I frowned. “I sort of had my heart set.”
Cynthia’s high heels clicked against the tile as she brought in a tray and set it on the table. She placed an empty plate in front of me, and then sat a tall glass of an indiscriminate frozen cocktail on the plate. She added a bowl of fresh fruit, a bran muffin, and a slice of tomato.
“What’s in the glass?” I asked.
“Fresh fruit, yogurt and peanut butter.”
“That sounds awful,” I groaned.
“But salsa pancakes are appetizing?” Jared said. I shot him an annoyed glare.
Cynthia nodded to my breakfast. “It’s quite good, I assure you. I can’t do this every morning. I happened to have a cancellation, but I do expect you to eat well.”
All expression left my face. “You know, don’t you?”
Cynthia offered a small smile. “I know everything, Nina, dear. Now, feed my grandchild. I’ll see you at dinner.”
She untied the strings of her apron and hung it over a chair, clicking her heels to the foyer.
I stared at the concoction in the glass. “I officially believe that I will never know what to expect from my mother.”
“That makes two of us.”
I drank the PB and Fruit smoothie—which was actually quite tasty—and gathered my things for class. Jared walked me to the Escalade, but I put my hand on his arm before we left the drive. “I almost forgot. I have to stop by Titan and speak to Sasha.”
“Oh, yes. To banish her to the file room.”
“Her ridiculous crush is costing me money,” I grumbled. “She hired a calligrapher to write names on the new client packets!”
Jared made a strange face, unsure how to react, and then turned the wheel toward Titan. I practiced what I might say to Sasha during the drive. Part of me wanted to smash all of her hopes and dreams like she deserved; the other insisted on breaking it to her gently. By the time Jared pulled up to the curb, I had given up on my dastardly plan of revenge, instead settling on a gentler speech. That decision put me in a less than amiable mood.
“See you soon,” Jared said, kissing my cheek.It took some doing to find Sasha, but after looking everywhere else, I headed to the file room in the basement. The room was missing several lights; the only one fully lit was blinking. I stepped in, the concrete echoing under my feet.
“Sasha?”
I slowly walked down the aisle, looking to each side of me.
A small, muffled noise came from a dark corner of the room. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I was alone, but something was inside that room with me.
I took a breath, and then walked as quietly as I could to the end of the aisle, turning toward the noise. A dark, huddled figure was slumped with its back turned to me. In the failing light I could see it shivering.
“H…hello?”
The figure froze. Adrenaline seared through my veins. Immediately every move, every act of defense I had learned replayed in my mind. My hands balled into fists, and I braced myself for a fight.
“Go away,” Sasha hissed. She gasped, and her body shivered again.
Every taut muscle in my body released, and anger served as an outlet for the adrenaline. “What the hell are you doing down here?”
Sasha turned, wiping her eyes. “Peter said Grant was out for the day, and that I needed to straighten up down here until you came in. Does he think I’m stupid?” She stood. “Why would I want to work for someone that doesn’t appreciate me, anyway? I wouldn’t. I am far too talented to be sentenced to the file room.”
“Sasha. You misused company resources.”
“It was approved!”
“You’re an intern. Interns don’t hire calligraphers or order cappuccino machines.”
“Grant loves cappuccinos!”
“Then he can buy one for his office.”
“He’s the CEO!”
“No,” I breathed. “He’s not. Report to Peter when you’re finished with the file room so he can give you a list of new duties. You will work in Peter’s department, now, so he is your immediate supervisor, and he will handle your evaluation. If you need anything, Peter will be happy to address your concerns.”
“Nina!”
I walked out of the basement and took a deep breath. It was the first time my lungs felt like they were getting air. I noticed another, newer, male intern walking down the hall, and called him over.
“Yes, Mrs. Ryel?”
“The lights in the file room need attention. Call maintenance and have the bulbs replaced or repaired immediately, and please help Sasha with whatever she needs. You’ll find her at the end of the third aisle. And do not, under any circumstances, leave her alone.”
The intern frowned with confusion. “Y-yes, ma’am.” He stood there for a moment, every thought scrolling across his face.
“Well? Go.”
He nodded, hastily making his way down the hall to the file room, and I paused, disturbed by the distinct Cynthia-like tone in my voice just then.