"Somebody bring me some Prozac" Morgan Hayes cried out, while pulling faces at the phone, where she'd been put on hold for the past half hour.
"What's wrong now" Julian Williams said with a laugh as he heard Morgan's comment.
"Ugh I've been on hold for the pat half hour trying to book some band for a concert but all I keep getting is bad call waiting music" Morgan said in exasperation. "I have got the absolute worst headache and the big boss upstairs wants me to go to a press conference for one of the new groups he signed...in five minutes."
"Which band?"
"The one I'm trying to sign or the one with the press conference?"
"I'm on hold with N...N...oh what's their name again" Morgan said trying to remember who she was going through such pains for.
"'N Sync?" Julian suggested.
"Close, 'N Time" Morgan responded.
"Are you serious?" Julian laughed.
"Afraid so, I'm just wondering who the hell comes up with these names" Morgan said with a roll of her eyes.
Suddenly Morgan's beeper gave out a shrill noise as Julian checked to see if it was his. Morgan read the message and groaned. She was late for the press conference and the head boss was basically demanding she drop everything and leave. "Is he serious? I can't just drop everything now."
"Do you wanna take the call or the conference?" Julian asked.
"I don't know" Morgan said in annoyance. "Hey Jules, can you do me a big big favour?"
"What?" Julian asked suspiciously.
"Can you be an angel and go to the press conference for me? You don't do much just sit and act interested. It's just I have to finish this deal and I've got a mountain of press releases to write" Morgan asked, putting on her most pleading expression.
"Morgan I've got my releases to write and I've got calls to return and.."
"Please?" Morgan pouted.
Julian hesitated before finally breaking down. "Oh alright just this once."
"Thankyou" Morgan mouthed as the call waiting music stopped and she was finally able to get in contact with a human voice.
**************
"Morgan?" Someone knocked on the door, before peeking into her office.
"Just one moment" Morgan said distractedly,putting her index finger up to indicate she wanted silence. She finished scribbling down on the pad of paper in front of her and looked up. "Yeah?"
"You busy?" Curtis Landers, the head director for the company asked. Morgan dropped her pen, she knew it was more of a comman rather than a question.
"Nope, what can I do for you Mr Landers?"
"Kiddo, I've got an assignment for you" Curtis responded. He looked at Morgan and remembered he'd had his doubts in the beginning about the company hiring someone so young to take on such a senior position but Morgan had proved him worng. She was slowly building a name for herself, and having just finished college it was not an easy task to break into the public relations industry. "I need you to go to Las Vegas and chaperone Miss Creations."
Morgan groaned inwardly to herself. She knew she'd be dealing with the latest addition to the company which was a group of four girls ranging from twelve to sixteen. They had just made it big and as far as Morgan had heard they were turning into the biggest brats on earth as well. "What are they doing in Vegas?"
"A range of interviews, a photo shoot, mall appearances and a big media press conference sometime while they're there" Curtis replied. "Why in the gambling capital of this country, I don't know but that's what I've been told."
Morgan put her fingers up to her temples trying to repel a headache which was coming back. "Why me?"
"Apparently someone thinks the girls would be able to relate to you more. Since you're probably the closest one to them in age they'd probably appreciate someone younger in authority" Curtis grinned.
"Have you met them?" Morgan whimpered.
"Bingo, that's why you're going" Curtis said with a knowing grin. "Nobody wants to handle them for more than a few hours."
"How long does this go for?"
"About four days. It's a quick visit but Julian said he almost had a nervous breakdown the last time he had to deal with them so he volunteered you."
"Mental note, run Julian over tomorrow" Morgan mumbled to herself.
"So I'll give you the tickets tomorrow and you'll leave the next day" Curtis spoke up. "Got it?"
"Yeah sure. This should be an interesting trip" Morgan said with a half-hearted laugh.
**************
Morgan was dragging her small travel bag with her and making her way slowly to the girls and the group of parents and minders and record company representatives travelling with them. She looked at the girls in the group and noticed they looked older than she did. Their clothes, their attitudes made them seem beyond adolescence.
"Hi I'm Morgan Hayes, the publicist from Image Media" she greeted, shaking hands with the various people surrounding the group.
"You're the publicist?" One parent said doubtfully.
"Yes" Morgan nodded. She was used to the disbelieving looks and stares everytime she introduced herself to clients. They looked at her and couldn't believe she'd even made it out of school yet.
"You're a bit young aren't you?" One girl pointed out blatantly.
"Really, I hadn't noticed" Morgan said, the sarcasm evident in her voice. "Which one are you?"
The girl tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "I'm Sasha, I'm the oldest one out of the group."
"I'm Jenna" another one piped up, this time with a bit more friendliness. Morgan smiled at her, she had short brown hair and she reminded her of her little sister. "And this is Claire, and the one by the soda machine is Amy, she's the youngest."
"Nice to meet you. Are you excited about the trip?" Morgan asked.
