The Intern (The Dalton Family #4)(22)

“In other words, if you’re told to pick up coffee, drop off dry cleaning, make reservations, book travel, do it.” Ford winked.

I could always count on him for keeping it real and spelling everything out in layman’s terms even if I didn’t need it.

Still, I couldn’t help but laugh at his reply. “Trust me, I get it, and I know what will be required of me.”

“And that sounds good to you?” Jenner asked.

It sounded like a dream.

All I wanted was a chance, and they were giving me one.

“It sounds perfect,” I told them.

“Good. Then, you won’t be offended when I tell you that we don’t play favorites in this office, nor do we give any special treatment even if you are a Dalton,” Dominick voiced, the gentleness in his tone now gone.

“I would never want you to.” I didn’t feel as though I’d said enough. My family needed to know how much I wanted to be here and what I was willing to do to stay and how I wouldn’t take a second of this for granted. “I didn’t walk into your building this morning, anticipating a red carpet or favors or for my last name to get me any kind of special privileges. I don’t want this job to be easy. I want to work my butt off, and that’s what I plan to do.” I took a breath, my stomach in knots, my hands even sweatier than before. “I don’t want anything handed to me. I want to be awarded a role because I’ve done everything in my power to earn it.” I scanned each of their faces. “I know you all have expectations of me, and my plans aren’t to meet them, but to exceed them.” I paused. “Just you wait and see.”

The hardness in Dominick’s expression began to fade just a tad. “We’re excited to see what you’re going to bring to your team and watch you grow throughout this program.”

I noticed an exchange between him and Ford before Ford added, “We’ve randomly placed you with a litigator we think will be an excellent fit. Someone you’re going to learn a great deal from. The experience will be much more beneficial than anything you could learn in the classroom.”

My family didn’t do anything that was random. If I was going to have an opportunity to work here full-time, then they would make sure I was assigned to the best. That person was Christopher Allen, their top litigator, someone I’d researched extensively. Although I hadn’t met him personally, I’d asked Ford enough questions to know the type of demeanor I would be facing and just how much of a hard-ass Christopher was. With Christopher at the helm of my internship, Ford was right when he’d said this would be better than anything I’d learned in school.

I lifted a pen off the table, holding it between my fingers. “I can’t express how excited I am to start.” I opened the lid of the folder, flipping to the last page of the thick packet. I knew there was no negotiating the terms; I wasn’t in that kind of position yet, nor was there any reason to fear that my family was going to screw me, so I scratched my name across the last page. “I’m ready to start today.”

“Excellent,” my uncle said. “Your mentor is certainly ready for you, and I’m positive an extra set of hands will help him tremendously; he has quite the caseload.”

Every word he said was just adding to this incredible dream.

I closed the folder and pushed it toward my uncle. “Where do I find this mentor?”

“Office number eighteen ten,” Jenner said. “Take a right outside the door, and it’s the last office on the left.”

Eighteen ten, I repeated in my head.

His office was on this floor, the same floor where my cousins, aunt, and uncle worked. That meant they had definitely assigned me to Christopher since he was the head of litigation, and each department head was located on the executive-level floor.

I smiled, the anxiousness erupting in my chest. “I’ll be on my way, then.” I stood from the table and froze. “I can hug you all, right? Handshakes just feel so wrong right now.”

My aunt opened her arms, holding them in the air. “Get over here, my girl.”

She wrapped them around me, and my uncle and cousins did the same as I made my way around the table. Once I thanked everyone, I walked to the door and carefully closed it behind me.

I needed just a second, so I leaned my back against the wood and closed my eyes, taking a giant breath.

I didn’t care that it was only an internship. I’d still signed a contract; I would receive a paycheck.

Therefore, in my eyes, I was an employee of The Dalton Group.

Oh God.

This is really happening.

Everything I’ve ever wanted is finally coming true.

I didn’t have time to waste or celebrate or even shoot a quick text to Oaklyn to tell her the news. If my mentor was expecting me, then his office was where I needed to be.

I walked down the hallway, following Jenner’s instructions, watching the numbers increase as I passed each doorway. Most were closed, and even though this walkway was a defined space, there was a bank of admins to my right, working in an open area, assisting the executive-level staff. I smiled and nodded as I made eye contact with them, stopping when I reached the closed door to office eighteen ten.

There were name plaques outside all the other offices.

But not this one.

I wondered why. Considering Christopher had worked at the firm for the last eight years, it seemed odd that his was missing.