AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The man chuckles wryly. “Oh, for the confidence of youth.”
He halts suddenly outside a conference room and gestures to it. “Here you go. Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I smile, and he smiles back before continuing on his way.
At least someone in this company has a heart. It gives me hope that this is the kind of place I could succeed in after all. It’s not full just of rich old men who scoff at the idea of progress and sit counting all their money, laughing maniacally as the serfs get underpaid and overworked doing their bidding.
Okay, maybe that’s a little too cartoon villain. My mind is starting to run away with itself.
For the second time today, I stand outside a door, building up my courage. I’m going to be judged from the moment I walk in, so I’m determined to be noticed in a good way. I’m going to hold myself tall and dazzle them all with my eloquence and posture. I’m going to smile and be knowledgeable and amazing.
I am going to win.
I give myself one long second to close my eyes and draw a breath, then grab the handle of the door and enter.
CHAPTER2
CANDICE
The good news is, I’m not the last to arrive. But I could have been earlier. Four of the six are already here, getting to know each other, casting judgments and forming alliances. Not great. They all pause their conversation to stare at me, eight eyes burning into me like they’re luring me into a web to eat me.
I will not be intimidated, not by anything.
I stride over and dazzle them with my best smile. “Hi, I’m Candice,” I say, holding out my hand.
“Blair,” says the first boy, taking my hand firmly. He has beachy-blond hair and the kind of white teeth and obnoxious personality you only get from money. Already, I’m clocking him as one to watch, if only for the bribe money he might have on hand.
“Daniel.” The second boy has a weaker grip and a softer voice, but he’s turned out to perfection, his head shaved, his dark skin moisturized and flawless. He has a kind smile. Maybe I could at least have one person to be friends with here, if he isn’t going to be as nasty and cutthroat as the others. I need that kind of support. The isolation is what I’m looking forward to least about all this.
“Louise.” I’m glad to see another girl here, but despite her round glasses, she has sharp eyes that suggest she’s going to be hard competition. I don’t want to make any assumptions about her yet, but I don’t think she’s quite the pushover her appearance would make you think.
The final boy has the tightest grip of all. “Kyle,” he drawls. This guy clearly thinks he’s the boss. He’s wearing an expensive suit and musky deodorant. Clearly, he’s used to being the leader of his clique. He looks down his nose at me, despite only being a couple of inches taller, and sneers. “Where haveyoucome from?”
I stand my ground, looking him firmly in the eye. “I just graduated from Michigan. Summa cum laude.”
Kyle raises his eyebrows in judgment at that. I let it slide over me. I have no doubt these kids all went to MIT or Berkeley or whatever, but I’m proud of my degree. I got that scholarship as a result of so much sweat and tears, so many sleepless nights, so I don’t really care what degree Kyle’s mommy’s money bought him. I worked for it, and I got the grades to prove it. No one can take that from me.
To my relief, the focus shifts quickly back to their previous topic of discussion.
The relief is short-lived though, because Kyle has started bragging about his three-month stint in Ethiopia volunteering to help the poor, starving children. I share a look with Daniel, but then he goes ahead and details his European gap year, utterly shattering any brief sense of camaraderie I’d felt. He tells us about Paris and Athens and Ljubljana, and I wish I had a map.
I decide not to add anything else to this conversation, instead resigning myself to asking the occasional question, nodding and smiling to engage. The furthest I’ve ever traveled was Canada, once.
I thought that was pretty fun.
Blair is halfway through telling us about his prize-winning teenage entrepreneur project that he directed and created and organized and bossed his friends about for when the door swings open again. We all turn to look.
In walks another young man with the straight teeth, ideal physique, the slick, styled hair of a model and the most piercingly blue eyes I’ve ever seen. It almost looks like there’s an aura around him from the way he walks with such confidence and self-assurance, and when he flashes us an easy grin, the thoughtwow, he’s hotruns through my mind unbidden.
I frown at myself for thinking it — there’s no way I’m going to get caught up in anything as messy as feelings. But I’m not wrong. His suit must be tailored, because it fits him like a second skin, the blue of his shirt bringing out his eyes, the paisley on his tie suggesting he’s suave but not boring.
He strolls over like this is the most casual event in the world and not something that stands to change all of our lives forever. I guess if you’ve got the money, opportunities are as easy to find as daisies.
“Hey,” he says. His smile is broad and, now I’m looking closer, ever so slightly crooked. It’s charming. “I’m Aiden Fisher.”
We all mumble our hellos and shake his hand. He lingers a little as he holds my hand, his eyes meeting mine. When he smiles, a jolt of attraction shoots through me. When he lets go of my hand, I almost wish he hadn’t.
“Where did you graduate from?” asks Kyle. I’m glad to see it’s not only me whom he’s treating with this much suspicion.
