Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Too Close for Comfort ❯ First Impressions ( Chapter 5 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ. Too bad ):

A/N: I've been working on this chapter for quite some time and now it's finally done! Sorry for the wait. Thanks for the reviews! :) Sorry that this updating process is going a little slow, but I do intend to finish this!

11/27/11 Revised and edited.



Too Close For Comfort




Chapter Five: First Impressions




Bulma looked out the window of her car, her eyes out of focus. I should have brought a book. She glanced at the dashboard, rolling her eyes once she saw the time. It was still 11:45, and she was still too early for her interview. She had been waiting for fifteen minutes already. Even though she had taken ample time to get ready that morning, she had assumed it would take much longer to get to Seiya Corp than it actually had, and now she was left with time to sit and worry about the appointment. At first she had contemplated whether or not she should enter the building, show off her punctuality a bit and get it over with early, but she didn't want to seem too eager to be hired.

Always make them think you're about to be hired by someone else, but be civil about it. You don't want them to think you're wasting their time. Bulma smiled, mulling over Chichi's words. Setting a time, she settled on going inside at around 11:50 so she could give herself enough time to find the office in the massive building, because for all she knew she was going into the wrong one.

She was vaguely familiar with the massive structure that stood tens of meters away from where she was parked in the nearly-full lot, but she had never known what its purpose was. It was more of a modern design, a set of three buildings with a neatly designed logo, "CC" emblazoned on the side of the largest structure. Even now, she still didn't know what Seiya Corp actually did or meant, as Chichi had been generalizing a lot in her introduction. She instead referred to the sector of the city Seiya Corp was in, and what those companies did rather than what Seiya Corp itself did, or what her own job was specifically. She sighed, both out of exasperation with her friend's sparse descriptions and her growing apprehension.

She was anxious, but she reasoned that sometimes it was good to be nervous, if there's reason for it. Her nervousness wasn't unreasonable in the slightest, since she had never had a job interview before. Ever. She had never needed one. Whenever she worked outside of Capsule Corp, the employer knew her father and had either sent for her or she had been appointed to assist them. She imagined that in an alternate universe, where she hadn't let Chichi set up an interview for her and she had simply looked herself, any employer for a field similar to that of her father's would have simply heard her name and hired her on the spot. She felt very uncomfortable that she was applying for a job and she didn't even know what she would be doing, or whether or not her expertise in technology and computers would even be applicable. Chichi had assured her that her skills were related, but she was not so easily convinced. Office work did not seem in any way related to working with tools. She was normally so confident in her own abilities, why was she now so insecure that she was doubting her best friend's usually infallible words of reassurance?

She looked at the time. 11:47. She re-examined her perfectly manicured nails, overlooking a slight chip. She clasped her hands together and sighed, looking at them contently in an effort to center herself. She allowed her thoughts to come freely. It's not like this is the end. If I don't get hired, it's not my fault, they just figured my skills wouldn't come in handy. I'm perfectly hire-able. It would be their loss, right? She smiled. Her jittery feelings had been wonderfully eased by her own reassurances rather than Chichi's, and she somehow felt triumphant.

She further reasoned that they would be absolutely bonkers not to hire her for whatever it was they were interviewing her for. She could do anything she put her mind to, and when it came to earning her own independence, Bulma knew that her motivation would take her to success if properly utilized.

But...

She shook her head and decided that it was futile to wait in the hot car anymore, as it was becoming like a sauna and her interview was coming up. She was beginning to get the feeling that her makeup was melting off. Stepping out, she made her way across the parking lot, feeling very out of place, being the only one walking in at the time. She heard the click-clack of her heels and nothing else, inwardly worrying and wondering if everyone who saw her knew she was going into an interview. She then dismissed this thought because everyone must be inside by then, there couldn't be anyone looking at her. Then why did she have a feeling like there was?

...But am I doing this for... Me?

Her warped mirror image surfaced on the door of the building, broken and distorted. She was dressed impeccably, and she meant business. Bulma wanted to adhere to business casual without looking like a schoolteacher, so she added in some twists to emphasize her sense of style. Thankfully her skills in fashion enabled her to dress herself up and look sexy, but not tartly. She let a smile pass her lacquered lips, reminding herself that she looked great and there was no need to worry about impressing anyone, since she was sure to exceed expectations.

