JUDE WAS HAVING A TERRIBLE MORNING. He woke to the sight of sun peeking through his curtains, which meant he had drastically overslept. He jumped to his feet in an instant, looking towards his alarm clock, sighing when he realized he still had three hours before he had to go to his interview.
Which meant he had absolutely no time to prepare.
"Ramona!" he called, rushing out of his room and into the living room which connected right towards the kitchen, catching sight of his roommate who was idly sipping coffee in only a large t-shirt.
He skidded to a stop, a painful feat on the carpet, splaying his hands out on the counter, shocking her slightly, and he was sure he was a shocking sight, still in his sleep clothes with his hair flattened on one side, which was something that only happened when he passed out so thoroughly on a night he was sure would have no work waiting for him in the morning.
Ramona didn't say anything, simply picking up the pot of coffee and reaching up towards the pantry behind her, grabbing Jude's favorite coffee mug and pouring it perfectly halfway, just the way he liked it, passing it over while motioning towards the extra niceties they had on hand.
Ramona Brigham had been his best friend in college after she approached him at a party he didn't want to be at and dumped a kitten into his arms, whisper shouting that it was their secret before jumping onto a pool table and dancing. Jude had waited until the party had ended to try and return the kitten, but couldn't find her then, which led to a three-day long search across campus for the girl, finally finding her in a sorority house putting up flyers around the neighborhood for a lost kitten.
Now they were living together, which was fun, except for all the times that it wasn't, but Jude was glad for the company and the split rent, and Ramona liked being in charge of someone's fun levels, so they balanced out each other nicely enough.
"I have an interview in three hours," he said, not looking as he went through his usual routine of getting his coffee set up, "Breanna gave me the directions, but it's on the opposite side of the city, which means I have to take the train, but the train is always slow, and I'm not physically or mentally prepared, and I don't even know who I'm going to be working for, because Breanna told me it isn't Obadiah Stane, he's just the one who's holding my interview."
"First off, the whole reason you got sacked is 'cause you kept calling her Breanna, you seriously need to not do that anymore," Ramona said, holding up a finger, and Jude only sighed and rolled his eyes because he already knew that, but it was too hard to break.
"Second," she continued, holding up another finger, "Obadiah Stane? Do you seriously not keep up with the news, even I know who he is, and I don't work in your field."
"Who is he?" he asked, stepping around the counter towards her, mug in hand, and she shook her head, pretending to zip her lips.
"If you don't know, then you're just gonna have to find out," she sang, motioning towards the clock above their door, "Now drink your coffee and get going, you have a lot to prepare for. Your hair is a mess."
"I know," he groaned, taking his mug back with him towards his bedroom, "I thought I set my alarm and everything, this is the worst."
"You'll make it work," Ramona called after him, and Jude just waved his hand somewhere behind him, not bothering to see if she had seen his motion.
Taking a steadying breath, he paused in the middle of his room, getting his bearings. He had his coffee, and he needed to take a shower, but his suit was pressed and ready and he didn't need a shave just yet, so at least he didn't have to worry about accidentally nicking himself.
With one more breath, he started his routine. Jumping into the shower, he tried to move as fast as possible, and he sighed as he realized he would have to dry his hair to make sure that he could style it in the way that he needed it to look, especially since he was meeting with someone who wasn't even going to be the person he was working for.
Then again, he didn't expect employers to meet all of their employees, especially ones that are lower level like Jude, though since he was going to be a personal assistant, he expected some form of attachment; or, at the very least, the name of the person he was going to be assisting.
But Jude didn't have the time to ask himself too many questions, throwing himself out of the shower as quickly as possible, hoping that he could just dab cologne on himself that would mingle with his usual scent; he was always told that he smelled nice, even when he hadn't showered as well as other days.
Groaning, he grabbed Ramona's hair dryer and started to fix his hair, knowing that it would take longer because while a hair dryer shortened the time, it lengthened the time it took to make it look nice, which was something that Romona always complained about when she had to mess with her hair, and Jude couldn't argue with her.
He bit his lip as he felt his hair, sighing when he felt it nearly dry, but not quite there yet. He didn't want to start putting in product just yet, afraid of what would happen since his hair wasn't completely dry, so he went back out and decided to get ready, opting to fix his hair just before he left, which would be soon if he moved fast.
