An interview with Emmy and Black – Part 1

Today, Emmy and Black are here to answer your questions, and maybe give a few hints of things to come in the Blackwood series…

EN: So, why a security company?

Black: *Shrugs* Figured I should do something I was good at. Nate thought the same way.

EN: You didn’t consider something a little less dangerous?

Black: Like what? Working on Wall Street? Becoming a property developer? I’d rather carry a gun than a calculator.

EN: But you could die.

Black: At least it won’t be from boredom. 

EN: Come on, you’ve got billions of dollars. I’m sure you could find some way of amusing yourself. Travel the world. Learn new skills. Hey, you could even run for president, like…

Emmy: Don’t mention his name. Idiot. He can’t even lie without making a mess of it.

Black: I do travel the world, and I see the world. Not some sanitised version from a luxury resort or a yacht. The real world is both ugly and beautiful, and only by understanding one can you appreciate the other. And president? Put it this way, I won’t be producing my birth certificate in a hurry.

EN: Having that sort of power isn’t attractive?

Black: There are more powerful men in the world than the US president. They just prefer to stay behind the scenes.

EN: Are you one of those men?

Black: *Smiles enigmatically* As I said, they prefer to stay behind the scenes.

EN: Emmy, I can see why you joined Blackwood in the first place, and it had a lot to do with your financial situation. But now that you’ve made your own money, so why are you still there?

Emmy: Money doesn’t mean much. Yeah, all the shiny shit’s nice to have, but it’s hardly essential, is it? Unless you’re Bradley, obviously. 

EN: You do seem to let him get away with a lot.

Emmy: Buying things makes him happy. I like people to be happy.

EN: How about you? Are you happy? You have a tough life by the looks of things.

Emmy: It’s not so bad. Thanks to Black, all the fripperies are stripped away so I, we, only need to worry about the important things. People sort out my house, my food, my exercise routine. Some may say I’m spoilt, but I’d say that’s sensible. Now, I only need to worry about work, and nothing compares to the rush I get on the job. 

Black: You sure about that, Diamond?

Emmy: I’ll rephrase. Nothing outside of the bedroom compares to the rush I get on the job.

EN: We’d all like that kind of rush. What’s the toughest assignment you’ve ever faced?

Emmy: Hmmm. Interesting question. Every job is difficult in it’s own way, but I’d say the worst two were my trip to the Ramos compound in Colombia because I had to do that one without Black, and the shit that went down at Base 13. Not so much for me, but for Ana, because I had to watch her go through that hell.

EN: How are you always ready to deal with any situation without letting your emotions get the better of you?

Emmy: *Jerks thumb at Black* Him. Because he’s never let up on me. He’s always pushed me, and always wanted me to succeed, perhaps more than I even wanted it myself. Practice, practice, practice. I’ll never be perfect, nobody is, but I’ll damn well get as close to it as I can.

EN: Some people might view your relationship with Black as unhealthy, the way he pushes you. Abusive even. What are your views on that?

*Laughter from both of them*

Emmy: Are you serious? Somebody actually thinks that? When we met, I was a kid with no direction. I was born to do this stuff, I just didn’t know it at the time, and without Black steering me who knows where I’d have ended up. Yeah, I bitch about the things he makes me do, but that’s just me letting off steam. If ever I had a real problem with one of his requests, we’d talk about it and compromise. Com-pro-mise. That’s how a relationship works. And above everything, he’s my best friend. *Shakes head* Fuck me. Abuse? You want to hear about abuse, go talk to Ana.

EN: You can come across as quite icy in public. Robotic, even…

Emmy: Sometimes it’s advantageous to be like that. You can appear ditzy. Is that what you’re really like?

EN: I have a lot going on in my head. New stories, characters…

Emmy: Well, there you go. *Grins* And Black comes across as a cold-hearted bastard, but I know better.

EN: Your relationship hasn’t been conventional, has it? You weren’t exclusive until recently.

Emmy: We were. We excluded each other.

Black: Not even funny.

Emmy: Look, back when we first met, I viewed Black as a teacher, not a potential lover. It was a relationship that evolved over the years, and it became stronger because of that. Every man I ever got involved taught me things too, and the most important lesson I learned was that none of them would ever be as right for me as my husband. But I’m blonde, okay? It took me a while to understand that.

EN: But you’re still friends with all of those men?

Emmy: I am. If I’m gonna sleep with someone, I’d damn well better like them first, and that friendship isn’t going to disappear just because we don’t share a bed any more.

EN: Black, how do you feel about that?

Black: *Looking, well, black* I tolerate all of them. I tolerate them even better when they’re several thousand miles away. 

Emmy: *Muttering* Don’t think I don’t know you had Gideon relocated to Paris.

EN: Apart from Nick, right? He’s still close by.

Black: I’ve known Nick longer than Emmy, and I knew they wouldn’t be together long term. He needed a different type of woman, and now he’s found her. But back then, he also gave Emmy what she needed, and that was confidence.

EN: About that confidence… Emmy, your upbringing wasn’t easy, was it? Your moth—

Emmy: Don’t mention my mother. She means nothing to me.

EN: Sorry. Does your lack of family growing up still affect you?

Emmy: It’s contributed to who I am. *Shrugs* Anyway, I’ve got a family now, mostly one I chose, and that’s better than any number of arseholes who might have come through a genetic accident.

EN: Fair enough. Black? How about your family? Do you ever get curious about your history?

Black: Curious? Yes. But so far, any investigations into my past have hit a wall. We’ll keep looking, but I’d rather focus my energy on the family I do have, the present, and our future.

EN: Speaking of the future, do you have any plans for little Emmy and Blacks?

Black: That’s a question for my wife. It’s her decision.

Emmy: I don’t think I’d make a great mom. I’ve seen how difficult it is, and quite frankly, the idea of being responsible for a small child scares the crap out of me. Like being stuck in a room with Bradley and Nigel and glitter, only worse.

EN: Glitter, huh? Is that your worst fear?

Emmy: Losing Black again is my worst fear. Well, that and going on a road trip with Dan. More than five miles with her driving and I start hyperventilating.

EN: And Black—your greatest fear? 

Black: Same. Losing Emmy. I don’t worry about Dan’s driving, because I just don’t get in a car with her behind the wheel.

EN: Okay, something lighter. What are you planning to buy Emmy for her next birthday?

Black: I couldn’t possibly say. 

Emmy: I keep telling you, I don’t want anything. You’re never going to top a bloody island, anyway.

Black: And I keep telling you, I like a challenge. I have a few ideas…

EN: Now that you two are officially together-together, have you given any thought to a proper wedding? Like renewing your vows?

Emmy: Renewing them again?

EN: You already did that?

Black: We kept it quiet.

*The door opens, and Bradley rushes in*

Bradley: There’s an emergency! 

Emmy: Is it cake-related? Or did someone send the wrong colour shoes for tonight’s party? Has your Lamborghini got a puncture?

Bradley: It’s worse! Kitty and Lucy are playing tug-of-war with one of Ishmael’s creations and there are feathers everywhere. You need to make them let go of it.

Emmy, standing up: You’ll have to excuse us. We’ll continue this another time…

***

Thanks so much to everyone who sent in questions! If you'd like to ask anything else, leave a comment below or send me an email via the contact page and I'll do an update in the future…