She slid through the revolving door, greeting the doorman and security man at the main desk, both who happened to be staring a bit too attentively, which did not go unnoticed by Bulma. The doorman approached her, asking "Do you have a badge?" while holding a scanning device in one hand.

She shook her head. "My name is Bulma Briefs, I'm here for a job interview. Actually, would you mind directing me...?" She innocently pointed to the elevator.

The man nodded and shrugged, putting the scanner back in his pocket. "Who is your interview with?"

"His name is Vegeta." She said after contemplating for a moment.

The guard looked surprised. "Vegeta? Really? Oh, what department is he in now?" He said, sharing a chuckle with the doorman..

"I've forgotten the exact name, but I think the extension for the office phone 147 or something like that, if that helps," she said. Shouldn't they know?

"Just hold on one moment." The doorman seemed a little apprehensive in approaching the desk to make the call, glancing back once at her and smiling, and by the time he made it to the desk the security guard was already on the phone. Bulma smiled politely. Wow, I must look good today.

The phone rang loudly on speaker , both the doorman and the security guard standing over it protectively, seemingly jumping to get the call over with. Finally, a click.

"...Hello?"

Bulma heard a young, naive-sounding male voice on the other line. She laughed a bit to herself. Could this be the notorious Vegeta that Chichi had been talking nonstop about lately? She could hear nothing but kindness in the man's voice.

The doorman quickly replied in a shaky voice. "Yes, there is a woman named Bulma Briefs here to see you, Vegeta... Where should she-"

"Oh, this isn't Vegeta. It's Goku. You guys still haven't changed the extension numbers?"

The security guard's disposition visibly brightened, as did the doorman's. Their tone automatically switched from cautious to cordial."Oh, Goku! We haven't called up there in so long we forgot about the switch-up. Listen, could you let Vegeta know someone's here to see him? I really don't want to call his office, but that's kind of the reason I'm supposed to be calling in the first place..."

Uh oh... Bulma's thoughts raced. So that wasn't Vegeta. Vegeta is actually the guy that even the security guard was afraid to call, so much that he was absolutely relieved when someone else picked up the phone, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. She could hear the security guard babbling on about something in the background while she was absorbed in her own thoughts.

"...So Vegeta's office is on the 26th floor now, right? I wasn't sure if he had moved down from the 49th yet so I was unsure whether or not to change it."

"Dude, that was like over a year ago, you'd think you would have fixed it by now."

"No way! I bet that guy's enjoying the silence since his extension hasn't been rerouted, ha ha ha ha!" A loud booming laugh escaped from the security man's mouth. She listened a bit closer and could hear the man on the other line laughing rather loudly and boisterously on the other line. She rolled her eyes. What goofs.

A crackle, then the kind voice again. "Sure, I'll let him know she's here. I'll come and get her, okay?" Bulma put her hand up, sputtering in an attempt to articulate an appropriate answer in time, but the security guard let the line drop with a flick of his hand, oblivious to her attempts to insist that she could take herself. Once both of the men looked up at her again, she pasted on her polite smile and thanked them for their assistance. She walked to a small sitting area and decided to take a seat on one of the several comfortable-looking chairs, but she frowned a bit once she realized they were a little stiff once used.

Bulma glanced at her watch. 11:59. What little time she had left to herself she quickly opted to utilize by looking around at the intricate decorations in the lobby, complete with white tile and a fountain as if it were a hotel of sorts. The lobby was almost empty like it was a typical separate office building rather than that of a corporation. The lack of activity struck Bulma as being suspicious rather than serene, the only sound in the lobby being that of the trickling fountain and the meaningless work-chatter taking place between the doorman and the security guard. The frigid atmosphere, along with the cold air blowing through the A/C vent right above her, made Bulma wish she had brought a longer sleeved work jacket rather than a trendy one that ended at the elbows.

