My Weird Internship

The door creaked as it opened, slowly, as though the hinges conspired to drag each second into eternity, heightening the tension with every passing moment. Mike stood at the threshold, his hand gripping the doorknob tightly as if he could time itself to halt. His eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the figure who had dared to pound on his door with such audacity, devoid of the decorum one should afford a king.

But as the door opened just wide enough to reveal the visitor, Mike's breath caught in his throat.

Standing with an air of magnetic danger was a woman who commanded both intrigue and dread. Her face bore sharp, elegant features, softened only by dimples that seemed deliberately placed to make her smile all the more unsettling. Her hair, white as freshly fallen snow, cascaded freely like molten silver, shimmering faintly under the flickering torchlight. Round glasses perched on her nose lent an air of studious authority as if she knew far more than she ought to.

She was clad in a long, flowing black gown, its fabric whispering around her feet with an elegance that bordered on regal. A thick fur-lined cloak rested upon her shoulders, evoking the image of a proud and untouchable queen. Long gloves encased her hands, leaving no trace of skin exposed an intentional mystery.

Yet beneath this composed exterior, something about her sent a chill coursing through Mike's spine. The dimples, the glasses, that sharp smile it was all eerily familiar. She looked like Ruby, but not the Ruby he remembered. No, this version was older, more refined, and infinitely more intimidating.

The woman tilted her head slightly, her sly smile deepening as she finally spoke. "Well, well, Your Majesty. Are you enjoying your Vacation?" Her voice was sharp, its edge like a blade dragged languidly across a whetstone.

For a moment, Mike could only stare, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly as his mind raced to process what he was seeing. Who was she? And why did she look so much like Ruby?

His instincts screamed at him to end this encounter as swiftly as possible. "I'm sorry, madam. You must have the wrong person," he declared firmly, pushing the door closed in an attempt to shut her out.

But the door refused to shut. Something blocked its path.

Glancing down, Mike saw her foot planted firmly in the gap. Her shoe, a sleek black heel with silver accents, seemed to dig into the floor with defiant strength. His gaze lingered briefly on her toenails, which were painted glossy black, an odd detail that momentarily distracted him. 

Since when did Ruby paint her toenails?

"Mike, open the door!" the woman snapped, her voice losing its feigned warmth and cutting through the air like a whip.

Mike's pulse quickened, his thoughts tumbling over themselves in a frantic scramble for a solution. How much time would he need to dash to the wardrobe, grab fresh clothes, and return without making an even bigger fool of himself?

Answer: not enough.

Ah, hell.

Making the least rational decision of his life, Mike turned on his heel and bolted.

The door swung wide open in his wake, revealing the woman, who stood blinking in mild astonishment. Her momentary shock deepened as Mike, stark naked, sprinted past her like a man fleeing for his life, his bare feet pounding against the floor.

"AAAAARGHHH!" she shrieked, her hands flying up to shield her eyes. "You idiot! What is wrong with you? Do you have no sense of decency?!"

Mike didn't bother answering, his focus solely on reaching the wardrobe at the end of the hall. His footsteps echoed in the corridor, accompanied by the frantic rustle of his discarded robe trailing behind him.

Moments later, now decently clad in the same black robe with silver accents as before, Mike exhaled deeply, gathering what little courage he had left to face the woman once more.

When he returned to the doorway, she was still standing there, arms crossed over her chest, her expression a dangerous mixture of amusement and fury.

"Well," Mike began, his tone striving for authority but betraying his lingering embarrassment, "who are you, and what do you want?"

The woman's lips curled into a small, perilous smile. This time, the amusement was gone, replaced by something sharper, more calculating. "Oh, Mike, that's quite a rude question. Don't you recognize me?"

"Damn it!" Mike snapped, his frustration breaking through his composure. "Ruby, next time, show up like a normal person! For God's sake, you look like a freakin bounty hunter!"