Chapter 7: Marcus
The first interviewee arrived slightly earlier, Abby and Daniel were ready. The assistant opened the door to a tall and muscular man who politely smiled at him. The tall man looked in his thirties, he had a pale skin that contrasted with his thick black beard and slick long hairstyle. If it wasn't for a tidy costume, Daniel would have thought that the man was a viking coming straight out of a cartoon. Unlike her friend, Abby didn't look intimidated by the man who was three head taller than her and instead walked to the man to shake his hand.
"Marcus! I'm pleased to meet you! Excuse my assistant, it's his first time at the job. Come take a seat." She said like a mother would when she welcomes a guest at home.
Marcus followed them and sat at the chair that the woman pointed. Daniel sat next to Abby, trying to avoid eye contact with the big man who seemed to look nervous. The man was constantly touching his tie or joining his finger while Abby was serving him a cup of water. She opened the laptop that displayed the CV of the man in front of her.
"Alright." She finally said before activating the cameras from the push of a button on a remote. "I'm agent Morena of the Argo company. This interview is going to be recorded for archives and won't be published in any way possible. We have three cameras and two microphones. They are here, here and here. If you're okay with the recording, you can sign this clause of confidentiality. If at any point of the interview you wish to stop, the recording will be interrupted and destroyed."
Abby slid a piece of paper to Marcus who nodded and signed. She took it back with a smile and gave it to Daniel. The assistant put the paper in a file and took another sheet to take the notes and another one to fill in the form.
"Can you state your name, your age and your profession if any." She calmly said.
The man took a deep breath and exhaled.
"My name is Marcus Gogh, I'm thirty two years old and I previously worked in forestry." He said as Daniel was noting the information.
Dan couldn't help but feel the nervousness of the interviewee whose hands were slightly shaking. The interviewer didn't seem to mind and continued.
"Understood. How long have you been working there?"
"About seven years and two months, I think."
"Have you got any health issues?"
Marcus paused for a moment.
"I have a slight allergy to peanuts, but last time I checked, I'm pretty healthy."
Daniel crossed a box on his form.
"So far so good. Now, tell me why did you accept to come to this interview?" Abby asked with a straight face.
"From what I remember from the pamphlet, it mentioned helping out in a war torn agricultural society. It was a few months ago, so my memory is a bit fuzzy. But when I called, they said that when a position would open, they'd call me."
Daniel took some notes. Abby took a sip of water, looking uninterested. Marcus wiped a drop of sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Philanthropist, much?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.
"More like I'm open to new experiences. My previous job was pretty stale after the first few years."
Her eyes seemed to lit up and Marcus, who was looking at her face to avoid looking at her blouse whose buttons seemed to be ready to explode at any moment, noticed her change of attitude. Daniel checked a few boxes and took some notes. He noticed that the man relaxed a bit, judging from the initial stiff posture that slightly deflated.
"Open to new experiences? Interesting. Now, tell me about your skills and competences. Though, I can see that those muscles of yours aren't for show." She said, nodding at Marcus' arms being constricted in his costume.
The man was slightly surprised by her remark and let out a relieved sigh in his breath.
"Thank you? I do go to the gym, never skipped leg day either. About my skills, I'd say that I can use most woodcutting equipment, from chainsaws to axes. I can drive heavy duty vehicles as well. I also have a degree in philosophy, though I don't have a favourite philosopher."
Abby hummed at his words, her heart was racing with excitation.
"You sound pretty balanced between strength and wits. Anything else?" She said, trying to hide her eagerness.
Upon seeing the relaxed attitude of his interviewer, Marcus let down his guard as he felt like the interview was going smoothly.
"I can tolerate both cold and hot climates, I even won a sauna competition three years ago. I prefer hot climates, call me a reptile if you want." He said with a forced laugh.
Daniel checked a few boxes, looking pleased. He looked at Abby who seemed to wriggle from the excitation. She hid it from the camera, but her legs and hips were fidgeting.
"Reptile, huh? Are you comfortable with them?"
"Not an issue, my father was obsessed with snakes. If need be, I could handle one if it was on the loose."
"Good! Good! Now, tell me about your weaknesses."
"You may have noticed, but formal and important meetings make me very anxious. Well, I'm a bit more relaxed now."