She had realized days before that she didn't have many work outfits to choose from, since it used to be that she could wear whatever she wanted to work and there would be no repercussions for inappropriate clothing. Hell, she had even worn overalls with nothing on underneath while working on a project outside one time! All though it was, arguably, a very hot day and she didn't do it for attention... Well, not purely for attention, anyway, that was just an additional benefit. From her old closet, she did manage to pick out a cream-colored suit, with a skirt ending right above the knee. She also wore a bustier-style pink top covered by a trendy jacket with a ruffle, which made the top look a thousand times more decent in her opinion, since all of her previously displayed cleavage was now modestly covered to the point of what she defined as tastefulness. She had also managed to snag a nice pair of Jimmy Choo shoes from her mom's closet that happened to match the outfit. She went a bit more natural on the makeup that day to finish her overall transformation into "office girl", complete with long flowing hair and a hair tie around her wrist, in case it got too hot.

She scanned through all of the questions that Chichi had quizzed her with earlier that morning.


-


"Ok, Bulma, we're going to have a practice interview."

"Chichi, it's 8 in the morning, how am I supposed to answer intelligently? Can't we do this later?" Bulma whined. She shuffled over from her kitchen counter in her fluffy slippers and robe, flopping down into her chair, and laying her head down on the armrest.

"Come on. 8 o'clock isn't even that early. If you end up getting hired he might have you come in even earlier than that just for kicks, being the evil bastard that he is."

Bulma took a long sip of coffee, looking up at Chichi as she drank. She put the mug down. "So, what are we doing, here?"

"I'm going to give you some examples of the questions he might be asking you. Just common interview questions. You'll answer honestly first, and then we'll go over what the best way to answer would be."

"Let's do it!" Bulma said in an attempt to be enthusiastic, stretching her arms above her head.

"All right. What are your weaknesses?" Chichi said in a pleasant voice. Bulma sat in thought, then smirked.

"Well, I'm vain, headstrong, and sometimes a total bitch just because it's fun and I like to control people. Perfect for an office job, right? Next question!"

"...You can't be serious."


-


Bulma giggled to herself. Chichi had only been over for half an hour because she had to go to work, but the prep that she was given in that short amount of time was still very helpful, even if she messed with her a lot. After all that, Bulma bombing the interview and not getting the job would be even more of a disappointment, especially because of all the trouble Chichi was going through to ensure that she would do well. Just as she turned her head to see the time again, she heard the elevator door slide open with a ding, and after subtly readjusting her clothes she stood, turning around to meet... a giant.

Bulma had never considered herself short. At 5'5, she thought she was pretty average in height for a woman, although she was sometimes mistaken to be a little shorter due to her small frame. Even so, at the moment she was wearing 3 inch platform heels and she still felt absolutely dwarfed by the man in front of her. A bald man, whose height certainly rivaled Yao Ming's, and whose weight distribution was similar to a professional wrestler, stood in front of her, wearing a obviously custom suit and looking totally uncomfortable in it. He looked down at her, frowning.

"Move." He barked.

Bulma then realized her current position wouldn't really be in the large man's way, but since he was the type of guy who apparently needed his space, she scurried to the side, watching him pass in fear and bewilderment. She turned, open-mouthed, watching him walk out the door. How can a person possibly get that big?

A kind voice interrupted her thoughts. "Oh, are you Ms. Breifs?"

Bulma turned around and saw a man who was tall, yet not as humongous as the guy he came out of the elevator with. Large spiky hair made him seem even taller, but she guessed he was still about 6'4. She then realized she had been asked a question. "Oh, yes! Yes, I'm Bulma, please call me Bulma," she said cordially, reaching out her hand only to be met in midair with his reaching out at the same moment. They both smiled at one another. Bulma felt a strange warmth resonating from him and felt very comfortable in his presence.

"So, shall we? Wait, ah, I'm Goku. Nice to meet you." He fumbled a bit, but finished his introduction off with a smile. Bulma giggled a bit, not used to his casual way of speaking but accepting it and feeling very relaxed by it. She began to get little butterflies in her stomach, her interview looming closer. She was adamant in ignoring them, even as she felt the pangs of anxiousness slip their way through her mental block.

"Nice to meet you, too. And yes, let's get going, I don't want to be late." She led the way into the elevator, watching as Goku pressed the button marked "26".

As the door closed, the tall man with the kind voice looked over to her with a caring smile. She felt caught off guard by his constant smile as he asked her, "So, not trying to be rude or anything, but I didn't know we were hiring... Any other reason why you're here?"

