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"Not real y," I said, thuet it I h, "I realize you’re the princess of Titan Mercantile, but don’t you feel a little ridiculous when you stand next to hi what she meant, my head jerked up, and ed then, running her finger along the edge of my desk as she slithered around me "Doesn’t itthemselves at him al the time"

"Not real y, no," I snapped as she walked toward the door

Sasha s" Her long, red ponytail flicked as she turned the corner, and I felt the heat radiate fro

"Everything okay?" Jared asked on the other end of the line

I coveredto cal’s fine It’s…Sasha was just here"

"Oh That explains it Is she leaving her coffee ain?" Jared chuckled For whatever reason, it aot under ht

I sighed "No She’s…I can’t say what I want to, so I just won’t"

"You do own the company, you know You don’t have to ith her"

"Right now I’ her flirt with the huer, "don’t tempt me"

"Think you could slip away a bit early today?" Jared asked

"Probably Why?"

"It’s your first day back to Brown toet on the bike and head to the Oak tree, have some lunch…"

"The Oak tree…?"

"The one I’ve wanted to take you to…where my father took my mother"

I s, first"

"Right," Jared said, pretending he’d forgotten

I straightened my skirt at the waist, and then pressed the button for the third floor My entire last day of freedom could have been spent with Jared, but Mr Patocka asked that the interns coan So, and he needed to redistribute responsibilities I had looked forward to thisal week, only because it was Sasha’s last day That alone was cause to celebrate

"Interns," Mr Patocka began, looking through the papers in his hand He always said interns as if it left a bad taste in hisus, leaving Shannon, John, Nina and Sasha with new responsibilities I would like to say…"

Mr Patocka’s words blurred together after I realized he’d put Sasha in the wrong category

"I’m sorry, Mr Patocka?"

"Yes, Miss Grey?" he said, obviously irritated I are that had any other intern interrupted hi, but everyone knew, including Mr Patocka, that I wasn’t just an intern

"I think you’ve ," I said as professional y as I couldattention to your briefs," Sasha snapped "I’h the school year"

"What?" I said, usted than I’dincredibly bored with the turn the conversation had taken

"I…she…" I stu to think of a way to save face after I’d made it so clear that I was shocked and diset to be officepolite to the bird just before she ate it

"Moving on," Mr Patocka continued "Sasha, you’l be taking over Brad’s duties, Shannon, you’l be taking over Anna’s duties, and John wil be taking over Evan’s I expect those departing tobehind have exact instructions"

"What about Nina?" Sasha said, glaring back at hed "Nina wil be training with Grant during the school year, Sasha Try not tomore than I already do, please"

"With Grant?" Sasha groused

Grant was second in coe with hie years watching Grant suck up to my father and, to Jack’s amusement, sha in Grant that I couldn’t--or wouldn’t--see Not only did he give Grant promotion after proo out with his up and coent, star e within five feet of Grant usual yto land a job as his assistant since her first day

Mr Patocka’s decision to placefor al summer would no doubt push her beyond any irritation she’d had for ht This would mean an al -out war

"Is there a proble to preserve a bit of respect from my future employees

"Probleh that liberated her froize, Nina I didn’t realize you were so sensitive," she smiled

I looked to Mr Patocka "Are we finished here?"

"I’, but I need you to come to Grant’s office with s before you start back next week"

The other interns filed out of the roooodbyes I nodded to each of them as theySasha’s cheap grin with one of my own

Mr Patocka escortedbutton four, where my father’s office stil resided Grant’s office was on the opposite side of the floor, paral el to Jack's Half of his wal s were covered in degrees and pictures of polo ponies, and the other half al owing the sunshine to pour in froe s that overlooked Fleet Rink

Mr Patocka knocked on Grant’s half-opened door "Er…Mr Bristol? Nina’s here to see you"

"Bring her in"

I walked into his office, sitting in a puffy green chair, feeling ae Grant had worked for my father for ten years, and like every cliché rise-to-the-top story, Grant started at entry level The only thing that would have an in thetrenches, had we kept a in his days at Titan as a mail boy