But all of those things were too close to my heart, and Nicole and I weren’t quite on that level yet. So instead, I told her the simple truth of my most urgent problem.
“I worked in a bakery chain back home,” I said. “And the company offered me an apprenticeship. That’s the whole reason I came to San Francisco. But I haven’t even started yet, and I got bumped from the program. They said there were some unexpected budget cuts.”
“I’m sorry, Brighton.” She frowned. “So what are you going to do now?”
I shrugged, because truthfully, I had no idea. I used all of my savings to come here, and I only had enough to keep my room for the next two weeks. I’d been counting on this, and I had nobody else to rely on, but I couldn’t tell Nicole that.
I should have known it was too good to be true. Things like this didn’t just happen out of the blue for me. I should have looked into it better, made certain it was a concrete offer. It wasn’t as if I was dying to be a baker’s apprentice, but it was the only offer I had. And I had clung to it.
“Well, you have some office experience, don’t you?” Nicole asked.
“A little.” I gave her a sheepish nod. “Sometimes I filled in at a tire shop back home. Answering the phones and booking appointments. Not exactly rocket science.”
“Well,” she spoke in a gentle tone, “my company is hiring. It’s normally pretty brutal competition to get in, but there’s an open spot for an office go-to girl, and since you know someone on the inside…”
She left the words hanging in the air, and I took the bait without hesitation.
“You think you could get me an interview?”
“I can do better than an interview.” She winked. “I’m the coordinator for the intern program.”
“You are?” I blinked in confusion. “But you’re so young.”
She stiffened at my blunt observation, and I slumped against the tree. I didn’t mean for it to sound rude, but it was a truth that couldn’t be ignored. Nicole was only a year older than me, which would put her at twenty-two. Even if she was fresh out of college, I didn’t see how she could already be running an internship program.
“I am young,” she agreed. “But I’m in tight with the CEO. And I may look sweet and innocent, but I wouldn’t underestimate me, Brighton.”
She smiled as she said it, but there was also a slight edge to her voice that I found a little odd. It disappeared a moment later when she picked up her cupcake.
“Now we just need to talk about finding you a more permanent place to stay.”
Chapter Two
As the elevator signaled its arrival to the top floor of The Bennett Corporation, my stomach somersaulted with nerves.
This place was so different to what I’d been expecting. It was a young environment, filled with fresh faces and an abundance of energy. But that didn’t fool me into thinking I was anywhere near being in my league. During this morning’s presentation, I’d been surprised to learn that the CEO was only twenty-nine years old. According to the manifesto, Mr. Bennett founded this Corporation as a simple cloud storage provider. But over the last three years it had quickly expanded into one of the biggest tech giants this side of the Mississippi.
As I’d filled out paperwork with some of the other interns, I heard them dropping terms like ‘MIT’ and ‘Stanford’. I tried not to let it get to me, but when they started talking in tech speak, I was completely lost. Then one of them tried to include me in the conversation, asking where I went to school.
I’m sure I looked like a fish out of water as I tried to come up with something clever in response. But there was nothing clever to be said. I hadn’t gone to college because that wasn’t an option for me. Even if I had, I doubted I’d ever be as smart as any of these people. I’d spent the majority of the last few years trying to put food on the table and keep up on the rent. I didn’t have time for any other interests besides basic survival.
If Nicole hadn’t been standing on the other side as the elevator doors opened, I might have bolted. I didn’t know what I was doing in this place. I had no skills, no qualifications, and I had no idea how she’d managed to convince them I’d be of any use in this company.
The entire building was a conglomeration of marble and glass, and every line was so clean you could have sharpened a set of Ginsu knives on them. I was afraid to walk across the floors because they were so shiny, and every cell in my body was insistent I didn’t belong here.
