The Interview

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“What are you wearing?”

“I beg your pardon?” Lily replied sharply. 

She nestled her hands on her lap and then crossed her fingers… hoping she had misheard the question. The interviewer laughed. Lily turned quickly, in an attempt to make eye contact with this offensive man. 

He had entered the room through the door behind her, and he had failed to present himself before making this rather inappropriate inquiry. However subtle or out of context it may have been, she knew it to be suggestive. 

Lily’s face grew pale as she discovered that no one else was in the room. Her eyes scanned the small office again, frantically, and she prayed that it wasn’t happening again – the voices, that is. It had been years since the “incident,” and this was no time for a relapse.

A large monitor, mounted on the wall in front of her, flickered and then came on. The screen was completely white, and a dark silhouette suddenly appeared. It looked to be some kind of masculine avatar.

“I’m so sorry my dear,” the interviewer said apologetically. “My visual display unit seems to be malfunctioning. I’m afraid that I can’t see you. Can you see me?”

“No,” she answered, still shaken. Her voice cracked.

“According to the board,” he continued, “I am to make note of your physical appearance during the interview. Since my visuals are not working, I thought it might be best if I simply ask what you are wearing.”

Lily sighed with relief. She laughed, but it was a halfhearted laugh. She had spent a small fortune on her interview attire, and it appeared to be money wasted. Oh well, she thought to herself. Surely I will wear this again.

With the ice now broken, Lily’s nerves finally settled, and she felt a confidence that was uncommon to her. She found it calming to be heard and not seen, and she found the voice of the interviewer to be quite satisfying. 

Their conversation continued… well beyond the formality of the interview, and each party sensed an extraordinary connection to the other. 

“I feel like I’ve known you forever,” the interviewer said as they concluded their little chat. “Can we talk again?”

Lily was more than happy to oblige the man, and she gave him all of her contact information. The screen flickered and then the monitor went black. 

A knock on the office door snapped Lily out of her romantic musings, and a young woman opened the door and then peeked in. 

“I’m sorry,” the girl said. “Mr. Acken just phoned and he won’t be able to do the interview today. Would you like to reschedule?”

The End

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So… this was very hard to end because I sense that there is more going on here than just some kind of delusion or romantic fantasy. I may have to return to this story someday.

It’s kind of an old world characters meet new world technology story as well as a bizarre romantic fantasy, so it’s certainly different.

It’s also an odd story for the featured image, but I used her pose to help me write. I couldn’t figure out what happened to her hands (long story on the process of my illustration), so having them nestled on her lap in order to cross her fingers seemed ideal.

Anyway, I did a different effect than usual – it’s more of a watercolor effect than the usual oil paint one I tend to favor. I really like it, and I think it plays well with the mysterious interview.

That’s about all for now. Thank you for reading! I hope you found something enjoyable here.

-Janet