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Chapter 1: Interview

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It generally not a good idea, even today's day and age, to follow up on solicitations in person that you received online. Where crime shows and TV dramas educate would-be criminals in the art of the perfect kidnapping. It's enough to scare a guy like me off the street; I'm not all that big or scary looking.

Actually, I'm not much of anything really. I'm a fairly average fox in a worn hoodie. No weird markings, no piercings or body mods. I don't even style my hair. I'm pretty smart though, in school I mean, so I guess that's something.

So then why was I here? It was chilly out. School had been in semester for about two months, so autumn was getting into full swing, and tonight there was a really nasty breeze that cut right through my hoodie. I shivered and approached the "House of Delta." It sounds like a frat house to me, even though there are supposedly no fraternities allowed on or near campus. It's quiet though, and the lights are lit inside. People are moving around; I can see their shadows through the curtained windows.

This is the place I was "Cordially Invited" to. I replied to an ad I found on Johnslist. It seemed legitimate enough. Couple looking for two roommates to take over new vacancies. The rent was incredible and the picture looked inviting; it was a handsome couple, not too old, maybe a little under 40. I wrote back in full. The ad asked for a short essay description of myself and a reason why I was looking to move in. I'm in medicine so I needed a cheap place to stay. It was hard for me to stop writing.

They said in the ad that they'd only contact the ones they were interested in meeting in person, that they thought they'd be able to live with. I got a reply back almost instantly that told me that they'd be conducting a live interview with all candidates in the form of a group meeting at the House of Delta; here.

So, here I am, I guess.

I knocked on the door. As nervous as I was about meeting these people, and being in a room full of other 'candidates,' it was better than standing on the curb like an idiot.

It opened quietly but suddenly, well-oiled hinges making not a sound. I was impressed. It didn't look quite that well-kept from outside. In front of me was the woman from the photo. She was a bit shorter than me, maybe five-and-a-half-feet, and she wore a blue blouse under a matching shawl. She had on a long skirt as well, much darker blue, and behind a frame of shock brown hair stared two of the greenest eyes I've ever seen on a grey feline. I stood there thinking that she seemed so much bigger than she looked, that her presence made her enormous, but there was no vibe of intimidation at all.

She smiled gorgeously when she saw me and reached out with a hand to take mine. "You must be Simon." Her voice was pleasant but not musical; I'd almost say plain if it weren't for the calming quality to it that made my legs stop quivering instantly. "We've been expecting you. Thanks for coming. I think you're the last one. It's been so hard to keep track of everyone. We don't usually have this many guests. It's rare that we have two vacancies at once. Oh but listen to me. You're probably chilled with only that coat. Come in, come in! You're welcome inside. We'll start as soon as you've hung your coat. Everyone's in the main gallery just around the corner." She closed the door behind me and watched as I hung my coat in the closet to my left.

The hallway was grand. I never would have thought this kind of place existed inside anything but a mansion. It was like a posh 19th century British villa. Marble floors, rich carpets on the stairs and down the centres of hallways, and a great curving staircase above which a well-lit chandelier hung suspended by brass chain links. It was like walking into a movie set, and had the ambience and a cool coziness that put my mind at ease. I liked it immediately and said so to my hostess.

"Oh you're a dear. It's my husband's pride and joy, this house. And we're not royals here; you can call me Alice. Alice Marceis if you like. No Miss or Ma'am nonsense. I'm not a grandmother yet I don't think." She laughed and I don't think I've ever been so uplifted by a laugh before.

She left me in the hallway and I could hear her announcing that they'd be beginning soon. I looked at my feet, at the shoes that had come through a dirt path cutting through campus to get here, and then eyed the red velvet carpets. I slipped out of my shoes and tucked them under a table opposite the closet.

The main gallery was no less splendid; more so in fact. I paused for a moment just to look at it, lit by two chandeliers along the length of the room and wall sconces with bright illumination spouting upwards to the arched ceiling along the walls. There was a grand piano on the far wall beside two large single pane windows and couches and chairs along the adjacent wall to my right. Red curtains hung to the floor to cover the top half of every window with thin yellowish draperies between to shut out the dark of night, ensuring no one could see in from outside either. I nodded to Alice, who was beside her husband now in front of everybody.

There were about a dozen of us, evenly split between boys and girls, with apparently no consideration for species. Of distinction there was a small female lynx on the far end of the room huddled on a single seat by herself and a male rhino in a sports jersey with arms like tree trunks near the door closest to where I was standing, just inside. Alice waved to me to take a seat and I found an empty one beside a tall feminine wolf, gray from head to toe with tall proud ears and a sweeping bushy tail with a white tip.

