Working {{OPEN}}

[Scarlett Masters]

BUT I'D BE LYING
if i didn't tell you the truth
THEY WILL LEAVE YOU! THEY WILL LEAVE YOU
___________________________

If there was one thing Scarlett was going to learn in years to come, it was going to be how to file. Her brothers had her filing everything. They believed that you had to start out small and build up. So, even though she had a huge mansion all to herself, considering everyone was at work, her eldest brother had sent her here, to babysit the place while everyone else was at teh clubs. They wanted her to earn her own money. She got spending money for working here and singing at the Siren's Song, which she did a lot. She didn't do anything else that she had begun to be suspicisious of other girls doing, but she just loved to sing there. There was nothing wrong wtih singing.

Looking outside, she humphed at the beautiful weather. She could be shopping, talking to her best friends, or even hanging out and watching some old movies. But no, she had to work at Masters Inc. It wasn't even like she had stock in it, not yet. Her parents had set her up a wonderful trust fund, but it was useless until she turned 21. Of course, one of her brothers was 20, but he had actually been able to use family credit cards to buy the club. She had some freedom like that, but being seventeen she was stuck under her eldest brother's thumb. She could buy her huge needs in clothes, but she couldn't buy a car, which was all she actually wanted.

It wasn't like she wanted a huge car. She just wanted one that looked good. Her brothers spoiled her, but they refused to get her one. It really put a dent into her day, and because she was so distracted by this, she had filed at least three dancers things wrong. She cursed under her breath, looking around to make sure to switch them back and fix them. She hated making mistakes, but it did happen frequently. Scarlett couldn't think about two things at once. It was embarrasing, but it was true. She would have lost her head if it wasn't screwed on. Thank heavens it was!

She looked around, tapping her fingers against the desk. There was literally nothing left to do. The only reason she was still in this place was the fact that there was a chance a new act would come in. She had to be the face of the Masters, showing they were 'real people'. She supposed she was, she didn't have a car. She prayed no one would come in for an audition. She hated the starstruck look in their eyes, that look that told her they really believed that being a ballerina would make the entire world better. She had seen what the ballerina's ate...no thank you.

status finished
words464
outfit What a working girl
copyright mrs. jones @ caution 2.0!
lyrics Le Ballet D'or -- Counting Crows
notes

[William Masters]

William was not in a good mood, which meant pretty soon, no one in the vicinity would be either, he would make sure of that. He was right in the middle of a game of golf, a lousy one at that - he was already three over par - when his cell phone began buzzing in the pocket of his striped shorts. He slid his driver into the hands of his young caddy, threatening to slit his throat if he dropped it, and whipped his smart phone out, noticing the name of one of his agents before he hit 'Accept Call'. He placed the phone tenderly against his slightly-sunburnt ear and barked, "What do you want?" The agent blabbed on about some 'amazing' young girl, someone who held 'a lot of potential', William had to come in and meet with her immediately, blah, blah, blah...all the while, William listened with a bored expression, squinting against the bright sun and examining the tan he was getting on his forearm. When the voice on the other end of the phone went silent, William first reprimanded the agent for interrupting his game, before agreeing to meet him and the girl at the office in an hour's time - just enough time to get into proper business attire and make it to the agency. Hastily hitting the large red 'End' button on his phone, William stuffed the electronic back into his pocket and told the waiting caddy to put his driver up and drive him back to the club.

His chauffeur was waiting at the club doors when William arrived, and William climbed into the back seat of his town car, where several suits were hanging over the windows. It wasn't exactly a practice he condoned, but William was quite a regular at changing clothes in the back of a car. In the business world, surprise meetings and deals cropped up all the time, and you couldn't make a multi-million dollar contract in your sports clothes. As the town car rumbled off at a smooth pace, William slipped into a straight black suit - his favorite, no-nonsense black. He was just looping his red tie when the car came to a complete stop outside of the office. William stepped out onto the sidewalk and checked the time on his phone - he still had fifteen minutes to spare. Sighing, William entered the building and beelined straight for his office, avoiding conversation with the people he passed.

