The car pulls in to the studio parking lot and I take a deep breath. I may throw up in the ashtray.
I am greeted at the reception by a young, brown-haired girl who looks about eighteen.
"Hello Miss Mikos, I'm Candy," she says with a professional smile before shaking my hand.
In my head, the name Candy evokes visions of tall blonde-haired girl with big boobies and a fake laugh but this girl is serious and rather plain to look at. I can't help noticing how pear-shaped she is as I follow her to the make-up room. The urge to give her some dieting and fitness advice is overwhelming but I have an inkling she couldn't care less. Good for her.
"If you would like to take a seat, Jacinta will be with you in a sec."
Jacinta sounds Asian and I'm hoping she's not the same girl as before. I take the same seat Madeline sat in when she was here and study myself in the mirror. Skin: olive and clear, hair: aping an early Michael Jackson—its usual state before I deal with it—and my attire; neat and professional.
The door opens and in walks the same girl that did Madeline's make-up. She is really blonde and looks more Swedish than Asian.
"Oh are you Jacinta?" I manage with a watery smile.
She stares at my image in the mirror and tilts her head to the right. "Yes, you must be Wanda. We will need to do something with your hair."
"I thought you were the make-up artist?" I deliberately referred to her as an artist as I know Rolo considers what he does art. Plus if I'm nice she may spare me the full works.
"I am," she says busying herself with my hair, "but the girl who usually does hair is sick. Don't worry I do hair too." She smiles shortly before narrowing her eyes at me in the mirror. "You'll need some matt; you're a bit shiny."
"Oh isn't that a good thing?"
"Your face not your hair."
She begins plaiting my hair whilst I try to make pleasant conversation.
"So you look like you do some sort of training," I comment as I check her thin frame in her vest and skinny jeans.
"I'm Bulimic, so what I don't throw up I exercise to burn off ," she says matter-of-factly.
I'm not sure what to say to this. I can hardly spout my usual 'it's simple - calories in versus calories out' and congratulate her on her imaginative use of the calories out advice. I decide at this point that silence is golden and begin to flick through a magazine that is lying on the shelf next to me.
It takes her thirty minutes to cover my hair in some sort of wax and plait it. It does look better than when I do it so my confidence in her is growing.
"Right we had better do your make-up as we only have twenty minutes," Jacinta says as she enters her box of colours.
Although I'm happy with my hair, I can't help feeling grateful that her time to slather my face in the latest products is limited. My mum works in the beauty section of a department store and if I ever let her make me up before a night out, I would have to sneak face wipes and my make-up into my handbag. Have they not heard less is more?
"Miss Mikos, are you ready to go the green room?" Candy says as she pops her head around the door.
I look at Jacinta.
"Two more minutes; I can escort her if you like."
"Okay but no more than two minutes please."
Jacinta dabs more matt powder on my cheeks and stands back. Luckily I seem to have got away with only one coat of foundation — three of matt powder though. My face must have been like an oil slick.
"Right, that will do," Jacinta says as she admires her work. "Let's get you to the green room."
Suddenly I feel very hot; I think the matt powder may end up in clumps around the creases of my cheeks by the time I'm in the interview chair.
The Green room is neither green nor much of a room actually. It's more of a large cupboard with some fruit and beverages on a table in the middle and a large television screen opposite a cushioned bench. I'm sitting on the bench flapping my arms like a chicken to try and relieve the moist heat under my armpits. My Move Makers uniform is light blue and a magnificent canvas for pit stain art. I don't know who decided on light blue but they didn't think it through.
There is a shuffling noise at the door and I drop my arms back by my side. It's Candy.
"Hi there, Wanda, do you need anything?"
The loo. "No thanks, I'm fine."
"Great. You will be on in about ten minutes. Press that button if you need me before then." She points to a button by the door.
"Oh and there is someone here to see you."Candy looks along the corridor for whoever has come to visit. I feel like I'm in some sort of facility.
"Yes here she is. Now don't forget I will be back in ten minutes."
I remain sitting and stare at the door, my visitor is probably Patsy. The door opens a little wider and I see Madeline Harvey looking stunning in a lavender dress, which tucks in at all the right places.
"Oh my God, Madeline, what are you doing here?" I must admit I'm really glad to see her.
"Well I thought as I got you into this I had better come and give you some moral support the way you did for me." She holds her arms out for a hug.
"It's great to see you, thanks for coming, I'm so nervous."
Madeline places her hands on my shoulders and looks at my face. "I see you had a different make-up girl."
"Actually I didn't but she had to do my hair as well so she didn't have much time to spend on my face."
"Lucky you. Now sit down I want to give you some more tips."
Madeline had already told me what the interview would involve and what sort of questions Jessie might ask.
"Now, when you are going to be funny or reveal something, make sure you turn your body to the audience so they feel more involved, oh and have you got your demonstration ready?"
"Yes, well sort of, I had a go in the gym this morning."
Madeline raises her eyebrows and laughs, "Oh well there's nothing like being prepared is there?"
"Madeline! You are meant to be giving me encouragement not scaring the shit out of me." I still need the loo.
"Yes, yes you're right. I know you are going to be great, Wanda, and if you experience the 'tumbleweed effect' I will start laughing or clapping to get the audience going, they're like sheep and will mimic whatever someone else does."
I look at her eyes wide trying to block out the thumping in my ears, "What the hell is the 'tumbleweed effect'?"
Madeline rounds her lips to make a wind sound whilst rolling her hands around and to the right.
"Surely that never happens?"
"Not often but ..."
Candy's head is around the door. "Hi Wanda you are on next, want to come with me? Ms Harvey Josh will take you to your seat."
Madeline squeezes my shoulder. "You'll be great Wanda, just enjoy it. Remember, this is your dream coming true right here, right now."
As we walk towards the set, I know Madeline was attempting an inspirational butt kick but my tummy is so wobbly I'm just hoping I keep everything in until after the interview.