#I’m suggesting we take Michael Sheen at his word and actions

[rainbowpopeworld]

(Edited to add: not an actual quote from Michael Sheen - this is a meme)

[bffhreprise]

Entry 320

 As I drove up the long drive of Somerset Estate, I was certain that I shouldn’t be here.  My family was very well off, but there was no way Dad could maintain this place very long without going bankrupt.  I was supposed to be having a job interview today, not entertaining some incredibly wealthy playboy.  James always seemed so nice on T.V., but… how was he even affording all of this?  The driveway was lined with sculpted bushes, and the very large, fantastical fountain had to be expensive to maintain.  The three-story mansion stretched on-and-on to both sides.  What type of best friend makes this much money helping people out?

 I slammed on my breaks when someone stepped out in front of the car.  Did I hit him!?  I hadn’t slid, but there was snow all around… except on the driveway.  Jumping out of my car, I found a tall man standing there.  “What are you doing!?  That’s dangerous!”  My brain finally registered the beautiful features of the man’s face.  Despite his height, he wasn’t that old.  This was James Michael Somerset III.

 “Sorry.  I didn’t want you to miss the house.” he told me, casually stepping closer as he smiled at me as if I hadn’t almost hit him with my car.  Who could possibly miss this house?  He had called this a ‘house’.  “You’re Iris Storm, correct?”

 I wasn’t certain what to say and couldn’t figure out how to talk at the moment.  I wasn’t dressed for my interview, and had been planning on leaving without doing the interview, but this was James.  He was famous enough that I knew about him without being a video game maniac.  Why was he so handsome in person!?  I always thought there was some special effects or makeup helping him.  What if he’s wearing makeup now?  Wait… he had said something… Oh, yeah.  Am I Iris?  I nodded.

 “I’m James Micahel Somerset III.  Ready for the interview?” he asked me, still smiling.

 “Well, I… I guess?” I asked, looking back to the car where the business-like ensemble Mom had bought me waited.

 “If you need a minute, we can step inside out of the cold.” he suggested.

 “Would that be weird?  I mean if I change clothes.  I didn’t expect you to be standing out here.” I admitted, regretting it as the words left my mouth.  What was I even doing here?  My eyes roamed over the insane beauty of the place.  “Is this really even the business?  Looks more like a mansion.  I didn’t see any pictures of it on your website.  I shouldn’t have applied.  I’m sorry.  I’ll go.”  I needed to leave.  I wouldn’t fit in here.  They probably dressed as butlers or something daily, which would drive me nuts.

 Life with four older brothers hadn’t prepared me for tea parties and talks about stocks.  Father took care of his business.  My brothers and I… well, we caused trouble for one another half the time if I was honest.

 “Nonsense.” he stated as I started to turn.  “We’re both here, let’s get inside and start this interview.  I’m sure whatever you brought to wear would have been marvelous, but there’s no need to change.  I half-expect some of my friends to still be in their pajamas.”

 “Pajamas?  You have friends living with you?” I asked in surprise, trying not to picture a bunch of gorgeous guys sauntering around in pajama bottoms.  James probably had a six-pack under his… Wow.  His clothes looked expensive.  There was a subtle sheen to his shirt, and he was wearing a tie while at home.  I felt his strong hand touch my shoulders, guiding me toward the door.

 “We at Best Friend For Hire are all friends, though not everyone who lives here works for me.  I understand that you graduated early and wanted to get working to save for college.”

 “Huh?  Yeah.  How did you know?” I asked in surprise.  I had only told my parents that I wanted to get a job and pay my own way last week.  They still insisted on helping, but how would James know?  Had Dad called to look into this company?

 “I do read applications that make their way to me.  There has also been a background check already, so any information that wasn’t in your application is from that, such as your tendency to literally shock your brothers.” he replied as if nothing he said was out-of-the-ordinary.

 “Wh-What!?” I asked, not letting that slip.  He knew!  How!?

 “I would advise you and Mick to be more careful out in public, but that quality will help you fit in here.” he continued, completely undisturbed by the idea that I could produce electrical shocks at whim.

 “Who are you!?” I came to a stop, realizing his hand had dropped away after I was following him inside.

 “As I told you, my name is James.  I’m the owner and chief executive of Best Friend For Hire.  You do understand what we do here, correct?” he questioned, his blue eyes staring into me as if he could see the secrets inside my skull.

 “Umm… You act as people’s friends.” I replied, trying to remember what I had read on the website.

 “Working here, your job will be to take on whatever role is necessary to be the best possible friend for whoever hires you.  You’ll be required to do some studying here specifically for your job, but you can also study on your own toward degrees instead of attending the university as you had planned.” he explained, sounding as if he were telling me what he expected of me.  “If you ever intend to step up from part time to full time, you do have that option.  A room is already set aside for your use if you ever decide to move in or simply stay the night.  We also have a company truck that we use to help clients and employees move.”

 “I’m confused.  Am I already hired?” I asked to clarify what he was saying.

 “Sorry.  I’m completely terrible at giving interviews.” he admitted with a small shrug.  “Simply stated, my company needs more people, and I didn’t see any red flags in your profile.  If you’re interested, Mila will show you to where you can complete the paperwork, not that we really use paper for much.”

 A pretty girl with brightly-dyed hair came running toward us impressively fast, but she didn’t seem out of breath as she exclaimed “James!  Who is she?”  There was a sparkle in her eyes as she stared at me, smiling as if I was the best person to ever walk in here.