Abby smiled and opened her mouth to say something but Daniel tapped her arm to stop her from saying something inappropriate. Marcus didn't notice, he was staring in her eyes as to focus on not being anxious.
"I'm also a divorcee, I had a gambling addiction and she couldn't support it. I'm good now."
"Do you have any family?"
The interview lasted twenty minutes, where the woman was eager to know more as Marcus was unknowingly telling her what she wanted to hear. He had shown his interest in learning a new language as well as working abroad for a long period of time. He even showed some quick reaction time when Abby's button exploded and flew at his face. He easily dodged the piece of plastic. The woman seemed pleased by that and didn't bother covering her chest. Daniel had to nudge her a bit so that she would regain her composure.
"Okay, last question to wrap this interview. What do you think about fantastic worlds often depicted in tabletop role play games?" Abby asked, pulling out a small red book from under the table.
She slid it over to Marcus who seemed a bit surprised. He read the title out loud.
"Guide to the world of Avila?" He read, confused. "Well, as long as it's believable with concrete rules, interesting races and coherent environments… it's okay?"
"Quite an average answer, but okay." She said before taking the book back. "I think that's all we need. I'm sorry if it felt a bit long. You're more likely to get accepted. You should expect a phone call from the company very soon."
Marcus smiled for the first time since the interview had started. Abby turned to the camera in front of her.
"This concludes the interview of mister Marcus Gogh." She said before pushing a button on the remote which turned off all the recording devices.
Both parties stood up and shook hands. Daniel couldn't ignore the strong grip of the man who didn't seem to show any ill intent behind it.
"Daniel, can you accompany mister Gogh to the door? I have to send the recordings to the company." Abby said, not even looking at them anymore.
Daniel obeyed and escorted Marcus to the entrance.
"Hey, uh… is it true that I'll get the job? They weren't just empty words, right?"
Daniel quickly looked if she was listening but she seemed busy on her laptop, then he turned to Marcus who seemed a bit nervous.
"Well, I don't know if I can tell you, but just from the form I filled, it looks like you're good."
"That's a relief! Well thanks. Have a good day, sir." Marcus said as he stepped outside the apartment.
"Thanks, you too." Daniel replied, waving goodbye.
He waited for the tall man to get in the lift to finally close the door. Daniel thought that if it was always like that, the job would be pretty easy. He went to the kitchen to get something to eat, he only had time to open the fridge that his ass was groped.
"Good job, assistant!" Abby cheerfully said.
Daniel closed the fridge to look at her face which was radiating with pure joy. He grunted before grabbing her ass as retribution from the slight fright she had caused him. Her cheeks were a good balance between muscles and fat, there was enough softness to be enjoyable and enough roughness to keep a round shape and a good grip on them. The man considered doing some exercises so that Abby could also have something to enjoy.
"So… ? That leaves us with more than an hour until the last guy shows up."
"It would be too easy if we were to have sex right here right now?" Daniel guessed.
"Yup! I'm gonna get changed, I haven't done my workout routine yet."
"Any chance that you'll let me join you?"
"Hah! It'll take twenty minutes. Why don't you prepare something for us to eat while I'll work a sweat."
Daniel reluctantly let go of her bottom and she did the same. He'd never think he'd ever have to cook for someone else but accepted his role of house husband for now. He'd hoped to get some actions but knew that she was the one in control, not that it bothered him. While he was boiling the water and cooking some pasta, he could hear Abby's grunts in her bedroom. He tried to not think about her and focused on making the béchamel sauce.
"Come on now, man. Don't think with your dick." He said to himself.
He suddenly heard some commotions and quickly rushed to her room. She looked surprised to see him bursting in. She was wearing some kind of bandage compressing her chest and a loin cloth. She was in the middle of doing burpees, which was a combination of doing push ups and jumping up. She was already covered with sweat.
"Sup? Is it already done?" She asked as she wiped the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand.
"I heard some commotions!"
"Oh, right. Sorry about the noise. I'll finish my set then I'll hit the shower. Make sure to not burn our food tho." She chuckled.
"Jesus, woman! Next time, you'll be the one cooking."
"You wouldn't like what I'd cook, dude. Also, can you stop staring at me?"