He reached the secretary's desk that helmed the corridor where all of the Masters' offices were, and he nearly jumped back down the hallway. He had spent the past five months avoiding being completely alone with his little sister, and now because of one stupid mistake, there they were - all alone. There was no way Scarlett had not seen him come in, so William cleared his throat and strode to stand directly in front of her desk. He instinctively placed his hands on the edge of the desk and gave her his best attempt at a smile, though the last thing he felt like doing at that moment was smiling.

"Scarlett, you haven't let anyone into my office, have you? No one's come by?" William asked. He was a mere few feet in front of her and she was taking up most of his field of vision, but William would not look at her, especially not in the eye. He looked all around her, from the window where the bright sun taunted him to the open filing cabinets all around her.

[Scarlett Masters]

BUT I'D BE LYING
if i didn't tell you the truth
THEY WILL LEAVE YOU! THEY WILL LEAVE YOU
___________________________

Scarlett was really considering breaking cardinal rule number one. She was considering going for her purse and taking out her cell phone and texting someone. It wasn't like she was being totally unreasonable. Her brothers were being unreasonable when they stated that a teenager shouldn't be at their phone in the office. However, she didn't want to get caught. She didn't want someone to walk in. Ten seconds later, the phone rang. She jumped almost a foot out of her seat, and answered it quickly. "Good afternoon, Masters Inc. How can I help you?" It was Marty, one of the more annoying agents her brothers had. He had bad breath, and he cursed all the time. He was calling to let her know her brother was on his way and Marty was expecting a scotch for himself and a water for his 'shining star.' Scarlett just rolled her eyes and said it would be there. Marty was stuck in the limelight.

Scarlett made herself presentable as quickly as she could. Then she scolded herself for not being in better dress. Her brother would sneer at the jeans, but she had worn them because she thought that he would be out golfing all day. He hated jeans. For the past five months, she had been walking on egg shells with him. Before that, they had a complementary relationship. He said 'hello', and she said, 'Will, people are here to see you.' Now, he was her guardian, and she had a sudden need to be respected by him. She felt her heart skip as she caught him down the hall. He had quickly jumped back. Just as she had been trying to live up to his expectations, he had been avoiding hers. Her brother was a bit of...well...for lack of a better word, ass, and she didn't cuss. She tried, however to smile, as he walked back down the hallway...again.

"Scarlett, you haven't let anyone into my office, have you? No one's come by?"

Putting on her best game face, even if he wasn't going to see it, she smiled at him. Secretary time. "No one has even set foot here. Marty did call. The agent who has two chins and no neck. He has that new girl he told you about. Remember, Marty is married to Lola, and had a Martin Jr. at home. You have to be more personable this time because our brother heard through the grapevine he is thinking of going a different way, and he may be vile but he brings in business. He likes raquet ball and american football. The girl he is bringing is called," She flipped to the note she made. "Taylor. She is sixteen, so if you don't like her, go for the age." Scarlett was a teenager, but she had been born a Masters, and she knew business. She could prove to her brother that she was good at this.

Quickly standing up, she handed her brother a legal pad for notes on the top of a filing cabinet. Then she turned. She could hold her tongue, but she was bored out of her mind. If she had to sit here while he was having the least bit of fun watching some girl try out, she was going to go insane. The youngest Masters boy would let her in without a question, but William was a different story. She felt she had to go at it in a businesslike aspect. "You know, Marty really likes his scotch. He will probably drink you out of it if someone isn't making drinks. I could possible be in there, watering it down while making coffee to switch him off of it. It also might help if you had another person in there, he can really talk your leg off." She was making a good point, she was even impressed with herself.

status finished
words643
outfit What a working girl
copyright mrs. jones @ caution 2.0!
lyrics Le Ballet D'or -- Counting Crows
notes

[William Masters]

Seemingly incredibly interested by a bluebird that kept flying by outside, William stared out the window as his sister talked, nodding and mumbling the occasional agreement. He didn't know why Scarlett was telling him all this information about Marty's life - he ignored almost all of it, as it was all incredibly boring. He had never cared about the fat pig named Marty, nor would he ever. William took a chance and glanced at his youngest sibling when she suggested he be more 'personable', his temper flaring and his mouth ready to bite back. Unable to hold his gaze on the young girl for more than three seconds, however, William simply looked away again and gripped the edge of the desk until his knuckles turned white. It infuriated him to no end when someone tried to lecture or 'improve' him, especially his kid sister - what did she know? William was under the impression that he had made it perfectly clear that he could handle himself, by himself, just fine; but apparently some people just refused to believe in him.

