Never ending story (serious edition)

[Losty]

James had a lot on his mind. He'd always been one to think too hard on things that worry him. Following orders wasn't easy for him, when a voice inside kept asking questions. His pencil swirling under the tip of his index finger, he had to find a way to make this right. James grimaced as he placed one hand on his temple and tried in vain to rub his frustration away, no matter how long he thought, his conscience would not let him focus long enough for a solution to form in his mind. He had always been plagued by what he liked to call 'analysis paralysis' but this was just getting ridiculous.

A welcome distraction, the door bell rang. He glanced at the clock. It was 3.31 PM and, curiously, as much as it is said that "time flies when you're having fun" several hours had gone by without him noticing and he most certainly had not been having fun. He threw down his pencil and dragged himself to the door. Jules? At this hour of the day? Well, this could be just the kind of distraction he'd been looking for. He was walking now with a kind of swagger as he approached that cottage paneled oak door, already he was getting into the cocky persona he always tried to project when being around Jules. James could see through the small window situated in the center of the door that it was raining outside, although at this angle it was still impossible to see if this actually was Jules.

When the door burst open it was not Jules but her husband who came crashing in with a frantic look on his face. He had never seen her husband in person up until this point, and now, here he was. He was shaking with nerves with sweat running down his face, he stumbled over his words as he tried to tell James something quite urgent.

"Jules has told me everything James, all of it, all your secrets, and now.. oh my god what have I done?"

James was becoming a bit frantic himself in his mind.  What is everything!? Everything about him helping her cover up her past? Everything about the affair? Or did she really tell him everything, no she couldn't have...she wouldn't. He steadied himself, and decided he would play dumb. He didn't want to give anything away.

"Forgive me for being dense but I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you're talking about... care to remind me?" inquired James, disingenuously, as he anticipated the imminence of the inevitably brash response. But that brash response never came, what came instead was a slight, calm smile spreading on this man's drenched, previously manic face. From outside James could hear among the crashing of the raindrops a car door open, then close, then the clicking of high heel shoes advancing closer. James felt confused and a bit nauseous, but his face remained calm, after all he'd had years of mastering his skill of hiding all emotions.

On the outside James still seemed very settled, but he was still quite concerned about what looked like some sort of attempted trickery from his girlfriend's husband. It wasn't Jules who James could hear approaching his door, it was a young woman of oriental appearance.  In stark contrast to Jules's husband this woman's demeanor seemed beyond calm, it was as if she was walking into her own home and that it was James who was the uninvited guest.

James watched, dumbfounded, as the woman walked right past him and sat in his favourite armchair. Jules' husband pushed past James, and leant against the wall beside her. The woman produced a small notebook from her bag. She began telling James a story of a group of people with extraordinary sums of money who wished to hire James for a job. She told him how Jules had been placed with him to prepared him for his job interview which he had apparently just passed.

James' initial thoughts were rather paranoid how can I trust them? Are they conning me? Is this some sort of scheme? They walk in here acting like they own the place and then make an "offer". Do they think I'm stupid? but James was soon to discover that this was genuine desperation rather than devious deception and that they clearly needed him more than he needed them. Being paranoid was a defensive reaction and part of why James was so good at his job. No one would ever guess from the outside, he always appeared so cool and calm.

[robvalue]

James had a lot on his mind. He'd always been one to think too hard on things that worry him. Following orders wasn't easy for him, when a voice inside kept asking questions. His pencil swirling under the tip of his index finger, he had to find a way to make this right. James grimaced as he placed one hand on his temple and tried in vain to rub his frustration away, no matter how long he thought, his conscience would not let him focus long enough for a solution to form in his mind. He had always been plagued by what he liked to call 'analysis paralysis' but this was just getting ridiculous.

A welcome distraction, the door bell rang. He glanced at the clock. It was 3.31 PM and, curiously, as much as it is said that "time flies when you're having fun" several hours had gone by without him noticing and he most certainly had not been having fun. He threw down his pencil and dragged himself to the door. Jules? At this hour of the day? Well, this could be just the kind of distraction he'd been looking for. He was walking now with a kind of swagger as he approached that cottage paneled oak door, already he was getting into the cocky persona he always tried to project when being around Jules. James could see through the small window situated in the center of the door that it was raining outside, although at this angle it was still impossible to see if this actually was Jules.

