Scene One: The Interview

“I'm looking for work.”

“That's usually the purpose of interviews. May I see your resume, Miss...”

“Eris.”

“Ms. Eris, then--”

“Just Eris.”

“Your resume, Eris.”

“I don't have one.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Mr. Tilo adjusted his spectacles and leaned over his mahogany office desk. Light streamed through the large windows behind him and cast an attractive glow over the face of the woman seated before him. He laced his fingers together and rested his pointed chin on them. His eyes may have been weak enough to warrant the need of glasses, but his scrutinizing gaze did not miss many details. As far as outward appearances went, Ms. Eris seemed very practical and even slightly elegant, a rarity in a backwards town such as Riverton and a quality Mr. Tilo especially admired in people and cultivated in himself. However, there was also something unsettling about her appearance that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Perhaps, it was the her eyes. Not just her eyes, but her eyes in addition to everything else about her. Her hair was long, dark, pulled up into a pile of coils and curls on the top of her head. The pins that held it in place were turquoise. A couple seemed to have fallen out and let some of her hair rest against her cheeks. A turquoise amulet hung near the base of her neck. Her tank top was black, as were the jeans that clung to her legs. Mr. Tilo wondered if it wasn't the black that made him wary, not just in her clothing and hair but in her eyes. Her eyes were nearly as dark as the lashes that swept around them, however when the light from the windows was right, Mr. Tilo fancied he could see a hint of blue in them.

But then, perhaps it wasn't her eyes so much as her strange shoes that put him on guard. Nowhere in Riverton could one find such things. They were knee high boots of dark red leather lashed together with black ties. They had thick soles but no high heels. If they had boasted any kind of spiked heel, Lord knew that Mr. Tilo would never have let the woman in the front door.

“Well, it has always been my policy to hire only those with resumes and references and prior work experience. This is after all the largest general store in town, and although this town is small, still in my own way I have built something of importance. It would be foolish to allow just anyone access to my success. One mistrustful employee can bring heaps of trouble on an old man. I do hope you understand.”

“I understand perfectly, Mr. Tilo. But you are going to hire me.”

“If you believe that, I'm afraid I am not articulating myself as best as I could be. You see--”

“Mr. Tilo, I admit that I am new here. My... My family and I, we travel a great deal. Just last month, I was in Wyoming where I worked for a spell as a waitress at a cafe that sold apples and chocolate and sandwiches and boxes of thread. Before that, I was in Montana where I helped care for horses and was taught how to ride properly. Then before that, it was New Mexico, I was a clerk at a jewelry shop that was run by a Native American man who made me the turquoise trinkets I wear. Lovely man, it pained me to leave him, but my life... my... my family requires that I stay in one place no longer than I need. I am a hard worker and I learn quickly. I want to work here, and you want me to as well.”

Now that he thought about it, perhaps the boots weren't the problem. Mr. Tilo considered it and decided that her ears were what bothered him most. They were filled with so many hoops and bangles and little turquoise studs that it was simply indecent. He wondered, what kind of name Eris was anyway. It sounded foreign. There was no need to be hiring foreign workers. Although, it also had a ring of wealth to it. A wealthy young woman would be able to afford that much jewelry. Ingratiating himself to the daughter of some wealthy traveler could be an intelligent business move. Her family may be in... in what? What sort of job requires constant movement? Military? No one could get rich that way.

He smiled, twitched his fingers. “Perhaps if you could give me the phone numbers of the companies where you were previously employed we could arrange something...”

“That won't be possible.”

“Why is that?”

Silence.

“Well, how long do you plan to stay in Riverton? I'm not looking for an employee who is only willing to work a week or two.”

“I'm not sure. I will be here until my family and I assure ourselves that we have met everyone worth meeting.”

“A strange goal, indeed.” Mr. Tilo muttered. That did sound like the kind of remark a socialite would make. Not that he knew many. Ever since he'd moved to this god forsaken plot of land, high society had been lost to him. Don't know why I ever left New York, he thought.

“I'm a strange girl. But an honest one.”

“Is that so? Well, Eris, I just don't know what to say.”

“Give me a chance.”

“I suppose it couldn't hurt. Can you start work tomorrow morning?”

She nodded and pushed back her chair. “Thank you.”

Mr. Tilo walked with her across his office and pulled on the brass doorknob. A yelp of surprise made him jump back as a young girl toppled into the room, blonde hair and pale limbs flailing.

“I'm so sorry! I was just leaning against the door, you know, resting and just, not listening to what you were saying, at all, just resting there and ...” The girl picked herself up and straightened her hair. She was flushed with embarrassment at having been caught eavesdropping. She bit one painted lip to hide a grin. “So, you're hiring her?”

“Ms. Eris, my daughter, Claudia.” He frowned and steered Eris around the check out counter and sent her toward the glass door that led to the street.

Claudia followed quickly. She grabbed the handle of the door as if to open it for the stranger but instead held it closed. “You're new here. Did you come with the Gypsies?”

Eris smiled and winked, pried Claudia's fingers free, and slid out of the shop. “I'll see you in the morning, Mr. Tilo, and thank you. Claudia, it was good to meet you.”

Mr. Tilo shot his daughter a confused look. “What gypsies?”

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