He knew what Scarlett was getting at, but he refused to let on. She was not trying to impress him, only live up to his standards and get him to stop ignoring her. She was doing an impressive job - her information was irrelevant in William's mind, but she damn sure was trying hard.

"...Thanks," William uttered when his sister's voice went silent. He brought his eyes toward her again and this time they were able to stay. He glanced at her up and down, because he had honestly not really looked at his sister ever since their parents died. He scoffed at her choice of outfit - so utterly unprofessional, but you couldn't tell kids anything these days. He did not feel right telling Scarlett what to do, anyway. Before he became her guardian, he was just fine with bossing her around, just as he did everyone else. But now when he used an authoritative tone with her or gave her a command, he felt like a parent and the feeling gave him deep chills. He was the head of a prestigious talent company, he had hundreds of people moving at his will, he knew what responsibility was - but William had never experienced a responsibility like this; having a business was a long way from having a child in your hands.

William took the legal pad Scarlett handed to him without a word, just a simple nod of acknowledgment. He was not at all excited or even interested in the girl that Marty was bringing in today - what was her name again? This was an unusual thing for William, as he was always interested in something that could possibly make him money. He assumed he was in a grouchy mood because, first off, he had been cut off from a lousy golf game, and also he had happened upon Scarlett, whom he had been trying as hard as he could to avoid. As his sister began to talk again, William looked up at her from the legal pad he had been mindlessly staring at. Quite opposite from a few minutes ago, he now found himself not wanting to look away from her; she looked different, somehow. Almost grown-up, not his baby sister anymore. He and his siblings had never got on like regular old chums, but he still felt the tiniest twinge of protection over them and was surprised every time he saw them and how adult they had gotten. What happened to the little kids he used to cause relentless grief to?

"No...you stay in here and...clean up this mess," William said firmly, shaking his head, when Scarlett requested to join them in his office; he waved his arm over the desk area, which was actually quite spotless and organized - no cleaning needed there. He had to come up with something, though, because he did not want Scarlett involved in the actual business just yet - secretary work was fun enough for teenagers, right? William knew, since the new girl coming in was sixteen, that the Siren's Song would probably not be brought up in their conversation, but William didn't want to take any chances. His sister was at the place almost every night, but he wasn't too sure she knew what was really going on in there after she finished her song and left the stage - and he planned to keep it that way. Looking at Scarlett one more time, for a long moment, William turned away and walked to the open door, peering down both ends of the hallway for Marty. He had ten minutes to go, but the man could always hope. Anything to get away from the awkward situation going on behind him. Tapping his fingers on the door frame with his free hand, William became increasingly nervous and agitated at the awkward tension in the room.

[Scarlett Masters]

BUT I'D BE LYING
if i didn't tell you the truth
THEY WILL LEAVE YOU! THEY WILL LEAVE YOU
___________________________

He seemed interested in some bird outside, and it sort of made her feel a bit stupid, sitting here, trying to tell him all about a guy he really needed to know about. She knew for a fact Will was not very good at the whole personable thing. He was great at business, but he sucked at knowing what people should know about their workers. She almost wished even Finn had come in for this meeting. She knew that Finn was a dumb guy, but he knew his stuff when it came to everyone around him. She wanted to sigh at the thought, but instead she kept it in, along wtih the feeling of severe neglect. It was definitely a feeling that had been pressing down on her since she had been around her brothers and them alone.

