Looking around, she saw no one that seemed to notice any change in her demeanor. The feeling subsided and then passed, leaving her to wonder what had just happened. It was like that heated moment when you were about to have sex with someone - when your body was on fire with some hungry need - but multiplied a hundred-fold. She’d never felt anything like it. It was both debilitating and exhilarating at the same time. Mostly, though, she felt bewildered by it. Just as quickly as it had hit her, it faded away.
She glanced at her watch and that got her moving. Hurrying along the sidewalk, she made her way to the large glass and metal building where she would begin her internship as an assistant to one Mr. Gary Nasteau, Chief Financial Officer of Nasteau International Holdings or NIH, as most knew it. She’d learn everything about the world of corporate real estate financing from one of the best and hopefully, walk into one of his open positions when she was done. All she had to do was the work; put in the hours and it would come, that’s all she could believe. This was huge for her and failure was not a choice she had the luxury of making.
“Ah, Miss Carmichael. Let’s get you started, shall we?” Marilyn Stutt, the human resources manager she had been speaking to over the past several months, told her as she entered her office. “Mr. Nasteau is out of the office today. He was called away on business, but you’ll be spending most of it on paperwork and training anyway. He’ll be here on Monday to get you started on your official training program. You’ll want to rest up over the weekend because he expects a lot from his interns.”
“Sounds great. I’m ready to go.”
“I hope so. We get interns in and out of here all the time. I’m not trying to scare you or make it sound like you can’t succeed, but I want you to know what you are getting yourself into. You’ll be working long hours, with little positive reinforcement. Mr. Nasteau is not exactly the kind of boss who rewards you with a pat on the back. The rewards you’ll reap will be in the form of a job or a good reference. He can make or break you, so remember that each and every day.”
Jaycee was speechless. It wasn’t exactly an uplifting speech to hear on her first day.
“I know it sounds harsh, but I’m just trying to prepare you for what’s to come. You can do this. Just remember what you are here for, and don’t think you’ll have him singing your praises. If it gets to be too much, come see me. We’ll talk it out. Don’t give up on your dream just because you have to deal with a bit of hardship to get to where you want to be. Okay?”
“Okay,” Jaycee replied, not knowing what else she could add.
Other than feeling some anxiety over the warning, the day was mostly uneventful. It felt good to be getting started, no matter how hard the journey might be. Back on the bus for her return home that afternoon, she pulled out her phone and checked her email. Still nothing from her mother. The notifications on Alpha Meets Omega were flashing and she opened it instead.
“Well, hello there,” she said aloud.CHAPTER FOURThad
After a bit of back and forth, Thad had a date with the brunette Beta on Alpha Meets Omega. He didn’t usually bother looking at the app during work, but something about her kept drawing him back to check for messages. He found that he was so eager that he asked to see her tonight. It was only after she agreed and they set a time and place that he was able to get her off his mind long enough to get any real work done. In the quiet moments, though, his mind drifted back to her photo and he found himself opening the app several times to look at it again.
What the fuck?
No woman had ever had this effect on him, much less a woman he’d never met. It was intriguing but also maddening.
The day went swiftly enough. He was out of the office and on his way home by four, instead of the usual six or seven. It gave him plenty of time before the late dinner he had set for eight. Unlike his usual hookups, he found himself feeling a bit more excited about this one. It could just be his recent state of mind, but he had a feeling it was something about this particular woman. But why? She was beautiful, yes, but there had been plenty of beautiful women that had crossed his path and shared his bed. Wasn’t she just another Beta in a sea of them? That was the thing. Something told him she was not, and he found that exciting.