There were a lot of other jobs I could’ve chosen, like being a police officer, an astronaut, or even a salesman. But to be completely honest, after working here for almost two weeks, I’d rather just go grab a jumpsuit and a mop and start cleaning at the local walmart.

Out of 42 open positions for candidates, I’ve only chosen 18 people. Why you may ask? Well, xXDeadlyNinja28Xx was not an isolated case. On top of that, I still haven’t even gotten that boy’s name because my own colleagues are practically working against me.

But I still do have time. I have two more weeks to find a group of 24 talented individuals for my show. If I put my heart and soul into this (mostly my soul) then I can get this done before the deadline hits.

Just as I was setting up, the phone rang.

It was foreboding. Even though the office was insulated, it echoed. I left my laptop half opened, and looked at the number.

802-420-2169

If I ever forgot who’s phone number this was, I would have no choice but to work at the local walmart. Which is why I have put this number in my contacts as “BOSS”. All capitals included.

I tepidly reached out for my work phone, and took in a deep breath.

And then I answered it. There weren't any explosions or confetti, just an old man’s voice.

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“Hello, do you hear me Roman?”

“Yes, sir.” I said on auto pilot. And then instantly regretted it.

Why did I say that? Was sir even appropriate? Thompson was old enough to be my grandpa’s grandpa, so I think it was? I really should be looking this up. That’ll be tacked onto my long list of need-to-dos.

I heard a scoff on the end of the line, but I ignored it for the sake of my conscience.

“I’ve looked at how many contestants you have, and I’m fine with the slow progress. You don’t need to fill up the entire roster.”

Thank god.

“But, you do have to find people with great talent. We need a few show-stoppers, something to completely stun the audience into silence.”

Oh my god.

“That kid you gave a spot to because he could play a guitar? He’s no good, but good enough to extend the watch-time of our show. We need the audience to sit through the filler in anticipation. I already paid a group to come to the show, but you need to find a few more participants like the group I sent you in the email.”

I can only work with the people who signed themselves up, and it ranges from forcing a burp to being able to play an instrument. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone ‘more talented’ than that.

But I can’t just say, “no” can I?

“Of course. In two weeks I can fill the roster and find some ‘show-stoppers’.”

Even before those words floated out of my mouth, I knew I could never take it back. Maybe before I was being melodramatic, this job was hardly stressful, just irritating. It was a test of patience rather than a real commitment.

Well, now it is an irritating commitment that I’m going to be losing sleep over.

I drifted through the polite goodbyes that we offered to each other, stuck in my thoughts about moving forward. I need to do a lot of things to make this work, better time management, longer hours, and maybe, a little help.

I might as well scratch that last one off the list, but I think I might actually be able to do this. If I use more thorough filters I can find more valid contestants. Even if I have to skim over some diamonds in the rough, I’ll settle with a little bit of gold.

After only a few moments of contemplation I created my checklist to simply getting the job done:

First step, fully open my computer. Second step, complete an interview. Third step, complete another interview.

Can you guess my next step? I hope so.

I can get this done. Having to stay up in my office till 12:00 is a big price I am willing to pay for success.