"Are you sure she's the right candidate for the job?" Halle inquired as the three of them waited in a conference room. They were all looking over files that contained every last detail of Georgina Felicity Mae Lathrop's life. Pictures were included. Near would be brought in to watch the interview behind the two way glass. The final decision would be his.

"I think she's perfect for the job," Stephen piped up, flipping through the black and white 8x10s. He had followed the woman yesterday after she left the interview. She had stopped by a Chinese restaurant for take out which she ate in the park near the fountain. After a stroll around the park, she drove home. She took a shower, read for a few hours, drank a beer, and went to bed at ten. Although she looked like a carefree spirit in her Boho attire, she appeared to enjoy schedules and routine too.

"I think you think she's got a great set of hooters," she accused the fellow agent she had worked with for so many years.

"That too," he agreed with a blush. He tucked away the picture of Georgie that he had taken of her wearing a tank top and pajama shorts. The thin cotton fabric of her tank top had strained under the weight of her braless D sized breasts. He loved surveillance sometimes.

"Anyway," Anthony interrupted, clearing his throat. "I believe she is the best candidate out of what we saw yesterday. She showed the ability to care about other people and take action to help them. She's smart, tough, and well traveled. I think she's exactly what we're looking for. I think she's what Near needs."

"Wouldn't an agent, someone already associated with the CIA, be a better candidate to be his assistant?" Halle asked, sitting back in her chair. She was like an overprotective big sister. They all had developed familial ties with the boy who was like Peter Pan and had refused to grow up.

"No," Anthony replied gruffly, resolute in his choice to hire someone who had no ties to the government agency - or any government agency for that matter. Actually Georgie had been off the grid for quite a while, traveling the path less in the most literal sense. She did things her way and did not care what anyone thought about it, but she also knew how to take care of herself. A single woman traveling alone had to be a scary prospect in itself, and she had done it through several countries and cultures, managing to stay alive and not suffer any other damage. "If we hired an agent to be Near's handler, they would see him as their superior. They would blindly follow his orders without questioning him. I think this woman will challenge him, force him to step up and take responsibility while also tending to his needs. Look at we what we did, we coddled him and babied him just like what was expected of us because he was the leader of the SPK. He doesn't need more of that."

"I see your point," Halle rejoined with a sigh of resignation.

The intercom beeped. Anthony Rester pressed the button to answer the receptionist from the front desk.

"There's a Georgie Lathrop here to see you, sir."

"I'll be right down to get her. Thank you."

~...~

Georgie smiled in acknowledgement when the receptionist told her that Agent Rester would be right down to retrieve her. She shifted her heavy shoulder bag, turning to glance around the atrium like lobby. She basically carried around her whole life with her at all times. Her passport and credit cards were among the items. There was also supplies such as a bottle of water, a package of dried fruit and nuts, allergy and pain medicine, and a small med kit with band aids, antibiotic ointment, and a suturing kit. There was even a change of clothes and a poncho. She had grown accustomed to carrying these things while traveling because she never knew what lay ahead of her. Bad weather, travel delays, or a simple spilled cup of coffee would no longer be a problem that would ruin her day.

It looked like a museum in the cavernous foyer of the government building. There were pictures of famous people and events in unadorned black frames hanging on the wall. Valuable documents were contained in glass cases with podiums in front each bearing plaques explaining their importance. She walked around to each one, giving the item careful consideration and reading every single word on the plaques. She had not expected a self-directed tour and a history lesson with this interview.

"Miss Lathrop?"

Georgie recognized the voice from yesterday. Turning to look at the man, she planted a smile on her lips to keep from gaping at him. He was gorgeous! Tall, blond, and blue eyed with the muscular physique of a football player, he looked like an all American hero. He was wearing a black suit with a shirt the same color as his eyes and a matching silk tie. A black suit - how fitting for a federal agent. She wiped her sweaty palms on the thighs of her faded jeans, nervously pushing up the billowy sleeves of her white top. Extending her hand to greet him with a handshake, she gripped his large hand firmly. She hated the limp wristed, jellyfish handshake most women felt it necessary to give. A handshake should be strong and confident, shouting to the other person 'I believe in me!'