Bulma laughed a little at the question. While it could be interpreted as rude in its delivery, she just found it to be overly casual, but his intent was clear enough and she didn't mind since she could see he meant well. "Oh, no, I am here for a job interview. I have a friend who works here who put in a good word for me, so, here I am." She gripped her Burberry organizer a little tighter than before, hoping she'd be able to relax before her interview. Her veins were pumping blood so fast she could feel her heart pounding in her ears.

"Oh, gotcha. Who's your friend?" He asked curiously. Bulma looked up at him. His smile was so sweet and open, yet she felt she could tell him anything and he wouldn't utter a single word. She returned the smile, this time with a sweet one of her own. What a nice guy! They had barely spoken, yet she already felt as if she had known him for longer, even though her nerves weren't allowing her to show her appreciation of his kind demeanor, let alone reciprocate it. She inhaled and exhaled slowly.

"Her name's Chichi. She's been working here for awhile, so-" She stopped after noticing it had become difficult for Goku to breathe. She patted him on the back as he had a coughing fit. "Are you all right?"

"*cough* Yeah... *cough* I'm fine... Thanks, Ms. Breifs. I mean, Bulma." He gave her another grin and cleared his throat as the elevator door opened to the 26th floor. She gave him a worried look. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself and focus her energy, but as she opened them to follow Goku, she ended up lagging behind as she became very distracted looking around the office and all of the life it possessed.

The large floor divided neatly by cubicles seemed filled with stacks and stacks of papers with things scribbled or typed all over them, from sketches of gadgets to sheets covered in text with red markings all over them. Bulma tried her hardest to navigate her way through the maze and weave between the many people walking around doing one task or another. Even with Goku as her guide, she was quickly getting caught up in the urgency that everyone seemed to possess, moving around like ants doing labor for their queen.

To her surprise, even though everyone seemed to be pretty busy, everyone still took the chance to stop to look at those who had just arrived in the elevator, especially the unfamiliar blue-haired one. She simply glanced around at them, unsure of how to react, in the end giving them little to go on, not even allowing the first impression to take root in their memories. While she would normally be a social butterfly in this type of situation, running about and introducing herself to anyone and anything that moved, regardless of the appropriateness of the setting, she had thought beforehand that it would be best to keep to herself for now. If she did get the job, she would go back to her chatterbox ways, she assumed, but combined with her inner self keeping her behavior in check along with her nerves tightening with each step she took, it wasn't difficult to fold into herself.

She must have zoned out, for the next thing she knew they had crossed the large, jam-packed room and were now standing in front of a glass door. Her eyes did not focus on looking through the glass, but instead stared at its slightly reflective surface, examining herself but finding that she had nothing to nit-pick regarding her current appearance. Even thought she approved, she didn't even let it give her a confidence-boost, as her mind was closed to just about everything except what was about to happen. Goku looked down at her and stepped back with a small hand motion. She smiled and nodded her thanks. She knocked twice, softly enough to not be disturb but loud enough to get some attention. Directly afterward, she heard a soft and distant voice.

"Bulma! Psssst!"

She turned around and saw Chichi sitting at a large desk about twenty feet away. Distracted, she started to walk over to say hi, but then realized she was there for an interview and had already knocked on the door and had no time to talk, so she just waved. Setting her mind on her current task she turned around to see Goku standing right in front of her, opening the door. She felt a little silly, stepping into the glass-encased office after him, but she finally peeked out from behind him to look around the room, her eyes immediately drawn to who she could only assume was Vegeta. No thoughts registered in her mind at that moment except her sudden flood of determination. She would not lose!

"Hello, I'm Bulma Breifs!" Even though she spouted that line as reflexively as possible, as she had rehearsed it many times, she felt sincere in her excitement to have finally arrived to meet the man himself. Strangely, she felt herself smiling brighter than usual as she looked Vegeta over, watching him stand and approach her.

