A few different people have rotated in and out of our conversational orbit when an older man comes our way. He has a thick head of salt-and-pepper hair and is dressed more formally than most people here, in slacks and a tucked-in button-down with a tie. I peg him immediately as one of the suits—the nameless, faceless body of mainly old white guys who work at Friends ofFlavor’s parent company and get the final say on all big decisions.
The guy confirms this when he holds out his hand to Benny and says, “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Geoffrey Block, CEO of UltiMedia.”
Whoa, so not justone ofthe suits. He’sTheSuit. I feel my posture straightening compulsively, all the little soldiers in my brain standing at attention—smile calmly, not so big as to look silly. Eyes attentive, not deer-in-the-headlights. Is the neckline of my dress covering everything? What about the hemline? Handshake firm. How am I gonna introduce myself —
“Hi there.” Benny looks as casual and comfortable as ever. “Benny Beneventi, culinary intern. And this is Reese Camden, marketing intern.”
Oh. Well, guess the introduction part is covered for me. I reach out my hand to Geoffrey Block, CEO, whom I’ve already decided must be thought of by his full name and title. I’m ready to at least say a “hello” or “nice to meet you,” but the man’s attention flickers over me, his smile tight as his eyes linger a second longer on…my legs?
“Reese, a pleasure. Nice dress.”
Eek.One of his eyebrows raises just a touch, but before I even have time to register what the look means, it’s gone and his focus is back on Benny, whose mouth is now set in a frown, eyebrows knit together with confusion. His gaze flits between the CEO and me a couple of times before settling on the former.
I don’t know what my costar’s look means, but I don’t muchcare, either. I’m trying to fit other pieces together in my head. So, hemline not satisfactory to the boss man?Toosatisfactory? I shift from foot to foot in discomfort, wishing I could go back in time to roughly sixty seconds ago and make my escape before this encounter started.
“So, Mr. Beneventi—is that Italian? My ex-wife is Italian, but I won’t hold it against you. Ha!”
His loud laugh is startling and so fake. It’s what I imagine a Ken doll’s laugh would sound like, made of the same plastic and performative masculinity. But I continue to stand there as Geoffrey Block, CEO, asks Benny about his background, what he likes to cook, what his goals for the future are. And what does he ask me?
A whole lot of nothing.
Even Benny—flirtatious goofballBenny—makes an effort to pull me into the conversation, with a “Reese and I made gnocchi this week,” and, “Reese and I are both interested in staying with Friends of Flavor into the future, right, Reese?”
“Is that right?” the boss man says to the latter prompt before I can jump in. “The fall internship, then?”
Benny nods, still looking at me when I glance his way, but Geoffrey Block, CEO, doesn’t seem to notice.
“You know, that could make things interesting. The dynamics here”—he points between the two of us—“two summer interns, one fall spot. Who stays, who goes? People love to watch a competition.”
He winks at Benny and I feel my stomach turn over, mydinner threatening to make a reappearance. I don’t like the direction this is going in one bit. I look to Benny for his reaction, but he’s hiding whatever he’s feeling with a slightly stiffer version of his usual charming smile.
“Ha, I guess you could see it that way,” he says ambiguously. “Did you see the last episode ofGood Chef/Bad Chef? It got especially intense, huh?”
I’m grateful for the diversion and that Geoffrey Block, CEO, rolls right along with it. Benny continues to look my way with something like encouragement after each question the man asks, giving me an opening to answer first if I want. But my outright dismissal by this Very Important Dude, plus his musings about potentially capitalizing on the competition between Benny and me, has me so shaken that I can’t find many words, and the ones I can are not especially kind. Not to mention the fact that in the rare moments when the older man’s eyes return to me, they seem to go anywhere but my face.
Geoffrey Block, CEO, has just explained how he lives and works out of San Francisco but he’s in town for the weekend and thought he’d make an appearance and isn’t the food absolutely fantastic, when I clear my throat.
“Sorry, it was nice to meet you, but if you’ll excuse me, I’m just gonna…”
I mumble some things that are definitely not words as I step away from Benny’s side. He looks at me with a question in his eyes, but the other man barely even pauses his monologue as I make my escape.
I go to the other end of the deck and stand there, looking out at the incredible view again and letting the breeze cool my heated face and matching temper. Because what in the absolute hell? I have half a mind to go back there and deliver Mr. Geoffrey Block, CEO, a swift kick in the pants for that…whatever that was. Of all the people to treat me like a girl-shaped dress mannequin, I swear. But I would still very much like to keep my job, so I grip the deck railing and stand still, willing my irritation to subside.
Not too much later, I feel a hand brush my arm. It makes me jump.
“Sorry,” Benny says when I whirl around to face him. His voice is soft and his expression more serious than I’ve ever seen it. “I was just going to see if you want to go down to the yard.”
I blink a couple of times, coming back to the present. I nod before heading down the steps and onto Seb’s perfectly maintained patch of grassy hillside. Katherine and Rajesh are, just as Seb described before dinner, jogging around and tossing tennis balls and chew toys to three fluffy, gorgeous golden retrievers. Several other people are milling about, and I see Lily perched on a branch in the lone tree. She alternates bringing a fancy Nikon to her eye and snapping a few shots of nearby buildings or the sky or water, then checking the screen to see the results. I’m inclined to get up there and join her rather than have to talk to anyone else tonight.
“You a dog fan?” Benny interrupts my observations.
“Love them,” I answer, and follow him toward the playfulgoldens.
I don’t consider until we’re already right beside them that this means meeting Katherine for the first time. Rajesh, too, butKatherine,right when I’m all flustered and out of sorts. I freeze up on the spot.
They both greet Benny, whom they know by now, with casual ease, then turn to me, the strange girl whose strongest identifier so far is Kentucky Fried Chicken. I’m as incapable of finding words as I was with Geoffrey Block, CEO, but for an entirely different reason.
“Hey, I don’t think we’ve met.” The tiny, curly-haired queen of my heart stretches a hand out to me. “You must be the other intern I keep hearing about.”
