Chapter One: Another Cloudy Day
Was it this cold last winter?
I didn't think so. I walked quickly past Rockefeller Center and
down Broadway. Wasn't there a taxi in this city that wasn't full?
I signaled for a taxi just as I passed NBC studios. It was a
cloudy day and it looked like it was going to rain. A taxi pulled
up to the curb. I hopped in, nearly out of breath.
"The New York Times please," I said, getting situated
in my seat.
"Will do ma'am," the large Italian man said to me with
a slight Jersey accent.
I arrived at my office a little past nine in the morning. As
usual it was hectic in our building.
NBC was blaring on the big screen in the background as my
co-workers scattered around the building. I walked over to my
cubicle and laid down my stuff.
"Good morning Kate," Robert said as he zoomed past my
desk with a cup of coffee in one hand and a pile of papers in the
other. He was the office heartthrob. Every lady in here jocked
him like he was Ricky Martin. It was pathetic. So he was tall,
dark, and handsome. No big deal. I preferred blondes anyway.
"Hey Kate," Kaylee squeaked as she approached my desk.
I was standing up trying to organize everything. Her blonde hair
was combed perfectly. What else was new? She wore a business
jacket with a short skirt. Her blue eyes twinkled in the lights.
"What's going on around here this morning? Someone
die?" I joked.
"Naaa, nothing too exciting. How come you're late?" She
asked, batting her thickly mascared eyelashes. Just because she
was now the chief editor of the entertainment department, she
thought she could push me around. I had been here almost as long
as her, I just preferred to cover the beat.
"Well, I have an assignment for you," she said, handing
me a piece of paper.
I looked down at it. It was for Madison Square Garden, tonight.
"It's the Backstreet Boys concert. They're in town and I
want you to do a review and take notes because I also want a
piece on this whole boy bands crap. I want the review in
tomorrow's paper and I want the boy band article in Monday's. I
also want you to interview the group and find out whatever you
think you need to know about them. I want good stuff, front page
entertainment stuff. Got it?" She threatened as her smile
turned into a sharp smirk.
"The Backstreet Boys? I thought that they'd finished their
tour?" I asked.
"No, don't forget your press pass. Ciao Kaitlyn," she
said half-heartedly and walked away.
I sat down at my desk and turned on my computer. I hadn't
searched for the Backstreet Boys on the web since college. Right
after their album Millennium had come out. Now it was two years
later and they were still hotter than ever. And not just on the
music scene.I went to their official site and jotted down some
information that I needed for tonight.
~ ONE HOUR LATER ~
"Hey Phil?" I asked, walking into the photography
department.
"Hey, Kate, whattcha need?" He asked, as he messed with
the lens on his camera.
"I need a photographer for tonight's concert at the Gardens.
Want to meet me there say 6-ish?" I asked, sweetly.
"Anything for you Kate," the short bald-headed man
answered.
"Thanks," I answered with a smile.
I was wearing my usual skirt and a business jacket outfit. With
my medium brown hair draped down my back, I turned around and
walked away. My green eyes glowed brightly under the florescent
lights as I made my way back to my desk and began preparing for
that night. And what a night it would be.