And there they sat, without a word in his car and on the way to the first appointment. Other than a painfully polite good morning, Erica didn't talk to him very much yet. Maybe he wouldn't do this job for long because she didn't really like him, and she wasn't even trying to get to know him. He found that he too had changed. Whether it was for good or for bad, he didn't want to decide. Even though he got cold feet last night, a phone call to his best friend was enough to get it off the table. Or at least, about writing to his new employer that he wants to quit again. Even if more Wendy cleared the doubts. It was her who pointed out to him directly that a woman can react negatively when she feels uncomfortable. She probably meant this example in particular, which somehow only seemed irritated by him. He knew why, but why couldn't Erica tell him that to his face. Kenny described it as nervous.
When he thought back to the evening on Saturday, he also had to admit that he found the relationship between the blond man and her interesting, if you could describe it that way. Perhaps because the others were chatting more and he was playing the observer a bit, he noticed that the two often touched. Here's an arm around a woman's shoulders. There was a hand that ruffled through blond hair. It seemed natural for the two of them to be so close as simple friends.
Her phone vibrated again. Probably for what felt like the hundredth time since she was in his car today and it drew his attention back to his passenger. The sound didn't bother him and she seemed like a popular person, too. But Kyle would prefer if she talked to him at least a little instead of just constantly texting back to someone else. The only thing she let on beforehand was the address of where it was going, like he was just a cab driver. At least the music from the radio distracts him a bit from the silence between them. They agreed beforehand, just by text message, that she would show up at his parents' house at 10am. Actually, he thought her day started earlier. To which she only briefly answered that he didn't necessarily have to watch her daily morning routine. He also kindly suggested that he could save her time if he picked her up from her home. Then he got another fleeting death glare. This could be really fun, he thought sarcastically to himself after he started the car.
At least one person was happy he was back in South Park. Namely his mother. He was still considering going to a hotel for the week. But then he would have to do it secretly. Unbeknownst to anyone who knew his parents, and in this town, nothing really stays a secret for very long. Well, maybe his mother wasn't the only one who thought his stay in the old hometown was great, because his other two friends told him that they could hang out in the evening if the strict boss allowed it. Which of course he will. That meant if he survived the first day without canceling everything and driving back to his apartment at the end.
And then there was this thing with Heidi. Because he didn't want to wait until she happened to run into him and he then had to explain why he was still in town. So he still wrote her a message on Sunday. She reacted to his job description rather plain, but she would think it would be nice if they could meet also again when his time allowed it. This time her choice of words was more indicative of a date and he really didn't know if he had the nerve for it right now. She seemed like a nice girl, but he still wanted to solve the matter with Erica first. Or at least try. His gut feeling told him not to start anything with Heidi beforehand. Whatever the woman wanted from him.
"So? What should I wear tomorrow then?" Kyle inquired, trying to strike up some sort of conversation, remembering her look and roll of her eyes as she scanned his clothes earlier. She didn't have to say anything because he understood that he didn't have a fashion sense like some people did. He didn't have time to follow trends or wanted to spend money on nonsense that he personally didn't like. Of course, his temporary boss showed up in a perfectly selected business outfit. Not too much jewelery or too colorful. This skirt and blazer were dark blue or turquoise. Somehow he couldn't really interpret it. A white blotch underneath. Hair pinned or braided back with a side parting. If she finally answered, he wouldn't have to think so much about her clothes. Although, he just started the topic himself.
"No idea. Glad you didn't show up naked. Do you want to be praised for that?" Finally a sound came out of her, but unfortunately he didn't like the mood at all.
"Please don't make this so difficult for me. Your look earlier spoke volumes about my appearance." And with the first sentence he didn't just mean his clothes, but everything that could follow in the near future.
"While we're on the subject of volumes, we're not going to a book flea market." Unfortunately, she continued to talk to him snotty.
"Oh shame. I could stock up on my shelf." After a slight sigh, he did the same, which must have irritated her a bit.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You didn't just tell me what to wear beforehand." So he explained in more detail. He was given virtually nothing in advance of what to expect today.
"Who could have guessed that you would show up like a shitty hipster?" Ok, this hit the redhead personally and he took a breath to give her his opinion too, but she wasn't done yet.
"Do you want another plaid scarf? And I bet I could do a man bun on your mop with a hair tie. The only thing missing is the beard." She added almost amused and he really tried to get rid of his three days of stubble. His hair wasn't long enough to complain, either. Otherwise his mother would have been the first.
"Sorry, but not everyone can be as good looking as you are." While he thought she had good hand with this and certainly put a lot of value in her looks, he still tried to tease her a little. After all, she started it.
"Oh yeah and .. Hm, it's already over there. Just behave, ok. Best not to talk much either." Kyle sighed again and drove to the parking lot he was shown.
"Should I stay in the car so I don't disturb you too much?" He added, even though he didn't feel like doing that all day.
"Now don't be so bitchy and get your butt out of the car!" That made Erica sound less mean than the previous sentences. He probably shouldn't let her go alone, even though he found she could put it nicer. For now, he swallowed his take on it and followed her.