Daniel apologised and quickly went back to the kitchen. After some time, his Mac and cheese dish was ready. He admitted to himself that it wasn't the best thing to serve to the girl he slept with and worked with. The young man sat at the kitchen table and patiently waited for Abby to come. He was surprised to see that she was actually wearing a dress that fit her without showing much of her curves, she even had a blouse that wasn't too tight. The cute girl put on her cosmetic round glasses.
"Who are you? Where's Abby?" He asked with a laugh.
"What is that supposed to mean? Anyway, it smells good. Shall we eat?"
For once, she acted normally, she didn't make any sexual innuendo, she didn't flirt nor did she act extravagantly. She sat opposite to him and was more interested in eating than looking at him. The man almost felt like she was a different woman, as if she wasn't being herself. Abby noticed him blankly staring at her. She didn't smile like usual, instead she made an o with her mouth as she looked confused.
"Are you okay Daniel? You seem a bit distracted." She softly asked.
"Who are you?" Daniel bluntly asked, which shocked the woman.
"I'm Abby, silly. What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?" Abby asked, looking genuinely concerned about her friend.
"I should be asking you that. You don't act like the Morena I know."
She let out a sigh and ate a mouthful of pasta before standing up. Daniel watched her walk over him, she sat next to him with an exasperated look.
"Look, Dan. I'm not a ball of raw sexual energy. Don't think that I'm a hoe because I often dress in tight outfits and that I like to show my body. I know it's been a while since we haven't seen each other, but trust me. I'm a normal woman too."
"Wh… " Daniel muttered before she shushed him.
"Dan, don't be a dick."
"Ah… I'm sorry. It's just that you've been so hyper since we met yesterday." He apologised.
"It's okay, Dan. I know you didn't mean what you had said. Let's finish eating and get ready for the last person. How about we go to the mall after we're done?"
He perked up at her proposition.
"Is that a date, then?" He eagerly asked.
"Only if you want to." Abby shrugged "It was only to get out of the apartment, I need to clear my head from my work." She did have a naughty idea in mind, just to punish him from doubting her.
Chapter 8: Karen
The last person arrived at exactly one o'clock, Daniel opened the door to see an average looking woman. She was slightly shorter than him, reaching only his eyebrows from the top of her haircut. She gave an aura of professionalism, from the tidy dress to the nonchalant look and the heavy use of expensive perfume. She had the facial expression of a person who had spent a week in the office without taking a break, her simple rectangular glasses didn't help to give her a friendly look. She had almost platinum blond hair, with a small professional bun hanging at the back of her head. She looked at the young man as if he was but an office decoration before extending her hand while wearing the expression of a soulless menial worker.
"Good afternoon, sir. Is it the Argo company?" She coldly asked, blankly staring in the man's eyes.
Daniel mechanically shook her hand. To his surprise, she also had a strong grip.
"Um… yes. Sorry, I was expecting another burly man to show up. Please follow me."
Abby was already sitting at the table, she immediately got up to shake the other woman's hand. Daniel took his seat and picked his papers in front of them. The newcomer had been silent the whole time.
"Please, take a seat." Abby said, pointing at the chair in front of her. "I'm agent Morena of the Argo company. This interview is going to be recorded for archives and won't be published in any way possible. We have three cameras and two microphones. They are here, here and here. If you're okay with the recording, you can sign this clause of confidentiality. If at any point of the interview you wish to stop, the recording will be stopped and destroyed." She said, almost as if she was reciting a play.
Daniel knew that something was definitely off as he didn't see the same energy from the first interview. The woman nodded and signed after spending some long minutes reading the confidentiality clauses. With a quick look, the male assistant could tell the sharpness of the signature, the short but straight lines almost gave off the feeling of perfectionism.
"Can you state your name, age and profession?"
"Karen Smith, thirty, accountant at Smith industries." The woman mechanically answered.
Abby acted more reserved but she hardly hid her slight frustration, sighing loud enough to be heard by the accountant but not too much for the microphones. Karen was staring at her interviewer with a jaded expression.
"Years there?"
"Eight."
"Health?"
"None."
"Hotel?"
"Four stars at the very least."