Rather than a dangerous tyrant, he looked a bit thunderstruck for a couple of seconds before he finally outstretched his hand to meet hers. With her heels on, she was only slightly taller than him, yet the hair spiking out from his head, similar in color and wildness to Goku's, seemed to make him appear much taller, along with his slimming, form-fitting business suit. He was impeccably dressed, she noticed; a three piece gray Zegna suit buttoned up in an avant style. She could guess that he was paid well and took good care of himself, for he seemed to be well groomed and he seemed to ooze aristocracy and also arrogance, solidified by a facial expression like he was to be looking down at her even thought their faces were level. He looks nice. Bulma was impressed that he was so clean cut. Perhaps obsessive-compulsively clean-cut, but fastidiousness was never a bad trait in Bulma's eyes. For some reason the first thing she noticed about him before even evaluating his clothes or stature was his smell. His entire office had a certain smell, but she was sure it wasn't cologne, at least not any that she had ever smelled before... What could it be? She took a deep breath, allowing herself to relax. Air freshener? Body odor? It didn't matter, for it calmed her, and she allowed herself to be encompassed in the feeling of calm that overtook her.


-


Chichi's shrewd eyes followed Bulma into Vegeta's lair, narrowing once she saw him shake her hand. She saw him falter for a moment and chuckled mischievously to herself. She had purposefully downplayed Bulma's appearance so he would be caught off guard, hopefully to her friend's benefit.

From her desk, she could see one of the chairs and the door along with a bit of area surrounding it, so she was glad that she would be able to watch Bulma, gauge her reactions, and perhaps tell if things were going well. This moment was even more anticipated by her due to the events that took place that morning for reasons she didn't want to think about due to their complexities. Quickly she dismissed the thought as more pressing matters came into play.

Vegeta, what are you doing? Her face is up there! UP!

The pencil Chichi had been holding snapped in half in her hand. She looked down, sighed, and tossed it into a drawer filled with broken pencils. She grabbed a new, fresh pencil, and sharpened it violently whilst glaring over at Vegeta in his safe little glass box. Did he have no manners? She had never seen Vegeta act that way around a woman. Even his more bodacious-looking assistants had never succeeded in getting a lewd glance from him, as much as they might have tried. Sometimes he made comments about certain things, but they never were inappropriate for the setting and he was never one to be caught looking. Thankfully, Bulma didn't seem to have noticed, and for the better. For Bulma's temper to flare up at a time like this would be disastrous.

Chichi sat up in her chair as she saw Bulma take a seat, however right as she sat she scooted her chair up, obscuring herself from of Chichi's view, much to her dismay. Chichi pouted, sitting back. I guess I'll have to wait until later to hear how things went...

The interview wasn't all Chichi was worried about, after what happened that morning she couldn't keep her thoughts straight. She had gone through the same spectrum of thoughts so many times her head was spinning from going back and forth between her office persona and her true, unbelievably stressed self.


-


Earlier that morning


Chichi made her way into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, stopping when she encountered Nancy tampering with the coffee maker, obviously in distress.

"What's up, Nancy? Is it broken?" Chichi asked with unexpected interest.

Chichi had left Bulma's apartment that morning and she was absolutely glowing with excitement. She was confident that Bulma was qualified enough for the job and now all she had to do was win Vegeta over, which would be harder than her optimistic friend thought. Chichi had little doubt regardless. She knew Bulma could pull off anything if she put her mind to it.

Chichi thought she had asked Nancy a simple question that would require one, maybe two words at the most in response, but after another moment watching Nancy fiddle with the coffee maker, Nancy turned to her, and Chichi immediately realized that something was very wrong. Nancy at first smiled at her in an odd way, but when she opened her mouth to speak, her voice cracked and suddenly erupted into a sob that she quickly contained, but her tears betrayed her as they spilled out of her eyes.

Chichi gasped in surprise and quickly guided her to turn back towards the coffee pot so that people wouldn't see her, their backs to both the office and the door to the kitchen. She wrapped her arm around Nancy's back in an attempt to comfort her unprovoked breakdown, watching in sadness and pity as Nancy struggled with stifling her sobs. Chichi was panicked, but tried the best she could to stay calm. "Ohhh, it's all right. Just take a few deep breaths... It's okay. You're all right." She patted Nancy soothingly on the back, digging frantically in her pocket for the handkerchief that Bulma always teased her for carrying. As the reality of the current spectacle hit her, she took a moment to step outside herself and wonder, 'What the hell is going on?'

