Life with the jokers: on tour

Part 28

There was a knock on the door as me and Sal sat on the bed, playing with a pack of cards we found.

I froze. "I'll get it," I whispered. But Sal was already up and walking towards the door. "Stop it, stop it, stop it, you're not supposed to be here." God, I sounded like a 13 year old girl sneaking a boy up to my room.

"Hey guys," Sal said as the three guys greeted us at the door.

"Someone had fun last night," Q said, knocking Sal on the arm. My face went bright red, this was awful.

Sal put his arms up in surrender, "nothing happened. I was a jerk, crashed on her night and fell asleep drunk."

Sal had warned me they would be off preparing for the day, so I texted Rachel to meet me for breakfast. While I had my phone, I messaged the incredibly patient Emily, who was supposed to be coming to the show tonight.

Hey, are you in New York yet?

She replied minutes later

I'm driving down with my friend Amy. We're so excited.

I knew ultimately that she was a bigger fan than I was, and she probably deserved this opportunity over me, but a selfish part of me believed I was the one destined to be here right now. But I would meet her after the show, try and get her backstage. She could be my ticket home- unless I do decide to stay here. A huge part of my heart told me to stay.

Rachel replied, telling me she's on the way down, so I left.

"Hey," she said, as we approached the buffet. Croissants and toast and pancakes and fruits and yoghurts and anything else that was possible. I got all. We sat down together at a small table.

"So how are you?" She asked, I thought to hold off on what happened last night, and instead just tell her my plans for today.

"I'm good. I actually have a friend, well my best friend, is coming to the show tonight, from Florida. So I was wondering if I could invite her backstage?"

"Shouldn't be a problem," she smiled, before practically inhaling a pancake.

"Thanks. She's really excited. She actually introduced me to Impractical Jokers."

"Well, we need to thank her then."

"Are the guys practising their show?"

She nodded, finishing some toast, "yeah, they like to have some structure. They'll literally be there all day, we just go for a soundcheck and a drink beforehand." She paused. "But we were a bit worried this morning that Sal had taken off. Usual nerves. Have you seen him?"

"Uuh," I paused. "He spent the night with me."

Her eyes grew, "oh wow. Well, I'm relieved to be honest. Thought he took off."

We ate some more food, definitely making the most out of the buffet, before lugging our stuffed stomachs back up the stairs.

"Joe told us you're looking for a job," she said.

"Not exactly. I said I have no work, after tonight, and he said he'll see if there's anything going... here."

"I believe there might just be an opening, some sort of personal assistant of sorts, maybe help score them their shows, it can all be worked out," she beamed. I tried to hide how excited I was. Getting to work with them everyday! And seeing Rachel and the crew everyday too! Just incredible.

"I've decided to stay. If there's an opening... then I'm staying here. Not going back to Florida."

"That's amazing!" She smiled. I said goodbye to her at my door and went to my room. 9:45. We were meeting to go to Madison Square Garden at 5:00, giving me over 7 hours to kill.

First: flick through the TV channels for hours

Second: update my social media and keep up to date with family and friends

Third: look at the lovely opposite side of my bed, and how Sal had been there only a couple of hours ago.

Emily was giving me state by state updates, the more explanation points followed as she got closer. My parents were doing alright too, messages blunt but loving.

I had no motivation to visit New York- I had to mentally prepare myself for the show. It was 1:00, so 4 hours left to kill.

•••

4:45.

Me and the crew had set up in the lobby, getting ready to leave. It was only a 10 minute drive, so we got in some cabs outside.

My first New York cab experience. The bright (and ugly) cars lined up one by one, and the big crowd of the crew managed to fit into the cars, and we drove into the busy traffic, maneuvering between lanes and through the maze of buildings. Anticipation and excitement and fear whirred through me like the rough fuel smell circulating the car. We were literally outside.

The circular building, which was ironic due to its name, was huge, with their name and faces plastered on the front. Them. On the front of Madison Square Garden! I felt like a proud parent.

People were loitering around, a couple with Impractical Jokers tops on, others just shopping. It felt nice to become a priority in these situations, we got to go to the back of the building and enter that way- instead of the large glass entrance. The back door had some bouncers guarding it, and was more dingy than the front entrance- it lacked huge windows and lights, but was welcoming anyway.

"Hey, Olivia," Rachel said, handing me a handheld camera, "could you document this show? Like the behind the scenes stuff, it's going to be put on the documentary." I remember I had helped film something similar when we were filming the actual TV show.

There were different hallways, many left with exposed bricks or piping around the ceiling, until we reached the 'heart' of backstage. I filmed the journey there, every harsh ceiling light and signed door. Until we came up to the dressing rooms and a spare, unmarked door where the guys were in. I snuck the camera through the door, filming them stood in a straight line, as if on stage, practising telling a story in the perfect way. I filmed for about a minute, before Murr turned around and exposed me.

"Sorry. I'm filming for the documentary," I said. "But it looks amazing."

"It would be if James didn't keep screwing up his lines," Q said, pushing him playfully.

"I'm doing great. It's everyone else that can't keep up," he said.

"Yeah, I caught that," I agreed, smiling.

"Oh, now you're here," Sal said, rushing towards me. He lifted the camera up and aimed it towards himself and pressed record with it still in my hands.

"I'll take you on an exclusive dressing room tour," he winked at the camera, beckoning its following. He pointed at his name on the door, "so this is a very fancy venue, so these rooms are like a hotel... without the bed. First we have a private en-suite," turning the light on and I briefly showed the camera around, "then we have a huge desk over here with a big mirror," I pointed it at the mirror, waving back to myself, "and a couch over here. Because apparently a huge set in the other room isn't enough." He led me out of the room and into the main area. "This is the main area, after we get dressed, they like to put makeup on us or whatever. And that's just Murr. We usually sit here and mic up, check we look presentable before getting on stage." There was the stereotypical mirrors, with lightbulbs sticking out of the edges. He sat in the seat and stared at himself before back at the camera. His emerald eyes illuminating. God.

"I don't know what else to show you now," he muttered, looking around.

Q jumped in, grabbing Sal on the shoulders. "An hour until showtime!"

"Yes, we've rehearsed a bit, because we still have to have a flow and direction, but we can venture off if we want. So we've just got soundcheck to do, so you can join us." And then I turned off the camera, and we all made our way to the stage.