Summer Intern by Carrie Karasyov Page A

then smiled at me, taking my hand. “Kira, you’re a really sweet girl. I’m so glad I met you.”
    He leaned down and delicately kissed my hand, which made me shiver, feeling like some cherished Victorian woman in a costume drama. He looked up and saw my smile, then swiftly pulled me into him and kissed me passionately. I wanted to melt—and not because of the warm summer night.
    Before heading back uptown, Matt walked me all the way down to my apartment, which was like five miles, stopping to kiss me almost every block. I had never been happier to see so many red lights.

Chapter Nineteen
    W hat came next was an Academy Awards–style montage of burgeoning romance, complete with Central Park smooches, sunsets by Chelsea Piers, and hand-holding down little winding streets. Matt would pick me up from Skirt , where I was still busting my hump working late, but his cute perch in the lobby made it all worth it. Within ten days, I felt like he was my full-out boyfriend! He started spending the night in our apartment every night, and while I hadn’t given up the V-card, I knew he was the one I’d sleep with first. Definitely by summer’s end.
    During my CeCe servitude, my only bright moments were times plopped in Richard’s office or when James and I would have the occasional chat in the hall. He was always so sweet, but not like Matt, who was so demonstratively attentive and, unlike James, clearly into me. Meanwhile, in my cinematic whirlwind, I oddly found that I didn’t quite have everyone’s approval on the new amore. Gabe, naturally, was as over the moon and was living vicariously through every kiss or inhalation of the fragrant flowers Matt brought me almost every day. He’d gush about how hot Matt was, how charming, how perfect. Teagan, however, was far less effusive.
    â€œAre you, like, not into Matt?” I boldly asked one morning after Gabe gushed and she sat silent.
    A shrug was her response. “He’s okay, I guess.”
    Huh? Just okay ? He was a prince! A chivalrous gent of yesteryear!
    â€œWhy aren’t you into him?” I asked casually, trying to tone down my defensiveness.
    â€œI don’t know.” She shrugged. “I mean, he’s perfect. On paper,” she said, cautiously. “But something about him seems a shade…” her voice trailed off.
    â€œA shade what?” I probed.
    â€œA shade shady.”
    Matt? Jealous, much? “I don’t see it,” I replied flippantly, and grabbed my bag to leave for work.
    As I waited for them in the lobby, I just knew Teagan and Gabewere still in the kitchen talking about me, but I didn’t really care. Sometimes I thought Teagan had to ruin everyone else’s happiness. I mean, she almost seemed to gloat that she was right about Daphne getting the internship, and now she was probably just so envious that Matt went for me that she’d search for any excuse to hate him.
    â€œKira, no offense, okay?” said Teagan when she and Gabe emerged downstairs.
    â€œWhatever, Teagan,” I said, not looking at her. I pushed open the front door.
    â€œSnippy!” Teagan muttered behind me.
    I didn’t even humor her with a response and refused to talk to her the entire subway ride. She didn’t exactly try to talk to me, either. Gabe nervously maintained a monologue about celebrity gossip and other vapid topics the entire way to break the ice.
    When we got to Skirt, the staff was gathering in the conference room for their weekly meeting. Alida had requested that the interns come to the first five minutes for some important announcement, and then we were to make ourselves scarce.
    I sat down in the back corner, and James quickly slid into the seat next to me.
    Although I was in the throes of my affair with Matt, I had to admit that I still kind of felt something for James. It had been sweet of him to defend me to Daphne that day—more than sweet. Sexy. Hot.