"Yes, almost 11 o'clock in the morning. You can treat yourself to a drink there." Kyle tried to lighten the mood a little when he realized they were planning to enter a rocker bar.
"I would also like to make the situation with you better through alcohol, but the bar is not even open at this time. No, the first model I have to visit works here." Finally she gave some details and it wasn't long before a very young lady appeared who probably wanted to explain to him that they were closed but as the gaze fell on Erica, a smile appeared on the stranger's face. The two greeted each other and the dismissive attitude of before completely fell away from his companion. It was certainly the professional working mode of her.
"Did you bring your new lover? What a cutie." Of course, at some point, attention had to fall on him, who found the compliment quite nice, as it's been a while since he's heard anything like that. But of course that's not why he was here and his boss let him know immediately.
"That's just my temporary assistant. But enough about him. Have you got any mail yet?" And the two talked about a photo shoot that will probably take place soon. He didn't want to get too involved at first. Also because he wants to get as much information as possible. Eventually he figured Erica only did internet videos and nothing much with fashion outside of it. He thought about googling her, but decided against it because he wanted to know more about her first and not the person she portrayed on the internet. A lot of people who like to put videos online tend to play a character in front of the camera that they don't really embody in real life. And why should he be spying on her back when he was so close that he could sort out any inconsistencies himself. If only chatting with her didn't feel like he was walking on very thin ice.
"That went well." When they stood in front of the door again, the woman with him was probably speaking to herself, because he only heard it quietly.
"So you don't make only internet videos?" Now it seemed possible for him to speak up again.
"Hey, we're just as hard working people as anyone!" It came out a little harsh from Erica and he probably should have worded it better.
"I didn't mean it like that! I was just asking if you do .. other things. That with the photo shoot is not part of the standard program of an internet star." Although he said so, he knew nothing about the lives of such people. It's also been a while since he's followed someone online because he's consistently interested in what's being shown. Everything he liked reminded him either of his failed basketball career or of his ex-girlfriend.
"Not yet. But it could if this promotion goes well. It was hard work and I also owe a lot to my loyal fans who supported me from the start of this project. This is about my own fashion collection, if you want to know exactly. By trans people and for trans people. That's why I want the models who present these clothes in the store to be the same." When she talked about it, she seemed rather enthusiastic and he immediately believed that such an action is not easy to manage. He found that impressive too, but she was certainly less interested in his opinion.
"You want to let them wander around a store?" The redhead had to go to a few events like this himself because his ex also liked things like that. Back then, while still a rising and promising player, he was practically flooded with various invitations to events where he should be seen.
"Yes, Kyle. I want to push twenty people for twenty-four hours to look perfect." The addressee caught the sarcasm and rolled his eyes.
"No, there will be a photo shoot and there will be a little fashion show at the opening of the store." She then explained more.
"Is there any differences from other clothes?" If she really wanted him to play dumb, he could do that too. Though he had an idea of what the differences might be.
"Yes, because most things from designers have a really stupid cut. Everything always only fits a special type of persons. The rest of the world is unlucky. I want that, no matter what gender, you can still buy clothes from us that fit." As she said it, the derogatory attitude she had before completely fell away. Maybe she wasn't aware of it herself or she didn't hide it enough, but you could see that she was looking forward to it. As they walked back to the car, he accidentally glanced at her phone screen. Apparently they will visit a great many addresses today.
"And that's why I really wanted to have Butters with me and not you, so that everything runs smoothly." And just now the taller one of them both assumed that the ice between them was loosening a bit. But no, she had to cool down with him in front of the car.
"What makes him such a good assistant?" He asked half-seriously, half-jokingly and started the car when they were both back in the seats.
"He knows when to shut up!" Kyle then turned the engine off again, because this couldn't go on all day. He was just about to give her a piece of his opinion, but a stomach growled before him. And it wasn't his.
"Let's take a break and eat something." So he suggested with a sigh, because the drive to their first station probably took a while and the conversation in the bar also killed the time a bit, that it was now approaching noon.
"We don't have time for that. You'll have to put off your hunger until later." Erica downplayed the sound and even pretended it came from him.
"My stomach wasn't speaking up." Waiting, he looked at her while she stared at her phone.
"I don't know what you mean and now please drive, otherwise we'll delay our schedule." She didn't ask him nicely, but at least she mentioned the word please. So he did what was asked without further words. A few blocks away, he turned on the radio again, because his passenger probably wouldn't want to talk to him after all. She turned the music up and at first he thought she liked the song, but she was probably just trying to drown out her stomach growling. Stubborn woman, he thought and pulled over at the next bakery station and ignored her complaints.
"Here." After getting some grain rolls for himself because he didn't know what his parents had at home and when he was going there, he bought his boss a ham sandwich. He remembered what Cartman used to like to eat, but here it still had lettuce and cucumber on it. Waiting, he held out the paper bag to her.
"Thank you." It came out of her sheepishly after a short time and she looked rather embarrassed when her stomach rumbled again.
"It's allright. You could have said you didn't come to a decent meal this morning." He didn't want to make it harder for her and wasn't annoying about it.