When the door burst open it was not Jules but her husband who came crashing in with a frantic look on his face. He had never seen her husband in person up until this point, and now, here he was. He was shaking with nerves with sweat running down his face, he stumbled over his words as he tried to tell James something quite urgent.

"Jules has told me everything James, all of it, all your secrets, and now.. oh my god what have I done?"

James was becoming a bit frantic himself in his mind.  What is everything!? Everything about him helping her cover up her past? Everything about the affair? Or did she really tell him everything, no she couldn't have...she wouldn't. He steadied himself, and decided he would play dumb. He didn't want to give anything away.

"Forgive me for being dense but I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you're talking about... care to remind me?" inquired James, disingenuously, as he anticipated the imminence of the inevitably brash response. But that brash response never came, what came instead was a slight, calm smile spreading on this man's drenched, previously manic face. From outside James could hear among the crashing of the raindrops a car door open, then close, then the clicking of high heel shoes advancing closer. James felt confused and a bit nauseous, but his face remained calm, after all he'd had years of mastering his skill of hiding all emotions.

On the outside James still seemed very settled, but he was still quite concerned about what looked like some sort of attempted trickery from his girlfriend's husband. It wasn't Jules who James could hear approaching his door, it was a young woman of oriental appearance.  In stark contrast to Jules's husband this woman's demeanor seemed beyond calm, it was as if she was walking into her own home and that it was James who was the uninvited guest.

James watched, dumbfounded, as the woman walked right past him and sat in his favourite armchair. Jules' husband pushed past James, and leant against the wall beside her. The woman produced a small notebook from her bag. She began telling James a story of a group of people with extraordinary sums of money who wished to hire James for a job. She told him how Jules had been placed with him to prepare him for his job interview which he had apparently just passed.

James' initial thoughts were rather paranoid. How can I trust them? Are they conning me? Is this some sort of scheme? They walk in here acting like they own the place and then make an "offer". Do they think I'm stupid? But James was soon to discover that this was genuine desperation rather than devious deception and that they clearly needed him more than he needed them. Being paranoid was a defensive reaction and part of why James was so good at his job. No one would ever guess from the outside; he always appeared so cool and calm.

So did they want him for his poker face? His discretion?

[Losty]

James had a lot on his mind. He'd always been one to think too hard on things that worry him. Following orders wasn't easy for him, when a voice inside kept asking questions. His pencil swirling under the tip of his index finger, he had to find a way to make this right. James grimaced as he placed one hand on his temple and tried in vain to rub his frustration away, no matter how long he thought, his conscience would not let him focus long enough for a solution to form in his mind. He had always been plagued by what he liked to call 'analysis paralysis' but this was just getting ridiculous.

A welcome distraction, the door bell rang. He glanced at the clock. It was 3.31 PM and, curiously, as much as it is said that "time flies when you're having fun" several hours had gone by without him noticing and he most certainly had not been having fun. He threw down his pencil and dragged himself to the door. Jules? At this hour of the day? Well, this could be just the kind of distraction he'd been looking for. He was walking now with a kind of swagger as he approached that cottage paneled oak door, already he was getting into the cocky persona he always tried to project when being around Jules. James could see through the small window situated in the center of the door that it was raining outside, although at this angle it was still impossible to see if this actually was Jules.

When the door burst open it was not Jules but her husband who came crashing in with a frantic look on his face. He had never seen her husband in person up until this point, and now, here he was. He was shaking with nerves with sweat running down his face, he stumbled over his words as he tried to tell James something quite urgent.

"Jules has told me everything James, all of it, all your secrets, and now.. oh my god what have I done?"

James was becoming a bit frantic himself in his mind.  What is everything!? Everything about him helping her cover up her past? Everything about the affair? Or did she really tell him everything, no she couldn't have...she wouldn't. He steadied himself, and decided he would play dumb. He didn't want to give anything away.