"Thank you for coming everyone. Now that we're all gathered we can begin. First off, my name is Alice, if you're selected to be a good fit for this house and for us you'll be seeing a lot of me. My husband here is Gregory." Gregory stood from his spot on a three legged stool and made a warm but stern smile. It didn't have the same kind of open friendliness as Alice had, but I didn't get the intimidation vibe from him either. "You've heard most of the details in our ad. We have two new vacancies; not because we evicted anyone, but because they both felt that they were ready to leave." She giggled, as though there were some secret that only she knew. "We don't run what you might consider a normal household here. You were all selected to attend this meeting because we felt that what you wrote in your small letters was sincere and, we must confess to a little psychoanalyzing, that you all displayed a need to belong to a family, a bit of loneliness." There were quiet murmurs around the room and I could feel myself blush a tiny bit, not completely enthused that the letter I had written was used for a kind of invasion of my psyche like that. Not that I could do anything about it now anyway.

Gregory took over then; all 6 foot 5 of his masculine canine body loomed over the rest of us seated like squirrels caught stealing acorns from the backyard. His voice was deep and commanding, but seemed friendly enough. He wasn't brusque at all, rather his words were thick and creamy, each just melting off his tongue. "I know that you might think that a bit beyond the scope of a landlord's necessary duties, but, as Alice has said, this is not a normal household or residency. You will pay rent, obviously, and help out with chores when you're able. We do expect that you'll continue with your studies or your job or career while you're here, and accommodations will be made for you during particularly stressful times to allow you maximum flexibility to pursue those avenues."

"However," he went on, "We do not tolerate disrespect here. The rent is so low and the amenities so luxurious here because what we do in this home is something of a social experiment."

He allowed Alice to take over from there. "This house is a residence for youths to partake in a sexual experiment with the two of us in a teacher-student relationship." She said it so plainly, so matter-of-factly, that it took a moment for my brain to actually process what it had heard.

An avian female, coloured brilliant blue near the centre of the room raised her hand and asked meekly, "You mean... we have to have sex with you?"

Alice nodded sideways for a moment in a bemused gesture and then nodded, "That's precisely what I mean."

Two of the girls and more than a few of the boys giggled or snickered to themselves. Two of the girls immediately got up and left, as did one of the boys, a sharply dressed racoon that had said nothing and continued to say nothing on his way out. The door shut on the three of them and the meeting continued.

"We get that response often, but yes, you are correct Lily," she addressed the avian girl directly, "Our methods here are not strictly medical in nature, nor will we be prescribing any medications of any kind. What we aim to do is boost self-esteem, confidence, self-awareness, self-image, good habits and stress relief to our two tenants."

"Why did your other tenants leave then? With a sweet deal like that?" It was the rhino; his gravelly voice shook the hall like a bass drum reverberating in a too confined space.

"We had taught them all we could, and they left together, if you want to know. They were engaged last July and wanted to move out on their own. They were wonderful." The way Alice said wonderful made me imagine her lewdly bent over the very couch she was leaning on. I shivered and I think the wolf beside me noticed because she scooted a little farther away from me.

"And... if we don't want to do... that, with you?" It was a small vixen in a puffy sweater and thin glasses. Her voice was shaky and not a little hesitant.

"I'm sorry Michelle, but part of the agreement to living here is consenting to the arrangement. You are in no way obligated to stay knowing this, and neither are any of you. This is strictly voluntary on your part. However, if you do stay, and if you are selected among the group as the best candidate, the agreement must be signed."

I scanned the room. Rhino was getting antsy, uncomfortably antsy, and I could tell just by looking at him that he was imagining Alice bent over the same way I was. Some of the girls looked uncomfortable as well. Another boy and another girl left, thanking their hosts quietly before moving quickly for the door. One was the vixen with the glasses, the boy had a serpentine frame, but I couldn't tell his exact species, he wore so much thick clothing.

It was getting warm in here, I realized, and pulled on my collar to vent a bit. I was only in a plain black t-shirt and blue jeans, so against Alice and Gregory I felt woefully underdressed.

"If the rest of you are comfortable to continue, we will explain a little more of the household to you." Alice let Gregory begin, taking us on an audible tour of the grounds, the upstairs, the attic, the basement level, how we weren't allowed to touch the cars. I managed to break a little levity by snapping my fingers at that. Alice smiled and winked at me.

Throughout the presentation one more boy and girl left, leaving only the rhino, myself, and the blue avian girl. The rhino was sweating noticeably, even from where I was sitting. The hair on his upper arms was getting moist and matted to his skin and I swear I could see his breath even in the heat of the room.

