[10:15 a.m.]

As we were heading to our meeting with Maretoria’s Secret, I took the opportunity to type notes in a word document to keep track of how much time was spent on each appointment on the agenda; what businesses Ms. Star want me to keep tab on to set up such appointments; and finally organizing the future appointments that’s in the next couple of days. Basically writing a lot of notes about appointments in general. I typed some personal notes on setting up an agenda in an excel file to keep track of schedules in the future. I’ve also took note on a separate document about what I’ve learned about Fleur and Ms. Star that I could either talk about some more, seek more information on, or avoid altogether until they’re ready to speak. Like who the heck Solar Flare was, and what was his history with the girls.

Now that I think about it, would they have some sort of Wikipedia or page about Solar Flare now that Equestria has technology? I COULD look him up for myself to see what the fuss was about, but then again, this is personal territory for both Fleur, AND Ms. Star, considering how furious she looked back at the news broadcast. Plus when you think about it, doing something like that would be like stalking your ‘friends’’ pages on Facebook. I swear, I’ve given up my account on that so long ago when I realized how pointless it was. I’ve also realized that though the internet makes things more convenient, it kind of lowers the value of conversation and meaningfulness to personal topics compared to talking to them face to face. Plus, some people can be so dumb on what they put up on the web these days. It’s a wonder how our species even survived for this long with such intelligence.

“Here we are,” Ms. Star said, interrupting my train of thought.

I looked out the window, and saw the large building complex before us. If I had to guess what goes on in a couple parts of this establishment, I’m sure that each of them holds a different kind of process that goes on before they sell the product. Like one part works on the designs; another would create and fit them on volunteers or mannequins; then there’s taking the photos to showcase and advertise the product; and finally making copies in different sizes before they ship them to chain stores to sell. As I was thinking all of this through, I just realized the elephant that was in the room.

I’m going to be surrounded by different types of lingerie… Alright, try not to overreact, and think rationally by counting down a list. One, you have two mares with you. As long as you’re not by yourself in these kinds of businesses, unless you’re one of those WORKING in such a place, you won’t be branded as a creeper or a pervert. Two, you’re only there to record notes during the meeting discussing about swimsuits. Last I checked, swimsuits aren’t NEARLY as bad as undergarments or lingerie depending on the setting... Uh… What else is there?

“Ozzy? Are you doing alright?” Fleur asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“I’m… Fine… Mind cloudy,” I replied like some slow thinking idiot.

“Well hurry on up Mr. Shore. We don’t have all day,” Ms. Star said before taking the lead.

“R-right…” I replied as I got my things, and I followed with Fleur at my side.

[1 hour later, 11:30 a.m.]

“Mr. Shore, while I’m sort of glad you were able to keep track of the important notes, recorded our photo shoot with them at a later date, and not do something stupid, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a stallion in a more pathetic state than what you’re in right now,” Ms. Star insulted while rubbing the eyes under her glasses.

The three of us were back in Fleur's home where I offered to make sandwiches for lunch after the meeting with Maretoria’s Secret. True to Ms. Star’s word, I had to clean myself and change clothes when we got back, because I looked like someone dumped water on me a while ago, as my hair, face, hands, and pits were covered in dry, icky sweat due to how anxious I was inside the building. I had a box of tissues one of the staff generously gave me to try and wipe myself off, but the dryness only lasted for so long before things got wet again. I think I might have used about half a box’s worth before we finally left.

“I’m kind of amazed how you were still able to write such legible notes despite your condition,” Fleur pointed out as I gave her a lily sandwich on wheat. “Though, you looked like you were glued to that notepad throughout the whole meeting, and barely even said a word. I thought the newscast was bad enough for you, but I guess that’s not the case… What went on with you back there anyway?”

I took large gulps of ice water from a glass, trying to gain back the liquid I lost from all that sweating earlier. After that, I had a hard time finding the words to explain myself while I finished Ms. Star's RLT (rose, lettuce, and tomato) on whole grain next, as I was too ashamed and embarrassed at myself for how ridiculous I looked back there. “Um… I uh…” I mumbled.