"Forgive me for being dense but I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you're talking about... care to remind me?" inquired James, disingenuously, as he anticipated the imminence of the inevitably brash response. But that brash response never came, what came instead was a slight, calm smile spreading on this man's drenched, previously manic face. From outside James could hear among the crashing of the raindrops a car door open, then close, then the clicking of high heel shoes advancing closer. James felt confused and a bit nauseous, but his face remained calm, after all he'd had years of mastering his skill of hiding all emotions.

On the outside James still seemed very settled, but he was still quite concerned about what looked like some sort of attempted trickery from his girlfriend's husband. It wasn't Jules who James could hear approaching his door, it was a young woman of oriental appearance.  In stark contrast to Jules's husband this woman's demeanor seemed beyond calm, it was as if she was walking into her own home and that it was James who was the uninvited guest.

James watched, dumbfounded, as the woman walked right past him and sat in his favourite armchair. Jules' husband pushed past James, and leant against the wall beside her. The woman produced a small notebook from her bag. She began telling James a story of a group of people with extraordinary sums of money who wished to hire James for a job. She told him how Jules had been placed with him to prepare him for his job interview which he had apparently just passed.

James' initial thoughts were rather paranoid. How can I trust them? Are they conning me? Is this some sort of scheme? They walk in here acting like they own the place and then make an "offer". Do they think I'm stupid? But James was soon to discover that this was genuine desperation rather than devious deception and that they clearly needed him more than he needed them. Being paranoid was a defensive reaction and part of why James was so good at his job. No one would ever guess from the outside; he always appeared so cool and calm.

So did they want him for his poker face? His discretion? James was not yet sure. What he was sure of was that he still had a very pressing matter to rectify before he could take on any new clients.

[Edwardo Piet]

James had a lot on his mind. He'd always been one to think too hard on things that worry him. Following orders wasn't easy for him, when a voice inside kept asking questions. His pencil swirling under the tip of his index finger, he had to find a way to make this right. James grimaced as he placed one hand on his temple and tried in vain to rub his frustration away, no matter how long he thought, his conscience would not let him focus long enough for a solution to form in his mind. He had always been plagued by what he liked to call 'analysis paralysis' but this was just getting ridiculous.

A welcome distraction, the door bell rang. He glanced at the clock. It was 3.31 PM and, curiously, as much as it is said that "time flies when you're having fun" several hours had gone by without him noticing and he most certainly had not been having fun. He threw down his pencil and dragged himself to the door. Jules? At this hour of the day? Well, this could be just the kind of distraction he'd been looking for. He was walking now with a kind of swagger as he approached that cottage paneled oak door, already he was getting into the cocky persona he always tried to project when being around Jules. James could see through the small window situated in the center of the door that it was raining outside, although at this angle it was still impossible to see if this actually was Jules.

When the door burst open it was not Jules but her husband who came crashing in with a frantic look on his face. He had never seen her husband in person up until this point, and now, here he was. He was shaking with nerves with sweat running down his face, he stumbled over his words as he tried to tell James something quite urgent.

"Jules has told me everything James, all of it, all your secrets, and now.. oh my god what have I done?"

James was becoming a bit frantic himself in his mind.  What is everything!? Everything about him helping her cover up her past? Everything about the affair? Or did she really tell him everything, no she couldn't have...she wouldn't. He steadied himself, and decided he would play dumb. He didn't want to give anything away.

"Forgive me for being dense but I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you're talking about... care to remind me?" inquired James, disingenuously, as he anticipated the imminence of the inevitably brash response. But that brash response never came, what came instead was a slight, calm smile spreading on this man's drenched, previously manic face. From outside James could hear among the crashing of the raindrops a car door open, then close, then the clicking of high heel shoes advancing closer. James felt confused and a bit nauseous, but his face remained calm, after all he'd had years of mastering his skill of hiding all emotions.

On the outside James still seemed very settled, but he was still quite concerned about what looked like some sort of attempted trickery from his girlfriend's husband. It wasn't Jules who James could hear approaching his door, it was a young woman of oriental appearance.  In stark contrast to Jules's husband this woman's demeanor seemed beyond calm, it was as if she was walking into her own home and that it was James who was the uninvited guest.

