[center]Alyssa had seemed terribly relieved when she realized that Mansfield hadn’t even been bothered that she had cut it so close. She had been worried that it would send the wrong message, and she’d almost been prepared to defend herself, but he had dismissed it so easily. She couldn’t help the slightly surprised look that flew across her face before it had just as quickly faded as he had immediately shown her where to sit. She let out a small breath that she hadn’t fully been aware she was holding before she lightly bit her lip and moved to the seat, carefully sitting down with a quiet “thank you” as he had pushed the chair in behind her. It was then that she actually had the moment to look around the room, her eyes dancing across the walls to the ceiling before Mansfield had seated himself. 

Everything had seemed like it had happened in a whirl as Robert had soon made his way in the room as soon as Mansfield had been seated. She had tilted her head as she listened to the exchange between the two, but a blush immediately had lifted to her cheeks over the comment made. She’d only been flitting around the place for a couple of hours getting settled, but she wondered if word really was getting around that quickly that she was there. 

Once her food had been placed in front of her, Alyssa felt her stomach growl in the slightest. Perhaps she had forgotten to eat lunch in the excitement of things. Really, she had only planned to go on an interview and head back home - hopefully get a call in the following days, and then figure it out from there. She could have hardly anticipated suddenly getting hired on the spot, having to uproot her entire life, and end up at an awfully large table with her new employer who was very interested in getting to know her further than just the “new hire” that would be roaming around his house. 

She felt her nerves shooting through her with each moment, especially when Robert had soon been dismissed and once more it was only her and Mansfield at the table again. Alyssa had quickly mimicked his own actions, taking her napkin carefully, making sure the silverware didn’t fall on the table before she gently placed them down. She had taken her napkin and placed it on her lap before her hands remained neatly folded thereafter. 

Alyssa had felt not only overwhelmed, but almost out of place in that large dining room with such a wonderful meal presented before her. She wasn’t used to such things - hell, she was lucky if she even had time to cook a real meal, and she couldn’t remember the last time she had went out to dinner. She usually could manage a sandwich or a bowl of cereal - or anything that could have been prepared rather quickly before her father inevitably was going to go off on her -- or would pass out and she would have to handle him for the evening. This was so out of the ordinary for her, that she almost hadn’t known how to act. Clearly, and judging by his words, Mansfield was used to a life of luxury - Alyssa could only imagine them in the numerous books she’d read or the shows she’d watched. 

She shifted a bit in her seat when his conversation soon turned to focus on her and she bit the inside of her cheek for a moment as she mulled over her answer. “Well, I suppose I’ve always been around here.” Alyssa began quietly. “I used to live in the city with my parents - but it was about five or six years ago before I moved out here. It’s definitely a great deal quieter in the city, which I enjoy - not to mention it isn’t as busy.” She added as an afterthought. “I suppose after I went to school, it just seemed like a good idea to stay around here for the meantime.” Which, wasn’t necessarily true. She would have loved to travel elsewhere - would have loved to go back to the city once in awhile, or even find somewhere new where she could simply get away, but her father was the one who had kept her there -- moreso out of obligation than him wanting her there.  Alyssa was terrified that if she had abandoned him and left for her own reasons, he would have eventually lost himself and she would be awoken in the middle of the night to that phone call that he hadn’t made it through the night. 

Although - that fear had still been very alive even while she lived with him - at least Alyssa had a sense of control over it if she were home. 

Alyssa had looked over to Mansfield after a moment’s pause. “What about you? Have you always been around here, or no?” She couldn’t imagine someone like him would have been confined to one place. The son of an Ambassador - as he had mentioned- had to have a bit of travelling and adventure under his belt. [/center]
[@freedomliveson]