Sad_Girl
Blue Crack Supplier
Disclaimer: although this story is inspired by real people, it is completely fictional. None of it happened. Even the things which are based loosely off reality have been changed/altered for the sake of the storyline. Please don’t mistake any of this for reality or take it seriously – it’s written for the sake of fun and entertainment. No harm intended.
Chapter Two
February 27, 1992
Taylor woke before dawn, which was particularly unusual for her. She was not, by anyone’s definition, a morning person. She was starting her new job today, though, and wanted to be prepared. She’d already been forewarned that she was the third personal assistant to be hired for this tour and that the first two had been fired on their first days. The tour hadn’t even started yet. The man she was hired to assist was clearly going to be a challenge, but she had never been one to back down from a challenge.
She showered and dressed in a pair of simple black dress slacks and a white button down shirt, wanting to appear professional but also prepared for whatever this particular pampered celebrity had to throw at her. She had been to hell and back when she worked with Bill Wyman, the bassist for the Rolling Stones. He had not been as demanding as his young girlfriend - fiancée’ Mandy. Somehow, Taylor’s job as personal assistant became slave and wedding planner for the nineteen year old.
It had been gratifying, actually, to quit that particular job. She hadn’t shed a tear when she heard recently that the marriage had only lasted a year. Bill was 55 and Mandy was just 21. She had been sorry to hear that Bill had left the Stone’s right after that tour, but figured no assistant could have prevented that. Besides, the Bass player was hardly the most vital person in a band, she reasoned.
She arrived at the four-star Florida hotel and found the band’s manager at a long table in the restaurant, perusing the menu and apparently waiting for other people to join him. He glanced up as she approached, smiling as he recognized her. She returned his smile and nodded in greeting as he stood and extended his hand to her. She shook his hand firmly, making it clear that she was a no-nonsense sort of woman.
“Mr. McGuinness,” she greeted him.
“Please, call me Paul,” he replied pleasantly. He gestured for her to have a seat, so she took the chair directly across the table from him. “Thank you for coming in on such short notice. We’re in sort of a pinch, with the tour starting in three days,” he continued, rubbing his chin absent-mindedly as he spoke. “And you have a reputation as one of the best personal assistants in the music industry.”
“I don’t know about that, but thank you,” Taylor chuckled slightly at the compliment. “I just have a history of dealing with some of the most difficult musicians.”
“Well, yes. Not to say that Larry is as difficult as it might appear, considering the situation. He just expects a certain amount of professional distance from someone whose role lends itself to a lot of intimate knowledge,” Paul informed her. Taylor pursed her lips and nodded. A personal assistant tended to know more about their employer than their own wives/husbands did – it was difficult to know a person so well without becoming too personally involved. The lines of professional and personal had to be clearly drawn and remain uncrossed.
“That’s not a problem for me,” she assured him.
“Good, good… oh, here comes your charge, now. Hello!” Paul said, looking over her head and waving to a small group of people who had just entered the restaurant. Taylor turned to glance over her shoulder at the men, wondering which one was hers. It didn’t take long for her eyes to settle on the handsome young man with the stormy grey eyes and the serious scowl.
“Good Morning,” the man beside him greeted Paul and Taylor pleasantly. His eyes lingered on Taylor, however, obviously curious who she was and what her purpose would be. She had just started to wonder if she had been mistaken about her employer when Paul spoke up and made the introductions.
“Good morning, Adam, Larry. This is Taylor Gallagher, Taylor, this is Larry Mullen Jr, and Adam Clayton,” Paul explained as the newcomers settled into two of the chairs. There were other people following them, but Paul didn’t go to the trouble of introducing everyone.
“Good Morning,” Taylor greeted the men simply, peering out over the top of her glasses at them. Larry nodded silently and assessed her quickly, scanning her from head to toe and back again. She suspected he’d already made up his mind about her.
“Larry, Taylor is here to replace Gillian,” Paul added, and Larry looked up from his menu to look at her with new eyes. She returned his stare with an equal amount of skepticism.
Taylor was an imposing woman, despite her height of only 5’2”. Her shoulders were a bit broad, and she was very busty; so much so that it seemed as though she carried most of her weight up front. Her demeanor that of an old school librarian who knew you had overdue books, her deep auburn hair tucked back in a French knot and her deep green eyes hidden behind an angular pair of glasses.
“I’ve been doing this sort of work for more than five years, now,” she informed him. “I’m here to make sure everything is running smoothly for you so you don’t have to worry about any of the little things, and I’m good at it. I am NOT here to be your plaything or your doting mother; I expect to be treated with the same basic respect I show to you.”
Adam stopped to stare at the woman, an unlit cigarette dangling from his slightly parted lips, a lighter in one hand lifted halfway and forgotten. His blue eyes darted back and forth between the two, the corners of his mouth twitching with amusement.
“And you understand that my business is my business and no one else’s,” Larry retorted, his accent thicker than usual. It always was when Larry was defensive or trying to come off as tougher than he really was. The two of them were staring one another down now. Taylor nodded curtly.
“Of course,” she replied.
“Alright then,” Larry said, giving her a slight nod and then turning his attention to the menu. Adam bit back a chuckle and lit his cigarette, winking at Taylor when he noticed her glance at him. She frowned back at him – whether it was the smoke or the wink she objected to, he didn’t know. He was sure he’d figure it out, soon enough.
He, like Larry, had formed his first impression of her. She was, in Adam’s opinion, hiding her real nature beneath a serious, cool demeanor. She was wearing a mask as surely as the four of the boys in the band had realized they needed to wear in public. And Adam was desperately curious to find out what the real woman looked like, beneath the façade.
“When are Bono and Edge due back?” Larry asked Paul from behind his menu.
“Late this afternoon. They’ve sworn an oath that they’ll be there for your scheduled rehearsal at two,” Paul replied, his menu discarded on the table as he flagged down a waitress.
“If you don’t need me at the moment, I believe I’ll go gather my things and find my room,” Taylor said, standing and sliding her chair back in to the table. Paul told her that he’d already registered a room in her name at the hotel, so all she needed to do was check in at the desk. She asked Larry when he wanted to meet with her to arrange her duties and he told her to meet them at the arena in Lakeland. Paul would make sure she had her staff ID which would get her past security.
Adam made no attempt to hide the fact that he was watching her walk away. When he turned to speak to Larry, his long time friend was scowling at him.
“So you were just holding out for an assistant who was built like that?” Adam smirked, letting out a slow stream of smoke.
“Built like what?” Larry asked, sincerely dismayed at the accusation. He turned and stared at the door, but Taylor had long since disappeared from view.
“Like the sort of woman you see carved on the hull of an old ship,” Adam replied, stubbing out his cigarette in an ashtray and then gesturing with his hands cupped in front of his chest. Several of the bodyguards chuckled, some of them nodded. Larry frowned and shook his head.
“Were we looking at the same person?” He asked. “Although the ship part seems right. She has the presence of an old battleship.” Adam laughed so hard that he nearly doubled over, one hand slapping the table and rattling the silverware.
“Why did you fire the other girls?” Paul asked.
“They wouldn’t stop looking at me,” Larry replied with a shrug. He returned his attention to his menu and did his best to ignore Adam’s fit of giggles.
that is SO larry!
wow two chapters already, Go SG, go SG! *does cheerleaderish dance*
Stop fookin' lookin' at me, willya?