James watched, dumbfounded, as the woman walked right past him and sat in his favourite armchair. Jules' husband pushed past James, and leant against the wall beside her. The woman produced a small notebook from her bag. She began telling James a story of a group of people with extraordinary sums of money who wished to hire James for a job. She told him how Jules had been placed with him to prepare him for his job interview which he had apparently just passed.

James' initial thoughts were rather paranoid. How can I trust them? Are they conning me? Is this some sort of scheme? They walk in here acting like they own the place and then make an "offer". Do they think I'm stupid? But James was soon to discover that this was genuine desperation rather than devious deception and that they clearly needed him more than he needed them. Being paranoid was a defensive reaction and part of why James was so good at his job. No one would ever guess from the outside; he always appeared so cool and calm.

So did they want him for his poker face? His discretion? James was not yet sure. What he was sure of was that he still had a very pressing matter to rectify before he could take on any new clients.

The thing is, whatever they wanted James for: This wasn't going to be easy. As much as he looked calm on the outside his nerves had lead to nervous breakdowns in the past when things got too stressful.

[ukatheist]

James had a lot on his mind. He'd always been one to think too hard on things that worry him. Following orders wasn't easy for him, when a voice inside kept asking questions. His pencil swirling under the tip of his index finger, he had to find a way to make this right. James grimaced as he placed one hand on his temple and tried in vain to rub his frustration away, no matter how long he thought, his conscience would not let him focus long enough for a solution to form in his mind. He had always been plagued by what he liked to call 'analysis paralysis' but this was just getting ridiculous.

A welcome distraction, the door bell rang. He glanced at the clock. It was 3.31 PM and, curiously, as much as it is said that "time flies when you're having fun" several hours had gone by without him noticing and he most certainly had not been having fun. He threw down his pencil and dragged himself to the door. Jules? At this hour of the day? Well, this could be just the kind of distraction he'd been looking for. He was walking now with a kind of swagger as he approached that cottage paneled oak door, already he was getting into the cocky persona he always tried to project when being around Jules. James could see through the small window situated in the center of the door that it was raining outside, although at this angle it was still impossible to see if this actually was Jules.

When the door burst open it was not Jules but her husband who came crashing in with a frantic look on his face. He had never seen her husband in person up until this point, and now, here he was. He was shaking with nerves with sweat running down his face, he stumbled over his words as he tried to tell James something quite urgent.

"Jules has told me everything James, all of it, all your secrets, and now.. oh my god what have I done?"

James was becoming a bit frantic himself in his mind.  What is everything!? Everything about him helping her cover up her past? Everything about the affair? Or did she really tell him everything, no she couldn't have...she wouldn't. He steadied himself, and decided he would play dumb. He didn't want to give anything away.

"Forgive me for being dense but I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you're talking about... care to remind me?" inquired James, disingenuously, as he anticipated the imminence of the inevitably brash response. But that brash response never came, what came instead was a slight, calm smile spreading on this man's drenched, previously manic face. From outside James could hear among the crashing of the raindrops a car door open, then close, then the clicking of high heel shoes advancing closer. James felt confused and a bit nauseous, but his face remained calm, after all he'd had years of mastering his skill of hiding all emotions.

On the outside James still seemed very settled, but he was still quite concerned about what looked like some sort of attempted trickery from his girlfriend's husband. It wasn't Jules who James could hear approaching his door, it was a young woman of oriental appearance.  In stark contrast to Jules's husband this woman's demeanor seemed beyond calm, it was as if she was walking into her own home and that it was James who was the uninvited guest.

James watched, dumbfounded, as the woman walked right past him and sat in his favourite armchair. Jules' husband pushed past James, and leant against the wall beside her. The woman produced a small notebook from her bag. She began telling James a story of a group of people with extraordinary sums of money who wished to hire James for a job. She told him how Jules had been placed with him to prepare him for his job interview which he had apparently just passed.

James' initial thoughts were rather paranoid. How can I trust them? Are they conning me? Is this some sort of scheme? They walk in here acting like they own the place and then make an "offer". Do they think I'm stupid? But James was soon to discover that this was genuine desperation rather than devious deception and that they clearly needed him more than he needed them. Being paranoid was a defensive reaction and part of why James was so good at his job. No one would ever guess from the outside; he always appeared so cool and calm.

