The Intern
She was slumped over the counter, pen in hand circling various prints on the counter. The stool creaked slightly and she turned her head to the side to see who had caused the noise. Jett smiled widely and greeted her. "Hey, K." She smiled weakly at him and turned back to the paper set on the counter. "Classifieds?" She sighed and bit her lip, tapping the head of the pen on the counter. "Yep. Applying for a job." His smile faded. "Yeah, I heard about the drop."
"Seeing as the economy's just become one big hellhole, I've decided, why not contribute? Besides, I need the money."
"You know, with the show and all, when I'm eighteen I'm-" She cut him off, anticipating his next words. "I don't need your money Jett. I need a job."
"All right… sorry, I'll back off."
"Good."
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"I got it!" She burst through the store doors, the bell tinkling over head. She hurried towards the counter where her two best friends stood. "I got the job!" She grinned, her portfolio held to her chest. "That's great!" Jett swung his arm in enthusiasm. J.B. laughed under his breath and she jabbed him with her elbow and sat on a stool at the side of the counter. "Don't mock me."
"What? I'm not mocking you. Jett's mocking you. I just encouraged him with my laughter." She rolled her eyes and placed the folder on the counter.
"So what's this job anyway?" She turned to Jett, still excited. "I'm working at the interior design firm as intern. Just simple things like answering phones and organizing meetings, but I'm getting paid nine dollars an hour."
"I want to work at an interior design firm!" They all looked oddly at Jett and he raised his hands, "Okay, sorry, never mind."
"Right…." He grinned and looked her up and down. "Is that you what you'll be wearing everyday?"
"If my mom has her way."
"I think you look professional in your short skirt and business suit."
"Uh huh. What are you guys doing for your occupational summer project?"
"Well, I've got the store."
"My dad is making me do some paperwork down at the station. Oh joy." He looked down at his watch and sighed. "Speaking of crappy jobs with relatives, I've got to go. Later guys." They watched him as he dashed out the store and the ring of the bell takes up the room.
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She sat in the presentation room gathering the charts from the meeting. It wasn't a dream job, picking up after people, but it was credit and money. A voice startled her as it cut through the silence and she dropped a chart on the floor. She turned around, her face crimson as she met with a face she recognized.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She smiled briefly. "That's fine, Mr. Fredericton. It was just a bit sudden." He walked over to her and picked up the rest of the charts from the floor and easel. He placed them on the elongated table beside them and turned to her. "Kayla, you've been doing so great here at 'Macrons' that I was wondering if you would like to get more into the business. Other than just answering phones and cleaning everyone else's crap up, and please, call me Ben." She looked up at perplexed an anxious. "Really?" He smiled at her simplicity. "Of course. I've been thinking about it for a while now and I've seen your portfolio and I feel that you have a lot to offer here." She broke out into a large grin and with a genuine voice thanked him. He grinned back at her and spoke up again, "You're very welcome." He caught her off guard and her grin quickly faded when he embraced her into a hug. She forced a small smile at his forwardness and broke away from him. He still smiled at her and her and shook her hand before he left the room.
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She held the line out in front of her, waiting patiently for a tug. "So how are the things at the internship going?"
"Pretty good. Mr. Fred- Ben offered me a chance to present my ideas to the board. I actually have a job now." Jett raised an eyebrow. "Ben? You're on a first name basis now."
"What are you trying to say Jett?" He shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing. It's just that you've been working there for only a few days now and he's already got you calling him by his first name? I work for my own father and I've still got to call him Mr. Jackson."
"Don't imply anything, Jett."
"I'm not implying anything Kayla. I'm saying, that I know you're not stupid. First name basis, promoting you from practically a secretary to a partner in less than a week. Don't tell me you've never thought about what you know I'm thinking."
"I've thought about it and I know I was just being irrational, Jett."
"Fine, fine. Just making a comment." She pulled at her line when she felt the violent tug and brought up the fish she'd baited.