Nancy slowly calmed down, taking large, shaky gasps that came with small hiccuping noises as she tried to soften her sobs. Chichi kept murmuring small words that didn't mean much of anything, but always seemed to calm people down whether they were related to the situation or not. She didn't ask what happened, she just waited for the young blond girl to calm herself. She quickly grabbed the coffee maker as a distraction and began tinkering with it with no real intent in mind, only as a precaution to mask what was really happening. Some things were necessary in order to fend off the women in the office who had nothing better to do than feed off the random drama that came up every once in awhile. After a couple minutes, Nancy was breathing normally but kept drying her tears at regular intervals. Nancy breathed a soft "Thank you," that was almost too quiet for Chichi to hear, but she nodded in acknowledgment all the same. Nancy gulped rather loudly, then took a deep breath.

"I... d-don't think I can work here..." She said quietly, almost a whisper, but her voice kept cracking and a louder, deeper voice would slip through. Her words were punctuated by wiping her eyes or a small sniffle. Chichi's eyebrows drew together in concern and confusion.

"Why? What happened?" She inquired timidly, not wanting to force anything out of a young woman who was so distressed. What could have possibly happened? She had heard about girls coming out of Vegeta's office crying, but she had never been involved in whatever was happening. She suddenly felt a burning fire of indignation raging inside her belly. She gritted her teeth. Bastard! What could he have said this time to make another poor girl cry?

Nancy paused for a moment, then began. "I d-did everything like normal, just like he told m-me to... Sometimes I lingered a little too long, b-but I just wanted to help him. W-well, this morning, everything was normal, nothing out of the ordinary, b-but... someone came into the office and wanted to see me. I c-came out and there was a man, a big, BIG man... in a business suit who..." She paused for a moment, taking a few deep breaths and fanning her face to dry her tears. Chichi nodded, encouraging her. "...This huge guy that I had never seen before, and he told me that Department 5 wanted to see me... on the 49th floor."

Chichi nodded again, giving her a moment to gather herself before she continued. Thoughts were racing through her head, possible connections with what she suspected and the subject at hand... The 49th floor? Wasn't that where all the bigwigs did their business?

"What happened up there? What did they tell you?" Chichi asked quietly. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't trying to get information out of the distressed girl, but since her words seemed to comfort Nancy, she didn't see much harm in it when it came to the situation at hand.

"They only said... to be careful, to watch what was going on, that Vegeta..." Nancy cringed and shook her head wildly. "I can't do this!" She said loudly, letting her emotion get the better of her. Her tears now spilled out freely and she knelt down to the ground, her hands clutched to the counter, letting her sobs come out loud and clear. Chichi leaned down next to her and patted her on the shoulder, looking around, not sure what to do.

"What is it? What can't you do?" Chichi implored with concern.

Nancy only shook her head, taking several deep breaths. "I... have to get out of here!" She put her hands to her face and rubbed the tears from her eyes.

Chichi was at a loss. What else was there to do? "...I'll help you. Come with me."


-


Chichi put her head in her hands, suddenly getting a headache of surprising intensity. She had listened to the rest of Nancy's story on the way down to her car, and while Chichi had been completely emotionless during the telling of her ordeal, she was so distressed she couldn't believe she was still at work. The day felt like it should have been over hours ago, but sadly she wasn't even halfway there. There wasn't much left for Nancy to say except for that she had been confronted and told to watch Vegeta, but Nancy didn't seem to have the constitution to put up with such intimidation, as she had broken down almost immediately, begging to go home. They had let her go back down to continue as if nothing happened, but she couldn't do it. Chichi's conclusion was that Vegeta had sent her up there to be spoken with regarding her behavior of following him around like a puppy-dog, and then it had backfired, but now it seemed like things were far more complicated than she had imagined. Thinking back, that didn't make much sense since Vegeta would have been able to put a stop to that behavior himself, and there would have been no need to report her, but what else was she supposed to have thought?

What made the situation even confusing was Vegeta's reaction. Promoting her? She had been sure she would be fired. That was the main reason why she felt such a strong sense of isolation. Before her talk with Vegeta she had been certain she would be out of this place, so to be thrust back into it in an even higher position than before (the specifics of which she was as of yet unaware) was mind-numbing, just inconceivable on her part.

Just how does Vegeta's mind work?

