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He took off his glasses and crossed one superlong, skinny leg over the other. “It’s a shark-infested ocean over here. You’ll run into a lot of climbers. Some will try to sabotage you. Others will try to make you do their work. They may not know you, but they know you’re smart. The company only hires the most brilliant candidates.”
I expected that. I had been around enough greed in my childhood to know how these people operated. But what I hadn’t expected was a middle-management employee opening up to me like this. I figured everyone would look down on me until I proved myself.
There was something I was dying to ask him, but I didn’t know if I could trust him. His friendly nature might have been a facade. I needed to test the waters first and ask my question indirectly. “My contract is for one year, right?”
He leaned back in his chair and studied me. “Ask what you really want to ask.”
I couldn’t chance it, so instead, I asked, “How long did my predecessors last?”
He continued to study me. “Youarequick. Did someone say something already?”
I acted casual as if I was talking about the weather. “I may have overheard something in the lobby.”
“Already? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” he said as his features softened. “Intern contracts are for one year, just like yours. But most don’t last that long.” He gave me an apologetic smile. “We have a high turnover rate for this particular position.”
The kindness in his eyes convinced me I could probably trust him enough to get the information I wanted. I sat back to mimic his posture and encouraged him to keep talking with a quick wave of my hand.
He grinned at me. “Girl, you’ve got spunk. I really hope you last.” He leaned forward like a teenager about to gossip, even though he looked to be about 60 years old. “Alright, I’ll tell you. You’ve probably already figured it out. Mr. Cox is not the easiest man to work for. He has high expectations and”—Andrew looked up as if he was searching for the right word—“doesn’t have the best disposition.”
“So, you’re saying they quit because the work was too hard? Or because they didn’t get polite conversation from the boss? That makes no sense.” I crossed my arms. “You said the company only hired the best, so they should’ve been able to handle the work. And a few slights from the boss shouldn’t have bothered them.”
Andrew scrunched up his face as if he had swallowed vinegar. “Have you spoken to Mr. Cox yet?”
Why did he look so confused? I was the newbie here. I’m the one who should have looked confused. “Of course, as soon as I got here. Yeah, maybe he could have been a bit more polite at first, but he was pleasant and smiled—”
“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Did you saysmiled?” His eyes blinked rapidly.
“Yes. Smiled.” What was so shocking about that? Was Andrew joking with me? “He went to IT and got me an extra computer screen and hooked it up for me. Then told me you’d be here at 11.”
Andrew’s mouth fell open.
Had I said something I shouldn’t have? I went over what I said in my head, trying to figure out which part had triggered his catatonic state. Then I remembered Mr. Cox had told me not to mention it to anyone, but I thought he had been joking. Man, I hope I didn’t screw up on my first day.
“Um, Andrew?”
Once he finally regained his composure, he stood up. “Right, well, there’s a first for everything.” He checked his watch. “We’d better get going.”
Going? Where? My heart rate hitched up a bit. “What do you mean?”
“I’m taking you on a tour of the building. Special request from the CFO himself,” Andrew said with a twinkle in his eye.
Yesss! A tour. This was the best day ever. I jumped to my feet and followed him into the hall, barely able to contain my excitement. I was so grateful for this internship opportunity that I wanted to thank everyone involved in my hiring process.
A simplethank youwouldn’t be enough. I was bursting with appreciation and wanted to sing their praises from the rooftop.
At that moment, Mr. Cox rounded the corner. Still caught up in a wave of gratitude, I suddenly had the impulse to jump into his arms and hug him. I bounded forward before my brain figured out what was happening.
Mortified, I locked my knees to stop myself from lunging at my boss’s chest, which made me pitch forward.
Big, strong hands grabbed me by the shoulders and steadied me before I smacked the floor. I quickly found my footing and backed away, humiliation washing over me.
Mr. Cox cleared his throat. “Ms. Bloom, please watch your step. I wouldn’t want my intern injuring herself and not being able to come to work.”
I groaned internally. “Yes, of c-c-course, Mr. Cox.”
My boss disappeared into his office while I hurried down the hall, trying to outrun my embarrassment.
Andrew doubled over with laughter. “Way to make an impression on your first day, Laura.”
