In The End

Welcome to the Jungle

'Guys, they're on their way up, be about ok?' Jackson had been in and out of the office constantly, the guys had got stuck in traffic so were over an hour late and Axel, the lead singer, had been held up at the airport due to a routine spot check at customs, although his lawyers intercepted quickly enough for him to avoid his party being searched and his mates half-smoked joint found. Yes, Jackson Vaughan was very stressed, and he looked very stressed, in fact, I think I saw his first grey hair, or it may have just been the light bouncing off his excessively gelled hair.

Amaya ran me through the rules again. When people arrive be out in the foyer to welcome them and point out toilets, stairs, etc if it's their first visit. If you're not involved in the meeting you stay at your desk once it starts just in case you're needed at any point, however, there was an exception to this involving some very technical rules and codes.

1) Every 30/40 minutes you take a short trip to 'get something', this route must take you past the meeting room.

2) On passing, if you're needed, you will be beckoned in and given your instructions, this could be getting something, taking a note, making a call, checking the calendar, etc.

3) If not beckoned on passing, you must look out for one of several covert signals such as.

- a) a relaxed, neutral pose means everything is fine to carry on as you were.

- b) Chin resting on a fist means we need a refreshment refill.

- c) One finger to the temple means I need to pee, an emergency phone call is needed.

- d) Multiple fingers on the temple means I've left something I need on my desk, fetch it.

- e) A pensive look with hands in a prayer-like position means I can't save this, pull the fire alarm.

4) At the end of the meeting you are back out in the foyer to have elevators waiting and to escort guests off-site.

Myself and Amaya headed out and waited by the elevator as Jackson and the team gathered in the official meeting room. Within a few minutes, the elevator pinged and I found myself requiring an additional steadying breath as the doors opened and four almost identical-looking guys stepped out.

'Amaya!' They all cheered as they gathered excitedly around her.

Whilst they exchanged pleasantries I took my opportunity to suss them out. My earlier lesson with Amaya paid off as I was able to identify each of them. Jett stood the tallest of the four and clearly the youngest. His fine black hair hung at his shoulders and over most of his face, he was visibly introverted compared to the other three letting them do all the talking as he silently watched over them. Draco was next to him, he was considerably shorter than the others but matched their trademark look, he had hair more like Jackson's but with buzz-cut sides and fine lines around his eyes signaling that he'd had a full rock and roll life. Zeph was laughing hysterically at something, and judging by how much Amaya was blushing it couldn't have been PG. His hair was way down his back, and enviously shiny. He wore a black headband which kept it off his face and a sleeveless t-shirt showing off his muscular and heavily tattooed arms, he was physically larger than the others but not as tall as Jett. Finally, there was Azrael. Azrael sat somewhere in between them all, kind of as if they all had a baby together Azrael is what you would get, the height from Draco, the physicality of Zeph, and the slightly reserved nature of Jett. Mix all that in with a slight identity crisis, judging from his short platinum-blonde hair and you have Azrael.

'Guys, let me introduce you to Olivia, she going to be my replacement.' Amaya extended her arm towards me, drawing all of their attention to turn in my direction. I momentarily froze under their heavy stares. Time did not seem to be moving as I watched them all looking repeatedly back and forth between each other, Amaya and me.