Abby fell silent for a moment. Daniel looked at his notes, he realised that he didn't write anything nor did he complete the form. With a quick glance at Karen, he noticed that she didn't stop staring intensely at the interviewer, as if she wanted to get over the whole thing. With a long sigh, Abby continued her interview with short sentences and even single words at some point. The stoic woman replied instantly with the least use of words which didn't help to lift the mood if not worsening it more. It didn't take long before they arrived at the last question. At that point, Abby had given up on Karen and was wondering why she chose her as a potential candidate if it wasn't for her impeccable CV and experience. Aside from the cold and disinterested attitude, she did meet the requirements and showed her quick thinking with her single word answer from the very vague questions that the interviewer threw at her. Daniel felt like the stoic woman could read minds.
"Well, last question I guess? What do you think about fantastic worlds often depicted in tabletop role play games?" Abby asked, pulling the red book on the table. "This time I'd like to get a full sentence with subject, verb, object and at least an object complement."
For the very first time, the unenthusiastic woman changed her facial expression even if it was just for raising an eyebrow. The interviewing team didn't hide their surprise by her capacity to convey another emotion than boredom.
"Sure. May I?" Karen asked, pointing at the book.
"Go ahead." Abby nodded.
The woman with rectangular glasses took the book and inspected it. She opened it to the first page.
"Guide to the world of Avila, third edition. From P. Bianchi and A. Rodriguez? Well the cover is pretty sturdy, is it leather?"
Daniel was even surprised that the woman made a long sentence and he looked at Abby who didn't seem impressed but was slightly more interested than during the previous questions.
"It is, indeed."
"Mind if I read a bit?"
The interviewer nodded but didn't expect anything more, fearing to be more disappointed. Karen read some random pages, her stoic face quickly turning into a frown then into a wide happy smile which almost scared Daniel. The woman gave a very surprised look, with her mouth the shape of an O.
"That's so cool! It's almost like it's an official document, it's well written. I feel like I'm looking at an anthropology report. The world building is really nice too, with geopolitical conflicts over resources and influences. Want me to join your RP game?!" Karen exclaimed, acting differently from a minute ago.
Daniel and Abby didn't hide their surprise at her reaction.
"Um… it was pure speculation, really. So, about the question about fantastic worlds?"
Karen laughed before putting down the book and looking Abby dead in the eye with a serious look.
"I love role play games! I prefer table top over computer ones. Back in college I was even a dungeon master of a campaign. Anyway, that world really interests me! Please tell me that I'll get the job!"
"Well, I'm just the interviewer, I don't have a say in that matter. But we'll make sure to give you an answer as soon as possible."
"Sure! Well, if I'm not accepted, I'll make sure to look for another opportunity. By the way, if I'm taken, can I bring my sword and armour?"
Abby raised her eyebrows and Daniel took some notes and checked a box on the form.
"You… have that at home?"
"Yeah! Real sword with sharp edges and a real set of armour. It isn't that full plate one though, hubby was against spending too much on that. It's more like a breast plate with arm braces and gauntlets. I also have tassets, you know, the things that look like flaps on your hips and that lay on your thighs?" Karen explained with enthusiasm.
"Sure! So, do you have anything to add?"
"Nothing else!" Karen replied with a smile.
Abby clasped her hands with visible satisfaction.
"Perfect! This concludes the interview of Miss Karen Smith." The interviewer declared on camera.
Both sides of the table got up. Karen shook their hands and was escorted to the door by the assistant as Abby was already back on her laptop. Like with Marcus, Daniel got to speak with the interviewee who seemed more cheerful. With a somewhat sorry look on her face, she spoke up.
"Hey, um… you?” She said as she realised she didn’t even know the man’s name! “I'm sorry if I was a bit cold, I was just having a bad day at the office this morning since I was going to this interview. I hope you didn't take it personally."
"Don't worry, I understand. I bet you got a long session where you've got yelled at by your boss?" Daniel inquired, trying to show some sympathy.
"Exactly, well my boss is my husband so I couldn't really complain to the HR. How did you know?" A surprised Karen asked.
"I had a similar experience. Well, it was nice meeting you."
"I apologise again for how I acted, sir. Well, have a nice day!" Karen said before leaving.
"Have a nice day as well!" Daniel replied, waving goodbye.
He watched her until she got inside the lift. Karen waved at him a last time before the automatic doors closed.
Let's see the bright sight of this world!