"Hmmm," Mariah hummed, fingers scrolling through her phone.
The sound buzzed through the enclosed meeting room, her presence filling the silence as the projector mirrored her screen on the wall, displaying a live test of the software.
"Hmmm," she repeated, her tone nonchalant, as she tapped on products, adding them to her mock store.
Sarah sat back with a smirk, her confidence palpable. Meanwhile, Peter and Kendrick were visibly tense, their nerves quivering like taut strings. Telly, as always, remained stoic—except for the faintest flicker in his pupils.
"Hmm?" Mariah tilted her head, her brows raising in mild surprise as the screen switched to the checkout page.
"Hmmm," she nodded slowly, her expression giving nothing away.
Sarah leaned forward, her smirk sharpening. "You can't find anything wrong, can you?"
Mariah didn't look up, her gaze still glued to the screen. "You can't find your marks, can you?"
"Okay," Sarah murmured, leaning back into her chair, folding her arms.
Everything had gone smoothly: navigation to checkout, product browsing to stock updates—it was all seamless.
Kendrick and Peter exchanged hopeful glances, their shoulders inching away from their ears.
Mariah broke the silence with a sharp look toward Peter. "What's wrong with your eyes?"
Peter stiffened, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"Excuse me, were you expecting a praise?" Mariah's voice dripped with sass, a small, bemused smirk tugging at her lips. "Did you expect me to pat your back?"
Peter froze, his cheeks coloring slightly, while Kendrick suppressed the urge to groan aloud.
"Did you do a good job? Yes," Mariah admitted, watching Kendrick sag with relief. "Did the standards do most of the heavy lifting? Also yes." She shot Peter a pointed look, making him sink into his chair.
"You're being compensated fairly," Mariah continued, her voice crisp, cutting through the room like a blade. "More than fairly, actually."
She glanced around at each of them, her sharp eyes taking them in one by one.
"Now, You want me to fan your asses?"
Kendrick bit the inside of his cheek to stop a smile, Peter's mouth twitched nervously, and Sarah's smirk didn't waver.
"You've done a lot." Mariah leaned back, letting her words sink in before adding, "You've done more than most interns, this week."
Kendrick and Peter's faces lit up, relief washing over them.
"But you didn't hear that from me," she added with a warning glance.
They nodded in unison, but the assurance still brought the faintest smiles to their faces.
Mariah's phone buzzed. She fished it from her pocket, swiping to answer without hesitation.
"Yeah?" she said into the receiver.
Kendrick caught the glimmer of interest in Telly's eyes as Mariah's tone sharpened.
The voice on the other end spoke rapidly, like a bullet train of distress.
Mariah raised a brow. "Did you give them their evaluations?" she asked, her voice steady but inquisitive.
The reply came just as fast, almost unintelligible.
Mariah sighed, leaning forward. "No, Janice. I'm not giving you my interns," she said, her objection ending high pitch.
Kendrick blinked, his gaze darting to Sarah.
Sarah leaned toward Kendrick, whispering, "Are we being traded? She's making us sound like livestock."
Mariah waved a dismissive hand as if batting away their growing paranoia.
"No, no, no," she continued, the frustration clear in her tone. Then, suddenly, her demeanor shifted, her voice softening. "Okay," she said slowly, her lips curling into a sly grin. "Birkin. Mini or… Birkin? Right." She nodded, as if the question had been the key to ending the conversation.
Kendrick glanced at Sarah, who arched a brow, then at Peter, who shrugged in utter confusion.
The tension in the room fizzled, leaving an awkward silence as Mariah hung up and set her phone down, looking pleased with herself.
"Okay, I'm going to make a proposal," Mariah said, her tone firm but inviting.
Sarah, Kendrick, Peter, and even Telly snapped to attention, all ears.
"Another department is in need of assistance—ideas, actually," Mariah continued, placing her hands flat on the table. "It's a rare opportunity. Interns have never stepped into this department before."
Her words hung in the air, intriguing and heavy.
"Why?" Sarah asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Mariah's lips quirked into a faint smile. "Because the subsidiary is highly business-focused. They don't just take anyone. But if you can make it, you'll be… more than fairly compensated."
"More than we are now?" Sarah leaned forward, her brows raising.
Mariah turned to her sharply, her smile gone. "Are you in a place to negotiate?" she asked, her words slicing through the room like a whip. Before Sarah could respond, Mariah's gaze shifted to Kendrick and Telly.
"But they are," she said, her tone softening, almost teasing.