“Honestly Mr. Shore, you’re a grown man for Celestia’s sake,” Ms. Star nagged as I gave her the sandwich she requested ordered, and I started making an LT on wheat for myself. “You did adequately with your breakfast, and the news broadcast, yet right when you stepped inside Maretoria’s Secret’s building, you choked up and acted like a lost puppy. Surely for somepony... someONE, your age, you’ve gotten over this kind of thing after going through a couple relationships back on Earth.”

I stood there silently while looking down, unable to answer and defend myself for something that’s really embarrassing to be honest about. A pause between the three of us was in the air, and though my face was down while I finished my own sandwich, I could feel Fleur and Ms. Star exchanged questionable looks.

“Um… A few relationships?” Ms. Star corrected.

I took my sandwich to a spot on the kitchen counter, and sat next to Fleur without saying a word.

“… One relationship?”

Nothing.

“A few dates?”

Nada.

The silence in the air felt heavier than an anvil as the pause felt like it took hours of awkwardness before Fleur finally spoke.

“Ozzy… Are you a virgin?”

My only reaction was taking off my glasses, sliding my food to the side, and slammed my forehead on the counter. If that didn’t get the message across, I didn’t know what will.

Unfortunately, Ms. Star seemed to get the message, as the next thing I heard was loud guffaws of laughter, and a thud on the floor as I could tell she fell off her stool. It was so bad, she even snorted a few like a pig, while my whole face just heated up from embarrassment.

“I… Don’t understand,” Fleur commented while Ms. Star was slowly coming back to her senses. “You can cook, have a great work ethic, well-mannered, considerate, did excellently in academics, and even got awarded with grants and scholarships to pay for college. Surely you must have gotten SOME interest from a girl back on your world?”

“That’s just it… Even if they did, I never had the time and money for it,” I finally spoke for the first time. I turned my head to the side, away from the girls as I was still ashamed and embarrassed in myself. “Throughout most of my life, all I had in mind was getting through my education with above average grades. I wasn’t into sports, dances, I took part in a club and became part of a choir to at least put SOMETHING on my letters to better my chances of getting accepted into college. When I was old enough to work, I went from part-time, to full-time after I graduated high school. I then went to my community college after I moved into an apartment with a few roommates that same year.

“I might have seen some girls attractive, but I’ve only gotten so far as speaking casually with some small talk. I didn’t make close friends to hang out with, my dad’s a hopeless drunk, my older brother’s a dick, and I barely even knew my mom before she got killed in a car collision. I’ve only gone to see my school counselors to talk about my personal problems. Other than that, I’ve had to look out for myself throughout most of my lifetime.

“When news spread about how there was a new world linking with ours, and then settling arrangements enough where humans and ponies can coexist between worlds came to light, I found it as an opportunity to change my life around. A chance to start fresh, and make the life I want to live with nothing like my poor excuse of a family, and my previous debilitating boss to hold me back. I could even finally make some friends like my counselors kept telling me to do.

“So yes, I’ve never had sex, I’ve never seen a girl naked, let alone their bra and underwear in person, and I’ve never been on a date in my life. Ms. De Lis, I’m probably more lost on how to make and act around friends in this world than you, so I’m sorry that I don’t reach your expectations. Ms. Star, I don’t mind that you probably never want to be a friend of mine, especially after hearing how pathetic my life has been up to this point. A part of me felt that we could at least get on good terms, but if what we have now is the way it’s going to be if I still somehow end up being your secretary at the end of the day, then I won’t bother you anymore.”

I stood up from my seat without looking at Ms. De Lis and Ms. Star, took my last couple drinks of water, grabbed the sandwich I made myself for lunch, and my laptop case. “I’ll be in the carriage and work on the agenda before we leave for Equestrian Eagle. Enjoy your lunch,” I bid before I walked off of the café’s property, went inside the carriage, and finished my lunch as I set up an excel file on my laptop for our agenda.

[30 minutes later, 12:00 p.m.]

The ride over to Equestrian Eagle was quiet, save for the typing I was making while I updated today’s current events, and the rest of this week’s schedule on our agenda. I may not be able to get the job at the end of the day, but I might as well leave something for Ms. Star to make scheduling easier as a parting gift. Speaking of computers, I still need to set up that blocking feature for Ms. De Lis’ browser. I’ll ask if I can do that before I leave, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that won’t be the case.

