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This is weird. A room full of people who I wouldn’t spend time with usually — business people, a lot middle-aged, and the media brought in for good measure. Small parties in hotel suites with a select few interest me more. Maybe one on one. Sighing, aware I have duties to perform, I excuse myself and head to a group standing with Steve.
* * *
TEGAN
I arrived at the party with Bryn, but made it clear he’s to back off. If I’m staying with the tour, I need to meet people outside of the two bands, become part of the scenery instead of in the spotlight. When I approached the bar, a girl a couple of years older than me gave a friendly smile and introduced herself as Riley. When she tells me she’s a PR girl, her choice of attire makes sense. Most here are in casual clothes. Riley’s short skirt and silk blouse border on professional, dressed down by informal jewellery and a couple of open buttons.
Riley’s confidence at meeting people matches mine and she soon regales me with tales of Tina and the iron fist she rules the PR company with. I’m intrigued to know what a PR girl does, keen on the idea of a future in the industry. Riley began her career as Tina’s underling, and spent much of her time running around buying coffees, fielding phone calls and emails, and greeting clients. When Riley catches on to my interest in PR, she initially looks surprised, and informs me I’d need to start at the bottom as she did. Her amusement suggests she’s caught onto my personality as quickly as everybody else has.
These days she runs her own accounts and has managed to worm her way into PR for Ruby Riot. At twenty-two, she’s closer to the age of their fan base and more in touch with social media than her boss, whose knowledge comes from what she’s fed by focus groups and reports she asks Riley to collate. I offer to help, keen to see what happens. I have a few ideas of my own; but after Tina shot me down, I’ve kept quiet. I get to know Riley better, I can find a way to become involved. Maybe even help out with tour PR.
“Are you here for the full tour?” I ask.
“One and off. I have to keep things running back at the London office and I’m not a fan of staying away for long. How about you?”
I smile. “Yes.”
“Lucky!”
“Bryn promised me for years.”
Riley pushes an escaped strand of hair from her face. “Are you a Ruby Riot fan too?”
“Kind of. More so since seeing them tonight.” I’m not letting on how much. I swear it took my heart rate an hour to return to normal after Jax walked away, and images of him and me in the hallway have progressed beyond what actually happened. “So, yeah.”
“They’re tricky to deal with,” Riley says in a low voice.
“Really? Worse than Blue Phoenix?”
“Oh, yeah. Ruby’s the least co-operative person I’ve come across, and Jax isn’t far behind. He won’t listen to any attempt to push the Ruby Riot brand in the direction we want.”
“Maybe he wants the band image to be how he imagines?” I understand that, I can’t see any of the band allowing the media to manipulate them. However, the most successful people have their fame carefully orchestrated; Jax may not have a choice.
She shrugs. “Sure, but Jax and Ruby need to compromise. Jax’s growing ego isn’t helping.”
I laugh at the frown creasing her brow. “Good luck with controlling that. I’ve already seen him action.”
Riley runs a finger around the rim of her wine glass. “Has he hit on you yet?” I widen my eyes. “I guess he wouldn’t because of Bryn. Sorry.”
The skin on my neck prickles. “Has he hit on you?”
“I’m female. He thinks any girl is fair game. I keep business and pleasure separate, and I don’t like guys like Jax.” She looks across the room, and I turn my head. Nate and Will cross the room to where Jax stands with Tina and what looks like local media. When I glance back at Riley, I realise she’s looking at the twins.
“But you like the twins?” I ask.
“Who wouldn’t? They’re hilarious, great guys. But I guess you’d need a sense of humour to deal with Ruby and Jax on a daily basis.”
“No, do youlikethem. One more than the other?” I tease.
Riley drinks and looks away from me. “Like I said. Business and pleasure.”
“They seem into the groupies too,” I remark as one of the twins turns and beckons a trio of wide-eyed, teen girls loitering in the doorway.
“Don’t get tangled with anybody famous,” she says with a laugh. “Believe me, rock stars, reality TV celebs and everything in between. Bad news.”
I want to ask why she walked into an industry where she’d deal with them on a regular basis; but despite my interest in Riley’s career, I don’t want to be stuck here all night talking about her.
A tall guy touches Riley on the shoulder and she turns to him, briefly introduces us, before they launch into a conversation about work. Wrinkling my nose, I lean against the bar and watch proceedings around the room.
