- Look…. You Pay Me To Guard Your body….So Let Me Do My Job
- They told him, he needed a distraction and getting back to work was just the thing he needed to get away. But, how did you escape the reality of life? In his reality, he was a twenty eight year old, with enough baggage to make an emo kid happy with his or her life. Degare had been going through a rough spell for the past two years. And, to a man that was so use to having everything at his finger tips two years seemed to be a lifetime. He had been put through grueling tests and rigors hardships. How he was currently making it was beyond him, but he subscribed to taking it one day at a time.
This wonderful philosophy hadn’t always been his, but giving the recent events of his life; it seemed the best one to follow. Degare Personen had initially been a fly by the seat of your pants sort of guy. Growing up life had been nothing more than leisure living. His parents had the funds to ensure their son had the best….of everything. There were no lengths they would not go to, to ensure he got the best out of life. High school had been a breeze for the pampered young man that also happened to have a quick brain behind the brooding good looks and killer smile. Which was why, his parents had been more than surprised when he announced his desire to work for government intelligence; everyone expected the young brain to become a doctor, lawyer or even an inventor of some sort. Anyone that truly knew the teen however, would know just how much he loved unraveling puzzles, he was a mastermind at chess and spent many hours working out strategies and ways to defeat the enemy. It was his love of the challenge that had him in the training field for the intelligence office not some devoted love for country. Though, he did love his home land. Where else could one be so many nationalities in one and yet still call them self American? No where…Exactly!
Those first few years were brutal. He was not allowed to use his skills as he wished. First, he had to learn to protect himself on battlefields and in various hot end situations. He gained training in jungles and deserts with hostiles who weren’t using fake guns and plastic knives. Degare soon learned the terrain was as dangerous as any native yielding a weapon. He had scars over his chest, back, legs and arms to prove it. But, even in these situations luck seemed to be on his side, as he repeatedly came out of every mission with success. It was because of his success that his superiors took notice and eventually put him in the area where his skills as a mastermind and an experienced solider could be put to use. As his professional life raced ahead so did his personal life. He settled by twenty four and by twenty five, his wife presented him with the most precious gift of all, a baby girl.
Degare looked around at the crowd, his entire body on alert. Someone would think he was in the middle of a mission rather than at a rock concert. Six months ago, he had been offered a job by one of his own naval buddies. His friend managed to pull him out of the bottle he drowned himself in the past year and a half. It was an attempt to get him back on his feet, and into the land of the living. Degare could have said no. As he listened to the wild scream of young teenager girls and boys; he wish he had. But, he hadn’t. Instead, he’d taken the job as a personal body guard. His old buddy opened a company and was looking to hire on more people. If he managed to get through this job, it was possible he could gain a spot as partner in the company. That was only if he managed to keep the job.
This wouldn’t be the first job he worked. Not, that he wasn’t good at what he did. Truth of the matter, he was one of the best. He just didn’t have it in him to strike up a conversation and he didn’t have it in him to bull s**t. Degare often told people what he expected and what he was going to do. And, he expected them to follow suit. People didn’t always see eye to eye with him, especially when they were paying him. Degare didn’t much care about the money as he did have enough of his own; from retirement and from his parents, though he hadn’t touched a cent of it. What he did care about was getting the job done. It was his duty to protect the person not their feelings. People seemed to want to hire someone friendly who made them feel good about being protected. It wasn’t his job to be their friend and it was a motto he often quoted to clients who often had him replaced. It was then he politely asked them if they rather their life protected or friendship. And, that got him moved off the job for sure.
He didn’t try to be a p***k. What he was, was logical. The rest of the world however was too caught up in the romance of things to see straight. But, he had been warned. If he couldn’t hold onto this gig he’d be demoted to driving limos once again. And, there was nothing more he hated than being on beck and call in a limo. He hated confined spaces. At least as a bodyguard, he got to get out of the car walk around ….move. Just sitting in the car was pure torture for him. So for this job, he was going to be on his best behavior, so he hoped. At least, if he got on as partner he wouldn’t have to work these gigs any more. While they were just the distraction he needed from the ‘reality’ of his situation. They were also a pain in the a**. Who would have thought he would have been here….a bodyguard to some singer? Life was just crazy that way.