When we arrived at the building complex, I packed everything in my laptop case before Silver Wheel opened the door, and I let the girls step out first before I went last. A unicorn mare was out front, probably waiting for us to direct us to the studio where we would have Ms. De Lis’ photo shoot.

“Shining! Fleur! A pleasure to have you with us today,” she greeted with a smile like any business person as she shook their hands. “My name’s Heartsong, and I’ll be guiding you to the photo shoot. We’ll stop by the dressing room first to set Fleur up with the clothes line you’ll be posing in for our advertisement, and get started immediately,” she then turned to me with that same smile. “And you must be her new secretary that showed up in the news this morning! Ozzy was it? I must say that I’m interested in your culture, and I’d—“

“Thank you for your interest, and I’d love to stay and chat, but could we get going with the shoot please? We’re on a tight schedule. I’ll wait in the studio while the girls get things settled if that’s alright?” I asked.

Heartsong stood there with eyes widened, along with Ms. Star and Ms. De Lis before she spoke. “Um… Yes, of course, right this way everypony,” she said before we followed her to the studio.

[1 hour later, 1:15 p.m.]

While Ms. De Lis was posing for the camera during the photo shoot, I’ve done like Ms. Star told me to do this morning: basically shut up unless somepony talked to me, and don’t do anything that would make Ms. De Lis look bad. As I sat on one of the chairs provided for me by the staff, I took the initiative to keep record of the time spent over the past couple hours in the agenda, while typing notes on who Ms. Star should call for Ms. De Lis’ future appointments. Some of the staff came by and asked me human related questions like ‘Are there really as much guys as there are girls back on Earth?’ ‘Do humans have cutie marks?’ and ‘What type of meat do we usually eat?’ I just replied with short, concise answers while I kept working. Soon, the questions came to a stop, and I finished my updated agenda before it was somehow break time.

I got up, stretched, and went to the refreshment table to grab a bottled water before I was poked behind my back. I turned around, and saw that it was Ms. De Lis, still in one of the clothes the staff set up for her to wear for the photo shoot. “Did you need anything Ms. De Li—GLK?!” I asked before I was suddenly pulled by my tie with Ms. De Lis’ magic as she walked me, and Ms. Star who was tugged by the collar of her suit to the dressing room.

She practically tossed us inside, stepped in, and slammed the door behind her before locking the door. She then cast some sort of spell that covered the room in a pale pink aura before it disappeared. When Ms. Star and I got up from the slight pain from the toss, we were confronted by Ms. De Lis who had a furrowed brow, giving the both of us a look of disapproval.

“Okay, WE are going to settle this issue. RIGHT. NOW,” Ms. De Lis emphasized.

Wait, what’s going on?

“Shining Star, we’re starting things off with you,” Ms. De Lis ordered.

Ms. Star’s eyes widened from being referred to her full name in such a demanding manner before Ms. De Lis continued. “I’ve been wanting to avoid coming to this ever since I first saw the signs. At first I thought that if I gave you enough time, you’d sooner or later let go of your grudge in the past, and move on with your life. Since I haven’t seen ANY attempt of you talking to Ozzy about what happened earlier, it’s about time I finally said something that should have been brought out of the open a long time ago.”

“W-what do you mean?” Ms. Star stuttered.

“I’m TALKING about how you’ve treated all the stallions for the past five years ever since you became my manager,” Ms. De Lis clarified. “Shining, I KNOW you were much better than this at one point in our time as friends. Not only were you strong, assertive, and honest, but you were one of the most well-liked ponies I’ve come to know. You were supportive, hard-working, and kind to both mares, AND stallions, I couldn’t have been more proud, and lucky to have you as my best friend.

“But ever since that day… You’ve changed Shining. You may have been an excellent manager for the past couple years, but not only have you scared off any stallion who’ve tried to get close to me, you’ve pushed away any stallion who’ve tried to get close to YOU, by degrading and downplaying them until they walk away and leave you alone. When was the last time you’ve TRIED to connect with a stallion since YOUR ex-coltfriend left you?”

Ms. Star stood there speechless before she furrowed her brow to Ms. De Lis. “I THOUGHT we agreed not to go back there again,” she sneered.

