Jacobs & Jacobs Security (Victoria)

Victoria was early, a normal situation with her, being anxious that she didn't end up being late. She had set out with plenty of time to spare and only had on moment of panic when she got close to the destination but couldn't see it. Then she spied someone who looked familiar and as she got closer it became apparent that it was Luke.

She was early enough to see Luke talking to another man and held back until they had finished, not wanting to interrupt.

Victoria was dressed in a similar, conservative style to that she had been dressed in the previous day; mid-calf length skirt and cardigan over a blouse. She was carrying both her laptop, in her shoulder bag and her flute, having been worried about them the whole of the previous day and not wanting to leave them in her lodgings again. The laptop was no bother, being tiny but the flute, in it's hard case was a little more awkward.

The other man parted from Luke and made his way into the building. Victoria took the opportunity to approach.

"Good morning, Mr. Jacobs." She greeted Luke diffidently.

"Not very well." Victoria admitted, having been brought up to be honest and not knowing that sometimes questions were asked to be polite rather than because the person asking genuinely wanted to know, particularly if the answer was a negative one.

"Nervous." Victoria added, which was also true.

She had rbought the flute and computer but she was wondering whether it had been such a good idea. It might have reduced the risk of being stolen from her shared room but there was the risk of her little problem causing her to drop them. Victoria didn't know whether it was the prospect of the job interview or the risk of dropping the flute that was making her feel so anxious.

She distracted herself by looking at Luke, wondering why he was being so kind but grateful that he was. She hoped Miss Langstan would turn out to be as kind. As a diversionary tactic it was not working.

Victoria stood there looking awkward.

Victoria was surprised to see Luke using his cane in such an obvious manner. For a little while she couldn't understand why, having seen him operate without it as though he were sighted but then it clicked. "Camouflage." She realised. "He doesn't want people to know he is different." Then with a flash of real insight, "So that other people don't have to pretend he is different to anyone else who is blind."

"Yes, a locker would be helpful, thank you." Victoria replied after a moment's thought. It was a security firm. If their lockers were not secure then nowhere would be safe to leave her treasures.

She smiled her thanks at Luke as he held the door open for her and then remembering he couldn't see it, she said, "Thank you." again.

Victoria was glad that Luke couldn't see her reaction to him saying that Miss Langston had been a good friend for some time. She wasn't sure quite what he meant by it. "I hope that doesn't mean they are romantically involved." She thought and then immediately admonished herself for letting her romanticism get the better of her. "He won't be interested in a silly little girl like you, Victoria!"

Victoria sighed, knowing she needed to concentrate on the interview and keep any other silly notions well suppressed. She didn't know how to respond to Luke's comment and instead lapsed into what was, at least for Victoria, an uncomfortable silence.

The lift seemed to take forever to arrive.

Victoria wasn't at all sure she was ready but she nodded agreement, her throat too dry to speak. She silently followed Luke into the office and on seeing his secretary she stopped.
Miss Langston was an attractive woman and Victoria's heart sank further, she couldn't compete with Luke's secretary. Even though she knew she was being silly she couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Victoria was distracted by her own thoughts and so was not really following the exchange between Luke and Deborah and as she became aware that they were talking all she could do was look back and forth between Luke and Deborah in obvious confusion.

She realised that Deborah was talking to her and having remembered her manners and worked out what had been said, responded with a soft, "Pleased to meet you, Miss Langston."

Victoria sat down, though she didn't relax, choosing instead to perch on the edge, her purse under her hands which she folded on her lap.

"I.... I don't know." She admitted, looking and sounding nervous. "I don't really know what goes on in an office. But... I can touch type at about sixty words per minute and I know my way around computers. Word, Excel and so on."

Victoria was warming up a bit though she was still tripping over some words.

"I guess I don't really mind. My main concern is keeping a roof over my head and some food in my stomach." Victoria was focused on the realities of her situation and knew she couldn't afford to be choosy. But then, having had a reasonable look around at her surroundings she knew that even the lowest job here was likely to be far better than anything she would have been able to find by herself.

"And providing value for the money I am paid." she added.

If nothing else, her parents had left her with a strong sense of honesty and a good work ethic. They had, especially her mother, ensured that she had worked hard at her studies and she had been taught to take responsibility for her school work, even if she hadn't had to take responsibility for the rest of the aspects of her life that other eighteen-year-olds did.