The concert was in full effect and the stadium seemed filled with people ready to sing along to the lyrics sung by the artist on stage. Degare went over the notes that had been made on his latest client. Name: Naomi Cordeo also known as Mimi Cordeo, Age: twenty four, Sex: Female, Appearance: Brown hair, natural tan skin, slim build. There were more details of course; parentage, education, living accommodations and the like. He ran over the file mentally recalling the pretty woman that stared up at him with a carefree smile and a twinkle in her eye. But, then again most stars had a twinkle in their eye, why else would you call them stars? He expected no less but beauty from her. What he had not expected was her voice. The woman took his by surprise with her Rock n’ Roll, Jazz and Salasa mix. She was definitely worth listening to and possibly worth the crowd that had gathered on her behalf to listen.
Finding himself surprised by the raspy, yet sensual sound of her voice, he wondered just how much tickets went for a show like this. There on stage was someone with actually talent. Not, the knock offs that the media industry tried to sell to you by speeding up their lyrics or by making the chorus catchy. This chick actually had something to offer. And, she was definitely offering it. Degare found himself smiling briefly, at memories evoked through the words of lyrics she sang. The smile was whimsical and gone as quickly as it arrived. This wasn’t the place for daydreams or dead memories. He was on the job and no matter how impressed he had been, by the woman’s voice. His job was not to admire her; she had fans that paid her well for that. It was his job to make sure no harm came to her and he couldn’t damn well do that if he was off stargazing wishing for happy endings. With his mental and emotional gear strapped back on he made his way towards the crowd. His job began the moment he arrived and he spent enough time dallying. It was time to get to work.
Just when he thought the show would never end, Naomi called the concert to a halt. People rushed towards the stage as if in their last glimpse they would be able to touch her just once. Degare shook his head and made his way behind stage. He was going to have to be there to finally meet the woman that made a crowd go crazy just by the sound of her voice. Degare found he had to turn a few egger kids around. They were walking into the back as if they had a right to be there. But, he had been reassured by the manager that there was no one with backstage passes for this show and so he sent them all back where they came from. If the wanted to see their idol they’d have to do it on the internet or look at the collection of pictures they must have already snapped of her while she was on stage. As he looked around, he wondered what sort of security the group had. It seemed like no one else was around to see that the fans didn’t come rushing to Naomi’s door and demand to be let in. He was going to have to speak to the manager about the conditions he was going to be working in. Here he thought they already had a team set up and that he was just here as backup. But, it seemed he was the team and there was no backup to be had. That was going to be a problem. And, if it really was the case then he was going to have to call in a few of his own to pick up the slack, which didn’t bother him much. He’d just make sure it was reflected in the bill.
Degare continued walking towards the room where Naomi was stationed when he saw her bodyguard walking out, “ Good, you’re here…she’s in there. You guys should introduce yourself get to know each other…I’ve got a few things to take care of. You have the address to the hotel we’re staying at….accommodations have been made for you. Glad to have you with us.” Degare frowned at the man’s quick words as he tried to dance around him. He had been told before he was intimidating but he had and the manager or agent whatever the man was had met before. Besides, what was so intimidating? Standing at six-three it was true he was tall enough. But, height wasn’t enough to scare a man. Degare had combed his hair out of his face, and every angle of his chiseled face was on display. What was most disturbing was the piercing grey of his eyes. They seemed to read a man’s thoughts and then cut him down to size. Though, being the one looking he couldn’t really see the gaze he gave to people. On top of that, the man was aloof and brutally blunt. There was also an aura that clung to him that just reeked power. It was enough to intimidate any one,” You and I are going to have to have a talk. I’d make myself available in the morning.” The woman’s agent only gave him a nod and then a quick wave before he disappeared. Shaking his head, Degare turned to the door and gave a brief knock. It was time to meet the body he was being paid to guard. And, he hoped to hell she didn’t turn out to be a pain in his a**.