Luckily for him, he was well versed in suits, and he couldn't help but take a moment to admire his reflection; he had to admit, he looked good. He flashed himself a smile, then went back to putting product in his almost completely dry hair.
He never did look good with it completely flattened, but he certainly couldn't have it looking like he just rolled out of bed, so he made a point to make it look windswept, but orderly, which gave the appearance of hard work, but also the understanding of orderliness, which was exactly what personal assistants needed to possess, and Jude was a master of both, if he could say so himself.
Rushing back out, he paused at his nightstand to grab the cufflinks that Mr. Banks had gotten for him, feeling himself flush as he looked at the golden accessories that would glint under the sun or any kind of light that shined on them, drawing attention without being too flashy, exactly what Jude needed.
Besides, he could use some of his charisma right about then, today was a big day.
Putting on his watch, he grabbed his coffee mug and drank as much as possible before dropping it onto the counter as he made his way out the door, his briefcase waiting for him on the couch right by the door with multiple copies of his resume and other documents and referrals.
Not that he would need any more. After a referral from Breanna, there was really nothing else that he needed save for his own skills.
"Wish me luck!" Jude called, hardly glancing back to see where Ramona was as he zipped out, only just barely catching her response back, "I'm gonna need it."
º º º
Jude hated the train. He tried not to panic as he felt himself grow too warm, knowing that his suit would lose its sharpness and his hair would look less windswept and more sweaty. If he didn't get out in the next thirty seconds, his appearance would be unsalvageable.
Fortunately and unfortunately, the next stop—his stop—was reached in three minutes, which meant that it could've been much worse, but his appearance left much to be desired, and he couldn't help but catch a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the train windows as it sped off, revealing droopy hair and slightly damp fabric.
He sighed, biting his lip to keep from shouting. The last thing he wanted was to make a scene over something like this—yes, he was going into the interview looking less than presentable, but it was better to have a good attitude than a bad one, and letting himself get worked up over his appearance alone was going to cause him nothing but trouble.
So with a deep breath, he adjusted his grip on his briefcase and headed off, checking his watch as he went, relaxing when he saw that he had just enough time to get to whatever building he needed to in order to be interviewed.
He knew he should have done more research into who he was going to be potentially working for, but Breanna hadn't answered any of his questions, and with such short notice he figured he could just chance it and hope for the best that they wouldn't be too offended that he hadn't heard of them.
He tried not to break a sweat as he raced towards the towering building that, under the sharp glare of the sun, was obstructed from his view save for the few floors that he was able to see, as well as the doors leading him towards what he could only hope to be his new position and source of steady income.
He couldn't help but slow as he drew closer towards the skyscraper, hoping to catch a glimpse of the name, or at least take a moment to admire the amount of work and money to erect something so towering, but he found that he couldn't do either, jostled about by passersby who weren't interested in paying enough attention to make sure they didn't bump into someone so long as they weren't slowed down as a result.
Sighing, Jude adjusted his briefcase and made his way towards the large doors, only just making it through before he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, stumbling forward as one hand raised to clutch at the spot, his feet tangling and sending him to the ground with a groan.
"Shit," he hissed, scrambling to his feet, seeing the little flecks dotting his vision as he rubbed at the back of his head, trying to get the pain to stop, pulling away only to make sure that he wasn't bleeding.
Stumbling towards the desk, he tried to stand up straight as he looked towards the woman who was watching him with a raised eyebrow, looking almost amused, like she knew something Jude didn't, and it wasn't until she cleared her throat that he realized she had spoken to him.
"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, blinking furiously, going so far as to yawn in the hopes that his ears just needed to pop, though he wasn't sure of how logical that choice was.
The woman's knowing smile just seemed to grow, but she tamped it down in favor of staying professional, repeating herself. "Can I help you?"
Jude inwardly sighed, knowing that she most likely stated the name of the company, and if he was more in his right mind he would have noticed the giant red sign right behind her desk, but he was frazzled and nervous and wasn't the most observant to begin with if he wasn't working.
"I have an interview with Obadiah Stane at one," he explained, clearing his throat and adjusting his posture, glancing towards the clock that sat on the counter, his heart leaping into his throat when he realized he only had five minutes.