So did they want him for his poker face? His discretion? James was not yet sure. What he was sure of was that he still had a very pressing matter to rectify before he could take on any new clients.

The thing is, whatever they wanted James for: This wasn't going to be easy. As much as he looked calm on the outside his nerves had lead to nervous breakdowns in the past when things got too stressful.

"Look.." James started, but was interrupted by the shrill chime of his telephone.

[RozKek]

Edit: I messed up...

Remove this post if possible

[Edwardo Piet]

James had a lot on his mind. He'd always been one to think too hard on things that worry him. Following orders wasn't easy for him, when a voice inside kept asking questions. His pencil swirling under the tip of his index finger, he had to find a way to make this right. James grimaced as he placed one hand on his temple and tried in vain to rub his frustration away, no matter how long he thought, his conscience would not let him focus long enough for a solution to form in his mind. He had always been plagued by what he liked to call 'analysis paralysis' but this was just getting ridiculous.

A welcome distraction, the door bell rang. He glanced at the clock. It was 3.31 PM and, curiously, as much as it is said that "time flies when you're having fun" several hours had gone by without him noticing and he most certainly had not been having fun. He threw down his pencil and dragged himself to the door. Jules? At this hour of the day? Well, this could be just the kind of distraction he'd been looking for. He was walking now with a kind of swagger as he approached that cottage paneled oak door, already he was getting into the cocky persona he always tried to project when being around Jules. James could see through the small window situated in the center of the door that it was raining outside, although at this angle it was still impossible to see if this actually was Jules.

When the door burst open it was not Jules but her husband who came crashing in with a frantic look on his face. He had never seen her husband in person up until this point, and now, here he was. He was shaking with nerves with sweat running down his face, he stumbled over his words as he tried to tell James something quite urgent.

"Jules has told me everything James, all of it, all your secrets, and now.. oh my god what have I done?"

James was becoming a bit frantic himself in his mind.  What is everything!? Everything about him helping her cover up her past? Everything about the affair? Or did she really tell him everything, no she couldn't have...she wouldn't. He steadied himself, and decided he would play dumb. He didn't want to give anything away.

"Forgive me for being dense but I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you're talking about... care to remind me?" inquired James, disingenuously, as he anticipated the imminence of the inevitably brash response. But that brash response never came, what came instead was a slight, calm smile spreading on this man's drenched, previously manic face. From outside James could hear among the crashing of the raindrops a car door open, then close, then the clicking of high heel shoes advancing closer. James felt confused and a bit nauseous, but his face remained calm, after all he'd had years of mastering his skill of hiding all emotions.

On the outside James still seemed very settled, but he was still quite concerned about what looked like some sort of attempted trickery from his girlfriend's husband. It wasn't Jules who James could hear approaching his door, it was a young woman of oriental appearance.  In stark contrast to Jules's husband this woman's demeanor seemed beyond calm, it was as if she was walking into her own home and that it was James who was the uninvited guest.

James watched, dumbfounded, as the woman walked right past him and sat in his favourite armchair. Jules' husband pushed past James, and leant against the wall beside her. The woman produced a small notebook from her bag. She began telling James a story of a group of people with extraordinary sums of money who wished to hire James for a job. She told him how Jules had been placed with him to prepare him for his job interview which he had apparently just passed.

James' initial thoughts were rather paranoid. How can I trust them? Are they conning me? Is this some sort of scheme? They walk in here acting like they own the place and then make an "offer". Do they think I'm stupid? But James was soon to discover that this was genuine desperation rather than devious deception and that they clearly needed him more than he needed them. Being paranoid was a defensive reaction and part of why James was so good at his job. No one would ever guess from the outside; he always appeared so cool and calm.

So did they want him for his poker face? His discretion? James was not yet sure. What he was sure of was that he still had a very pressing matter to rectify before he could take on any new clients.

The thing is, whatever they wanted James for: This wasn't going to be easy. As much as he looked calm on the outside his nerves had lead to nervous breakdowns in the past when things got too stressful.

"Look.." James started, but was interrupted by the shrill chime of his telephone.

