My Summer in London (My Summer #1)(13)
Pulling my phone out of my purse, I pressed to call my mom, hoping she wouldn’t cringe at the cost of my roaming charges. I strolled towards the end of the bed, taking a seat while I cradled the phone on my ear, waiting for her to answer.
“Sweetie, how have you been? How are you settling?” My mother’s gleeful greeting made me realize how much I missed home.
“Just tired, but yeah, everything’s been great. Margaret’s been really nice,” I responded with a smile on my face.
“I know! Did she manage to get you an internship? I haven’t spoken to her today. Maybe she’ll call later. Nevertheless, how are you, baby? This is the first time you’ve been out of the nest; I’m actually really nervous. I try not to worry, you know, but it doesn’t help that your dad freaks out, as well. Thank goodness for Grace. She never fails to remind us that we’re a breath away from a nervous breakdown if we didn’t stop worrying about terrorist attacks, getting robbed, and all of that stuff.”
My grin grew wider. Grace, my little sister, was the cute, sarcastic doll I adored too much. My parents were both worrywarts, but she would always take them down a notch.
“I’m fine. Jesus, Mom, I’ve been gone for, like, a couple of days. And, no, there’s no terrorists attacks, but I’ll do let you know if something comes up,” I teased, hoping she would calm her butt down.
“Now that’s not funny, Serena. You should be kind to my nerves. You know how I get,” she reprimanded, but it was obvious in her voice just how much love there was.
“You guys have to stop. Seriously. Have some confidence in me. I can handle this.” Reassuring her somehow worked.
My parents were great folks, but holy crap did they worry. It was to the point of borderline paranoia.
As our conversation progressed, I asked for updates about Grace and how she was doing in school. Grace was in the top of her class, as always. I was the laidback one, while my little sis was the perfectionist in the family. We were like night and day, yet our sisterly bond was as strong as ever.
The more I conversed with my family, the more homesickness settled in. Then again, it also reassured me that I was going to be okay. They grounded me. Thinking about them made me realize what was important in life.
I was here to experience living and studying abroad, not to find a boyfriend.
Boys came and went, but achieving lifelong goals, such as experience and education, that was for life.
Prioritizing was all I had to do. Cruz and his magnetic eyes be damned.
Chapter Eight
“Hello.” I nervously smiled towards the sea of people around me. “I’m Serena. I’m majoring in International Business, and this is my first semester here.” Adding the last bit before taking my seat, I noted how bored the rest of the class looked. This was my first day studying at the University in London, and I wasn’t sure what to expect.
After the rest of them welcomed me, the teacher then went to the next victim. I thanked my lucky stars I didn’t look like a timid idiot. I hadn’t realized how anxious I was until I had entered the classroom.
Back home, I didn’t really have any anxiety issues. I supposed acknowledging I was far from home and away from my comfort zone brought it home today. Teachers and the staff were friendly enough, but there were little things that I still had to get used to.
I had two classes scheduled for today. The last on the roster, Egyptian Mythology, ended at two in the afternoon. Hopefully, I wouldn’t be late to my internship. Margery had given me the address and reassured me that whatever time was fine as long as it wasn’t past five so they could put me in the system.
Elliot Corp. was located in the City of London, and since I was already short of time, taking the tube would delay me even more. The easiest way to get there without wasting time would be taking a cab.
The city was basically littered with cabs everywhere, so it wasn’t a hardship getting one. With added traffic, I ultimately got there thirty-five past two. Perusing Margery’s instructions, I trotted towards the building then straight to reception where I was greeted by a well-poised woman who introduced herself as Charlie. After giving her my name, she handed me a temporary pass and told me my destination was the top floor.
Once I thanked her for helping me, I was on my way to the banks of elevators when I abruptly halted after noticing how everyone was dressed.
I knew it was my first day, so instead of worrying about what to wear, I had been more consumed about my encounters with Cruz, and I had chosen jeans and white, fitted cami. Embarrassment filled me as I looked up, staring at the floor while walking, avoiding the people around me who were sprinting to wherever they needed to be.
My journey felt as if it was going to take forever. The elevator that was jam-packed earlier left me all to my lonesome as they gradually exited as it travelled upwards.
Once it reached the top, I carefully took a step out of the elevator and onto the cool, black marble floor. I was instructed to seek Denise, who was apparently the main assistant I was going to be working under.
“Hello, how may I help you?” a tall, blonde, blue-eyed woman greeted me.
Composing myself, I tried not to let her cool demeanor intimidate me. “Hi, I’m the new intern, and I’m looking for Denise.”
“Oh, hello, Serena. I’m Steph, the second assistant.” She extended her hand that had engine-red manicured nails. “Denise should be in her office. Welcome aboard Elliot Corp. If you need anything—anything at all—don’t hesitate to ask.” Her friendliness overwhelmed me in a good way.