Every reaction the opposite of what it should be, little appreciation for niceties in conversation... Wasn't this what professionals called emotionally disturbed? She knew for a fact that his act as a social bumbler was a facade and he acted that way purely out of enjoyment to see others squirm. His sadistic behavior was strange, and if he had always been that way, why would he be put into a position of power if he had such a cruel personality? Then again, why was Chichi continuing to put up with him? Out of curiosity to figure out exactly what Seiya Corp was about? Was it even worth it anymore?

She felt stressed and tense. There were so many thoughts racing through her head she could barely think. She knew too much. She should have been fired. Set free. Instead, she was called into the office, her heart pumping at a million beats per minute, and told she was to be promoted. Then she was asked to leave and she would be given further instructions. In her shocked stupor, she was too stunned to ask any questions. She would give anything to go back into that office and shout "What the hell is going on?" right in Vegeta's smug little face, or just to ask him why she had been promoted.

She suddenly felt a great amount of pressure, almost like it was clenching her head in a vice. Should she resign? Why would she think that, suddenly? Nothing made sense anymore. What Nancy told her was like adding a completely different level of complication to her life, to her job, to her secret purpose. She was getting what she wanted, the truth, but why was she so disturbed by it?


-


Bulma always knew how important a handshake was. Your level of confidence always comes through your handshake, judging by how strong it is. If that idea held any bit of truth, Bulma deduced that the man she was about to sit down with for an interview must be an egomaniac. It wasn't too painful, but her hand tingled a bit from having been squeezed so tightly.

"...Vegeta. Sit." He gestured towards one of two chairs set in front of his massive desk, and as Bulma took her seat, she scooted her chair forward a foot or two. She felt as if this maneuver took him aback because he looked at her a little strangely, but she did not regret it. The chairs were simply too far away to have a good conversation. She set her organizer down on the floor beside her, folding her hands in her lap and crossing her ankles. While she might choose not to use them very often, Bulma Breifs was quite educated in the area of good manners and etiquette. She stared intently across the desk at Vegeta, keeping a calm smile and releasing what she considered to be good vibes. He was shuffling around his desk, looking at papers and then back at her for a bit.

He doesn't seem that bad. He seems civil enough.

Vegeta cleared his throat and sat back in his chair crossing his arms. "Well, shall we begin?"

She nodded and gave him a winning smile. "Of course." He did not smile back, but simply nodded and pushed aside a paper on his desk to allow himself to read something beneath it.

Ten seconds passed.

"We-"

"I th-"

They stopped and looked at each other, Bulma covering her mouth and Vegeta expressionless.

"I'm sorry, go said, removing her hands and looking down at them in her lap. He nodded again, but then took another ten seconds to speak. Those ten seconds were complete agony for Bulma. The awkwardness of it was unbearable, but she knew she was the only one feeling it, for Vegeta acted as if he was in his element rather than showing any discomfort. Her own uneasiness was becoming more and more difficult to mask. She watched his eyes as they moved across the paper, his brow furrowing.

It was somehow charming how his face remained still and serious while his hair shot out so wildly. "So." He finally looked up at her, stabbing her with his dark eyes. She kept her calm demeanor even though she felt like she'd been targeted by a sniper. "How old are you?"

She opened her mouth to answer quickly but she stopped. Why was he asking her these questions? Didn't it specify in her resume all of those personal details? She looked in his eyes again and her doubts went out the window. It must be to test her people skills or just to test to see if she was articulate or competent. Well, she'd show him! "I'm 26." Well, that was eloquent...

"You're a little young to be looking for an office job." Hanswered quickly, his baritone grating. She detected that his tone was a little condescending, but decided to ignore it. He must be messing with me, how is 26 too young? Chichi and I are the same age...

"Is it? I thought it was about time to get serious." She said amiably.

"Oh?"

"I've been working for my parents but I thought it was time to move on." She brushed some hair behind her shoulder and crossed her legs. This comment seemed to catch his interest, for she saw a strange spark of recognition shine in his eyes, but it left as quickly as it came.

"Really."

"Yes, I thought it was time I lived independently and made my own way. I can't rely on their kindness forever." She said truthfully, with some sadness, an emotion she hadn't intended to portray at all in the interview. He either didn't catch it or didn't care because he simply ran his hand through his hair and continued asking her more questions.

"What did you do?"

