Chapter One
The first three months hadn’t gone well.
Emily had always dreamed of living in New York City, but now that she was actually living here, the reality failed to measure up to the dream. Instead of feeling successful and glamorous, she felt naïve and out of place, and as the days went by without her landing a proper job, she was beginning to feel like a failure.
The only work she’d managed to find was a thankless, part-time waitressing job at a greasy diner. Fortunately, her parents back in Wisconsin had agreed to help her out financially for a while, until she got a full-time job, so she wasn’t homeless, yet. But not earning real money meant that she was always pinching pennies and stressed about expenses.
Today, however, things were different.
Today, she was here - Alpha Investments Ltd. And today would be a good day, today would change her life. She’d make sure of it.
When the HR rep from Alpha Investments had called her a while back about an internship position, Emily had been surprised. But she’d aced her way through two group interviews, and a day-long interview with various different people.
Now, two weeks later, she’d been called in for the final interview. Emily was surprised that she’d made it to the final round. She was sure there were candidates who were much more qualified than she was. But she was determined that no matter what, this internship position would be hers.
After all, if she’d managed to come so far, why couldn’t she go all the way?
***
“We’re looking for people with critical thinking skills,” the HR director said, “And from our conversation, I can tell that you’ve got those skills.”
Emily flushed with pleasure. “Thank you, sir.”
“Please, call me Jim.”
“Of course. Thanks, Jim.”
Emily wondered if she’d ever see Jim Walters again. He reminded her of George Costanza from Seinfield – short, balding, and good-humored. She thought the interview had gone well, but if it hadn’t, if she didn’t get the job, then she’d never see Jim again.
“Thanks for your time,” Jim said, interrupting her thoughts and standing up.
Emily followed suit and stood up too, and when he extended his hand, she shook it politely.
“If you can just wait in Reception for a bit, Nate will be free in just a few minutes to talk to you,” he said.
“ Nate – Nate Steele?” Emily felt her heart stop beating, and the world stood still.
Jim smiled. “Yes, he’ll be interviewing the final candidates to make sure they’re a good fit with our culture. He has the final say, of course.”
“Yes, of course,” she murmured.
After thanking Jim for his time, Emily left the room in a slight daze, and in the Reception area. As the minutes ticked by, her nervousness increased. So this was the final reckoning. It would all depend on what Mr. Steele thought of her.
She found herself kicking herself for not doing more research on the man in charge of the company. Emily had read through articles and reports on Alpha Investments and the hedge fund industry in general. But when she’d Googled Nate Steele’s name, the articles that popped up were all about his personal life.
The re were articles gossiping about which celebrities he’d been spotted with, which actress he might be dating at the moment. There were articles speculating about who he was dating at the moment, and there were photos of him – tall, well-dressed, with dark hair and tan skin. His eyes were dark and speculative, and he looked intense and brooding. Emily couldn’t help but admire the man’s good looks, before clicking on a website called Steelemyheart.com. It turned out to be a forum where women posted – in great details – about what they would like Mr. Steele to do to them. Emily giggled and switched off her laptop nervously, trying hard not to think about her potential boss that way.
Some of the women’s comments were very graphic and embarrassing. Emily wasn’t a virgin,
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