It was only a few days in, and this internship was already killing me. I didn’t know how much longer I could last at this point. I was being hit from all sides, whether it was Sara trying to compete with me or Tyler trying to tear me down. I was in survival mode at this point, trying to hold on to the future that I envisioned for myself. I had a feeling that things were going to turn out a lot differently than I expected them to.
Chapter 6
Tyler
“We need to talk about Madison Palmer.”
Brittany gave me a concerned look as she sat up in her seat across my desk from me. “What about her? She’s been doing well so far,” she replied.
I tapped my fingers against the surface of my desk as I leaned back in my seat, trying to find the right words to say. When it came to Madison, my mind was a chaotic mess. Every thought had baggage to it, and I wasn’t sure what to think of her most of the time.
She confused me. Irritated me. Excited me. Intrigued me. Maybe she interested me so much because she was so insistent on challenging me. She stuck up for herself instead of tucking her tail between her legs and scurrying away. She was defiant, but I could admire her drive. Honestly, I could admire her intelligence too. She was smart and creative, but I did think that she could do a little better. She could push a little harder. I lit a fire under her, so maybe she would be motivated to try to prove me wrong. That was how I was motivated, so I was interested to see what she would do next. However, she had to keep her attitude somewhat in check. I couldn’t have other people overhearing how she spoke to me and thinking that they could get away with doing the same thing. Trust me, they wouldn’t be able to. I only tolerated that attitude from Madison because something about her drew me in, making me want to play the game.
“She’s a bit… stubborn. I just want to make sure that she’s worth the trouble,” I told Brittany. Truthfully, I wanted to know more about her. Who was this girl that could get under my skin so easily? Who could stand up to me without hesitance? That had to be a special kind of girl.
“Well, I’m the one who usually handles the interns,” Brittany replied with a hint of an amused smile on her face. “You seem to be a bit more involved with this batch than usual.”
I didn’t miss the look of curiosity on her face. Perhaps, she was right. Maybe I was a little too invested in this group, particularly one specific intern. It was hard to draw away, though. It was rare when I came across someone who interested me so much.
Madison didn’t seem to care about my money or my status. I didn’t intimidate her or faze her, so she treated me like any other person challenging her. Not a lot of people treated me like that. Even if they were just as rich or successful as me, they still tried to get something out of me, whether that was a business connection or a favor. I didn’t know what Madison wanted from me, but I was interested in finding out.
She stood by her work with unwavering determination. Most people would take my criticisms and do everything and anything to correct themselves. She believed in what she did. Perhaps she did work hard on the report. It was fleshed out and addressed the prompts. I supposed that I could take another look at it from a fresh perspective.
“They’re an interesting pair of interns. I just want to know what we’re getting into here,” I said with a casual shrug. I wasn’t sure if I looked as casual as I was trying to appear, though.
Brittany eyed me for a second before nodding. “Well, like I said before, Madison is one of the best and brightest in her class. She has raving recommendations from her professors and has been involved in multiple university organizations,” Brittany replied with a bright look on her face. She always took pride in the interns that she hand-picked.
“Like volunteering?” I questioned, lifting an eyebrow.
“That and various business organizations. She has a diverse range,” Brittany said. “She’s kind of a dream intern.”
I almost laughed. I didn’t think that Brittany was wrong. Madison certainly checked all the right boxes when it came to academics but interns were usually less defiant and followed every order given to them without any lip. She didn’t exactly act like an intern, but maybe that was one of the reasons why she always found her way into my mind.
Granted, she was nice to look at too. Again, I didn’t want to be with an intern, but she didn’t act like one. Even with the little crinkle in her forehead when she glared at me, she still looked good. In fact, I kind of liked it when she looked at me like that. It was like she was challenging me. I didn’t mind a little competition, but I could admit that I was a sore loser.