(1 Day After the Switch)
Location: Downtown San Francisco, California, on Earth
The next morning, Ben was awakened by the building manager knocking at the door. Given that this apartment was usually vacant and the firm kept it when clients weren't safe being anywhere else, this morning's visit seemed particularly suspicious. Ben approached the door cautiously, passing by Ally's room, which was cracked open.
Ally peered out and turned her hand over to ready a flame or something else disastrous. Ben panicked and softly said, "No, Ally. No. You can't burn down every place we have to stay." Ben realized he was treating her like a small child or a pet, but he added one more "No."
She rolled her eyes in return like a petulant teenager. The act would seem fun or natural to most anyone else. But given Ally's personality, Ben feared what that might mean for their interactions later.
The building manager knocked again, calling out that he needed a quick word if someone was home. That put Ben more on edge, but then he thought maybe it was about some maintenance or something legitimately building-focused. He took a deep breath and opened the door to find a young man with a name tag standing before him. The name tag read "Joey," and he had a clipboard in one hand and a vase of flowers in the other.
Joey cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was asked to bring these flowers to this apartment for a 'Miss Vivian.' If you could sign this to indicate that they were received at this address, I would be very grateful." Joey looked nervous with his face reddened, sweat rolling down his cheek, and a wavering voice.
"Do you usually deliver flowers yourself… Joey?" Ben was on high alert that someone not only knew they were there, but also knew who was there.
"Well, no. The thing is, they came to my office, and then the phone rang. It was kinda scary, ya know? Anyway, the voice on the other side identified himself as the owner of the building and insisted that I deliver these in person. He even told me that there would probably be a man at the door and described you, uhm… perfectly, actually." Joey blurted it all out in one breath, even with the pause, as he looked Ben up and down.
Ben took a deep breath and processed everything that was just thrown at him.
Uncomfortable with conversational silence, Joey added, "You are 'Lawyer Ben, the Childhood Friend.' Right?"
And then Ben exhaled that deep breath with half-sigh-half-groan. "And who is the owner of this building, Joey?"
"Well, as of this morning, I was told it is Greyson Investment Group," Joey responded sheepishly, as if he already knew what Ben was going to say to that. "You're going to tell me to take them back, right?" Then Joey muttered to himself, "But, they're like… really scary."
Clearing his throat again, Joey read from a piece of paper that seemed to have notes. "If 'Lawyer Ben the Childhood Friend' refuses receipt of the flowers, wait for the intended recipient instead: Miss Vivian." At that, Joey folded the paper and waited obediently.
Ben looked down at Joey with his eyes half-lidded and closed the door, leaving Joey still waiting in the hallway. Ben went back into the apartment and went to tap on Ally's door, but she was already waiting. "Pack all of your things again. I guess we're leaving."
"Did the man tell us to get out of his house, Friend Ben? Did you make him angry?"
"No, Ally. You have a stalker. Or… Vivian has a stalker. I don't even know anymore," Ben was clearly flustered and more than a little concerned. He wouldn't just buy a building on a whim to send someone flowers, would he? Ben shook his head at how ridiculous that sounded. "Either way, we're going somewhere else."
Before too long, Ally and Ben had their bags repacked (Ally added some items she liked from the 'cold box' for the 'carriage ride'). When Ben opened the door, Joey was still waiting.
"Mr. Ben, Sir. If you could just sign here that you received them, I'll leave them in the hallway, and we'll consider it delivered." Joey shoved the clipboard at Ben, but then noticed Ally. "Are you Miss Vivian?"
Ally sized Joey up and instantly determined he was not Vivian's lover. She lowered her sunglasses and gave a haughty glare. "No. I am not Miss Vivian." Moments later, Ben and Ally were back in the car, headed to a place to meet Mike.
Meanwhile, Joey (still in the hallway) was pacing with the clipboard and listening to someone on the phone. "Yes, Sir. I followed all of the directions. There was a woman, but she said she wasn't… ah… okay." After another listening stint, Joey asked, "Then could you please tell Mr. Greyson that I followed his…. Hello? I can't hear you… Hello?" Joey looked at his phone and muttered, "Now another scary man hung up on me."
Mike pulled next to Ben in a public parking lot and hopped into the back seat of Ben's car. "Hey, Vivian. I guess it's been rough, but I'll do whatever I can to help you out." Mike patted Ally's shoulder in a show of comfort, which surprised Ally and caused her to recoil. Mike looked slightly hurt.
"Sorry, Mike. She's not feeling well. We were up all night chatting over beers. She is a little hungover," Ben tried to explain.
"Yes. I am quite the drinker," Ally added, somewhat annoyed that his go-to excuse was always drinking too much. Is Vivian a drunkard? I should ask her in the journal. I should also inform her that Friend Ben is making everyone think she is.
"Got it," said Mike. "Anyway, I found a place you can use. You were right about your client being agreeable. She almost jumped at the chance to help you out."