It wasn't like her brothers hated her, except maybe Will. Actually, that would take pure emotion, which she wasn't sure he was capable of. It was just, they weren't very sit down and listen guys. She hadn't actually sat and talked to anyone about how she was feeling. For the many months after her parents died, she hadn't talked to anyone. She had just been sitting there, keeping everything in. It was depresing was what iit was, and it made her want to leave this office right now. However, she was in charge of the office today, no matter what she felt like. That was another thing, she had suddenly become an adult to all of them. Like she wasn't a simple seventeen year old girl who still just wanted a car for her birthday.

Sucking all the feelings inside, she smiled a bit. "You're welcome. I just don't want to lose him. He's the one who gave us the star at...well...you know." She felt sort of stupid saying Siren's Song, she didn't know why. It was just, well, she sort of knew what it was. It had dancers. She actually really didn't think about stripping. She just didn't want to know. Maybe if she tried to think hard enough, she would realize it. Half the charm of Scarlett was she never really knew anything because half the time, her thoughts didn't really lead her all the way there. She could think of a business contract in ten point two seconds, but you put her in a dirty joke, and her eyes glazed over and her head went blank.

At least he was finally looking at her. That might have actually made her a bit more wary. His eyes were somewhat icy blue, and they were a bit cold. It was now her averting her eyes, and she couldn't help it. She forced herself to look back, looking him straight in the eyes. She could pull this off. She was a Masters, she was tough. No one could actually make her feel bad unless she let them. She could hold her brother's gaze. That was half the fight, she felt. As long as she could prove her worth to herself, she was sure she could probably prove it to him now.

She didn't look downtrodden when he turned her down. And she had thought she had put up such a good fight. What was wrong with him. It was like she could never win! She wanted to sigh, but she stopped herself before she could. Now he was looking around, actually awkward. Was he actually feeling more awkward than she was? That was hard to believe, but she had a feeling it was true. She tried to hold back a little bit of self-satisfaction. William? Do you need a water or something? How was your golf game today?" She knew that, despite the suit, he had been golfing. He would have just changed in teh limo. That was William, never actually being out of character, comfortable in comfortable clothes.

status finished
words645
outfit What a working girl
copyright mrs. jones @ caution 2.0!
lyrics Le Ballet D'or -- Counting Crows
notes Have fun!!!

[William Masters]

"Siren's Song. Right." William said, finishing his sister's sentence and nodding. He had not meant to say the name in front of Scarlett, because the way she had just edged around saying the actual name brought William to believe she really was innocent in her thoughts about the place; but it also led him to believe that she did know what the dancers did there, and she felt awkward about talking about it. William looked down on the floor, thinking about what Scarlett had just said about losing Marty. Of course, William was fully immersed in the idea that he could run this business completely on his own, that he didn't need anyone else's help, but Scarlett did have a good point. No matter how disgusting and vile Marty was, he certainly knew what he was doing and could convince just about any girl that she was 'the next big thing'. Marty had a way of sensing what other people felt self-conscious about and he would cling to that problem and turn it into something great - and for that, and only that, William respected Marty and kept him around. Still, he couldn't stand being around the man and planned to keep this meeting as short as possible - hence why he didn't want the man to have any scotch, or else they would be there all evening.

William jumped slightly when his sister broke the silence - he had been so used to the awkward tension, that he as actually getting comfortable with it. He turned back into the room and walked a few paces back toward the desk in order to free up the doorway in case his agent decided to arrive. He looked at his sister for a long moment after she stopped speaking, wondering what she was up to. Something deep inside of him twinged a little, knowing that she probably had no plan up her sleeve and just wanted a little sincerity out of her brother, who was now her guardian. William felt the tiniest little sliver of guilt at this, but banished the feeling quickly. He knew, as a girl, that Scarlett needed to talk every now and then, but William also felt that she was old enough to handle her own problems now. He and his brothers had all started taking control of their own lives long before the age of seventeen, but he just assumed that, as a girl, it was somehow different. William was positive he could supply the parental qualities to Scarlett that she wanted and needed, and he often wondered why in the hell she had been left to him in the will of their parents. In any normal family, it was obvious that the eldest would take responsibility of any minor in the family, but the Masters were definitely not a normal family, and it was odd that their parents would ever trust William with their beloved daughter. At this thought, William remembered that Scarlett had been asking him questions, and he brought himself back to reality.