Alice had waved the three of us closer to the middle of the room as Gregory finished up his speech and I took a seat respectfully distant from the woman I was beginning to admire. The rhino was not so subtle. He took the seat beside her, placed his arm along the back of the couch and couldn't stop watching her lips. I noticed with a blush that his penis was making a thick bulge down his pant-leg, but that was secondary to the oily bead of sweat I could see rolling down the couch cushion off his arm. The avian girl also kept a bit of a distance and I couldn't help but think that she felt truly intimidated by the couple who seemed to flaunt their sexuality so brazenly. I myself was a little shocked that they would announce their plans like that so early in the meeting and even more surprised that they would let people who knew about them leave so easily. I'd be afraid of the secret getting out, spreading around town. Though, I'd lived here all my life and I'd never heard anything about them. Curious.

Alice smiled when Gregory approached and let herself be hoisted from the couch to his side. "We'll be taking each of you for a private interview now, just for the last few questions we've prepared for you. We only have a small group so we should be done fairly quickly. Simon, you and Hugh will go with Gregory." Then she nodded to the avian girl, "If you'll come with me Lily, there's a room just around the corner for us."

The rhino was obviously upset that he wouldn't be interviewed by Alice, but Gregory led us along quietly nonetheless. He stopped in front of a wooden door that opened inwards from the main hallway. The oak had been polished and dusted recently I noticed, and reflected the lights from a room down near the back of the house a few steps further. There was a chair set up beside the door.

"Hugh, will you come in first please."

The door closed behind the eager rhino. I couldn't say he was a bad guy, I didn't know anything about him, but I was relieved to be rid of him. The cloud of body odour he had formed since the start of the session made my nose wrinkle and my stomach turn.

I couldn't hear anything from out here, and the house was eerily silent. I wouldn't have known anyone was living here had I not been introduced to the owners. Despite it being near the centre of the house the hallway was still as well lit as the rest, with pot lights in the ceiling and miniature lamps casting focused beams on two paintings that hung on the opposite wall.

It seemed almost an interminable length of time before I was able to hear any semblance of another being around me. Unfortunately it came in the form of an angry rhino that barreled into the hallway in a huff of sweat and odour and knocked me and the chair I was sitting on clear to the side. He looked down at me with what I could only think was contempt.

"I hope you two have fun together," he spat, and then made a hurried stomp to the front door, slamming it shut behind him.

Gregory was there, reaching a hand for me and helping me up. "I hope you're not hurt?" he asked, "Unfortunately we also get that reaction a lot as well."

"I don't think so," I said, brushing myself off.

He swept a bit of hair from my shoulder and led me into the room.

It was well ventilated, which I found myself grateful for, as I could only imagine being locked in a confined space with that rhino.

"Well, I suppose since you're the last candidate for the boys the choice is simply whether or not you'll sign our agreement," he began, "But I still want to hear it from you. Why did you reply to the ad at all?"

It was like my mind had gone completely blank. I was no more a med student than an empty book. Something caught in my throat and my mouth opened but nothing came out. I blinked, then again, looked down at my hands clenched into tight fists on my legs and took a few short breaths. "I'm not really sure. Honestly. I... I just read your ad and something about it. It was like the words were... sincere. I... can I say something really corny?"

Gregory smiled, "Of course."

"Promise not to laugh?"

He nodded, "Promise." He even crossed his heart.

"Your words sounded kind, warm, inviting. Just reading them, and seeing your picture with Alice, I felt like you could both be wonderful people, and I thought, if I were going to live anywhere, I'd want them to be my landlords."

"You've had bad experiences with landlords?"

It was my turn to nod. I didn't know why I was telling him this. I felt like I was an open book, reciting my own narrative for an eager listener. Before I knew it my pages had filled to bursting and the words came spilling out.

"When I was a kid I found out my mom was... skipping on the rent. The landlord was taking favours instead. Sexual favours. I remember thinking how much I hated him for it, for using my mom like that. Because after a while the bills weren't being paid at all. It wasn't just rent, she couldn't pay for internet, cable, our meals got smaller, more infrequent. After a while the landlord kicked us out, said he couldn't keep us here if we weren't prepared to get the providers to stop calling him about outages."

I didn't know what I started crying, but I wiped a tear from my face and blushed, feeling stupid.

"You don't need to go on if you don't want to," said Gregory. It was kind of him to say so, but at this point I had to say it. I had to finish what I started. It was already eating at me like it had years ago.

"We got into a half-way house. No rent, and food was provided, as long as we helped with chores. Washing dishes, vacuuming, normal stuff. But it started there too. It wasn't just the landlord though. My mom started using herself to pay for favours, getting out of chores, a few dollars here and there. Then one day I got home from school with my little sister. She was eight, I was just a teenager. My mom had passed out on the couch. She was drooling white. She had overdosed; I found out from the doctors who came to take her away. After that the two of us weren't allowed to stay in the half-way house anymore. We got shipped into foster care. My sister's still there, trying to finish high school. And I'm here looking for a way out, I'm going to school to be a doctor."