The question had little intonation and it was difficult for her to decipher what exactly he was referring to, but she came up with what she considered to be a satisfactory answer. "I worked with tools. My father is an inventor and I helped him research and build his creations." She decided not to embellish what the work actually was, for if he wanted details regarding a job having little to do with the one she was seeking, he could very well ask.

Vegeta's eyes lit up even brighter than before, and he sat up in his chair in a mixture of surprise and realization. It was the most emotion Bulma had seen him show since the interview began. While he looked surprised for a moment, his voice stayed stagnant. "...Really? By any chance, are you the daughter of-"

"Dr. Briefs of Capsule Corporation? Yes, I am." She said proudly with a smile.

"I see." Vegeta leaned back in his chair once again, gears turning in his head, biting on the end of a pen and looking directly down at his desk. Bulma was unsure of what to make of his reaction, but after a long pause she decided to interject upon his thoughts, whatever they were.

"But, that's not the type of work I am seeking. This is an office job, isn't it?" She asserted with a hint of defensiveness. Vegeta picked up on it perfectly and responded almost as quickly as she ended her sentence.

"No no, it's not relevant..." He smirked at her. "Simply interesting." She was caught off guard and again didn't know how to reply, disarmed by his smirk. They sat like that for awhile, a strange atmosphere surrounding them, just looking at one another; Bulma sitting without words, and Vegeta's mind spinning with a trademark smirk plastered on his face, neither of them backing down for a moment, their eyes locked with one another. Finally, Bulma shot back a smooth smirk of her own, wiping Vegeta's off his face in the process.

"So, any more questions?" She asked.

"Tch." Vegeta shook his head, for what reason Bulma didn't know.. Once again, she felt uncomfortable and odd, a feeling possessing her that she couldn't quite describe. Emptiness. Could it be a strong, overwhelming desire to run away? But why? The comfort she had felt upon first entering his office had completely dissipated, replaced by unease. Vegeta picked up her resume and scanned it for a moment, then looked up at her again. "So, if you've never had any experience in working in an office..." His face was deadpan, his tone now obviously condescending. "Why should I hire you?"

She paused in thought for a moment, then answered. Chichi had prepared her for this, for the discomfort she would feel in his presence, for the questions he would ask, and what she should say. "I am diligent, eager to learn, and a fast worker, all traits that are necessary for working in an office, and I am sure that I'll succeed at whatever you put in front of me. I'm very driven, and..." Bulma paused, about to say more, but was interrupted.

"Usually..." He began, cutting her off. She was a little irritated but allowed him to continue out of respect. "...I'd say we'd call you in a couple of days, but since there's no one else being interviewed for the job, I'll ask you this." Hleaned forward in his chair, putting his elbows on the desk. "When are you available to come in and work?"

Bulma brightened. "Oh, anytime! I-"

"Perfect. You're hired."

"What?" Bulma was dumbstruck. That had definitely been easier than she thought it would be. "Really? For what position would I-"

"Don't be stupid. If you're so eager to work you'll do whatever job I give you." He said with another strange smirk on his face. "Since you'll succeed at whatever I put in front of you..."

Bulma snorted, and couldn't help a retort. "Yes, well, there's no need to be rude..."

He shrugged. "Come in tomorrow at 10 AM. My office. I'll see what job I can give you."

She suddenly jumped up from her chair as if a volt of electricity had struck her, and she couldn't hide her excitement. "Really? Oh, that's wonderful! Thank you so much!" She reached her hand out to shake his, but he simply looked at it, letting a moment pass before pushing it down gently with his own. His eyes cut into hers, but she maintained eye contact even though she felt strangely... revealed.

"Tomorrow. Be here." hand still on top of hers. He removed it but did not remove his eyes from hers until she broke the gaze.

She nodded to him as she made her escape, back-stepping to retrace her steps out of the boxy office that was becoming stifling. "It was nice meeting you, Vegeta." She gave him another smile, and he acknowledged her with a nod so slight it was difficult for her to notice that he had even responded to her in any way. She exited the office with a little sashay, immediately skipping over to Chichi to tell her the news. Vegeta watched her go out, expressionless. His mind was whirling.

That was easier than I thought it would be.

Everything is beginning to fall into place.


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A/N: Hope you enjoyed that long chapter. I'll try and update as soon as I can, but who knows when that will be, right? Please give me some reviews for motivation. :)

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