Chapter One

Ethan Nestor, recently unemployed, sat down at the table in his apartment, a stack of applications in front of him to fill out. He already had a lot of other applications ready to be turned in, but he liked to keep his options open. And after his failed attempt at being a waiter, he could throw out all other applications for wanted/needed waiters. He wasn't going to go through that humiliation again.

He had recently moved to the city and the job at the restaurant down the street from the apartment had been his only option at first. The restaurant hadn't required too much prior work experience and they had hired him almost immediately. It had been a pretty good job for a few months, but only when he had been the dishwasher. As soon as they promoted him to waiter, then the trouble started. He never would have thought he could get more clumsy than he already was. He couldn't go back to being the dishwasher, so the restaurant just let him go.

He had two friends living with him now, so the frantic race to find another good paying job wasn't required. He could go a couple of weeks before the rent would be too much for his friends to handle on their own. They understood his dilemma. Not everyone could find as good of jobs as they had. Brian worked as an assistant at a movie studio and Kathryn did an editing job at a news station. They enjoyed their work and got good money. Ethan was just waiting for his dream job to come along.

Ethan filled out a few more applications then got up to make himself a cup of coffee. He was putting everything away when Brian and Kathryn got home for the night. He made sure to make another pot of coffee.

Brian came home with a pizza for supper. "Any luck with jobs?" he asked, setting the box on the counter. "Or was today just filling out applications?"

"I'll drop some off tomorrow and hope for the best," Ethan said, taking out some paper plates.

"You haven't said yes or no about the party at the bar tonight," Kathryn said, getting herself a slice of pizza. "A night out could do you some good."

"I was kind of hoping for a night in," Ethan said. "Plus, the Colonel might be at that party." Colonel William J Barnum. Nice guy, but a bit eccentric. He had been trying to hire Ethan as an assistant for a few weeks now. Ethan had had his job at the restaurant as an excuse, but that wouldn't work for him now. He liked the colonel, but the last thing he wanted to do was work for him. Ethan didn't know any details, but he knew the colonel was always 'losing' assistants.

"You can't really believe the Colonel's gonna be hanging out at EVERY social gathering," Kathryn said as she sat at the table to eat her pizza.

"As long as he keeps hounding me for a job, yes," Ethan replied then got a couple slices of pizza. "He's obsessive. The type that won't stop even if he's told no."

"Then just take the job," Brian said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"My body could end up in a ditch somewhere," Ethan said. "Or in one of Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies."

"Dramatic," Kathryn murmured.

"I feel like you've forgotten the fact that he's 'lost' every assistant he's ever had," Ethan said. "He won't even talk about them!"

"I still think you should give it a shot," Brian said. "At least until you find a different job."

"Clearly you're not listening to me."

Brian chuckled around a bite of pizza. "You're just paranoid because you've heard rumors," he said. "I'm gonna take a shower. I'm going to the party." He headed for his bedroom, taking his slice of pizza.

"You really not going?" Kathryn asked. "It could be fun."

"I have applications to fill out."

"Stick in the mud," Kathryn said then left the room to go get ready for the party.

Ethan sighed. "Fine, I'll go!" he called out, knowing the others heard him by the laughter he heard echoing throughout the apartment.

The party wasn't really Ethan's scene, but he hadn't been able to hang out with his friends in a while. Of course, he would have preferred a different setting, but they seemed really interested in going to this party. But at least he was still enjoying himself. Whenever Brian and Kathryn were around. They were always bumping into other friends they wanted to catch up with. Ethan didn't mind too much. His friends had other friends where they worked. But they always made it clear that the three of them would always remain best friends. That was all he needed.

Ethan sat in a booth in the corner as Brian and Kathryn mingled about. He wasn't trying to be conspicuous until he noticed the Colonel walk in with his own group of friends. Hopefully Ethan would be lucky and the Colonel wouldn't spot him.

Too late. Ethan knew getting up to get a drink from the bar had been a bad idea. The Colonel excused himself from his friends and cornered Ethan at the bar.

"I heard you were let go," the Colonel began. Already a bad start. "Terrible business, that. Have you given any thought to my proposal?"

Ethan wanted to come up with some other excuse, but everything failed him. "To work for you," he said, the Colonel nodding along with every word. "I have thought about it, but I don't really think I'd be the best -"

"Nonsense!" the Colonel interjected. "You're a fine lad, you'd make a great assistant! And now would be the perfect time to come aboard. I"m leaving for the Amazon in a few -"

"Now's just not a good time, Colonel," Ethan said. "I have other jobs I'm looking into. Anything could call me back..." He trailed off when he noticed the Colonel go quiet.

"I see how it is," the Colonel said after a few more minutes of silence. "You're worried that I'll find fault in your lack of experience."

Ethan chose not to take offense at that. The Colonel was eccentric, but he never meant to be rude on purpose. At least, that was what Ethan told himself. "I...guess," he said slowly, unsure how to react.

"No worries," the Colonel assured him. "You can't be any worse than my last assistant. I haven't seen him in weeks!" He gave a hearty laugh.

Ethan chuckled nervously. The Colonel didn't seem to catch on to his discomfort.

"I'll give you a few days to think about it," the Colonel said. "If another job doesn't come up, you know where to find me!" He clapped Ethan on the back then went back to join his associates.

Ethan didn't bother mentioning that he didn't, in fact, know how to contact the Colonel. He grabbed his drink and headed back to his booth, seeing that Brian and Kathryn were now sitting there. He took the seat next to Kathryn, across from Brian.

"This the part where we congratulate you on your new job?" Brian asked. They had seen him talking to the Colonel.

"He gave me a few days to think about it," Ethan said. "I know I'll feel bad for giving him a flat-out no, but I know that that's gotta happen."

"He's probably telling his cronies that he's finally hooked you," Kathryn said with a small chuckle. She laughed more when Ethan gave her a not-so-serious glare.

"If you wanna get your mind off the Colonel, I'm going out with some buddies from work in a few minutes," Brian said. "You can come along if you want."

Ethan hadn't even been interested in coming here. And Brian was going out again? "I'm done for the night," he said. "I've got applications to turn in tomorrow. But you have fun."

"All right," Brian said. "Kathryn?"

"I have to be up early," Kathryn said. "I'm already pushing it. I'm going home with Ethan."

"Don't wait up for me," Brian said then stood up and left.