"You do?" the woman asked, and Jude didn't know what to say as he watched her go through her files, humming to herself, taking her sweet time as she did.
Jude took steadying breaths as she did, glancing around. He knew better than to be rude to people just doing their job—he knew what it was like when people were rude to him—but this was incredibly upsetting. Of course, because she was taking so long, it gave him time to plan how he was going to make up for it, as well as giving him time to put himself back together.
"My name is Jude Costello, the interview was initially made by Breanna Robbins, the interim CEO of Ludhart Industries, I set the time and date as of five-thirty yesterday afternoon," he explained, using the voice he had perfected after years of commanding the authority many in positions of power didn't think he deserved.
The woman raised an eyebrow at him, but nodded, continuing to look through her notes, and Jude continued to breathe, trying to seem as amicable as possible, remaining calm, not wanting to seem frazzled at something as trivial as miscommunication; he had dealt with much worse, this was nothing.
"It'll just be a few moments, if you'll sit over there," the woman said, motioning towards the couches in the corner by the elevator.
Jude nodded, giving her a polite smile. "Thank you, I appreciate you taking your time to do this."
He knew when to keep pushing, and knew when he just had to let time take its course. He had given all the information he could, and he knew better than to offer to help someone with their job if they didn't seem to need it, so all he could do was wait; that didn't mean he wasn't planning the best way to make the most of the time he would have with Obadiah Stane once he had his interview.
He still wondered who he was going to be working for, should he get the job.
He sighed, fiddling with the handle of his briefcase, glancing down when he saw part of the leather begin to peel away. He smoothed it down with his thumb, forcing his hands to fold together in his lap, not trusting himself to leave it alone.
He glanced down at his watch, heart racing when he saw it was ten past one, and he looked over towards the woman at the desk who was talking with someone else, though she had a phone pressed up to her ear.
She caught him looking and smiled smugly to herself, and before Jude could fully register what that meant, she was talking into the phone, holding a finger up to the man who was failing to try and win her over, her posture reeking of bravado and self-assuredness that almost never correlated properly to the man in question.
Jude watched the woman stand, smoothing her skirt before making her way towards him, and she stood, picking up his briefcase and smoothing his hair, holding her gaze and giving her his winning smile, ducking his head slightly, trying to seem bashful, yet comfortable; Breanna always said he was a master manipulator when he wanted to be, but far too charming to garner any hatred; he hoped she was right.
"21st floor," she said, motioning towards the elevator, "He's in the room at the far end of the hall. You can't miss it."
"Thank you, have a nice day," he said, beating her to the punch, tossing over a smile as he made a beeline to the elevator doors.
He slipped in just as they opened, making room for the others filing inside. His floor was higher in number, and he thought it only polite to make sure that he let people stand in front of him, and he quickly reached over to press the correct button before making his way to the corner, nodding towards the man in the corner who was meant to keep everything running smoothly, pursing his lips into a smile.
He held his briefcase close, careful not to jostle those around him, and by the time he reached his floor, there was enough room to extend his elbows, though he only relaxed them somewhat; he didn't like to take up more room than necessary for any occasion.
"Excuse me," he called, carefully making his way out of the elevator, not allowing himself to be pushed around by those unwilling to move, but not shoving them out of the way, casting a final farewell nod to the elevator steward before stepping out onto the floor.
Someone else stepped out alongside Jude, having paused to take a paper from the elevator steward who had taken it when people first started filing in, and shoved him as they made a beeline for another part of the room. Whether they meant it or not didn't mean much to the young man, though he did need to regain his bearings, adjusting his clothes before walking towards the far end of the room, finding the same kind of glass that surrounded Breanna's office, with three steps leading to the double doors.
As he went along, he glanced over at his watch, stomach dropping when he saw how late he now was—they had to pause at every single floor until his, and the doors had to be held open for people coming in and out who weren't quite prepared; Jude had maintained his composure, but it was starting to fray.
Just as he was nearing the doors, he saw someone fall, their papers scattering everywhere. He paused, just like everyone else, though no one seemed to move after that, content just to watch the frantic woman mutter to herself as she worked to pick up her things, nearly on the verge of tears.