"Yes," William said, nodding at the thought of water - he was still rather parched from standing out in the sun at his golf game. "It was alright, I guess. Nothing out of the ordinary." He added, shrugging and brushing nervously at the front of his suit. The more he heard his own voice talk to his sister like this, the worse he felt. William was never the kind of person to feel regret or guilt, but his baby sister seemed to have some sort of magic up her sleeve, because Scarlett was making him feel like one hell of a horrible person. Memories were crashing down on him now, all the moments he had ignored and pushed away over the past several months after their parents died. Scarlett was not some random employee, half-assing her way through her job just to take home that cash at the end of the week. Scarlett was his sister and his responsibility, and she was earnestly trying to live up to what William expected. Only feeling a second of remorse at this, however, William instead grew rather angry - a big problem of his, getting angry at all the wrong moments. He thought, how dare she try to pull this over on me, when I already have so much to handle with the agency? William sighed and shook all thoughts of his personal life away, desperately clawing his way back into business mode. He glanced at the watch hanging loosely around his wrist - five minutes to go. William glanced over his shoulder at the door once more, wishing for Marty (something that never happened) so he could leave all the guilt and anger his sister was giving him behind.

[Scarlett Masters]

BUT I'D BE LYING
if i didn't tell you the truth
THEY WILL LEAVE YOU! THEY WILL LEAVE YOU
___________________________

He actually looked like he was taking the consideration of Marty into his head. That was a new development. Usually she was just speaking to dead air, and it amazed her that he was actually thinking about what she said. Well, that was impressive. She felt like giving herself a high five. She didn't, becuase Masters didn't do that, or at least, that is what her mother told her on many occasions. She considered it as being true, so she resisted the urge to give herself a high five and do a bit of a celebratory dance. She was trying to get Will to like her, not to think that she was a little freak who he was now stuck taking care of. She was better than that, and she knew it. The thought made her smirk a bit. She might be getting through to him, that was all. She just couldn't help but feel a bit excited about the entire thing.

She seemed to have scared him when she had spoken. Sometimes, Will was a bit of a contradiction. He was all unfeeling and business, yet it didn't take him long to get uncomfortable and jumpy. It was odd for a business man to jump. It sort of put an image in her head of a rabbit dressed up in a business suit hopping up and down some stairs. A small smile did start up on her face at that moment. It was one of the few times she actually found herself really smiling in her brother's presence. Too bad it sort of had to be at his expense. Not that he needed to know. As far as he was concerned, She was just thinking of some guy. She could probably come home with tatoos running up and down her arms, married, and pregnant, and nine months later when the baby started crying he would be like 'What, are you babysitting?' Her brother/s were all a bit blank on stuff like that. It sort of made her feel lonely a lot. She was a girl, didn't they understand she needed to talk to someone? Girls talked. It was sort of a thing for them. Why couldn't guys get that point strait??

Obliging his acceptance of a drink, she grabbed a water out of the mini fridge that was kept under her desk for cases such as these. She knew her brother would mumble something and it would be thanks in some form. She knew him so well. She did admit, it was extremely hard to talk to him. She felt like she was naked or something. She cleared her throat. "Have you talked to Finn lately? I noticed someone had an office cleaned for him. I sort of laughed at the lady doing it, I hope she didn't take it too hardly. It's just, Finn using an office? The picture doesn't light up and say 'that says Finn' very well. Maybe if he had a basketball court in there, or at least a camcorder, but just an office? Did you have it set up for him?" If he had, she would have to bite her tongue. She had pretty much just told him how stupid an idea it was. Like it was her fault. It was a stupid idea. Who gave Finn an office??

status finished
words554
outfit What a working girl
copyright mrs. jones @ caution 2.0!
lyrics Le Ballet D'or -- Counting Crows
notes Have fun!!!

