“Sir, if you’ll just step into my office, it will only take a few minutes to set your life on a course of life-changing adventure,” the man said, taking hold of Matthew’s upper arm to guide him into a doorway to his left.
“Please, I’m not–”
“Don’t worry about qualifications!” the man interrupted, tightening his grasp on Matthew’s arm against Matthew’s efforts to pry it off. “We can and will train any man, and we haven’t yet failed to please any one of your peers who have accepted our offer.”
“But I can’t!” Matthew protested, trying to dig his heels into the boards beneath him and pry the man’s hand off of his arm.
“Nonsense, nonsense,” the man replied. “Such is the attitude of a defeatist weakling or a man who allows himself to be browbeaten by his cowardly wife. Men are capable of anything, and they mustn’t let anything hold them back.”
“I’m not interested!” Matthew pleaded, prying earnestly at the man’s hand as he braced a foot against the exterior wall.
“Sir, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the adventure of a lifetime,” the man urged.
“Please, let me go!” Matthew pleaded.
“There is absolutely nothing to be afraid of sir,” the man pressed.
“I’m not afraid!” Matthew argued.
“Good, then let’s go fill out the paperwork!” the man said enthusiastically.
“No!” Matthew cried. “I’m not interested!”
“You haven’t seen all the benefits yet!” the man countered. “If you’d just come inside!”
“Please, I need–”
“Every need you have will be met by the company,” the man said. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Just come inside and I’ll show you.”
Hearing the chiming of a bell as he braced himself against the doorframe, Matthew used the hand of the arm the man refused to let go of to check his watch. It was effectively noon.
“Well, I doubt you have any hot lunch in there for me,” Matthew said.
“Well, no,” the man said, faltering. “No, we only provide lunch at the camp once you’ve signed your contract.”
“I didn’t think so, and considering it’s lunchtime, I’d like to have some lunch,” Matthew said, quickly prying the man’s loosened fingers off his arm. “I might ponder your offer over my lunch, and if I’m interested, I’ll come back for more information.”
“Ah, yes, yes, of course,” the man said eagerly.
“Good day,” Matthew said curtly, turning and briskly departing before the man could say a word in order to get away from the man as fast as he could.
He heard the man holler after him, but he didn’t pay any attention to the words, he just rubbed his arm, which actually felt sore from the tightness of the grasp which the man had held it in. If he ever came onto this street again he was going to have to be more watchful.
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