“Fine, just as soon as you seduce him. Use that magic vagina of yours, okay? Make him remember what it was like to be young.”
“I doubt he needs me for that.”
“Do it anyway.”
I stand up, shaking my head. “You’re revolting.”
“You’re gorgeous. Go get some!”
I wave at her, grinning to myself. She waves back as I head down the block.
The building is like any other on campus, built in the same style. I think this is usually a business hall, but I’m not sure. I’ve never been in here before.
I head inside and walk down the hall. I take a few turns and stop outside of the door with number 101 painted on it.
I take a deep breath and step inside.
The four guys are all sitting around in the middle of a medium-sized room. There are six computers set up in a cluster in the middle. The guys are lingering around them.
“There she is,” Coop says. “Clara’s here.”
Howard looks in my direction. “Oh, great. Barbie’s here.”
I frown a little. “Barbie has blonde hair.”
“Whatever,” he says, waving at me dismissively. “How’d you get in here, anyway? Did you cheat?”
I clench my jaw. Howard Moon is such an asshole. Of all the guys in the CS major, he’s by far the worst. The others hide their douchebag sexism, at least a little bit, but not Howard. He lets it hang loose.
“Fuck off, Howard,” I say to him. The other guys laugh.
He glares at them. “I’m just saying, Clara. We all know you’re not exactly the best student.”
“Maybe Jason is into redheads,” Alan offers.
I glare at him. “Don’t be a dick too.”
He looks away from me. Howard chuckles. “You’re just mad.”
“Mad about you being a random asshole? Yeah, I am mad about that.”
“Nah, you’re just mad you’re a diversity statistic. The only girl available, might as well bring her on.”
I glare at Howard, but I don’t respond. Even though Jason told me point blank that isn’t the case, the thought still lingers.
I can’t help it. I’m almost always the only girl in my classes, and so the idea of me being some kind of diversity hire or something like that always comes up. Even if it’s not stated outright, the idea is always there, floating around me.
But damn it, screw them. Howard’s wrong about me. He doesn’t even know me. I’m a good student, always have been. I get straight As in all my classes. The worst grade I’ve ever gotten since coming to Monray was a B-, and that’s only because I was too sick to go to half my classes one semester.
I’m about to snap back at Howard, call him a pathetic wiener or something, when the door opens behind me. I have to hurry inside as Jason comes in behind me, carrying a big bag.
He looks around at the group. I’m standing off to the side, away from the guys. They’re huddled together.
Jason takes it in. He puts his bag down.
“Ready to work?” he asks us.
I take a breath and let it out.
“Yes, sir,” Howard says. “Let me say, we’re all very excited.”
Jason glances at him then looks at me. “Clara, go take a seat at terminal one, please.”
“Okay.” I do as he says. Alan has to get up and let me take a seat.
“Howard, you’re two. Coop, three. Parker, four. Alan, five.” He clears his throat. “I’ll be six. Please stick with your terminal and don’t swap. It’ll help me check your work.”
We get into our assigned seats. Howard shoots me a glare across the cluster, but I just ignore him.
I’m too busy looking at Jason. At his toned body, his handsome face.
I feel nervous. I feel excited.
I’m about to work with one of the most respected tech billionaires in the country. So what if these ignorant college boys think I’m just some stupid girl?
They don’t matter. All I care about is what Jason thinks, and he thinks I belong here.
That’s going to be enough for me.4JasonI sit back in my chair and scan the room. My five interns, each of them so young looking, stare at their computer screen, typing away furiously like the mundane tasks I assigned them are like life-or-death struggles.
I smile to myself. I remember sitting in rooms just like this one, industrial air conditioning still blasting despite the chill outside, fluorescent lights buzzing softly, thick plush carpet absorbing all sound. I was young back then, hotheaded, full of myself.
I ended up being right, but fucking hell. I took risks back then.
I want to take risks again.
That’s why I’m here, at the end of the day. I could easily hire a ton of professional programmers, a bunch of guys that are the top of their field, and get this project off to a serious start. I don’t need to hire a bunch of random undergrads as my interns to try and eke out some kind of half-assed application.