"
"What? Oh, yeah thanks." She turned back around in her chair and faced her laptop once again. Molly excused herself and left the room. She had to meet her better half downstairs in a few minutes. When the sound of the door closed behind Molly, the young woman spoke to the person on the other end of the phone.
"This is Elizabeth."
The voice on the other end was unrecognizable to her. She didn't know who the person was until she mentioned why she was calling. "Hi, my name is Lynn Harless. I believe Autumn O'Neil told you about the internship I was interested in filling for the summer."
"Oh, yes Mrs. Harless, she did. And may I first apologize for my roommate. She can be a pain sometimes."
"Honey, don't worry about it. I know a group of guys that can be a real pain too." She heard a giggle come from the other end of the phone and wondered if Elizabeth knew her son. "So, back to why I have called. I looked over your resume and made a few calls. I must say that you come highly recommended. Your previous employers could only speak with the utmost confidence in you. This might sound a little rushed but I am pushed for time on this one. I know that the semester will be over in a few weeks and if you're interested, I would love to have you on board my team for the summer."
Liz sat back in her seat and looked up at the ceiling. "You mean I've got the job? But you've haven't met me or…"
"Dear, like I said, you came highly recommended and I am in a bind. I already made arrangements for Autumn to come down here on the first. If that is okay with you, I'd like to have you take her place and move to Orlando in a few weeks."
Liz sat there for all of two seconds before accepting the position. "Well, that was the fastest interview I've ever had. Yes, I'd love to take the job."
Lynn laughed into the phone. "Great, I'll send you a packet of information that you'll need to review before you get here. I'm having a moving company come to help pack you up for the summer. Most of it will be spent on the road but for the time you are in town, you will have an apartment. I will be traveling to Memphis several times and you are more than welcomed to join me or stay in Orlando. But as I said, I'll send you all the information you'll need until we meet on the first. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call me. I'm always available."
"Thank you very much for this opportunity. I'll be waiting for your package." They said their good-byes and Liz hung up the phone. She closed her laptop and put it away. She dragged her tired body over to her bed and laid down, facing the ceiling, hoping someone would hear her. "Please let this work out. I have to make this work." She slowly closed her eyes and found a few minutes to rest her mind and ponder on the experience that was to come in just a short time.
(May 1, late afternoon)
"Mandy, you gotta hit the mark on five. You're stepping on four when you should slide. Got it, now try again." The choreographer instructed her assistant to fire up the music once more.
The five young women ran through the routine of their latest single until they got it right. When the music came to an end, all five stopped in place. They held that position until Betise gave them a thumbs up. "Excellent work today ladies. I'll see you bright and early Monday morning."
She heard a few groans from the group. "Oh, do you want to see me on Saturday instead?" The girls told her 'no' that Monday would be fine with them. "Great, see you then." She chuckled to herself as she gathered her things and headed out the door of the dance studio with her assistant.
The small petite woman was the first to speak. "Damn, she is driving us into early retirement. We haven't even started the tour yet and already I can't wait for it to be over."
A taller dark haired woman approached her and put her arm around the smaller one. "Mandy, I feel your pain girl, I really do but you and I know that we have to be at our best for these shows. The guys' fans will eat us alive if we're not."
"Danay, I know it's just that all this work is getting to me. We haven't seen much of Lynn lately so I think she just throws us to Betise to get rid of us."
Another brunette came into the conversation. "Guys, Lynn has been extremely busy finding an assistant for the tours. She said she has someone lined up and we're suppose to meet her today. Hopefully this will take some of the pressure off Lynn and she can give us more of her time. Hey…" She started. She grabbed her bag and motioned for the other two girls in the group to huddle around. "We need to be very supportive of the new girl. I don't know much about her but if she's gonna work out here, then we need to make her feel welcomed, okay?"
She got a round of 'yeahs' from the group.
"Nikki, didn't Lynn want us in her office like…ten minutes ago?" Mandy asked.
The young woman looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh crap, let's go."
The five of them ran out the door and headed towards the main offices in the building. They slowed only momentarily when they rounded a corner but picked up speed the instant a straightaway was met.
They made it to Lynn's office in record time. Nikki, the designated leader of the group, firmly knocked on the door. They heard a muffed call for them to come on inside. They opened the door to reveal their manager and another woman discussing something important. The looks on their faces, alone, showed that the papers in front of them held some kind of information worth while.
Nikki was the first to speak up as the group filed into the room. "We're sorry about being late, Betise…" She started but was cut off.
"Girls don't worry about it. Elizabeth and I were just going over a few things and I do understand how Betise can get. Please, have a seat."
The girls looked around the crowded office. It ended up that three of them sat on the leather couch at the rear of the room, one sat in an extra chair beside the young stranger, while the last was the designated spot checker on the carpet. Lynn took a glance at the five young woman around her and saw the tiredness in their eyes. She would make all introductions short so they could go home.
"Girls, this won't take long." She started as she stood from her position behind the large wooden desk. She walked around it and leaned against the front as she stood between Nikki and Liz.
"I would like you all to meet Elizabeth Matthews. She will be with us this summer. She is going to be working closely with the other groups for your tours, coordinating times and schedules. Also, she will be the one to go to if I'm not around. Now I'll be on the road with you everyday but when we are in between tours, I will be returning to Memphis to see to business there. Elizabeth will be joining me on a few trips but her main residency will be here in Orlando. If something comes up and I can't be reached, please call her and she will work things out. Remember, Shey and Patricia will be around too to help Elizabeth get adjusted. I'm throwing a lot at her but she only has the summer to pick everything up before school starts in the fall."
The five girls were trying to listen intently to what Lynn was saying but their eyes fell immediately on the stranger next to her. They were trying to size this woman up. She looked to be around their age, fairly pretty but hid that underneath a pair of glasses. Her brunette colored hair was highlighted and pulled firmly up in a neat ponytail. The choice of clothing made her appear conservative and professional. She hung on every word Lynn had to say and the girls wondered just how uptight she was going to be. They hadn't really thought about who would be working with them but knew she was a college student and just expected her to be a little more…well, college-like.
"Girls, are you paying attention?" Lynn asked, breaking their stares at Liz.
"Um, yeah sorry about that." Mandy said from the couch. She was the first to stand up and approach Liz. "I'm Mandy. Nice to meet you." She said, extending her hand for Liz to shake.
Next in line was Nikki, then followed by Veronica, Danay, and finally Jenny. "It's nice to meet you. I've read up on all of you and am looking forward for this opportunity to work with the group for the summer. Please if you have any questions, feel free to ask." She smiled warmly at the group and they all shook their heads in unison.
"Great, now girls, go home and try to get some rest. Betise will no doubt bust your butts again on Monday so watch yourselves this weekend." Lynn said as she waved the girls out the door and then returned her attention to her newest employee. "Now, unfortunately you DON'T get the weekend off."
Liz laughed a second before returning a comment. "That's fine by me. I just got here and don't know the area so I would have nothing to do. Work will definitely keep me busy."
The two exchanged grins and then settled down to finish filling out all of Liz's employment papers and work on the schedule for the weeks to come.