fingers, ‘there’s me, Josie, my PA, Jim, the solicitor for Orpheus, the make-up artist, the photographer and his assistants, the record label executives – I think three of them are coming, Greg, who’s Oz’s assistant, and Oz himself.’ He pursed his lips. ‘Not so many.’
She stared at him, slightly open-mouthed.
‘What? Is there a problem? We told your magazine that we wanted our people to do the art so if you’re upset about us bringing our own…’
‘No, no,’ Yuri interrupted. ‘That’s fine. I just didn’t think there would be so many people for the pre-interview meeting.’ She licked her lips and tried to ignore the roll of stomach acid as her hangover collided with her nerves.
‘Oz is a big star. Your magazine is, quite frankly, lucky to be given a shot at talking to him in person. I was surprised when he…’
The agent’s voice trailed off as three others entered the room, acknowledging both herself and Dirk with sharp bobs of their heads and a wave of their hands. The effect of all three moving in unison was oddly akin to a maneki-neko – a lucky cat ornament with an eternally beckoning front paw. Yuri supposed the resemblance should mean good fortune, instead, however, she wished she could ask Dirk what exactly it was he surprised about. Her opportunity was gone though as the trio took seats along one side of the table and immediately launched into business.
‘Dirk,’ nodded the woman in the middle.
‘Alicia.’ His returning tone was polite, but firm, hinting perhaps at an underlying tension between them. ‘This is Ms. Tateno.’
Yuri leant across the table and took the woman’s hand, hoping that the reek of alcohol emanating from her pores wasn’t overly obvious. The strength of Alicia’s grip and the hard steel reflected in her eyes made it abundantly clear that she was not someone to be taken lightly. She gestured Yuri towards a chair opposite. If she’d been feeling better, she might have rebelled somewhat at such an obvious command, but the truth was that she was glad to be able to sit. The room was starting to feel stiflingly hot and the collar of her blouse was chafing at her neck.
She cleared her throat. ‘Would it be possible to have some water?’
Alicia snapped her fingers in the air and the impossibly young looking man on her left immediately rose and exited with another swiftly executed bob of his head. Yuri tried not to let her mouth drop open. What kind of person literally snapped their fingers and had a bevy of minions to leap to their command? As far removed as her own life was from her childhood, she was beginning to realise that Oz was a million miles further away.
‘The parameters of the interview need to be transparent from the outset.’ Alicia tapped the table for emphasis, and slightly toward Yuri. ‘Oz will discuss his last tour. He will touch on his family and background as a source of inspiration for his songs, as well as his feelings towards his incredibly passionate fan base. He will not answer questions on the band’s lack of new material.’ Her voice hardened almost imperceptibly. ‘Neither will he be drawn into any answers which involve his political views, the amount of money he makes or his love life.’
The young man re-entered, carrying a large jug of water and several heavy looking glasses on a tray.
‘Room temperature,’ he murmured to Alicia, before setting it down in the middle of the table and re-taking his seat.
Yuri tried to avoid rolling her eyes. She’d been hoping for some ice to chew on to help her get rid of the unpleasant taste in her mouth. Still, she reached across and poured herself a glass, willing her hands not to shake, then sat back a took a tiny sip relaxing somewhat as the water hit her system and began to calm the churn of her stomach.
‘ Yell is a human interest magazine, not a political digest,’ she finally responded. She tightened her
She stared at him, slightly open-mouthed.
‘What? Is there a problem? We told your magazine that we wanted our people to do the art so if you’re upset about us bringing our own…’
‘No, no,’ Yuri interrupted. ‘That’s fine. I just didn’t think there would be so many people for the pre-interview meeting.’ She licked her lips and tried to ignore the roll of stomach acid as her hangover collided with her nerves.
‘Oz is a big star. Your magazine is, quite frankly, lucky to be given a shot at talking to him in person. I was surprised when he…’
The agent’s voice trailed off as three others entered the room, acknowledging both herself and Dirk with sharp bobs of their heads and a wave of their hands. The effect of all three moving in unison was oddly akin to a maneki-neko – a lucky cat ornament with an eternally beckoning front paw. Yuri supposed the resemblance should mean good fortune, instead, however, she wished she could ask Dirk what exactly it was he surprised about. Her opportunity was gone though as the trio took seats along one side of the table and immediately launched into business.
‘Dirk,’ nodded the woman in the middle.
‘Alicia.’ His returning tone was polite, but firm, hinting perhaps at an underlying tension between them. ‘This is Ms. Tateno.’
Yuri leant across the table and took the woman’s hand, hoping that the reek of alcohol emanating from her pores wasn’t overly obvious. The strength of Alicia’s grip and the hard steel reflected in her eyes made it abundantly clear that she was not someone to be taken lightly. She gestured Yuri towards a chair opposite. If she’d been feeling better, she might have rebelled somewhat at such an obvious command, but the truth was that she was glad to be able to sit. The room was starting to feel stiflingly hot and the collar of her blouse was chafing at her neck.
She cleared her throat. ‘Would it be possible to have some water?’
Alicia snapped her fingers in the air and the impossibly young looking man on her left immediately rose and exited with another swiftly executed bob of his head. Yuri tried not to let her mouth drop open. What kind of person literally snapped their fingers and had a bevy of minions to leap to their command? As far removed as her own life was from her childhood, she was beginning to realise that Oz was a million miles further away.
‘The parameters of the interview need to be transparent from the outset.’ Alicia tapped the table for emphasis, and slightly toward Yuri. ‘Oz will discuss his last tour. He will touch on his family and background as a source of inspiration for his songs, as well as his feelings towards his incredibly passionate fan base. He will not answer questions on the band’s lack of new material.’ Her voice hardened almost imperceptibly. ‘Neither will he be drawn into any answers which involve his political views, the amount of money he makes or his love life.’
The young man re-entered, carrying a large jug of water and several heavy looking glasses on a tray.
‘Room temperature,’ he murmured to Alicia, before setting it down in the middle of the table and re-taking his seat.
Yuri tried to avoid rolling her eyes. She’d been hoping for some ice to chew on to help her get rid of the unpleasant taste in her mouth. Still, she reached across and poured herself a glass, willing her hands not to shake, then sat back a took a tiny sip relaxing somewhat as the water hit her system and began to calm the churn of her stomach.
‘ Yell is a human interest magazine, not a political digest,’ she finally responded. She tightened her
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