It was his brother, David, he wanted to know why he hadn't spoken to him for months and was looking to catch up. Now was not the time for James to explain though.

[Losty]

James had a lot on his mind. He'd always been one to think too hard on things that worry him. Following orders wasn't easy for him, when a voice inside kept asking questions. His pencil swirling under the tip of his index finger, he had to find a way to make this right. James grimaced as he placed one hand on his temple and tried in vain to rub his frustration away, no matter how long he thought, his conscience would not let him focus long enough for a solution to form in his mind. He had always been plagued by what he liked to call 'analysis paralysis' but this was just getting ridiculous.

A welcome distraction, the door bell rang. He glanced at the clock. It was 3.31 PM and, curiously, as much as it is said that "time flies when you're having fun" several hours had gone by without him noticing and he most certainly had not been having fun. He threw down his pencil and dragged himself to the door. Jules? At this hour of the day? Well, this could be just the kind of distraction he'd been looking for. He was walking now with a kind of swagger as he approached that cottage paneled oak door, already he was getting into the cocky persona he always tried to project when being around Jules. James could see through the small window situated in the center of the door that it was raining outside, although at this angle it was still impossible to see if this actually was Jules.

When the door burst open it was not Jules but her husband who came crashing in with a frantic look on his face. He had never seen her husband in person up until this point, and now, here he was. He was shaking with nerves with sweat running down his face, he stumbled over his words as he tried to tell James something quite urgent.

"Jules has told me everything James, all of it, all your secrets, and now.. oh my god what have I done?"

James was becoming a bit frantic himself in his mind.  What is everything!? Everything about him helping her cover up her past? Everything about the affair? Or did she really tell him everything, no she couldn't have...she wouldn't. He steadied himself, and decided he would play dumb. He didn't want to give anything away.

"Forgive me for being dense but I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you're talking about... care to remind me?" inquired James, disingenuously, as he anticipated the imminence of the inevitably brash response. But that brash response never came, what came instead was a slight, calm smile spreading on this man's drenched, previously manic face. From outside James could hear among the crashing of the raindrops a car door open, then close, then the clicking of high heel shoes advancing closer. James felt confused and a bit nauseous, but his face remained calm, after all he'd had years of mastering his skill of hiding all emotions.

On the outside James still seemed very settled, but he was still quite concerned about what looked like some sort of attempted trickery from his girlfriend's husband. It wasn't Jules who James could hear approaching his door, it was a young woman of oriental appearance.  In stark contrast to Jules's husband this woman's demeanor seemed beyond calm, it was as if she was walking into her own home and that it was James who was the uninvited guest.

James watched, dumbfounded, as the woman walked right past him and sat in his favourite armchair. Jules' husband pushed past James, and leant against the wall beside her. The woman produced a small notebook from her bag. She began telling James a story of a group of people with extraordinary sums of money who wished to hire James for a job. She told him how Jules had been placed with him to prepare him for his job interview which he had apparently just passed.

James' initial thoughts were rather paranoid. How can I trust them? Are they conning me? Is this some sort of scheme? They walk in here acting like they own the place and then make an "offer". Do they think I'm stupid? But James was soon to discover that this was genuine desperation rather than devious deception and that they clearly needed him more than he needed them. Being paranoid was a defensive reaction and part of why James was so good at his job. No one would ever guess from the outside; he always appeared so cool and calm.

So did they want him for his poker face? His discretion? James was not yet sure. What he was sure of was that he still had a very pressing matter to rectify before he could take on any new clients.

The thing is, whatever they wanted James for: This wasn't going to be easy. As much as he looked calm on the outside his nerves had lead to nervous breakdowns in the past when things got too stressful.

"Look.." James started, but was interrupted by the shrill chime of his telephone.

It was his brother, David, he wanted to know why he hadn't spoken to him for months and was looking to catch up. Now was not the time for James to explain though. He politely blew his brother off not yet realizing the consequences of this mistake. He then turned to the two people who had been so comfortable taking over his livingroom and thanked them for their time before requesting that they leave. He had a somewhat better idea of what the consequences for that might be but he didn't have time for any of that now. He had to clean up his own mess first, people were counting on him.