From what little she knew, IT didn't seem the right sort of fit for Victoria. She could use a computer but she couldn't program, well not very much, and she was sure they would want someone with more technical knowledge than she possessed. Finance on the other hand seemed more likely to have something she could do. She liked the idea of privacy.

"I think Finance would suit me better." Victoria suggested her voice hesitant.

Again the quick flow of conversation between Luke and Deborah left her a little confused and out of breath. Victoria had no idea what a CFO was but she did pick up on the fact that Deborah was now running a whole department, though she didn't know how big that department was. A fair proportion of that confusion was that going from Secretary to Head of Department was quite a big jump. Perhaps Luke had been teasing when he said that Deborah was his secretary.

It did seem to be presumptuous to Victoria to congratulate Deborah, having only just met her but she felt she should say something.

"Congratulations." She murmured, almost as if she was an echo of Luke.

It was becoming clear that there was more to Luke than met the eye.

"Steady relationship?" For a moment Victoria thought she might have spoken out loud but the lack of reaction suggested to her that she had just thought it. If she understood correctly, Deborah was in a relationship and not with Luke.

Things were decidedly looking up.

"I would like that." Victoria replied in response to Deborah's suggestion of a lunch.

"But won't Luke mind us talking about him?" Victoria asked seriously, betraying her naivete.

Her birth certificate revealed that she was eighteen but she was a very young eighteen and in many respects had the social understanding of a fourteen year old, at least as far as the subtleties or complexities of social intercourse. She had been brought up to be kind and treat others well but she lacked the experience to know when she was being teased and how to determine whether or not someone should be taken literally.

From the look on Deborah's face, Victoria knew she had said something wrong but it wasn't until Luke responded that

As much as she felt comfortable with Luke and thought she might prefer to remain in his company, some instinct told her that it would be more appropriate for Deborah to

"Perhaps Miss Langstan should show me around." Victoria replied. She just had to hope that Luke would be still here when the tour was finished.

"There is just one thing." Victoria said hesitantly. She was not sure that she should say anything but she had been brought up to be honest and found it very hard not to be even when it was to her own considerable disadvantage. She hadn't said anything to Helena when she went for the job in the clothes store and had felt guilty about it. Luke trusted this woman and she trusted Luke although she had only known him a short while.

"I have a bit of a problem." Victoria paused again, wondering how best to explain it.

"Umm..... If I am startled by a loud noise or something like that I go to pieces... literally. And..." This was the embarrassing bit and Victoria felt the heat rise to her face, "When I get myself back together I am not wearing anything."

Victoria fell silent, her face red with embarrassment and feeling very nervous. Her inner tension was making her very vulnerable to giving a demonstration of what she had confessed to if there was even a small sudden noise. She realised she had forgotten to say that she had met someone who knew someone who could help her control her problem but she found her throat was too dry to speak.

For a moment Victoria's face registered shock at being labeled a mutant. She didn't deny she was different but she had never really thought of herself in those terms. But it was momentary, quickly smoothed away by Deborah's kind tone and assurance that she would be able to work somewhere that would not be likely to cause her to exhibit her affliction. In a few moments the expression on Victoria's face had gone from shock to a look of gratitude that was almost pathetic.

"I am going to get some training." Victoria offered up in response, "So that I can control it better; so that I won't be such a problem."

Luke gave them leave to go on the tour.

"Yes I am." Victoria sounded enthusiastic as she quickly got to her feet and had to make a grab for the chair, narrowly avoiding making it fall over. She made sure it was stable and then followed Deborah to the door.

"Luke was very kind to me yesterday. Very much the Knight in Shining Armour. He rescued me from the shop I was working in and bought me a sweater when I lost some....." Victoria flushed with embarrassment and stopped in confusion, realising she had been gushing and that perhaps Deborah didn't want to know the details.

Victoria looked up at the other woman wondering what she must think her. She felt very young suddenly and looked both young and vulnerable, both attributes exacerbated by her slender frame and diminutive height. There might have been a hint of a quiver of her lip and a suggestion of a tear forming but Victoria managed to hold herself together.

"I'm sorry." She apologised though it was not clear even to Victoria what she was apologising for.