“Well we’re GOING back there again. It’s because of that and the incident before it that turned you INTO somepony like this!” Ms. De Lis exclaimed. “What HAPPENED to you Shining?! The ‘Shiny’ I used to know would talk to Ozzy here about how it’s okay that he’s still a virgin, help him get comfortable with the awkward moments in the modeling business, and let him know that he’s anything BUT pathetic for how much he went through to get here! Instead, I get Shining Star the manager who’s doing jack squat, and pushing him to the point of seeing us as employees, and nothing more!

“Even after you’ve brought up rude comments in the interview last night, Ozzy STILL wanted to get well-acquainted to you. He’s the first guy since the last couple of years to REACH OUT to you, with almost no idea on how to make new friends, in an ENTIRELY new world that’s different from his own with a COMPLETELY different species, and you’re STILL pushing him away that he doesn’t deserve like all the other stallions before him! I don’t think I WANT Shining Star the manager anymore! I want the real Shiny I’ve come to know and love back!”

Whoa… I guess these two have a longer history than I thought. Looks like Ms. De Lis is having a hard time coming out with this too, since I’m seeing tears welling up in her eyes for the first time.

Ms. De Lis took a couple shaking breaths to calm herself down, and dabbed her eyes with a tissue while trying to avoid ruining her make up. Once she collected herself, she then turned to me with a serious expression.

I guess it’s my turn.

“Ozzy, since my ‘manager’ hasn’t said anything, I’ll put in my two bits,” Ms. De Lis said. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about being a virgin at your age. I honestly think it’s sweet that you wanted to hold onto it while getting through everything else before you moved here, and start settling down. To me, it’s like you’re saving it until you share your first time with your special somepony to show how much you love and trust them to get to that point. Sometimes I’ve come to regret giving up my own to somepony I thought I had loved at an earlier age, only to realize later that he didn’t turn out the way I had hoped. I’m sure my old friend Shiny felt the same way.”

Ouch. From the way she’s talking, it’s like the friend she knew died and left this world.

“You are also not pathetic for only seeking to reach your goals,” Ms. De Lis continued. “I may not know the details of what happened back on Earth, but I think you deserve so much better from what life had gave you. I can tell that you’ve worked at your best to pursue your education while doing a full-time job, and that’s something to be admired. I’ve only gotten through high school with passable grades before I pursued my career of being a model, and I sometimes wonder how different things would be for me if I went through a higher education.

“As for what happened back at Maretoria’s Secret, don’t worry about it. I’ve seen other stallions walking inside the stores with their marefriends while feeling uncomfortable, and I can only imagine how bad it must have been for you being surrounded by all of those large pinups of practically nude mares, and undergarments displayed on the walls. Passing by the studio with a bunch of those models in such attire in the middle of a photo shoot didn’t really help much either, considering how new you are not only to the business, but just being around mares in such a state either. You aren’t the first good-natured guy who has acted this way when they first started working in the business, but I promise you that after being exposed to this for the first couple of weeks, they’ve learned to get used to it. Nopony around here, myself included, will judge you in a negative light.

“Last couple of things: first, I want you to forget about what Shining Star had told you about how you refer to me in public. No matter what anypony says, my manager especially, you just call me Fleur from now on alright? I’m the kind of pony who doesn’t like to be so formal with titles 24/7. Second, don’t be afraid to open up and tell other ponies about yourself if they asked. Some of them are really interested about the world you came from, and I think they’d be thrilled to get to know you and make friends with you. Finally,” Fleur said before pulling me into a hug. “It’s okay if you don’t know how to act around friends. If anything, what you’ve done for me up to before we got to Maretoria’s Secret is a good of a start as any. I’ll let you know if something bothers me, and like how you offered back at the news station, you can come talk to me about anything you don’t understand around here. Until then, just be yourself… Okay Ozzy?”

I stood there frozen and speechless, trying to take in everything Fleur had told me for the past couple of minutes. It felt like all of that awkwardness from earlier, all the shame in myself, and at least some of the anxiety and bashing against myself was being melted away under the comfort and warmth from Fleur’s embrace. I slowly raised and wrapped my arms around Fleur’s back, and returned the hug while I rested my head on her shoulder.

“Thank you… Fleur,” I mumbled.

“You’re quite welcome,” she replied before we pulled from our hug with a smile. “Okay, let’s finish things up here, get things done with Mare de Fur, and we’ll find a present for Fancy Pants before the party, alright?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“You’re going to be… In your birthday suit during the photo shoot at Mare de Fur’s right? Are you okay with me being around? And is it only you? No other mares?” I asked.