Nicole gripped me by the shoulders and gave me a quick once over. I was wearing the white rose printed dress and matching baby pink cardigan I’d found on my bed this morning. Since she’d asked me to crash at her apartment, Nicole had insisted I borrow her clothes as often as I liked. With the designer labels, it was a very tempting offer. But these particular ones made me look sweet and innocent, which was definitely not the style I was going for. When I told her as much, she argued and said they suited me.
Still, Nicole was a lifeline, and I was grateful for her help. Even though I was nervous and uncomfortable, she’d gone out of her way to get me this job. I needed to suck up my own insecurities and do her proud.
“Don’t worry.” She smoothed her hands over my shoulders. “He’s going to love you.”
“Sorry?” I blinked at her in confusion. “Who’s going to love me now?”
“The CEO, silly.” She tugged my hand and started walking down the hallway. “Ryland Bennett. You’re going to meet with him now.”
My heels dug into the floor as I came to an abrupt halt, my apprehension for the shiny tile of little concern to me now.
“What do you mean I’m meeting with the CEO?” I croaked. “I thought this was an internship. The other interns are downstairs going to some sort of meeting, shouldn’t I be with them?”
“That’s for the techie group.” She smiled. “And Mr. Bennett insists on knowing every person that works for his company. Even the interns. He says it makes for good business practice. And he’s the billionaire, so I think he would know.”
“I’m sorry.” I ground my feet into my pumps to keep from falling over. “Did you say, billionaire?”
“Yes, of course I did.” Nicole threw her head back in laughter. “Didn’t you even look up the company? He’s on the freaking Forbes list, Brighton.”
I cast my eyes to the floor and shook my head. It hadn’t even occurred to me, which only proved how wrong it was for me to be here. I was just a simple girl from Illinois. I kneaded dough in a bakery. Interning for a tech giant? It was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard.
“I shouldn’t be here,” I blurted. “This was so stupid of me.”
“Oh, no you don’t.” Nicole shook her head. “You’re going in there Brighton, and you’re going to dazzle him. I promise you.”
“I can’t,” I whispered.
“I know what you’re thinking.” She squeezed my shoulders. “That you don’t have the right experience, and this feels all wrong. You’re going to mess up, or blah blah. Well, sweetie, that’s exactly why I think you’re perfect for this position. You’re a fresh canvas. You don’t have any preconceived notions about what it is you’re supposed to be doing. But you’re willing to learn, and you’re willing to work hard, right?”
“Yes.” I nodded and bit the inside of my cheek.
“Good, then that’s all I can ask of you. Now get in there and flash those pearly whites. He doesn’t like to wait.”
“Oh.” I glanced at the door we were standing in front of. It was solid and heavy, which reflected the way my body felt as I tried to make it cooperate.
“Go on,” Nicole encouraged. “He’ll be right in to greet you.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I pressed my palm against the smooth wood. Despite the heavy appearance, the door opened easily and without a sound. Nicole gave me a thumbs up and shut the door behind me as I disappeared inside.
The office was huge. Had it not been so barren, it might have bordered on ostentatious. If it was a minimalistic theme the man was going for, he’d nailed it. More sharp lines greeted my eyes everywhere I looked, making me grateful for the soft cocoon of my cardigan as I wrapped it around me.
The place was sparse with only the necessary furnishings and little else to capture the eye. But I didn’t doubt that every one of those strategically placed Jetson’s style chairs still cost more than I made in an entire year.
Not knowing what else to do while I waited for the elusive CEO, I lingered in front of his desk. It felt too presumptuous to sit, and yet it seemed awkward if I just stood there. So I did what I usually did in these situations. I fidgeted.
I tugged on the hem of my dress. Brushed my hair back over my shoulders and pulled it back again. I had a serious mental debate about whether my cardigan should be buttoned or not while I checked my shoes for any scuffs.
Once I’d finished with all that, I started to pace around his office. I didn’t know where this guy was, but I found it rather odd for him to leave me here. I assumed someone in his position would be more concerned with his privacy than to allow a stranger to roam free, but what did I know? I was just another cog in the machine.