An Interview: James

 “Thank you for coming in for the interview today, James.”

“Thank you for having me,” he said with a genuine smile as he gracefully folded himself into the chair, unbuttoning his suit jacket. “How are you doing this fine day?”

“I’m very well. You?”

“Spectacular,” he said, crossing his ankle over his knee. “I do have some things I need to get back and attend to, though.”

“Of course! I know you’re all very busy, so we’ll get right to it. What do you like about your job?”

“The security,” he said easily. “V and I only answer to each other, and we only rely on each other.”

“But you have clients to please. So there is some accountability to others.”

“To a degree, yes,” he said thoughtfully, tipping his head. “Growing up like we did leaves you… wanting, for a lot. It’s something we don’t have to worry about now. We don’t get involved in things we don’t want to be involved in. We don’t have to be afraid anymore. That’s what matters to us most.”

There was a shift in him. It was subtle, but his muscles tensed, and his spine straightened. The easy smile never left his face, but darkness clouded his eyes for a moment. He held himself with a disarming grace. That darkness was gone in the blink of an eye like it had never been.

“Would you ever consider changing jobs, and if so, what would you want to do?”

“I can’t imagine doing anything else,” he said. “Vanessa and I would find a way to make this work, no matter what we had to do.” His smile faltered a little, but he righted it again. “She and I have been through a lot together. We will always make it work.”

“The two of you have a very close relationship.”

“It was just the two of us for a very long time,” he said, the warmth returning to his features. “When you very literally put your life in someone else’s hands for almost your entire life… it has that effect.”

“What’s a hobby you have?”

“Hobbies are something I’m still working on. Gus has been showing me things about woodcarving. I’ve been thinking about starting a collection of daggers, too. Cassidy was doing some flower weaving the other day that looked interesting, too,” he said thoughtfully. “I just want to try everything. There is so much of the world out there. Why would I want to settle for only understanding part of it?”

All the tension from earlier drained from his body as he talked. There was an air of wistfulness about him. It projected the same kind of vibe as Cassidy’s wanderlust.

“Is there anything you don’t want to try?”

“Cooking,” he said without hesitation. “I have cooked precisely one time, and I hate it.” A smirk spread across his face as he leaned forward. “Vanessa and I almost caught the kitchen on fire trying to make grilled cheese. We swore off it soon after. Luckily Thomas is an excellent cook when he wants to be.”

“How would you set the kitchen on fire with a grilled cheese?”

“Well,” he said, laughing. “Apparently, you don’t actually fry them in oil. When we dropped them in, there was too much oil, and it started overflowing and bubbling. We both ran. Some things were melted. It was a mess. Cassidy never let us forget it.”

He was trying to stifle his laugh, but it wasn’t working. He let his head fall forward as he got himself under control again.

“Other than that… I’m open to most things. I don’t know that I would want to take on a high-risk hobby. I already have enough of that in my life, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it if someone I cared about wanted me to try it.”

“What skill do you have that might be surprising?”

“I can sing,” he said bashfully. “I don’t do it often because I don’t like to have all the attention on me, but sometimes I will do it.”

“Want to try something now?”

“Ah, I’m running short on time…” he said, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. “Maybe another time.”

A little bit of a blush was creeping over his cheeks.

“Of course. We are almost done. What does the perfect vacation look like to you?”

“Having time with Vanessa and Thomas without anything blowing up or danger of any kind,” he said, biting his lip. “There always tends to be one thing or another keeping us on our toes. It would be nice to have some time with just the three of us.”

“How would Vanessa and Thomas feel about that?”

“Now?” he laughed. “They would be happy with it. While they had a very rocky start, things between them are much better now. They have a better understanding of each other.”

“What about a perfect date?”

“Stargazing with a bottle of wine,” he said, leaning back in the chair and lacing his fingers together in his lap. “It gives you something to focus on if you need it, but also something to talk about. It can be anything you want it to be in the moment without pressure.”

“That does sound like a fantastic date. Well, that’s all I have for you. The portal over there will take you back.”

“It was a pleasure,” he said as he stood and re-buttoned his jacket. “I’m sure I’ll be back soon.”

He gave a slight bow before walking back to the portal.