THE MOMENT
"Okay, just so we're clear...," Valerie's mind had more or less caught up to the situation, and she finally took a moment to appraise her handsome guest. He was tall and lean with fair skin and bright red hair, and he looked fantastic in his crisp white suit. He introduced himself as Phoenix, and she'd never met any version of him as far as she could tell. But she would've liked to. Of course, she didn't even know about alternate universes until he knocked on her door. "..a version of me died in your world, and now you want to take me to yours to be a replacement?" she asked.
She had to fight with herself to listen at all; but, Phoenix seemed quite sincere. And, he didn't hesitate to show off the advanced technology he had access to, to help his claim. Now that she was willing to entertain the idea, she wanted to make sure she got it right. He'd given her quite a bit of explanation for his visit, but she didn't quite understand every single word in the context he used them in.
"That's right," Phoenix nodded with a smirk. He seemed about to say something else, but Valerie shook her head.
"...don't you see how messed up that is??" she asked. She found herself at a strange crossroads. She wanted to believe him, and she would have loved to have visited other universes. But, not like that. Not as a stand-in for someone's affections. No matter how handsome she thought he was. But, she was surprised when he tilted his head at her with obvious confusion on his face.
"Not really...? Is it?" he asked.
"I don't even know you," she said. It was the biggest issue, even if it wasn't the one holding her back.
"That's what orientation's for," Phoenix chuckled. "And, I'm just here to invite you. I don't expect we'll be working together often. Sharp Development is quite a big company," he said. And there was 'Sharp Development' again. She got the impression he was extra proud of his job for as often as he mentioned the company he worked for.
"Well, at least you've got a job lined up for me...," she smiled and moved closer to test out a touch. She gently caressed his forearm, and he pulled it away. It wasn't a sudden flinch or anything, but it might as well have been. "...but what about after work? I'll see you at home, won't I?" It wasn't until that question that she realized she was already agreeing to go with him. Except, he shook his head with even more confusion.
"No," he looked at her for a moment, then grinned. "Ohhhh, wait a minute. I'm sorry, this isn't my normal job. We usually have interns doing this part, so I might not have been clear. I told you our version of you died, and I was here to ask you to be a replacement...," he said and she nodded.
"I know, we already covered that. Now we're discussing what the home life might be like. You've gotta convince me, you know? I don't know what kind of relationship you had with the other version of me, but I'm an entirely different woman."
"There's been something of a miscommunication," Phoenix nodded, and he took a deliberate step back. They were still at Valerie's front door, but she'd been opening it wider as they talked, and Phoenix was close to entering her home until he backed away.
"I suppose it's my own fault. I didn't think I needed to be this direct, but it looks like I was wrong. Let's just start all over again, and forget the last few minutes happened," he said. He cleared his throat with a cough, then smiled at her.
"Hello, my name is Phoenix, and I represent Sharp Development," he said. It was the exact same opening he used the first time, except this time he added more context as he explained why he was there. "Our version of you passed away recently in an unfortunate accident, and I'm here to invite you to take her place at our company," he said. Once he stressed it, Valerie realized she'd missed the next part of his introduction as he continued. The first time around, she was already lost in her head by this point.
"We've chosen you as the best fit, after scouting several of her alternate universe counterparts. You have most of the skills you need already, and after a few days of orientation, you can fit right in doing what that other version of you did."
"Wait, you're offering me a job? Not to run away with you to an alternate universe?" Phoenix nodded, shrugged, and chuckled all at once.
"A stranger visits your home and says an alternate version of you was killed, and they're looking for a replacement. And out of all the infinite possibilities, your first guess is that I want to romance you?" he asked with a grin. "I might be wrong, but that assumption seems kind of messed up."