 James looked from the girl to me and said, “Iris, this is Emma.  Emma, Iris.  Please be warned that Emma will quite likely try to hit on you.  If you need to file a complaint, Mila will assist you.”

 “Hey!” exclaimed Emma, punching his arm.  “Don’t listen to the man-slave.  He’s just jealous that I stopped flirting with him after he got engaged.” she insisted with a grin.

 “Have you?” he questioned, sounding doubtful.

 “Obviously!” she exclaimed, looking at him as if daring him to argue.  Apparently satisfied by his lack of comment, she asked “Can I give her the tour?”

 “I’m taking Iris to fill out some forms, but I can notify you when she’s finished.” came a voice from behind me.

 I spun to find a very short, extremely beautiful girl in a maid outfit.  Her long, auburn hair stretched clear down to her calves.

 James quickly said, “Iris, this is Mila.  She runs the house and numerous other things.  You’ll quite likely get her confused with my fiancée at some point, since they look nearly identical.  The maid outfit should help you tell them apart, since Alma wouldn’t ever wear one.”

 “She might if you ask nicely.” teased Mila with a mischievous smile.  “This way please.” she told me before turning and walking away.

 I quickly followed after her after glancing at James, who nodded encouragingly.

 Mila commented about the decor as we walked, but my brain had trouble listening with the wonderful smell of cinnamon baked goods in the air.

 Noticing my distraction, Mila said, “Ah.  Yes.  The kitchen is just through here.  Would you like to try a cinnamon apple muffin?  Marco, our chef, got a request for them, so he decided to play with some variations using slightly different seasonings for each type of apple he selected.”

 “Yes, please!  That sounds absolutely…” I started before letting out a small scream and falling backward.

 In a blur, a girl had darted out of nowhere, nearly running into me, and somehow running up the wall to move around me as I fell, flipping off to land staring down at me with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.  She screamed and darted away just as quickly as she had come.

 As I pointed and tried to decide what I was asking first, Mila helped me up, easily lifting me, and said, “A fresh batch of muffins has just left the oven.  Shall we?”  She walked through an open doorway into the kitchen, obviously expecting me to follow.

 “B-But…” I started as I followed her, letting it drop as I saw dozens of muffins spread out on a counter.

 The smell had me salivating, and I found myself wanting to grab some of each type.

 “Marco, this is Iris, our newest employee.  Would you mind if I acquisitioned a platter of muffins for her to sample as she goes through the paperwork?” questioned Mila expectantly.

 “No-no.  Not at all!  One needs good food to help with… that.” he replied with a smile, but his attention was focused on one of the ovens.  He suddenly opened it, pulling out yet another tray of muffins.  How many people was he feeding!?  Setting it down, he smiled at me and said, “You need a drink as well, no?  Do you enjoy the tea or perhaps milk?”

 “Orange juice?” I asked, hopefully.

 “Always freshly squeezed here.  Mila has an umm… system.” he replied, spinning into action as he spoke.

 “Excellent.  Shall we be off?” questioned Mila, casually holding a tray of muffins with one hand far too large for a single person to consume in one sitting.  “I can carry your drink as well if you like.” she offered.

 Shaking my head, I took a sip, instantly wondering if they used some special variety of oranges for their juice.  Was this really freshly squeezed?  There was no pulp, which suited me.

 Mila adjusted the tray to carry it with the handles, and the tour continued down a hall before heading up a couple flights of stairs, with Mila easily managing the large tray while looking graceful despite how heavy the thing had to be.

 Sometime during the seemingly endless forms, Mila had brought me another refill for my drink.  Three muffins and yet another drink later, I needed to hit the restroom, which was just as decadent as the rest of this grandiose mansion.

 “Hi!  Mind trying something before you leave?” questioned Emma as I stepped out.

 “Umm… what?” I questioned, not wanting to commit to anything.

 Grinning, she pointed to a couple black, flat things on the floor with fans around them.  “Think skateboarding, but through the air.  We call them ‘zoomies’.  Kayla, the girl who bumped into you earlier, named them.  She wanted to join us, but her brother made her get back to school work.”

 “Through the air.  You’re serious?” I asked, feeling a bit dubious.

 Her grin grew larger, and that twinkle in her eye seemed to grow with it as she nodded.  She grabbed the zoomies, handing one over to me before jogging down the hall.

 Following, I said, “Are we supposed to be running in here?”

 “This ship is too big.  If I walked, the movie would be over!” she exclaimed, looking hopeful as she glanced back at me.

 I half-heartedly chuckled, not sure why she called the place a ship.  It wasn’t, was it?  The computer upstairs was weirdly informed and completely touchscreen.  Part of the contract had explained that there were many cutting-edge technologies available here that required the strictest confidentiality.  After finally getting airborne on the zoomies, I was certain they were included.  Emma and I probably goofed around on them for an hour, and I managed to do a couple tricks with some work, but she moved as if she had been using them for years.

 When I left for home, I kept going through a list in my head of what I could actually tell my parents beyond that I got the job.  I certainly wasn’t going to mention that I got my non-interview in what I was currently wearing.  The zoomies were out.  I didn’t think I could talk much about James without blushing, not with where my head was at with him around.  I’d need to focus on the fact that he was married, so I wouldn’t impulsively do something stupid around him.  This was going to be one strange place to work.