Sammie

My father is a petty son of a nutcracker.

I stood at the edge of the amphitheater in the park facing the crowd. Behind me, I could hear the chaos on the stage. The deep thrumming and sharp jarring clangs mixed with an almost permanent feel of aggression at the nape of my neck kept me alert. It had been over two years since I had to run a concert detail, but thanks to my dear old dad, I was back on the front lines like a new recruit.

Before me stood the throng of screaming fans. A waist high fence barrier had been erected for the concert to keep the crowd from getting too close to the stage, but it was barely holding them back. I could see glimpses of bodies dancing and smashing together. The environment was a nightmare for any security guard. One against a hundred was never good odds.

Luckily, even though this particular act was intense, the fans were respectful of the boundaries set up for the concert. It wasn’t long before the band finished their set and left only to be replaced with another band. While they were getting set up on stage, my relief arrived. Judging from the crowd for the incoming band, they must not have been very popular.

I headed over to the security tent making sure to stay alert until I was safely tucked under the back of the dome. Walking to the front, I poked my head out to let the guys know I was on break. Then I pulled my radio off and hooked it into the charger. I waited for the red light to start blinking before turning to the standard security refreshment station. Passing over the coffee pot full of burnt cold coffee, I eyed the giant cooler next to it. Filling a cup with water, I downed three cups before slowing down. It was too hot outside and I could feel sweat dripping down the small of my back.

After talking to the police about Tempo, I had another conversation with my father where he chewed me out. You’d have thought that I was the one who broke into Tempo from how pissed he was. I knew that he was only acting like that because he was worried about me but then the asshat assigned me to set up the security and take the first shift here at the music festival. It was his way of putting me in my place. Petty jerk.

After cooling off, I grabbed my radio and checked in with the guys in front before doing a perimeter check and walking the main paths of the music festival. The headliners were set to perform later tonight. Another three hours and I would head out for the night. Meanwhile, I was stuck ensuring the crowd didn’t get too rowdy.

Several hours later after breaking up a fight between a few teenagers and helping a sixty-year-old hardcore grannie fan (according to her t-shirt), I returned to the security tent and turned in my equipment for the night. The festival was going to last a few more days and I was grateful I wouldn’t need to help breakdown the equipment till Sunday afternoon, which was the last of the punishment my father had dictated for me because of the report.

I headed back to the office and cleaned up in the locker rooms before tossing on a slinky dress. Even though I was exhausted from my day in the heat, I had an engagement dinner to attend tonight. Aside from my father and some of his friends, my brother Pike and his fiancé Nancy would be there to celebrate their engagement. My brother, Benny would also be showing up after he finished up for the night at his office.

Nancy was a general surgeon at the hospital where Pike worked. She was often called into emergency services to consult and perform operations. I heard that they didn’t get along too well at first. Personally, I think it was because my brother has an ego the size of Alaska. But it seems love has a way of compensating for that kind of thing because Nancy has been putting up with him for the last three years.

Grabbing a black purse, I slid on a pair of low heels. I slipped my work clothes into the bag I planned to return for after my dinner. As I left the office, I sent a text to the family chat letting them know I was on the way.

The restaurant was only a block away and I made quick time. I could still hear the festival in the park echoing against the buildings. The night had brought some relief from the heat of the day, and I shivered at the slight bite in the air. I probably should have grabbed a sweater this morning. With the nights getting colder, I could tell that fall was starting to come to the city.

Maddie’s Bistro had always been popular for the locals. The owner’s name was Quinn Jackman and Maddie had been his favorite stuffed animal when he was a kid. The restaurant was full of dalmatian portraits. It would have been gaudy anywhere else, but here, against the dark walls and gold fixtures, it was quirky. He was eighty if he was a day and he made sure to keep a low profile on the internet. Celebrities liked Maddie’s because they could eat without running into the press.

Additionally, I was able to convince him to hire a security package for the times when he had to deal with getting rid of the more aggressive paparazzi. They kept out of sight monitoring the camera security for the most part, only coming out when they had a situation that required a bit of extra force to keep Maddie’s clients safe while they were in the eatery.

Tonight, we had reserved one of the backrooms they kept for the VIP’s for our party for the engagement party. Aside from Benny, I was one of the last to arrive.