If Jude was panicking, it was nowhere near the level of this woman.
Glancing one last time towards the doors, he made a left, setting his briefcase down next to him and working to help, trying not to dirty his pants too much as he did, and the woman stared at him in awe, only to remember that she had places to be when their eyes locked, Jude raising an eyebrow in question.
He softened when he saw a tear slip down her cheek, the woman wiping it away quickly, and he adjusted the papers into a neat stack, standing and reaching out his empty hand to help her up, picking up his briefcase once she was up, holding out the stack with his other.
"Thank you," she breathed, rushing towards the elevator, nodding towards the person who had bumped into Jude who had been surveying the scene closely.
Not paying it too much mind, Jude made his way towards the double doors, dusting the knees of his pants and adjusting his jacket as he climbed the short stairs. Just as he reached out towards the handle, a hand on his arm stopped him.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Jude was forcefully pulled back by a sharply dressed man that would have reminded him of Mr. Banks if not for the sneer and glint in his eye; Mr. Banks' glint was far nicer and more charming than this man's.
He felt his appearance be scrutinized, and Jude steeled himself, steadying his tone and gaze, staring at the man's nose as he spoke. "I have a meeting with Mr. Stane and I'm running rather late at the moment."
The man snorted, rolling his eyes, and Jude prided himself in not even needing to clench his jaw, so used to similar treatment that he didn't even pay attention to the person watching them closely, scribbling on a piece of paper passed to them by the person who had bumped into Jude.
"Yeah, we all have meetings with Mr. Stane. Get lost, buddy, no one dressed like you has any business being in the same room with Obadiah Stane," he called, shoving Jude back down the stairs and towards the elevator, "And nice cufflinks. Hope the pawnshop'll take them back."
Jude glanced down at his cufflinks, heat flaring in his chest when he remembered that they were the ones given as a parting gift from Mr. Banks, the starts twinkling at him, reflecting the lights on the ceiling.
He clenched his jaw, raising his head up to look at the man who just smirked down at him, glancing at his own watch, as if Jude were wasting his time. Jude glanced at his own, groaning when he saw he was over twenty minutes late.
The man caught sight of his movements and snorted. "You might as well toss that watch back in the dumpster where you found it, bud, and throw the briefcase there while you're at it. The things homeless use to carry their stuff around these days."
Jude had a variety of remarks he could snarl, many of which would definitely earn him a punch in the jaw. But he was a professional and, more importantly, better than this man, and he knew when to pick his battles and when to control them, and Jude was always most powerful when he knew he was right.
"How's this," he began, walking up the stairs, coming dangerously close to the man who stood at the edge of the landing, "We'll both go in to see Mr. Stane, and if I truly don't have an interview with him, then you can throw me out of here yourself. Sound good?"
Before the man could respond, rather taken aback by his proximity and tone, Jude walked around him calmly, adjusting his jacket and opening the door, stepping inside just before the man could grab him, his eyes locking with an older looking man in a large chair, impeccably dressed and seemingly aware of that fact.
"I apologize for my tardiness, Mr. Stane, I'm afraid I ran into a few speed bumps on the way here," Jude said, hardly paying any mind to the man who stood next to him, surprisingly silent despite his initial demeanor.
"I heard about the mix-up downstairs. I apologize, our usual girl is on vacation, that was her temp," the man said, motioning for him to sit, and Jude turned to cast the other man a grin that was unkindly polite, before doing as he was told.
"It happens to the best of us, she resolved it rather quick considering everything else that she had to attend to," he replied, setting his briefcase down next to him; he never did like talking badly about employees unless there was a good reason, they had to make a living same as him.
The man smiled and Jude wasn't quite sure why, but he hoped that it was a good sign. He took a moment to survey the room, and was rather impressed by the space and decor; it was clear that it wasn't the actual office, merely a meeting room, but it bragged of wealth and class, and Jude forced himself to not be intimidated.
"So, Mr. Costello, Ms. Robbins spoke very highly of you when she first reserved your space for an interview," Obadiah began, and Jude couldn't help but find his voice interesting, though he fought back a smile as he thought of what Breanna might have said.
