Interview Preparation

Nicola sat on top of the covers of her bed, naked and miserable. It was five minutes past midnight, and she had just lost an old t-shirt in an attempt to get dressed again. It had turned out Cinderella was bullshit. She had enough snacks and drinks to last her until morning at least - not that it really mattered, since her housemates had already seen every inch of her anyway. It looked like her interview was going to be up in smoke now. She would have to call in sick tomorrow while she figured this all out. She knew she wasn't going to get the promotion she wanted anyway, but it would have been nice to have at least had a shot at it.

As she continued feeling sorry for herself, there was a puff of glittery smoke in front of Nicola's bed.

"What do you want this time?" she looked up and asked Priscilla grumpily "Haven't you done enough to me for one day?"

"What, you mean like help you turn a fifteen per cent rent increase into a fifteen per cent reduction?" the fairy asked "I saw that. You were awesome!"

"You could have just let me wish for a rent reduction without having to go through all of that naked humiliation first" Nicola argued back.

"You doubt my methods. That's okay, the fairy council have always been the same"

"Methods?" Nicola raised an eyebrow "What methods? This is just perverted chaos"

"You know, the phrase 'perverted chaos' actually featured in one of my annual reports" Priscilla recalled "But I get results"

"Seriously?"

"Of course! I find that, when other fairy godmothers just hand their clients exactly what they ask for, they don't really gain much of a sense of satisfaction from it. They don't experience any growth or feel they have accomplished anything. Getting what you want shouldn't be that easy. That's my philosophy anyway"

"Bullshit, you're enjoying this!"

"I might be, but that doesn't mean my methods aren't effective. Look at what you did back there with your landlord. If I'd just magicked you the rent reduction, what would you have learned from it? Now you know that you are more than capable of standing up to anyone in any situation"

"I also know I'm not capable of passing a job interview naked"

"I wouldn't be so sure"

"No, don't even go there Priscilla!" Nicola was trying to shut down whatever this was as quickly as she possibly could "I'm not going into the office like this. Forget it"

"But I'm here to grant another wish. It might just make you change your mind"

"Unless I wished for people to think I was dressed in interview appropriate business attire when I'm actually naked, which would have been a pretty weird thing for me to want before I met you, I very much doubt that"

Priscilla waved her wand at Nicola anyway. Her client immediately felt that something about her had changed, though she had no idea what it was.

"What did you just do to me?"

"I granted another wish"

"Which one? I don't feel any difference I can pinpoint"

Priscilla smiled at Nicola. For the first time there seemed to be a genuine hint of affection there, rather than pure mischief.

"Actually this is one of your most common wishes. You've actually made it thirty two times in your life"

"Really?" Nicola looked surprised "I have no idea what I would have wished for that many times. What was it?"

Priscilla paused for a moment before answering, and softened her voice a little.

"You wished that people wouldn't judge you"

"Oh, I guess that makes sense" Nicola realised. It hadn't been easy for her, coming from a broken family with next to no money and an alcoholic father, then trying to make a success of herself in a male dominated profession "So what, nobody is going to judge me at all now?"

"Not for as long as the wish lasts" the fairy confirmed "So not only will nobody mind that you are naked in public, but when it comes to the interview itself your age, gender and the fact you aren't prepared to flirt with your superiors won't count against you. You will be assessed on your interview performance alone"

"But everyone would still see me naked, right?"

"Yes"

Nicola ran her hand through her hair as she contemplated this. She really wasn't sure she was ready to walk around in the nude in public just because she wouldn't get arrested for it. Then another thought crossed her mind.

"Wait, I can't be judged. So am I allowed to commit crimes now?"

"Absolutely" Priscilla nodded "You could get away with **** if you wanted to"

"Damn, you're irresponsible"

"I think that word has cropped up more frequently than any other in my reports" the fairy admitted "Except, perhaps, for 'pervert'. Anyway, I must fly. But don't write off that interview just yet. And remember, I'll be watching over you!"

Nicola climbed into bed and tried to take a moment or two to process the day's bizarre events, not to mention what might be in store for her tomorrow. She surely wasn't going to willingly show up for a job interview naked.

Was she?