My fists hurt, they were clenched so tightly and I had to willfully crack them open again. I sniffled and felt ashamed. I was crying in an interview with a guy who had announced that the agreement would be to live here and have sex with the landlords. I was a hypocrite, a desperate one. That made it hurt more.

"So after all that, and after what the agreement entails, why trust Alice and I? Couldn't we be just out to use you like your first landlord used your mom?"

It hadn't just crossed my mind. But now that it was out I nodded my head in agreement. "You could be. Even after all you've said, you could be. But, when your wife, when Alice opened the door for me, and spoke to me the first time, I felt at ease. There was just nothing in her that made me uncomfortable. Even you. Even though you're tall, imposing, big, and even though you seem to know how to control a room with just your voice, I didn't hear anything that put me on edge. Even when you talked about the agreement."

I looked up and found myself leveling gazes with Gregory across the small table. His deep gold eyes were rare on a wolf, and I found myself losing myself in them. I swallowed.

Gregory leaned back, smiled casually, and then nodded. "I think there's only one more question to ask then, before I leave you too raw." He paused, and I dreaded what he was going to ask. My heart was leaping pre-emptively into my throat and my stomach had filled with so many butterflies I thought I might vomit. "Would you have sex with me?"

I swallowed down my guts, having already gotten over the worst of my apprehension, and lowered my gaze again. I had pictured Alice the whole time in the main hall, admittedly in several different positions. But never did I spare a glance at Gregory. He was handsome; any guy could see that. But sex? "I... I'm not sure... I think... I think that if... the mood was right... and we both got to know each other better, then I think I could."

He stared at me across the table and I could feel my head burning where his eyes were burrowing through my skull. The answer satisfied him though, and he leaned across the table with an arm outstretched, taking mine that I had raised in reflex, and shook hard.

"I'd like to give you the agreement form then Simon, if you're still willing to sign it. Alice and I will welcome you into our home for as long as you want to stay."

I felt my arm go numb, holding it still outstretched even after he let go. I was dumbfounded. Even after my sob story, and breaking down, and my corny answers, he was still going to let me stay. My breath caught for a moment. I was going to live in the same house as Alice.

Gregory looked over his shoulder to a shelf I hadn't noticed before and slid off a single legal sized piece of paper. It was filled with writing, but I was in no condition to read, my eyes clouded over with elation. He slid it to me. There were all the fields I expected: name, birthdate, and a long list of conditions and agreements. It felt like I was signing my life away.

I reached instinctively for the pen that would be on my right. But it wasn't there. There was no pen anywhere actually. I looked at Gregory inquisitively but he only smiled.

"This isn't a contract to just be signed Simon. Unlike some other landlords I do want you to read it thoroughly, and to understand the conditions. Most of them are standard. No vandalism, no theft, you will not commit crimes while living here. Then there are the ones at the bottom. Ours. Those are the ones we want you to pay special attention to. That section also contains our agreements to you." He rose and made for the door, placed his hand on the knob and was about to turn it before looking at me and saying, "If it helps ease your stomach, there will never be a non-consensual situation in this house. Whether it is you and me, Alice or Lily, the golden rule here is that whatever happens here is consensual or it doesn't happen." He pulled the door open and light from the hallway caught me in the eyes. He helped me out of the chair and his hand was warm, soft and strong.

I found myself squeaking in response, "Why the agreement form then?"

He smiled, "Paperwork, Simon. Being a landlord is a lot of paperwork."

Alice was outside in the entrance hall talking to the avian girl, Lily, who seemed much more at ease now than before. Even from my brief introduction to Alice's inherent charm I could understand why Lily had opened up so much. Where Gregory was kind enough, he was stern where Alice was simply cheerful. I probably would have looked like that had I been interviewed by Alice as well.

"There he is. And, there it is. You both have the agreement forms. Keep them safe, read them over tonight, and bring them back tomorrow. Give us a call or an email if you're no longer interested. We'll just have to make new arrangements. I do hope you both come back. I think you'd both be a wonderful match for our home."

Lily smiled and nodded, turned to me and blushed, then made for the door. It was even colder out now than when I arrived, so I dashed to my coat and slipped it on before I got the brunt of the chill coming in.

When I was outside again I looked at the sky. It hadn't cleared up any, only clouded over further. And it was pitch black. Lily was going to take the bus somewhere, already standing at the stop. I joined her there, made an attempt at conversation that stopped before it became audible, feeling awkward at the thought that by agreeing to this contract we were also agreeing to have sex with each other as well. At least I assumed that was the case.

Her bus came and I managed to shout as she stepped inside, "See you tomorrow." To which she only meekly blushed.

I knew then that I was going to sign the agreement. And I was going to be here bright and early tomorrow to hand it over.

I was going to have a home again. I was going to belong somewhere.