“It will only be me, and I’m fine being nude around you and other stallions. It’s part of the job as a supermodel sometimes,” Fleur answered. “If you’re not comfortable, I can see if you could wait in another room until I’m done if that’s what you want.”

I looked down, and thought about it deeply.

If Fleur said things like this take time to adjust for newbies like me, and I won’t get judged, I should make the time to start now rather than wait later. I don’t know why, but if it’s just Fleur in the room… Somehow I’m okay with that compared to other mares. Plus, I should probably step in if I see her getting uncomfortable with someone on staff if there’s really one or two stallions who behave in a way Ms. Star described this morning.

I looked back up to Fleur with a small smile on my face. “I think I should be fine. I’ll need to get used to this sooner or later right? I might as well start now.”

“Excellent! Just know that you’re free to step out of the room if you change your mind,” Fleur pointed out. “Now let’s finish this photo shoot, and move on to the next one. We still have plenty to do before the party tonight.”

“I’m right behind ya,” I replied as I followed Fleur out of the dressing room. Before I stepped out, I glanced back, and saw Ms. Star looking down on the floor with her ears folded. “Um… Ms. Star? Are you coming?” I asked.

“You… Go on ahead… I need some time to myself for a bit,” Ms. Star answered.

I nodded silently in response before I stepped out, and quietly shut the door behind me.

[1 hour, 30 minutes later, 3:00 p.m.]

Before we continued the photo shoot with Equestrian Eagle, some of the staff asked if the three of us were okay since Fleur pulled Ms. Star and I to her dressing room. Fleur answered that things were fine between us, and I played along. I couldn’t say the same for Ms. Star however.

Now that I think about it, do things in this business usually get this dramatic? It’s like this day so far has become an emotional rollercoaster. Wonder if all the stress that comes along with this gets their emotions hard to control? Maybe I should schedule some time for Fleur to take breathers, or some exercises that helps lower stress levels. It was tough getting into the habit, but I’ve tried to take a couple minutes to meditate before I head to bed back on Earth. Along with taking antidepressants before, that sometimes helped me fall asleep better and faster. I’ll have to talk it over with Fleur about it later. From how she behaved earlier, and learning a brief history of her with Ms. Star, it’s a wonder how she can look so calm and collected throughout the day, especially when she had eased my nerves more than once today, when it should probably be the other way around.

Anyway, when we continued the photo shoot, I tried to make things up to Heartsong and the other ponies who talked to me earlier by apologizing for my mood, and asking them questions about themselves. They turned out to be not so hard making amends with, as they may have thought my mood from earlier was because of the stress from today. I got to know a little more about Equestria’s culture while I gave them some things about Earth in the end, and we came to be good acquaintances. Fleur seemed to notice that as I noticed how much better her poses have gotten before the break. I guess what happened at lunch bothered her enough to not focus on her work.

Once we finished up at Equestrian Eagle, we had to find Ms. Star, who was still in Fleur’s dressing room when we found her, before we had to leave for our next appointment. On the way to Mare de Fur’s photo shoot, I talked with Fleur about what I’ve learned about Equestria so far, and what made this culture different than where I came from. She looked like she was better than how things were during the break, but I couldn’t help but feel there’s something in her mind that was still bothering her.

Ms. Star on the other hand looked like she had a lot to think about, as she stayed silent throughout the ride, and just looked out the window. I guess hearing what her best friend had to say earlier really opened up her eyes, and had her look back on her life to think things through.

As we were getting closer to Mare de Fur’s building, something came up in my mind that I didn’t notice back at Equestrian Eagle’s photo shoot until now.

“Hey Fleur, despite how… Loud the conversation was earlier, how come some of the staff members looked like they didn’t hear anything? Was that weird glowing thing you did with the room earlier part of it?” I asked.

“Very perceptive Ozzy. I wondered when you were going to bring that up,” Fleur answered. “That was actually what’s called a ‘sound-proof’ spell. It makes whatever room you’re in unable to get any sound out, or in until you open a door, which will wear off soon after.”

“Oh I see, so you can pretty much make any room like one of those recording studios at record companies. That’s pretty useful,” I commented.