Kendrick glanced at Telly, but Telly remained steadfast, his eyes fixed on Mariah.
"You both double major in business," Mariah said, her words deliberate. "So here's the deal: All of you will be compensated as per the current contract, but you two…" She pointedly looked between Kendrick and Telly. "…will receive a letter of recommendation."
Kendrick's breath hitched.
"A letter strong enough to sponsor your MBAs," Mariah finished, her arms folding slowly across her chest as she leaned back into her chair.
The room went still.
"No pressure, no push," Mariah added smoothly, breaking the tension. "Take your time, take as long as you need."
She stood gracefully, her chair scraping softly against the floor. The team's eyes followed her as she made her way to the door.
Before leaving, she paused, glancing back over her shoulder. "Oh, and one more thing…"
They waited, the silence deafening.
Mariah's lips curved into a sly smile. "Opportunities like this? Don't come twice, think about it."
And with that, she slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her.
The faint rustling of paper mingled with the hum of the cafeteria as Kendrick flipped through the thick document.
Sarah and Peter sat across from each other, their trays untouched, while Kendrick perched at the edge of the table, his focus on the business-heavy text in front of him.
"She's not kidding," Kendrick muttered, his eyes darting over the pages. "This is really business-focused."
"You think Telly's signing up for it?" Sarah asked, her tone casual, but her eyes betrayed her curiosity.
"He's got more money than anyone could imagine," Kendrick replied, not looking up. "This could actually mean something to me."
"Well," Peter chimed in, "he's got more experience in business, too. Wouldn't it be easier if you just asked him for advice?"
Kendrick froze for a beat, his hand hovering over the next page. "Yeah, but…" His voice trailed off.
"But what?" Sarah leaned in, narrowing her eyes.
Kendrick let out a frustrated sigh. "What if they only see him as the brains of the operation? What if I get overshadowed? What if I don't get sponsored?"
Peter shrugged. "I think Telly's a good guy. I mean, even when you pitched that idea last week, he didn't shut you down—he went along with it. That says something."
Kendrick hesitated, the document forgotten in his hands. "I just… think…"
"You're down bad, aren't you?" Sarah interrupted, her smirk sharp enough to cut glass.
Kendrick's head shot up. "Wait, we're talking about my career here!"
Sarah rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "Oh, please. Don't act like I haven't seen this before."
Kendrick frowned. "Seen what?"
"You," Sarah said pointedly, "crawling into your little shell whenever the guy you like outranks you."
Kendrick opened his mouth to protest, but Sarah didn't give him a chance. "It happened with Steven. It happened with Collin. And now it's happening with Telly."
Peter stifled a laugh as Kendrick's face burned.
"You've got so much to offer, Ken," Sarah continued, her voice softening. "You're so caught up in 'I wanna be a provider' that you forgot you're human. You need a shoulder too you idiot."
Kendrick blinked, her words sinking in. For a moment, all he could hear was the distant clatter of trays and murmurs of conversation around them.
"She's got a point," Peter added, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "Not about the whole 'down bad' thing, but… yeah, maybe that too."
"Ugh, you're both the worst," Kendrick groaned, but his lips quirked into a reluctant smile.
The lunch trays sat stacked by the sink, the cafeteria now eerily silent, emptied of the day's hustle.
A soft ping echoed as the elevator doors parted, inviting Kendrick to the new department floor. The layout was familiar, yet everything seemed bigger—wider hallways, higher ceilings, and a tangible air of importance.
He approached the receptionist's desk, peeking over its sleek, polished surface. "Hi, I'm here to see Mariah," he said, his voice steady but tinged with nerves.
The receptionist looked up with a smile. "Oh, you're Kendrick, right? The intern?"
"Yeah, that's me," he replied, offering a polite nod.
"Just a moment." Her fingers danced across her keyboard with practiced ease, the rhythmic tapping filling the brief silence. With a final keystroke, she gestured toward a half-frosted glass door. "Alright, use your ID to get through."
Kendrick followed her instruction, swiping his badge. A mechanical chime confirmed his access, and the door swung open, revealing a vast office space.
It was unlike anything he'd seen before—larger cubicles lined the room, and sunlight poured through expansive windows that offered a view of the city. A small balcony at the far end was adorned with stools perched on synthetic grass, where a few employees mingled casually.
He squared his shoulders and began his march toward Mariah's office, weaving through the maze of desks and hushed conversations. But halfway there, he froze in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat.
Sitting on a sleek bench just outside Mariah's office was…
Telly.