"She was one of the best CEO's I ever worked for, sir, and I greatly appreciate the opportunities and experiences she has given me," he admitted, much more sincere than either of them were expecting, but Jude wouldn't take it back for anything.
The man merely smiled, opening his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a brief knock on the door, followed by someone walking in, holding a paper completely filled with ink. Jude avoided snooping, though his curiosity was piqued as Obadiah took it from them, humming as he glanced over the paper, laying it flat on his desk.
Jude made a point not to look, instead glancing around before focusing his attention on the older man, and that seemed to please him more than the paper initially had. He watched him continue to read for a few minutes, the smile only growing, and it made Jude rather uncomfortable, though he couldn't explain why.
When the man finally looked up, there was something in his eyes that made Jude want to shift in his seat, but he forced himself to sit still, holding his gaze and offering a small smile.
The man cleared his throat, setting the paper aside. "I have a few questions for you, Mr. Costello."
º º º
The interview went as smoothly as could be expected, and if he didn't get the job, Jude would at least have a very good story to tell if anyone asked, feeling rather proud of himself once it was clear that they were finished. He remained just as vigilant as ever, always having been warned against complacency, but there wasn't the uneasy feeling that things were going badly, and that was a comforting thought.
"I have to say, Mr. Costello, I am quite impressed," Obadiah admitted, standing up, taking the paper along with him as he made his way towards the window, peering out onto the world below, "You're more than qualified, and I don't find you entirely infuriating. Not to mention you passed the test with flying colors."
"Test, sir?" he asked, leaning forward in his seat and furrowing his brow, the crease only deepening when the man laughed, his back still to him.
"Considering the circumstances and who you'll be working with, I figured it only made sense that I see you outside of the interview, not just with me. You were watched from the second you stepped into the building, and you still managed to be polite and assertive, and you stepped in put together. In a job like this, you need to be put together at all times, and you're going to have your hands full," he explained, passing Jude the paper that, upon closer inspection, was a write up of everything he had done since getting hit in the back of the head.
While it startled him, he had to admit it was genius.
He looked up towards the man, unsure of what to say, but it seemed Obadiah was more than happy to fill the silence. "I have to admit, we weren't expecting anyone to actually pass, so none of the paperwork is ready right now, but we can send it to you to read over tonight and you can sign everything in the morning before you start."
Jude blinked, letting the words sink in. "Wait. So-so I got the job?"
The man splayed out his palms. "Do you want the job?"
Jude nodded eagerly, smiling as he stood, holding out his hand. "Yes, I do. I very much do. Thank you, Mr. Stane."
The man chuckled, albeit uncomfortably, but shook his hand nevertheless, seeming to remember himself. "Okay. Write down your address and my assistant will get the paperwork and instructions over later this afternoon."
He passed over a paper and pen, and Jude scribbled down his address, careful to write legibly, lest the offer be retracted due to lousy penmanship; Breanna always said Jude had pretty letters, but he wasn't sure if pretty was the same as functional.
Still, he passed the things back, and the older man cleared his throat. "Well, that's all I need you for. Do you have any questions?"
Jude paused, thinking it over; most of his questions pertained to his first day, but he assumed that those would all be answered in the instructions given later on. But before he could say no, one more thought popped in his mind; the most important factor of this entire interview.
"Just one," he began, picking up his briefcase as he was led to the door, "Who am I going to be working for?"
The man stared at him for a moment, as if he had just spoken in another language, and Jude feared he had just ruined his chances. The panic must have shown, as the older man immediately burst out laughing, opening the door as he did so, ushering Jude out, needing half a minute before he was able to calm down, wiping away a tear as he leaned against the door which began to close, Jude already on the landing.
"Son," the man began, shaking his head, "You've just agreed to be the personal assistant for Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries. Good luck."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
( 07.26.19 )
So...it's been a while. A long while. Like, a really long while. But I started thirsting and I had missed writing Jude, and I've just been chipping away at this chapter, but I just needed to sit down and finish it instead of writing a few sentences at a time.
Also, if ya'll couldn't already tell, I have no idea how any of this works, so let's suspend our belief and assume that this is a different kind of experience because it's Tony Stark (I'm talking about the end thing, not the test, that's supposed to be a suspension of belief, but whatever, moving on.)
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!