“It certainly is, especially if you want keep any loud noises outside of the room gone. Anyway, let’s get ready to move on out. I’ll need some time to clean off my make up for this one, and I’ll definitely need more to put it back on after the shoot,” she commented before the carriage came to a stop.

Silver Wheel came to the door, and I let Fleur step out first before I went next, and Ms. Star left last. We walked out and went through the automatic doors before we saw another mare waiting at the front desk before she gave a small smile at our arrival.

You know, I thought the guidebook mentioning that there was an eight to three ratio of mares to stallions in the pony population was a little farfetched, but I think I’m starting to believe it since I’ve only came and talked personally to… Like two stallions? While the rest of the time not only have I spoken to mostly mares, but there certainly was more of them in a room compared to stallions as far as I’ve noticed. If there aren’t that many stallions to go around, are the mares around here more competitive in seeking romantic relationships? Then again, with Equestria being a Matriarchy type of society, something like sexual orientation is probably more flexible and possibly normal to have compared to Earth. So there may be more bisexual and lesbian oriented mares here, which means more lesbian relationships… I gotta admit, that sounds kind of hot.

Still, living beings have to reproduce in order for their population to thrive right? Unless there’s a spell that allows two mares to bear foals (or possibly TONS of donated sperm banks to gain access to), that still leaves the question on how heterosexual relationships here work. Is having a lot of foals in a household normal? Are guys allowed to have more than one spouse here? Even if that were the case, I think I’m just fine having a monogamous relationship… Wait, where the heck am I going with this?

“Hi there! You must be here for the photo shoot then. I’m Glitter Spell, and I’ll be directing you to the studio where the shoot will take place,” she introduced. “We’ll be stopping by the dressing room first to get you prepared… Um, is your friend back there alright?”

I turned my head around, and saw that Ms. Star was definitely not in a happy mood, but not in the way I thought I was getting used to. She looked very down as her eyes were glancing downwards to the side, while her ears were still folded like I saw them back at Equestrian Eagle’s photo shoot. Her glasses were even a little off, but she barely took note on their position before fixing them.

Okay, this is starting to get uncomfortable with me. I wasn’t lying when I said I would put up with what the two of us had going so far. I’ve had bosses and managers just as bad, if not worse than Ms. Star to deal with. Is she really that conflicted with herself right now? Should I say something when the two of us are alone in a room? I haven’t had much experience dealing with this kind of situation, and with how things were between us up until during lunch, I’m kind of afraid of what may come if I try to step in.

“She’ll be fine. Shining Star is just having a long day,” Fleur reasoned. “Let’s just get ready for the shoot shall we?”

“Of course Ms. De Lis. Right this way,” Glitter Spell directed before the three of us followed her.

Then there’s what’s going on with Fleur right now. It’s like she’s giving Ms. Star a shoulder so cold, it would put an iceberg to shame. Not only has she stopped referring her as Shiny, but it’s like she’s really seeing and treating her like a manager, or a coworker she doesn’t pay much mind to. As cold as Fleur’s behavior towards Ms. Star has been, there was a hint of pain and sadness I could see in her eyes that she’s trying so hard not to show. Does she really think the friend she used to know is gone?

The thought plagued my mind as we followed Glitter Spell to Fleur’s dressing room. “I’ll help her get ready for the shoot. The way to the studio is the next left down the hallway, and there’s a break room on your next right with refreshments if you want some,” Glitter Spell explained.

“Thank you, we’ll be on our way then,” I replied before Ms. Star and I walked down the hallway. I glanced at Ms. Star as I was behind her. Her ears were still folded down, and even her tail was drooped to the point of dragging itself through the floor if it was long enough.

Okay, I can’t bear to watch this any further. This all started because of my sob story during lunch, so I’m as much involved in this conflict as Ms. Star and Fleur. I got to do something that could possibly help repair… Whatever those two have going on, or things could possibly get worse than what’s going on here. I may get something negative for doing this, but I’ve been through worse back on Earth, so I’ll have to push it through.

When we got near the path to the studio, before Ms. Star could make the turn, I caught up and grabbed her shoulder from behind to stop her, which made her freeze and tingle in surprise from the sudden physical contact.

“Ms. Star? Can we talk?”