The Two Week Arrangement (Penthouse Affair #1)(4)
Drawing in a deep breath, I give myself a silent pep talk. You’ve got this, Presley. My inner voice sounds a lot like my mother, and that makes me break into a smile. Honoring her memory by busting my ass is pretty much my only pastime these days.
Despite my nerves, I know I’m ready for this. Dressed in a pair of black pants, a crisp white button-down shirt, and a pair of black heels, I’m ready for anything they throw my way.
Bring it.
? ? ?
The gleaming glass doors leading to the beautiful Aspen hotel have always been out of reach. But not today. I’ve never even been inside the lobby of a five-star hotel, but this morning, I stroll inside with purpose, pausing only briefly as my heels click across the shiny marble floors. The emailed instructions I received directed me to the nineteenth floor, so I proceed to the bank of elevators lining the far wall.
Everywhere I look there are fine tapestries and gleaming mahogany, elegant paintings, and helpful members of the hotel staff dressed in crisp navy-blue suits. I take in every detail surrounding me and can’t help but smile as I step inside the elevator. On the nineteenth floor, I step out onto plush navy carpeting that contrasts with walls wallpapered in shades of cream.
A little-known fact about the hotel, at least this particular location in the heart of downtown, is that in addition to the six hundred guest rooms, it also houses the corporate offices, which are directly below the penthouse home of CEO Dominic Aspen.
His reputation as a CEO is that he’s intense and demanding, and a little bit mysterious. I guess I’ll find out.
I make my way to a meeting room at the far end of the hall. Before I enter, I check my phone and see that I’m eight minutes early. Perfect. I’ve always subscribed to the notion that on time is late, and early is on time.
When I enter, I’m greeted by a woman who looks to be in her fifties. She’s short and stocky and has a ready smile when she spots me.
“Hello. Welcome. You must be Presley Harper.” She holds out her hand in greeting, and I shake it.
“Yes, it’s nice to meet you . . .”
“Beth Darvill, but Beth is fine. I’m the executive assistant to Mr. Aspen and the coordinator for the intern program. Please have a seat. We’ll begin once everyone has arrived.”
I settle into my seat at the large conference table and take stock of my competition.
A petite Asian girl sits beside me in an expensive-looking black suit, and a guy who looks to be of Indian heritage sits beside her with a serious expression. Neither greets me. We wait in silence for the fourth and final intern to arrive. With one minute to spare, he finally bursts into the room wearing a lopsided grin.
“I’m here! Made it in the nick of time. Jordan Provost.”
As Beth gestures him into the seat beside me, I quickly take his measure. His tie is too loose and his hair is a little too long on the top. He reminds me of the frat guys I used to avoid during undergrad. Fantastic.
We spend the next hour receiving an overview of the internship program from Beth, and I also meet my fellow interns. In addition to Jordan, there’s Jenny and Aarav. Apparently, the four of us have been selected from a pool of over a thousand applicants. I’m fairly certain that Jordan, with his tattered notebook and no pen to take notes with, is the son of someone important. Jenny, Aarav, and I all take dutiful notes on our laptops. I type every word Beth says just so I don’t miss anything.
I learn that we’ll share an open work space on the twentieth floor. That despite this internship being non-paid, we’ll have access to the employee cafeteria, as well as the hotel fitness facility and pool.
I doubt I’ll have much free time to go for a swim—I’ve heard to expect ninety-hour work weeks for the next three months, assuming I’ll be the one chosen for this position—but that doesn’t bother me. I’m here for one thing and one thing only. And I intend to win.
Beth pauses, and I lift my gaze to the front of the room. “You’ve each been paired with a member of our executive team. This person will act as a mentor to you and will oversee your day-to-day work on the project that you’ll be assigned. You will have two weeks to make a great impression. If after those two weeks, you don’t convince your mentor that you deserve a shot, you’ll be let go.”
A hushed silence falls over the room. I didn’t know about this two-week stipulation, and it seems the other interns didn’t either. This ups the ante even more.
Then Beth continues. “At the end of the three-month internship, the executive team will meet and discuss which of the remaining candidates they would like to extend an offer to. God willing, one of you will become a new associate executive here at Aspen Hotels.”
I smile, giddy at the thought of the title associate executive behind my name.
“Now, let’s take a short bathroom break, and I’ll call the executive team in so that you can meet your mentor and get started on your assigned project.” Beth rises to her feet in sensible pumps.
I scurry off to the restrooms at the end of the hall and quickly check my reflection and wash my hands. My bladder is too nervous for me to do anything else, so I head back to the conference room and find four new people already inside.
I slide into my seat and feel four sets of eyeballs appraising me. It’s a little intimidating to know that these people probably know just about everything there is to know about me and I’m virtually flying blind here.