"I was…too busy. Can we go on?" The taller one nodded and got his car rolling again after she announced the next destination. Only then did he remember that he should have spoken to Butters first, but he had an odd feeling about the guy. Maybe he was imagining it, but now that he was thinking about the class reunion again, the blonde man was talking to him strangely. They didn't exchange that many sentences, but it still seemed odd to him.
"Tell me..." Kyle tried to engage her in conversation again. But this time, he knew which way to go without upsetting her.
"Do what you want." His temporary boss simply interrupted him and now she looked out the window. In the moment it was difficult to interpret her expression and at the same time to pay attention to the traffic.
"What do you mean?" He asked uncertainly, because the mood felt strange again. Admittedly, nothing between them seemed normal to him today.
"Surely you still want to meet Heidi. You're a grown man, so you don't need my permission." He was answered as if it were clear to talk about at this now. That meant Erica kept the topic in the back of her mind the entire time. She could have just pretended not to remember that exchange, but she didn't.
"Ok." He added clueless, not really knowing how to deal with it. Of course, he wouldn't ask anyone if he really wanted to date someone. But he didn't have time to think about such things, because at their next stop, his boss was harassed by a shady guy. He was beginning to realize that Butter wasn't just hired as a living notebook by Erica. This 'fan', as the woman herself described it, acted more than a little rude. After all, she was human too, so you didn't have to pretend she belonged to the public.
"Are you alright? Should we call the police? Was that guy creepy. I thought he was going to cut off a strand of your hair to stick in his album or some shit like that." The redhead was feeling a little out of breath when they finally entered the skyscraper where the next model was probably lived.
"No, I'm fine." She just left him there, as if his commitment hadn't been necessary. He wasn't expecting a thank you or anything, but it bothered him a bit that she wasn't upset at all. If Erica doesn't feel like doing anything about it, that's her choice. Well, he's going to be by her side for a while today and no guy's going to get close to her on his watch. Maybe her schedule didn't allow doing anything about it and she certainly doesn't want anyone, even if it was a disruptive fan, to be an obstacle to this project.
After walking up one floor, he first noticed that they both actually walked several flights of stairs. After all, there was an elevator at the entrance. The Cartman from the past would have done anything to avoid such steps.
"Which floor do we have to go to?" He wanted to know in passing, because a little exercise for his legs was good for him, but too much of it was more of a negative thing. Especially for the leg that needed special treatment.
"The eighth." Erica's eyes were glued to her phone again. If she stumbled, it was her own fault, he thought and hoped that the elevator wasn't just in the apartments and at the bottom of the building.
"Then why don't we take the elevator? Was there something about a defect?" The man hated climbing stairs since his sport accident, because such things never went well for very long. But he didn't want to explain that to her right now and that's why he patiently looked around for the elevator after each further flight of stairs.
"You are saying that to me, or are you just kidding me?" Erica was getting snotty again and he didn't even give her a reason for the behavior. Being with her was like being on a roller coaster. The mood went up and down without him seeing it coming.
"No I do not want to. Who builds something like that that the elevator only reappears every three floors?!" Finally he found the next door to the elevator, breathed out a sigh of relief and pressed the button.
"And then I thought, an athlete like you would accept any challenge."
"Shouldn't we save time?!" After Kyle said that, he realized how sharp it sounded and felt sorry for it, even though that's exactly how she spoke to him earlier.
"I didn't mean it like that. So save time, yes, but.." He didn't even finish with his talking, when the door on the fifth floor opened again and a family with a stroller got into the elevator. Erica immediately made space and pushed him to the wall. But that wasn't enough. No, it got even tighter one floor up, because two older people climbed in addition to the three people and she slid still more closer to him. She was practically standing with her whole body pressed against him. Luckily only with her back, but he could still smell her good perfume or shampoo. He didn't have to be sure, but she smelled so pleasantly floral again. In his car he could hardly notice it. Probably because she opened the window earlier when she got in and it didn't even smell like smoke or anything in the vehicle. He didn't respond, assuming she was easily nauseous when driving.
"Sorry." She must be whispering because she stepped on his foot. He kinda wished she would stay on it, because the feeling was distracting from other things in his head. His attempt to look elsewhere didn't help either, because the man at the stroller nodded at him as if to congratulate him on the situation. After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the eighth floor.
"We have to get out of here." His voice seemed so loud in this silent elevator and he pushed himself out first.
"Of course. People are not deaf here." His companion said and apologized behind him that he had something like claustrophobia. It didn't matter to him, because he couldn't have endured being in the close quarters any longer. Something else would have gotten tight and he didn't want to complicate this working atmosphere. Even with women with whom he started something, this body-to-body pressing would have gone too quickly for him, because before that they hardly touched at all. Not that he planned such things. He shook his head trying to get it free. This elevator was clearly too stuffy. Without looking at her, Kyle asked if he could wait out here this time. Apparently that suited Erica quite well, because she said the next person she had to visit didn't get along very well with strange men. She didn't wait for more words from him and rang the bell where the next model probably lived. After a moment she was let in and he was left on the stairs with his stupid thoughts.