Devil in a Suit

“It’s nice to meet you. Thank you again for the opportunity,” I said as I shook her hand.

“We’re excited to have you! I know the listing said only one intern would be selected, but there was such a great pool of applicants that we decided to take on two instead. This is Sara,” Brittany explained gesturing to Sara.

I plastered a polite smile on my face as I shook Sara’s hand. She shook my hand like she thought I was dirty, adopting the lightest grip possible. I kept myself from rolling my eyes as I sat in the cushioned chair next to hers. I wasn’t that keen on sharing this internship with Sara of all people, but I was grateful that I was here.

“First off, congratulations on being chosen. Both of you excelled in your classes and extracurriculars. During this internship, we’re going to teach you valuable information for your future careers and give you the experience that will set you apart from others,” Brittany told us with an excited look on her face.

This internship was exactly what I needed. Plus, Ashland Consulting was a huge company in Chicago. This would look great on my resume when I applied for marketing jobs after graduation. However, I had to pass this internship and the rest of my classes first. I wasn’t in the clear just yet.

“Thank you. I’m excited to get started,” I replied, hoping that I did well with any task or assignment that they threw my way. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect. We were just interns at a billion-dollar company, so I doubted that they would trust us with anything very important.

“Same! I was so excited that I got here thirty minutes early. I couldn’t wait to start,” Sara added with an airy laugh.

We weren’t in competition anymore. We both got the internship, but she was still going to treat me like a competitor. I wasn’t here to play games, but people like her always dug their way under my skin with their cockiness and sense of entitlement. Maybe I would play her little game this time.

“I’m loving this enthusiasm,” Brittany said as she looked between us. She then stood from her desk. “I’m going to go grab some paperwork for you two. Be back in a jiffy.”

My green eyes trailed Brittany as she walked out of her office, leaving Sara and me alone. I didn’t want to look at her, but I could feel her eyes on me. I met her gaze, trying not to appear as annoyed as I felt. I knew that she had something to say.

“So, have you seen the hot boss yet?” Sara asked as she cocked an eyebrow at me.

That wasn’t what I was expecting to hear. I gave her a confused look, wondering what she was talking about. From what I knew, Brittany was the one in charge of the internship since she was the marketing head.

“Hot boss?” I questioned her.

“Tyler Ashland. You know? The owner of this company,” Sara replied. Her tone insinuated that I should’ve already known what she was talking about.

If I was honest, I didn’t do as much research into this company as I should’ve. I was desperate to find an internship for my final semester, so I jumped on this one without a second thought. Everyone in my major had heard of Ashland Consulting because it was a major business in the city that worked with huge clients.

That was the extent of my knowledge, though. I didn’t know anything about the guy who started this company or the company's history. They didn’t give me a quiz about any of that when I interviewed for the internship. They just wanted to know about me and what I could bring to the table. Surprisingly, I was good enough.

“Oh, I haven’t seen him. I doubt we will. I’m sure he’s a busy guy,” I replied. Anyone running a billion-dollar company probably didn’t have much leftover time to waste on meeting interns that would be gone in a few months.

Sara reached up and tightened her ponytail, her glossy, pink lips curling up into a coy smile.

“Well, I hope I run into him. It’s not every day we get to be around a billionaire bachelor,” she said.

It seemed like this guy was popular with the girls. I had no idea what he looked like, but I suspected that he was some older guy that actually brushed his hair and wore expensive suits. Paired with his money, that was enough to have girls falling at his feet left and right. I wasn’t in the market for a man, but I did want a killer letter of recommendation.

“Good luck with that,” I told her. The more distracted she was by the supposedly hot boss, the easier it would be for me to pull ahead in our little competition. I didn’t even know what I would win, but maybe that didn’t even matter. She was the one who started it, so I would finish it.