Devil in a Suit

If I wasn’t going to work, I figured that I could take Brittany up on her offer and check in on the interns. I couldn’t help but wonder how Madison was hanging in after I chewed her out yesterday. I was surprised that she hadn’t quit yet, but that just proved her determination even more. She wanted this more than anyone I knew.

I headed out of my office and down the hallway to the conference room, hearing voices from inside. I paused outside, smoothing my hands down the lapels of my dark grey suit jacket. I then shook my head at myself, wondering why I was bothering with my clothes. I walked into the conference room to see Sara and Madison sitting at the conference table with the projector on and papers spread in front of them.

"Mr. Ashland, what a nice surprise!” Sara immediately spoke, sitting up and sweeping her hair away from her shoulders.

Madison looked away from me, picking up a report and reading over it instead of acknowledging me.

I felt the side of my mouth threaten to curl up in a hint of a smile.

“What are you two working on?” I asked, only expecting an answer from Sara. It didn’t seem like Madison was in the talking mood. I would change that soon.

“We’re looking over last year’s numbers,” Sara replied as she leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs to make her skirt shift up her thighs slightly. “Your rise to success is very inspiring. I hope to run a company of my own one day, or I’d even be happy working under you.”

I glanced over at Madison, catching her roll her eyes. I did notice some tension between the two, but they were starkly different. One was trying to get into my pants and the other was trying to ignore me. That was what I called balance.

“The future is yours to control,” I said to Sara. I wasn’t sure if she would be a great fit at my company, but she must’ve been smart or connected if she landed this internship. Brittany chose her for some reason. I was still trying to figure that out since Sara seemed more interested in me than the actual internship.

“I’m the vice president of the student government association on campus. I’ve done so much work in my college years and I can’t wait to apply what I’ve learned in the workforce,” Sara told me with a bright smile.

I could tell that she was trying to sell herself to me, boasting about her achievements and her positions. I believed that people should be proud of what they’ve accomplished, but it’s a bit trashy to boast about it to others, especially when no one asked. She was trying to impress me, but I wasn’t fazed. Hundreds of interns had come through this company with equal or better stats than her, and most of them didn’t boast about it.

“It helps to apply humbleness too,” I replied before nodding to her and walking closer to Madison. I watched her lips waver like she wanted to smile, but she fought it off, keeping a straight face as she stared down at the table. I stopped by her, drawing in a breath before speaking. “I took another look at your report.”

Madison’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at me. “Why?” she asked. “You seemed pretty set in your opinion about it.”

“Someone told me to look at it from a different perspective,” I replied as I placed my hand on the back of her chair, nearly touching her shoulder. Part of me wanted to trace my fingertips along her shoulder blade, but I forced my hand to grip the chair instead.

“Does that new perspective have a different opinion?” Madison asked, keeping her face straight. She wasn’t going to give anything up. We were still somewhat at odds, but I was trying to make an effort here because I saw potential in her.

“I can see where you’re coming from. Some of your points are a bit risky, but they’re more creative than typical marketing approaches,” I admitted to her. She had no idea how big of a deal this was. It was hard for me to go back on something that I said, especially something that I expressed so boldly.

Madison’s face softened ever so slightly as her eyes met mine. “Oh,” she murmured, sounding surprised. “I just… wanted to suggest something different. Risks can grant rewards.”

Starting my business was a complete risk that paid off in the end. Not all risks worked out like that, though. I knew plenty of people in my graduating class that tried to start their own businesses and failed, losing all of their money and drive. Breaking into the business world was hard, but creative, driven minds found a way. She could be one of those minds with a little bit of experience and discipline.