"I'm Special Agent Anthony Rester, please come this way," he said, turning toward the bank of elevators from which he had come.

Georgie walked beside him, not behind him, being directed by the light pressure of his hand on her elbow. She kept her eyes straight ahead, resisting the urge to stare up at the man next to her. Standing at a petite five feet and three inches, she was sure he was over six feet tall. The interior of the elevator was drab with faux wood paneling and indoor/outdoor carpet in a dreary gray blue color. Her eyes followed his movements as he punched the button for the third floor. They stepped out into an equally bland corridor but the walls were a blinding white. Frosted glass doors lined the hallway on either side. Shiny golden plates held in frames attached to the wall by each door heralded the name of the occupant or the type of room it was. They stopped in front of the door bearing the name of Conference Room 3. What was the significance of the number three? It seemed to have been popping up a lot in her life over the past two days.

"Go inside please," he requested politely, opening the door and allowing her to go inside first.

There were two other people in the room. Another handsome male agent with black hair and blue eyes and a pretty female agent with blond hair and amber eyes. She was the only person in the room with brown eyes. Not that it mattered. She just had a tendency to notice odd, meaningless details.

"We will begin by asking you a few questions," Agent Rester announced after taking his seat.

A few questions had been a meaningless expression. They must have asked a hundred questions, wanting more specific details about the generalities they knew from the dossiers in front of them. They asked her more personal questions, some embarrassing, as if trying to paint a clear picture of her personality for themselves. The asked her questions that were simply her opinion like they wanted to understand how she thought and reasoned. Apparently they had performed an extensive background check on her, but they still felt it necessary to discover her merits as a person. They seemed to be taking this whole thing very personally as if they had an emotional stake in the matter. But why?

"Can I have some water?" Georgie asked upon being asked what her goals were for the next five years. She could barely think about tomorrow. So much of her life had been spent in experiencing the moment that she had not ever given much thought to the future. How many people quit school, giving up a secure, lucrative career to travel the world like a gypsy not knowing where her next meal would come from just to live every moment like it was her last if she was concerned about the future?

The black haired man returned with a glass, an actual piece of stemware, full of cold water. Georgie had expected a wax covered paper cup. She felt like a dignitary being given a crystal goblet that would be better suited for an expensive wine. That sounded enticing at the moment. A glass of fine, dry red wine to tickle her taste buds and soothe her frayed nerves. This whole process of being grilled like a prisoner, but more cordially sans the naked lightbulb hanging from the ceiling while being tied with rope to a chair, was still tiring and nerve wracking. She hoped a third interview would not be required.

"Miss Lathrop, the question," the handsome blonde Captain America lookalike prodded.

"I don't have any five year goals. I have a problem with planning for the future. The present is a gift as they say so that's why we should live for today, right?" she questioned them in a rhetorical fashion, finishing off the water in her glass. As government drones, she figured they had their bathroom breaks plotted out on a time schedule.

"Hmmmm," Mr. Rester hummed, closing the folder in front of him. "You will be the personal assistant to a man named Near. You can address him as Near or N. You don't have to refer to him as mister or sir or anything so formal. However, he is a seasoned agent and a grown man. Keep that in mind and remain respectful at all times. Your duties will go beyond the typical scope of being a PA. There will a bit more..." He paused, floundering to find the correct words. He did not want to sound like a covert pervert by choosing the wrong phrasing to explain her job position. "Private...special...intimate, I suppose you could say."

Georgie began to sweat. Was she being hired as a personal assistant or a professional whore? Her throat instantly dried out making it difficult to swallow the lump in her throat or to speak with her thick tongue that stuck to the roof of her mouth. "Just how personal of an assistant are we talking about, Mr. Rester?"

He nervously cleared his throat before speaking. Apparently his struggle to grasp the right words had failed. "As you recall, this is a live in position. Certain domestic duties will be required. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, and the like, in addition to your administrative duties at the agency. Your responsibilities at the office will include - "

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute," she interrupted, holding up her hand in a stop gesture to him. "Let me see if I'm understanding this correctly. I will be expected to be his live in housekeeper as well as his administrative assistant at work? Is that right?"