[William Masters]

William looked back and forth between the doorway and his sister, who was now smiling. William was totally clueless to what on Earth she could be smiling about at such an awkward time as this, and he only stared blankly back at her before turning to the door again. Scarlett was a teenage girl, she was probably thinking about some heartthrob boy. The thought almost made William shudder - his baby sister wasn't supposed to be thinking about things like that; Scarlett would always be a baby to him, and if he had gained custody of her any earlier in her life, she would probably be a very virginal and innocent sheltered child. It was not the fact that William cared a lot about his sister that made him so touchy when he thought about her with a boy, but it was the fact that William did not want to associate Scarlett with the Siren's Song in any way, shape, or form - and the girls that worked there probably thought about boys quite often.

When Scarlett returned from under the desk with a bottle of water, William cleared the rest of the room and was soon right in front of the desk again. He grabbed the water from Scarlett's hand and glanced at her in some odd form of thanks, even though he felt he shouldn't have to thank her for anything. Wasn't all of this stuff her job, anyway? Her paychecks were thanks enough, in William's opinion. Still, he had a respectable reputation to uphold, and he couldn't slip up, not even in the company of just his little sister. William broke the seal on the water bottle and screwed the cap off. He sucked nearly half of the contents up in one long gulp as Scarlett talked about one of their other brothers.

"Yes, I was with him just the other night," William answered her, replacing the cap on the water bottle. He placed it on the edge of the desk before crossing his arms over his chest, "You do know he's back, right?" William glanced at Scarlett again and then looked down the hallway where some of the offices were. He stared blankly down the hallway for a moment before looking back at Scarlett and blinking.

"Anyway...no, he won't use it. But people would ask questions if one of the co-owners didn't have an office," William added, in a voice that suggested Scarlett should have known that already. He watched her for a second before turning his wrist and looking at his watch once more - one minute. Come on, Marty.

[Scarlett Masters]

BUT I'D BE LYING
if i didn't tell you the truth
THEY WILL LEAVE YOU! THEY WILL LEAVE YOU
___________________________

Sometimes, she was truly worried about her brother. He had no idea how to act around her. Scarlett really knew how to act around her brothers. Finn, you just got him food or a beer. Her older brother who was as closer to her than she was to anyone else she would actually speak to him. With Will, she stuck to talking to no one really. He didn't respond like normal people did. He was one who liked to know what was going on, and sometimes with her he had no idea. So she tried to talk to him as she would talk to a wall somedays. Smiling even more at the thought, she could tell even her smile was putting him off, which made her feel guilty. She didn't mean tomake her brother epset, sh ejust wanted to get to know him.

If she actually knew that he thought she was thinking about guys, she would have been shocked. Scarlett liked boys, but she didn't really think of them romantically. She always felt that if anyone came along, she would fall in love right there. She was a biot of a romantic that way. She felt like if you didn't know right away, it obviously wasn't going to happen. It wasn't like she had much to go on. Will's wife was throwing vases at him before the ink on the marriage license had time to dry. None of her brothers had ever been really in love, and her parents were quite a business relationship. It wasn't like she didn't want romance, she just didn't have anything to go on. She had no idea when guys liked her, or when she even had true feelings for them.

Thinking about Finn being back, she nodded. "Yeah, I knew. I just don't know why we remodelled an entire office that's just going to have to pay to get cleaned each week. Finn isn't much of an office employee. He's more of a public...figure?" She really didn't know what to call Finn. He was a person all on his own. He didn't do much. He acted, and he was good at it. However, he was not an office man. Why on earth would they give him an office, even if he was a figure head. Sometimes, figure heads didn't need offices. In her opinion it was an uneeded expense. He sort of looked at her like she shoul dhave known something about that. Scarlett was just the sort of girl who didn't like to waste time on things like emptey offices.

status finished
words426
outfit What a working girl
copyright mrs. jones @ caution 2.0!
lyrics Le Ballet D'or -- Counting Crows
notes Have fun!!!