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"Hey." He shot up, hitting his head on the table as he stopped the office chair he spun around in. He held the back of his head and forced a smile through his embarrassment. "He-hey, Kayla." She laughed and sat next to him. "Aren't you supposed to be doing paperwork?" She pointed to the tall stack of white sheets beside him.
"It's not fair, Kayla. My dad and Booker are out patrolling and I'm stuck in here-"
"Spinning around in office chairs?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, I just came by to see if you'd like to go eat out at Café Jack He raised a brow. "You buying?" She sighed. "Come on Working Man." She grabbed his arm and pulled him off the moving chair.
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They walked into the coffeehouse and sat a vacant table near the counter. Her eyes wandered to the boy behind the counter and Jett nudged her little with his elbow. She looked over to him and he wiggled his eyebrows, grinning at her. "You know, since you're buying and you're so in 'love' with him, you're going over there." She blushed at his playfulness. "I am not in 'love' with him. My eyes just happened to wander in the direction." He rolled his eyes at her as she stood up and walked over to the counter. He watched as she nervously went about ordering and the boy behind the counter fumbled and flirted. He ignored the pit of his stomach and drew his eyes away from her, spotting someone on the other side of the room. He sat by himself eyeing someone on his side of the room. He gripped a paper bag that he probably held his drink in. The man looked no older than thirty but had a strong build and dominant features, a scruff gathering around his chin and above his lips. He looked back down at the paper bag suddenly, and Jett looked back at Kayla who was now approaching him. She placed two full paper cups in front of them and he took the plates from her, placing them on the table. He ran his finger along the cup logo and looked back at the man on the other side of the room that still had his eyes glued to what he noticed was…his best friend.
"Hey, K, do you know that guy?" She put down her burger on her plate and looked over to where Jett had his eyes. The man was now again, looking at his paper bag and she turned back to Jett. "Yeah, that's my boss."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I wonder what he's doing here." She pulled out her chair and he watched as she walked over to him and began to speak as she sat down across from him. They smiled and made other small movements as if they were just making polite conversations, before he got up to leave. She walked back over to him and sat down. "So what was he doing here?"
"He was just getting something to drink while he waited for someone, but they didn't show up." Jett looked down at his plate and nodded to himself.
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"Are you sure you want to lock up?" The broad framed woman asked as she headed on her way to the door. "Yeah, I have some things here I need to put together."
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, Sweetie." She smiled at the woman and heard the click of the door as she closed. She walked to the desk on the other side of the room and seated herself, sorting through the stacks of designs and written pages.
"There's my efficient worker," he said as he spotted her in the chair. She turned her top half around to see him brushing hand down his suit jacket. "Staying late to finish a project?" She smiled slightly. "As a matter of fact I am. A lot of new clients have come up with the idea that they want their rooms made with a certain ancient Greek-related design. I've just been putting some of the designs a few of us at the firm have come up with." He smiled a lopsided smile and pulled a small box from his pocket. "Hey, I got you something." She stood up to meet him and eyed him oddly as he opened the box and revealed the silver necklace on the cushioned velvet of the box. She gasped at the sight of it, with its incrusted diamonds, which she told herself weren't real, but knew the opposite. "I can't take that." She shook her head vigorously and her brows looked anguished. "Yes you can," he still smiled and he walked behind her, took the chain from its resting place and the box on the table. He pulled her hair back and ignored the look on her face. "He clasped the chain around her neck and let her hair fall over his hands. They moved down and parted at her shoulders. He massaged her shoulders with his hands and felt her jerk violently away, turning to face him. "What are you doing?" He moved towards her, "I'm giving you something I know you want." She pushed him away from her. "Don't you ever touch me like that again! What you're doing is illegal! I could have you sued for this!" He scoffed, "And who do you think they're going to believe? A small town native strapped for cash or a respected business man with firms all over the country?" She pulled the chain from her neck and threw it at him. "Then I'll make it easy for you. I quit." She turned from him and began to head out of the room. He ran in front of her and grabbed her shoulders. "You know, my wife has a necklace just like that one that may turn up missing." He stared intensely at her and watched as she looked painfully away from him as he placed the undone necklace in her hand.
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Kayla's name synonymous with statutory rape?!