"Personally I think it's pointless. All the big shows are in LA and they're sending us to Las Vegas" Sasha responded, being joined by Claire who seemed to look up to the girl.
"Well that's for the company to decide. You'll just have to grin and bear it." Morgan said, already starting to lose her patience with Sasha.
"Are you suppose to talk to us like that?" Claire said with a shocked look on her face.
Morgan groaned, she'd been dumped in a bigger nightmare than she'd imagined.
**************
"This is turning into a complete nightmare" Morgan whined into her cell phone. Julian just laughed while trying to calm her down at the same time.
"Calm down Morgan, you're going to give yourself a cardiac if you're not careful."
"They're driving me crazy. I think my job description's suddenly changed to personal slave without my knowing" Morgan muttered into the phone.
"What are you still doing there anyway, I thought your flight was this morning" Julian commented.
"It was cancelled. I've been stuck here for four hours and I'm going to kill someone if they make us stay here any longer."
"Down girl" Julian laughed. "It's better than being stuck here."
"How do you figure that?" Morgan said sarcastically.
"Curtis is on the warpath and he's making everyone join in his misery. He just dumped enough paperwork on my desk to last me till next year" Julian replied with a sigh. "I'd rather have Miss Creations than all this work."
"Great it's not too late" Morgan said. "You can take my place."
"Are you crazy?! Last time I went with them to an interview the oldest one came onto me. No way Morgan, you're on your own" Julian said.
"Morgan, Sasha and Claire are chatting up a bunch of guys in dreadlocks and unless you want that on the cover of Rolling Stone you better go deal with them" a representative from the record company said. Morgan looked at Katie, who was an assistant for one of the executives travelling with the group with a scrunched up face. Katie just shrugged and gave her a sympathetic smile.
"Oh man" Morgan muttered. "Alright Jules I gotta go, I've gotta avert a potential media scandal."
"Alright Morg, have fun" Julian said teasingly.
Morgan just snorted at him and clicked the phone off. She headed for the two girls and sighed, it was going to be a long trip.
**************
"Oh what now" Morgan cried out in exasperation. She tapped her foor impatiently as she stood waiting at the airline counter. No one had managed to get a decent response for the cause of the delay so she thought she'd give it a try.
She was just about to get to the head of the line when she had a head on collision with another passenger trying to get to the counter at the same time.
"Hey!" Morgan yelped angrily.
"I was just about to say the same thing" he said with an annoyed expression.
"Excuse me I was here first" Morgan tried to say as calmly as she could.
"I don't think so" he countered, bringing an almost cocky expression to his face, which annoyed Morgan to no end. She looked at him carefully. He was really tall with blonde hair, and blue eyes. If she hadn't been so pissed off at him she's almost consider him as cute.
"If you don't mind" Morgan said as she turned to the counter.
"No, no, if you don't mind" he answered back. Morgan turned to him and glared. She was already looking up at him as he had over a foot on her, but she was giving him the dirtiest look she could muster. If it was one thing she hated it was queues and people who pushed in them.
"Okay I'm gonna say this for the last time, I was here first and you weren't" Morgan replied slowly through clenched teeth.
"And I'm gonna say this for the last time I was here before you so if you don't mind" he turned to the attendant, who was darting her eyes from side to side.
"Uhh can I help you?"
"Oh no you don't, outta my way" Morgan said, her voice rising considerably. She nudged him to the side, and he turned to her, probably debating whether he should push her back. Morgan looked at him, almost daring him to touch her.
"You're a bit on the pushy side" he remarked. "What's your problem?"
"What's my problem? What's my freakin problem? I'll tell you what..."
"Miss, excuse me, miss" a woman interrupted apologetically. Morgan turned to her and raised her eyebrow in question.
"What?!"
"If you don't mind letting this gentleman in front."
"Do I look stupid?!" Morgan exclaimed, catching the guy beside her roll his eyes and mouth 'yes'. She took a deep breath deciding to let that one action pass. "And why the hell would I do that?"
"I'm sorry Mr Carter" the woman was apologising profusely. She looked like she would've got down on her knees if she could've. "We'll get you settled as soon as we can."
"Hell no" Morgan yelled. "I was here first!"
"Miss, if you don't mind. This is Nick Carter."
Morgan stood back waiting for some inspiration to dawn upon her. "And?" She had absolutely no idea who he was or what the woman was getting so excited about.
"From the Backstreet Boys?" The guy offered, looking at her as if she was crazy for not knowing who he was. He let out an exasperated breath, annoying Morgan even more.
"Oh the Backstreet Boys" Morgan pretended to know what he was talking about before yelling. "I don't care if you're the Queen of England I was here first and you're not pushing in."
"What the hell's your problem?!"
"Do not get me started. But if you want to keep living I'd usggest you get out of my way" Morgan pushed pass him while the woman looked at her, horrified. She didn't care who he was, all she knew was that she was not staying at the airport any longer than she had to.
Chapter Two
The Perfect Mistake Index
Carter Fiction Main Page