I should add that, too. "Women jump at the chance to help Friend Ben, according to Investigator Mike." I am learning a whole new side of Friend Ben on this Switch.
"Thanks for working so quickly, Mike. I have one more thing," Ben said and paused. "Before we stay there, find out if the building is owned or run by Greyson Investment Group or their subsidiaries."
"Sure. It will probably take until tomorrow at the earliest. I also put some rooms under your traveling name…"
Ben interrupted. "No. I can't be sure they don't know it. It has to be something else. Change it to…" Ben looked at his passengers. "Change it to 'Ally Michaels' and book a few additional hotel rooms at another place under my name."
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Location: Downtown San Francisco, California, on Earth
Ally and Ben sat in a new hotel room that had not been set on fire… yet. Ben relayed that the person he was avoiding was the man she went to coffee with yesterday. In response, Ally said, "It is uncommon for men to show such interest in women? Or do you think he is dangerous?"
Ben tried to phrase the answers in a way that might make some sense to Ally. "I think the best approach is to assume that anyone we don't already know could be people looking for Vivian—or you as Vivian—in our world."
Ally nodded as if in agreement. "I understand, Friend Ben. It is not so dissimilar for us. If a very handsome man shows that much interest after just meeting in our world, he is probably dangerous or dim-witted."
"Or the prince," Ben muttered.
"Yes, Friend Ben. Prince Callum is said to be one of the most handsome in our kingdom. To me, he is just Cal, but I could objectively say that Cal is at least one of the more handsome ones."
Ben sighed. "I could use a drink. Do you want one?"
"Does it matter, Friend Ben? You will tell people that I drink too much, anyway." Ally should still be annoyed that Ben was saying such things about her when she could outdrink any of the others in the Mage Corps. Yet, this time, a small, mischievous grin tugged at the corner of her lips as if teasing an old friend.
Ben apologized. "I'm sorry, Ally. It's the most convenient way to explain that you don't interact much with people and wear sunglasses inside."
"There are plenty of options. You could say I am working on my night vision. Or I am cultivating a new eye poison. Or it is my eye armor in case someone tries to stab me in the eye. There are so many more I can come up with for you…."
Ben looked at Ally, amused. "I'm not sure any of those would work in our world."
Ally thought for a moment, then said, "There is one excuse a woman can use in my world that no male would ever comment on."
Ben nodded and took a swig of the beer he pulled from the mini-fridge in the room. She's going to say 'telling a man she's having her period.' I guess some things span every world.
"Just look at them and say that my head hurts and it makes me sensitive to light."
Ben looked at Ally. "That is not what I thought you were going to say."
Ally nodded. "Yes. It is very effective."
"But that is also what is experienced the next day when you drink too much." Ben suddenly considered that she didn't know what a hangover even was.
Ally looked at him sincerely and asked, "Do males not excrete thick fluids here? It is like that, but…"
Ben was surprised enough at the question that he choked on the beer and began coughing, finally able to utter, "Let's just say, 'no' and never discuss men's fluids again."
Thankfully, Ben heard his phone buzz. However, when he looked at it, it wasn't his phone that was actually buzzing. It was Vivian's phone that Ally brought with her. "Ally, I think Vivian's phone is buzzing with texts, but I don't think you should respond."
"What if it is her work?" Ally asked with genuine concern.
"I put in a leave-from-work request for 'family issues' after that Alex person showed up. 'Leave-from-work' means you get paid to not work to have time for personal matters. Vivian saves most of her leave time to use in case something unexpected happens during a Switch," Ben explained.
"You mean for me to understand that she will get money for not working, the same as if she were working? Why does anyone in this kingdom ever work then?" Vivian truly hoped such a policy never made its way to Eldoria.
"That's not how that works," Ben said in resignation. "You know what? Nevermind that. May I look at the phone?" Ben held out his hand impatiently. It was so unlike Ben's normal behavior that Ally suddenly felt Ben was genuinely concerned. Ally watched Ben carefully as he retrieved something small from the side of the device. He then explained (unnecessarily to someone who didn't understand anything he was saying), "I'm going to replace this SIM card with a new one. It won't receive any calls or messages until then, so please do not leave my sight until it is replaced." Ben paused. "Or after it's replaced. Just…. Don't leave my sight until you and Viv Switch back."
Ally looked at Ben thoughtfully. "I was incorrect, Friend Ben. You and Prince Callum are very much the same."
It was unclear if Ben or Cal had it harder than the other in dealing with the women when Ally and Vivian were "fish out of water." Both men felt that the women they grew up with were quite capable, and both believed that when the women were Switched, Ally and Vivian needed protection. Ally, meanwhile, was a trained combatant who realized that she had access to some of her powers even in Vivian's body. Vivian was trained in several forms of martial arts and self-defense, and she was now learning to access Ally's abilities. So neither women were exactly a damsel in distress, regardless of which world they were in. But it didn't stop their respective childhood friends from worrying to an extreme.