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Mackenzie was engulfed in darkness for a moment. Then, as her head stretched out of the neck hole, she took a breath. Mackenzie turned and glanced at herself in the mirror. She now wore a black shirt with white lettering that said “Event Staff” in bold clear letters on her right breast. Twisting, Mackenzie angled her body so that she could read the words printed on the back of her shirt. “Backstreet Boys”, it read. Mackenzie sighed. “Funny, how a shirt can make you feel like you belong.” she thought.
“Are you all right in there?”
“I’m fine, just fine.” Mackenzie stepped out of the dressing room she had been in, and stood before Denise. The two women smiled at one another. Denise handed Mackenzie several folded bundles in various colors.
“Here,” she said, “You’ll need these extra shirts. There should be four others there. They’ll have to do until we can get some with your name printed on them. Is there any nickname you like to go by?” Mackenzie smiled and replied softly,
“My father used to call me Micki.”
“Would you like us to call you that?”
“It couldn’t hurt. . . . yes, please put ‘Micki’ on my shirts.”
Denise smiled. “Wonderful!” she exclaimed. “I’ll introduce you to the head man around here.” The two set off, through winding tunnels and wall partitions. Everyone scurried about, seemingly knowing just what to do. In that respect, Mackenzie felt out of place. She watched as several men hoisted a large spotlight above the stage.
Denise walked over to a man who stood in the center of the stage. He was tall and broad shouldered. Mackenzie could see his muscles and strength from where she stood, set off a little ways from Denise and the man. He nodded, and they began to walk over to Mackenzie; the man ran his fingers through his short graying hair. When they were close, he smiled and looked at her with kindness. Tiny crows feet creased the corners of his eyes, and his weather beaten face gazed at her almost tenderly. He extended his hand and said warmly, “Denise tells me you’re part of the Backstreet family now.” Mackenzie nodded. He chuckled, ”Welcome aboard! My name is Steve.”
“Thank You.” she replied softly. Denise looked from Mackenzie to Steve and back again. She patted the girl on her shoulder, and walked off the stage, into the wings.
“I meant what I said about all of us being a family,” Steve gestured widely with his hand, encompassing the entire venue. “There are 24 of us, total. The five guys, Denise, Nina the tour manager, Randy the head of security, four other bodyguards, six members of the band, myself, and the other grips and technicians. Everyone helps out around here. You’ll meet the grips as you go along. You, my young friend make our number, 25.” Mackenzie walked along beside Steve, taking it all in. Her eyes were big as saucers as she observed everyone working. The venue was huge. Steve smiled down at her. “Don’t worry, you’ll soon learn all there is to know about the tour business.” he reassured her. Mackenzie took a deep breath.
“What will I be doing?” she asked.
“You’ll be a personal assistant to the boys.” Her eyes widened at this announcement. “That is, you’ll be making sure that their gear gets where it’s supposed to be, helping Cheryl organize their wardrobe, fetching things if needed. In addition, you’ll also be working with the lighting techs. I heard all about your expertise,” he said, giving her a friendly wink. “I’m impressed.” Mackenzie blushed at the compliment. “Here’s our first stop.” Steve lead her into a small room which was labeled with a temporary sign on the door that said ‘wardrobe’. Inside, a friendly faced blond woman glanced up at them. She held several pins in her mouth and was welding a stack of fabrics. She maneuvered the fabrics into a pile in the appropriate slot of a fold up shelving unit, before extending her hand while taking the pins out of her mouth. “My name’s Cheryl. Pleased to meet you, Mackenzie.” she said with a rich southern accent. Mackenzie gazed at the woman, shocked.
“How did you know my name?”
“Word travels fast. We’re all thick as thieves.” Cheryl replied with a grin. Mackenzie smiled and accepted her outstretched hand. Steve cleared his throat.
“I’d best be heading back to the stage to see what kind of mess they’ve got us in now.”
“Don’t you worry Steve, I’ll take good care of our young friend.” Cheryl turned to Mackenzie, “Come on Darlin’, I’ll teach you how to sort and stack the fabrics I use to make the boy’s costumes.
*****
Mackenzie sighed, and followed Cheryl into a large dinning area. The beaded sweat on her forehead was a tell-tale sign of the hard work the two women had accomplished. The wardrobe department was now in tip top shape. Mackenzie mimicked Cheryl’s movements. She picked up a tray, and headed down the line, choosing from an assortment of sandwiches, side dishes, and beverages. She was about to trail after Cheryl to a table when she heard someone calling her name. It was Howie. Cheryl turned around, nodded to Mackenzie, and made her way to the back of the eatery. Mackenzie stopped at Howie’s table. He smiled at her, and she was struck by the kindness in his eyes.
“Care to join me?”
“I’d love to. Thank you.” she sat across from him, and unwrapped her sandwich.
“So, are you having fun learning the ropes?”
“Mmmm.” she swallowed, “It’s fun. I don’t understand it all yet, but I’m a quick learner.”
“There’s a lot to learn. I heard you’re working with Cheryl.”
“Yeah. How did you know?” she asked curiously.
“Word travels fast in the Backstreet family.” he said. She giggled. “What?” he asked.
“That’s the second time someone has said that to me today.” Howie chuckled, and they ate in silence for a few moments.
“This is the best day of my life.” she spoke softly. He waited for her to continue. “I got a job, made new friends, got some new clothes, and a killer sandwich!” They laughed together. It felt good to laugh. Mackenzie realized that she had been doing a lot of that ever since she’d come among these people. They were all so friendly. A little part of her mind whispered ‘Why? Why are they so kind? What do they want in return?’ Mackenzie shoved her doubts deep into the recesses of her mind.
“May I tell you something?” Howie broke into her thoughts.
“Go ahead.”
“You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.” Mackenzie froze, posed with her cola can halfway to her mouth. Howie visibly shook himself.
“Sorry,” he said softly. “I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I’ve wanted to tell you that since you boarded our bus.” He smiled shyly, and Mackenzie surprisingly, found herself returning his smile.
*****
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