"Correct," he responded curtly. "Any other questions?"

"Are you being serious right now?" she demanded huffily, offended at this point. She stood to her feet, planting her fists on her hips. "How old is he exactly?"

"Twenty-eight."

"This can't be real. I thought I was going to be a nanny to a child, not babysitting a government agent at home and at the office. I'll always be at work no matter where I am. Are you kidding me?"

"See! I told you this was a bad idea," the woman with golden blond locks hissed angrily at her coworker.

"This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Georgie shrilled, slamming her palms down on the table. The glass jumped and rattled from the hard hit on the surface below it but it did not fall over.

"Would you like to meet Near? Maybe you will understand then," Rester said, his face looking strained, tense with emotion.

"Fine," Georgie grumbled, plopping back down into her chair.

The door opened and a young man walked in. They had told her he was twenty eight, but he looked much younger. She would have guessed late teens at the most, but he had lost the baby fat from his cheeks and had the defined jaw line of a grown man. He was short and slim, maybe three inches taller than her and probably weighed the same as her. His baggy light colored jeans and white button down dress shirt that was two sizes too big made him look even smaller. He was not wearing shoes, only white socks. He had shaggy, snowy white hair that was almost curly. He nervously twisted a thick lock around his index finger. His eyes were the dark gray color of a stormy sky. They met and held hers. He did not smile. His gaze was intense and unwavering as if he was looking into her very soul to judge her as a person.

"I don't need a babysitter," he said, his voice soft, almost breathy but undeniably outraged.

Georgie audibly gulped. Near looked terrified and helpless but at the same time angry and insulted. Obviously he did not like this whole situation either. He appeared to be a child trapped in the body of a man, not sure of how to handle himself. Tension spread through the room so densely it created an electrical charge in the air. There was no sound, not even of air moving, as if all of them were holding their breath.

"I don't want to be a babysitter," Georgie told him, standing up from her chair to move toward him. She stopped when his eyebrows drew together over his eyes as if silently warning her not to come any closer.

"Then why are you here? That's the job isn't it?" he grumbled, his angry eyes flashing to the three other people in the room. He glared at each one in turn.

Georgie developed the distinct feeling that Near felt betrayed by these people. She had no idea what was going here but judging by the extensive and bizarre interview process and the current sad expression on all of their faces, these people cared for him deeply. Like a family. They had worked together on such a close and intimate level, probably for a long time, that they had formed a family of sorts. They were asking her to join that family. She had never felt connected or a part of her own family and now her parents were gone. The whole situation seemed so sad and depressing, tugging at her heart strings.

"Don't you need a friend?" Georgie asked, drawing his attention back to her. "I will be your friend as well as your roommate and coworker. There's nothing wrong with finding someone to rely on is there? We all need a little help in life."

Near's expression softened, his eyebrows separating again as his anger dissipated slightly.

"I suppose a friend is good," Near mumbled, keeping his eyes on her.

"We can just try this for a while, see what happens. If you don't like me or I don't like you...well, then I can leave and you can find someone else for the task." Georgie smiled at him when his eyes met hers. His eyes did not register emotion, but there was definitely a lot going on there. He seemed to be considering everything about her, making calculations and finding conclusions in his brain that she did not understand.

"Okay," he said, moving to stand in front of her.

Georgie tilted her chin upward to keep her eyes on his. He was barely taller than her. Short for a man but a nice height in comparison to her. She liked the fact he was close to her size, not a giant in stature and brawn looming over her menacingly. Taking his hand in hers, she noted how soft and cool his palm was against hers. She shook his hand gently but with assurance because she could tell that he was unaccustomed to physical contact. "It's nice to meet you, Near. I look forward to getting to know you."

Anthony Rester breathed a sigh of relief. He leaned over to whisper triumphantly to Halle Lidner. "See, I told you she was the right choice."


Author's Note: I hope you like the story so far. Unfortunately, I won't be publishing chapters at such a fast pace in the future. I just happened to write these two together and wanted to publish them together since they hinge so closely on the other.