[Edwardo Piet]

James had a lot on his mind. He'd always been one to think too hard on things that worry him. Following orders wasn't easy for him, when a voice inside kept asking questions. His pencil swirling under the tip of his index finger, he had to find a way to make this right. James grimaced as he placed one hand on his temple and tried in vain to rub his frustration away, no matter how long he thought, his conscience would not let him focus long enough for a solution to form in his mind. He had always been plagued by what he liked to call 'analysis paralysis' but this was just getting ridiculous.

A welcome distraction, the door bell rang. He glanced at the clock. It was 3.31 PM and, curiously, as much as it is said that "time flies when you're having fun" several hours had gone by without him noticing and he most certainly had not been having fun. He threw down his pencil and dragged himself to the door. Jules? At this hour of the day? Well, this could be just the kind of distraction he'd been looking for. He was walking now with a kind of swagger as he approached that cottage paneled oak door, already he was getting into the cocky persona he always tried to project when being around Jules. James could see through the small window situated in the center of the door that it was raining outside, although at this angle it was still impossible to see if this actually was Jules.

When the door burst open it was not Jules but her husband who came crashing in with a frantic look on his face. He had never seen her husband in person up until this point, and now, here he was. He was shaking with nerves with sweat running down his face, he stumbled over his words as he tried to tell James something quite urgent.

"Jules has told me everything James, all of it, all your secrets, and now.. oh my god what have I done?"

James was becoming a bit frantic himself in his mind.  What is everything!? Everything about him helping her cover up her past? Everything about the affair? Or did she really tell him everything, no she couldn't have...she wouldn't. He steadied himself, and decided he would play dumb. He didn't want to give anything away.

"Forgive me for being dense but I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you're talking about... care to remind me?" inquired James, disingenuously, as he anticipated the imminence of the inevitably brash response. But that brash response never came, what came instead was a slight, calm smile spreading on this man's drenched, previously manic face. From outside James could hear among the crashing of the raindrops a car door open, then close, then the clicking of high heel shoes advancing closer. James felt confused and a bit nauseous, but his face remained calm, after all he'd had years of mastering his skill of hiding all emotions.

On the outside James still seemed very settled, but he was still quite concerned about what looked like some sort of attempted trickery from his girlfriend's husband. It wasn't Jules who James could hear approaching his door, it was a young woman of oriental appearance.  In stark contrast to Jules's husband this woman's demeanor seemed beyond calm, it was as if she was walking into her own home and that it was James who was the uninvited guest.

James watched, dumbfounded, as the woman walked right past him and sat in his favourite armchair. Jules' husband pushed past James, and leant against the wall beside her. The woman produced a small notebook from her bag. She began telling James a story of a group of people with extraordinary sums of money who wished to hire James for a job. She told him how Jules had been placed with him to prepare him for his job interview which he had apparently just passed.

James' initial thoughts were rather paranoid. How can I trust them? Are they conning me? Is this some sort of scheme? They walk in here acting like they own the place and then make an "offer". Do they think I'm stupid? But James was soon to discover that this was genuine desperation rather than devious deception and that they clearly needed him more than he needed them. Being paranoid was a defensive reaction and part of why James was so good at his job. No one would ever guess from the outside; he always appeared so cool and calm.

So did they want him for his poker face? His discretion? James was not yet sure. What he was sure of was that he still had a very pressing matter to rectify before he could take on any new clients.

The thing is, whatever they wanted James for: This wasn't going to be easy. As much as he looked calm on the outside his nerves had lead to nervous breakdowns in the past when things got too stressful.

"Look.." James started, but was interrupted by the shrill chime of his telephone.

It was his brother, David, he wanted to know why he hadn't spoken to him for months and was looking to catch up. Now was not the time for James to explain though. He politely blew his brother off not yet realizing the consequences of this mistake. He then turned to the two people who had been so comfortable taking over his livingroom and thanked them for their time before requesting that they leave. He had a somewhat better idea of what the consequences for that might be but he didn't have time for any of that now. He had to clean up his own mess first, people were counting on him. He knew he wouldn't let them down and... deep down they knew it too. Everyone who knew James knew he never gave up until he succeeded.